Week 5 was a fun one in HBCU football, but it was by the letter for the most part, as teams with home-field and talent advantages won out.
That meant a return to form for HBCU Sports’ intrepid weekly predictions expert (me) and not a moment too soon. Before we take a look at Week 6, here’s a quick look back at the Week 5 bounce back.
Last Week’s Record: 22-3
2024 Overall Record: 98-40-1
Best Pick: Clark Atlanta 38, Lane 36 (Clark Atlanta won 38-28)
Worst Pick: Grambling State 27, Prairie View 17 (PVAMU won 36-34 in five overtimes)
Game Of the Week: Florida A&M (2-2, 0-0 SWAC East) at Alabama State (2-2, 1-0 SWAC East), Saturday Oct. 5, 3 p.m., ESPN+
The defending HBCU champion Rattlers return to action following an unscheduled week off, thanks to Helene. They’ll officially begin defense of their Eastern Division and SWAC title at SWAC East favorite Alabama State, who avoided disaster against Bethune-Cookman last week.
The Hornet defense ranks second in the conference behind Southern, so it’s business as usual for ASU on that end. Offensively, freshman quarterback Zach Sims has started and played all of the previous two games, getting some serious on-the-job training against Samford and BCU. It won’t get any easier against FAMU.
The same could be said for Rattler QB Daniel Richardson, who gets his first taste of SWAC action against a team looking to climb to the top of the mountain that his team currently occupies.
Prediction: Florida A&M 21, Alabama State 17
North Carolina Central (3-2, 1-0 MEAC) at Campbell (2-3, 0-2 CAA), Saturday Oct. 5, 4 p.m., FloFootball
Central opened MEAC play in the Circle City Classic with a win over Norfolk State and will return to FCS non-conference play for the final time this season at Campbell, a team that needed 44 points to hold off Delaware State last week.
The Eagles’ offensive firepower was on full display last week as Walker Harris found several different receivers for big plays, including sophomore Markell Quick, who hauled in two touchdown passes.
Trei Oliver said this week that Campbell has the biggest offensive line NCCU will see this year, so the battle up front will be key if the Eagles are to win.
Prediction: North Carolina Central 35, Campbell 34
Virginia State (2-2, 1-0 CIAA) at Johnson C. Smith (5-0, 2-0 CIAA), Saturday, Oct. 5, 2 p.m., CIAASN
Johnson C. Smith’s best start since 1969 will be put to the test against a Virginia State team that returned to business last week against Fayetteville State. This is a match-up of two of the top five offenses and defenses in the conference, so it could either be a shoot-out or a low-scoring affair.
The Golden Bulls’ Darius Ocean is the conference’s top passer and has yet to throw an interception this season, while the Trojans’ Romelo isn’t far behind after a 231-yard, 4-touchdown performance against the Broncos. Whichever quarterback has his team on the board early and often will likely take one more step towards the CIAA championship game.
Prediction: Johnson C. Smith 24, Virginia State 21
Winston-Salem State (4-1, 2-0 CIAA) at Virginia Union (2-2, 1-0 CIAA)
The Rams haven’t had a winning season since 2018, but their 4-1 start is reason for optimism. The defending conference champion Panthers, like their in-state rivals Virginia State, got back to business with a convincing win over Shaw.
WSSU needs to keep track of not only Jada Byers but also Curtis Allen and somehow make things tough in the pocket for quarterback R.J. Rosales. VUU should beware of quarterback Daylin Lee and running back Trevon Hester, who have spearheaded the Rams’ success so far.
Prediction: Virginia Union 31, Winston-Salem State 21
Division I
Delaware State 28, St. Francis (Pa.) 24
Morgan State 32, Lincoln (Pa.) 13
South Carolina State 21, Tennessee Tech 18
Norfolk State 24, Sacred Heart 20
Richmond 30, North Carolina A&T 17
Rhode Island 27, Hampton 17
Tennessee State 17, Lindenwood 14
Jackson State 29, Alabama A&M 22
Alcorn State 31, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 13
Nicholls 26, Southern 16
University of Incarnate Word 33, Prairie View A&M 30
Texas Southern 35, VUL 14
Division II/NAIA
Fayetteville State 25, Bowie State 17
Shaw 34, Bluefield State 27
Livingstone 28, Elizabeth City State 23
Clark Atlanta 30, Savannah State 13
Lane 29, Kentucky State 18
Tuskegee 32, Morehouse 21
Benedict 24, North Greenville 19
Fort Valley State 33, Edward Waters 16
Albany State 26, Allen 13
Miles 31, Central State 26
West Virginia State 35, Fairmont State 28
Lincoln (Mo.) 20, Lincoln (Ca.) 19
Langston 18, Nelson 14
Florida Memorial 32, Warner 24
Texas Southern 28, North American 27