As the 2018 football schedule turns to October, conference races – and a slew of homecomings – take center stage. Nine homecomings are on tap this week.
It’s still early, too early for anyone to have distanced themselves from others in the league, but it is a time that teams can begin to separate themselves from the competition.
MEAC
Florida A&M and new coach Willie Sim–mons are one outfit that got a big 55–14 win over perennial contender North Carolina Central Saturday that has the Rattlers in the MEAC championship mix.
The Rattlers (3-2, 2-0 MEAC) are at home for homecoming Saturday (4 p.m.) vs. another team on the come-up, the Spartans of Norfolk State (3-1, 1-0) coming off their own big win, a 54–28 MEAC victory Saturday over Delaware State.
Both FAMU and NSU, two of the five teams without a loss in league play, had offensive ex–plosions powered by quarterbacks.
FAMU junior signal-caller Ryan Stanley was an efficient 13 of 18 for 254 yards and four touchdowns without an interception in the rout of NCCU. NSU sophomore QB Juwan Carter was equally efficient hitting on 22 of 31 passes with–out a pick for 318 yards and three scores vs. SSU.
Carter is second in MEAC passing yardage (261.3 ypg.) with five touchdowns and just one interception. Stanley is third (216.6 ypg.) with eight TD passes and four picks.
The game will also showcase lethal receivers for both teams. NSU’s Marcus Taylor hauled in eight catches for 120 yards including a 51–yard score Saturday while FAMU’s Chad Hunter gobbled up seven passes for 135 yards including 28–, 21- and 10–yard scores.
The outcome of the game, streamed live on ESPN3, could determine which team stays on track to challenge for the MEAC title.
In other MEAC games, North Carolina Central (1-3, 0-1) looks to bounce back from its home loss to FAMU as they are at home again Saturday (2 p.m.) to take on explosive BCSP No. 3 Howard (1-2, 1-0).
The Bison currently lead the league in total offense averaging 480.3 yards per game spurred by exciting sophomore QB Caylin Newton, the league leader in passing (299.7 ypg.) and total offense (357.7 ypg.).
Howard also features the top two receivers in the league in junior Kyle Anthony (6.3 reception per game, 69.0 yards per game) and Jequez Ezzard (5.3 rpg., 124.0 ypg.).
Morgan State (1-3, 0-0) and BCSP No. 4 North Carolina A&T (4-1, 1-0) are the others without a conference loss. A&T travels (7 p.m.) to winless Delaware State (0-4, 0-1) while MSU has homecoming (1 p.m.) vs. winless South Carolina State (0-4, 0-1).
Bethune-Cookman (2-3, 1-1) hosts Mississippi Valley State for homecoming in Daytona Beach (4 p.m.), and Savannah State (0-4, 0-2), plays (6 p.m.) at Charleston Southern.
SWAC
BCSP No. 1 Prairie View A&M and No. 2 Alcorn State made big strides in their respective SWAC races Saturday with wins Saturday over powerhouses, BCSP No. 5 Grambling State (22-16) and BCSP No. 7 Southern (20-3), respectively.
Prairie View is off this week while Alcorn State (4-1, 2–0 E) hosts an intra–division home–coming game (2 p.m.) vs. Alabama State (1-3, 0-1 E). Elsewhere, Jackson State (1-2, 0-1 E) is at (2:30 p.m.) Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1-4, 0-1) and Alabama A&M (1-1, 2–3 E) is at (6 p.m.) Texas Southern (1-3, 0-0 W). No. 6 Grambling (1-3, 1-1 W) hosts (6 p.m.) Ok. Panhandle State.
CIAA
The CIAA moves to intra-divisional play this week in full force.
In the North, BCSP No. 10 Bowie State (4-1, 2-0 CIAA) is at Chowan (1-3, 0-1), Lincoln (0-5, 0-2) is at Virginia Union (3-1, 2-0) and Elizabeth City State (1-2, 0-1) is at Virginia State (2-2, 2-0).
In South Division match ups, Fayetteville State (2-1, 1-0) is at Shaw (1-3, 0-1), St. Augustine’s (1-3, 1-1) is at Livingstone (2-2, 1-1) and Winston–Salem State (1-3, 0-2) is at Johnson C. Smith (1-3, 1-1).
SIAC
The big game in the SIAC has undefeated East Division leader Morehouse (5-0, 4–0 E) taking on defending conference champ and West leader Tuskegee (3-2, 3–0 W) in the 83rd Classic between the rivals in Columbus, Ga. (2 p.m.). The two teams have met a total of 113 times. Clark Atlanta (1-4, 0-2 E) is at (6 p.m.) Fort Valley State (1-4, 1-1 E) and Central State (2-3, 2–2 W) is at Miles (0-5, 0–3 W) in SIAC divisional contests.
INDEPENDENTS
Tennessee State (2-1, 1-0 OVC), who suffered its first loss in a close 31–27 decision to Vanderbilt of the SEC Saturday, has an OVC match up at Austin Peay (2-3, 0-2).