LUT WILLIAMS BCSP Editor
There are just three weeks left in the CIAA and SIAC regular season football races with still much to be determined.
In the CIAA, the championship table is all but set with two of the three undefeated teams in conference play – Virginia State (7-1, 6-0 CIAA), J. C. Smith (6-1, 5-0) or Virginia Union (6-1, 5-0) – likely to earn a spot in the Saturday, Nov. 14 title game in Durham, N. C. at 3 p.m.
One of the three is also likely to be involved in the league’s added Friday Night Blitz Game game on Nov. 13 in Durham (6 p.m.) involving teams that finish third and fourth in the regular season. It is an effort to give two additional conference teams a final chance to improve their postseason profiles. A late win over another
contender could help when the NCAA selects its Division II playoff field on Sunday, Nov. 15 at 6p.m.
VSU moved up to No. 1 in the BCSP Div. II ranking after former No. 1, SIAC
member Edward Waters, lost at Benedict’s homecoming Saturday. JCSU is third and VUU fourth.
Virginia State is off this week while Virginia Union has its homecoming vs. Shaw (1 p.m.) nd J. C. Smith is at Bowie State’s homecoming (1 p.m., CIAA Network). VSU begins a closing stretch next week playing JCSU on the road in Charlotte, N.C. before closing the season at home vs. VUU.
Benedict’s win over Edward Waters gives the SIAC four teams with one loss in conference play – Kentucky State at 5-1, Benedict, Edward Waters and Central State at 4-1.
This week, Benedict is at Albany State (1 p.m.), Kentucky State hosts Savannah State (1 p.m. SIACN), Central State is at Miles (2 p.m.)and Edward Waters has its homecoming vs. Clark Atlanta (2 p.m., SIACN).
Central State has likely the most difficult route to the Nov. 14 SIAC title game having to face both Edward Waters (Oct. 31) and Benedict (Nov. 7) to end the season. KSU has next week (Oct. 31) off before ending the season playing
Morehouse in Nassau, Bahamas (Nov. 7). Benedict faces Savannah State (Oct. 31) before its Central State finale (Oct. 7).
After this weekend’s results, three teams are tied with one loss in the SWAC East – Jackson State and Alabama A&M at 3-1 and Bethune- Cookman at 2-1. Texas Southern is 0-3 in the SWAC West while the other five teams all have two losses in the division.
The biggest E. Div. game this week has JSU at B-CU Saturday (12 noon, SWAC TV). Southern (1-2) is at TSU (2 p.m., SWAC TV) and Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1-2) is at Florida A&M’s homecoming (3 p.m., HBCUGO.tv). Prairie View has a non-conference date at East Texas A&M (6 p.m.).
After seven weeks of rough non-conference play, the MEAC begins its five-week run to a championship this week. It begins with N. C. Central visiting Delaware State Friday in cDover, Del. (5 p.m., ESPN2) with the Eagles looking to avenge last season’s stunning 35-26 DSU win at NCCU’s homecoming.
On Saturday, 4-3 Norfolk State invades Orangeburg, S. C. to face two-time defending champion South Carolina State at the Bulldogs’ homecoming (1:30 p.m., ESPN+) and Howard travels to face Morgan State (3 p.m., ESPN+).