With only two weeks left in the SIAC and CIAA regular seasons, combatants for their Nov. 10 championship games have not been decided.
SIAC
Under second-year head coach Gabe Giardina, BCSP No. 10 Albany State (5-3, 4-0 E) is in the driver’s seat in the East Division race headed to a big game Saturday (2 p.m.) on the road at Benedict (5-2, 3-1 E), currently in a tie for second-place with Morehouse (7-1, 3-1 E).
The game will match Giardina’s ASU troops with the Tigers of wily veteran James White who coached Albany State for 15 years before taking over at Benedict four years ago.
After losing its first three games, Albany State has won five straight. Benedict had won five in a row before falling at home last week to Morehouse (14-10). A win by the Golden Rams will clinch the division title and put them in the Nov. 10 conference title game. A win by Benedict however will create a tie atop the division and possibly bring Morehouse into the title picture.
Morehouse plays its homecoming game Saturday (2 p.m.) vs. Fort Valley State.
In the West, Tuskegee (5-3, 3-1 W) has a half-game lead over Miles (2-6, 2-2 W) entering the final two weeks of regular season play.
Tuskegee is on the road at Central State Saturday (1 p.m.) while Miles plays at Clark Atlanta (1 p.m.). Tuskegee earns the division title with a win and loss by Miles. A win by both sets up a Nov. 3 finale at Miles (Fairfield, Ala., 2 p.m.) for the division title and championship game berth
The Nov. 10 SIAC championship game will be played on the home field of the West Division champion.
CIAA
BCSP No. 9 Bowie State cleared its way to the N. Div. title and a spot in the Nov. 10 CIAA title in Salem, Virginia with a 27-13 road win Saturday in Richmond over Virginia Union.
The Bulldogs (6-2, 3-1 N) are now tied with both VUU and Virginia State atop the division with 3-1 records but have the lead in the division race based on head-to-head wins over both. BSU defeated VSU 20-15 two weeks ago.
Left on the BSU schedule are games against teams at the bottom of the division against whom the Bulldogs with be heavily favored. They are on the road Saturday (1 p.m.) at 1-7 Lincoln and have a date next week (Nov. 3) at home vs. 1-5 Elizabeth City State to close out the regular season.
If BSU is upset, VUU (5-2), VSU (4-3) and Chowan (2-4, 2-2 N) are waiting in the wings. VSU hosts Chowan Saturday (2 p.m.) while VUU is at ECSU’s homecoming (1 p.m.).
The South Division race appears headed to a final week showdown between first-place Fayetteville State and Winston-Salem State. FSU (5-1, 4-0 S) has a half-game lead over WSSU (4-3, 3-1 S) headed into the final two weeks of the regular season.
FSU plays its homecoming game this week (2 p.m.) vs. Livingstone while WSSU is on the road at the Shaw homecoming (1 p.m.). A win by FSU and WSSU loss gives the division title to FSU. Wins by WSSU and FSU this week set up next week’s division-deciding showdown be-tween the two in Fayetteville (Nov. 3, 1 p.m.) for the title game berth. Also this week, Johnson C. Smith celebrates homecoming (1 p.m.) against Saint Augustine’s.
SWAC
Games with serious implications for both the SWAC East and West Division races are on tap Saturday.
East Division co-leader, BCSP No. 2 Al-corn State (6-2, 4-1 E) is at the homecoming (2 p.m.) for West co-leader and BCSP No. 4 Prairie View A&M (3-4, 2-1 W) while Jackson
State (3-3, 2-1 E), tied with Alcorn State with one conference loss, travels (6 p.m.) to BCSP No. 3 Southern (4-3, 3-1 W), tied with PV atop the West race.
In the East, Alabama State (2-4, 1-1 E), also with one loss in SWAC play, meets Alabama A&M (3-4, 2-2 E) in Birmingham (2:30 p.m.) is the 77th Magic City Classic. A crowd of over 60,000 is expected for their rival game.
BCSP No. 6 Grambling State (3-3, 2-2 W), lurking a game behind Southern and PV in the West, has a home date (2 p.m.) against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
MEAC
Florida A&M has ridden a four-game conference winning streak to the top of the MEAC race and the BCSP Top Ten. The BCSP No. 1 Rattlers (5-2, 4-0 MEAC) are at home Saturday (4 p.m.) to face Morgan State.
Their closest pursuers are Howard (3-3, 3-1) North Carolina A&T (6-2, 3-1) and North Carolina Central (3-3, 2-1). FAMU holds wins over both NC A&T and NCCU and could face a showdown for first place in the conference next week (Nov. 3) at Howard.
But first Howard has a date for its homecoming Saturday (1 p.m.) vs. South Carolina State. NCCU is at winless Delaware State and BCSP No. 5 NC A&T is off.