LUT WILLIAMS BCSP Editor
Conference play is well underway in the CIAA and SIAC. It begins in earnest for the SWAC this week.
SWAC
Alcorn State (53-51 over Arkansas-Pine Bluff) and Prairie View A&M (52-14 over Texas Southern) are the only SWAC games played so far.
Five games this week begin a stretch where, with a couple of exceptions, all the remaining games of the season will be in-conference games.
The game to watch this week could be at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas where two prime contenders for SWAC West honors, defending conference champion Prairie View A&M (1-3, 1-0 W) and Grambling State (2-1, 0-0 W) meet in their annual State Fair Classic rivalry (6 p.m., ESPN+).
Also this week Texas Southern is at Alcorn State (3 p.m., SWAC TV) in another SWAC West battle, Mississippi Valley State is at Alabama State (5 p.m., SWAC TV) in a SWAC East opener for both teams, Southern renews its bitter rivalry at Jackson State (6 p.m., ESPN+) and Alabama A&M plays at Florida A&M (7 p.m., SWAC TV).
Bethune-Cookman (2-1) is the only SWAC team with a non-conference game, hosting undefeated FCS No. 14 and BCSP FCS No. 1 S. C. State (4-0) Saturday on HBCUgo.tv at 7 p.m.. Arkansas-Pine Bluff is off.
SIAC
SIAC continues this week when undefeated Benedict (3-0, 1-0 SIAC) travels to meet Tuskegee (1-2, 1-0) on Thursday at 6 p.m., ESPN2). Benedict, up to 15th in this week’s AFCA Div. II Top 25 and No. 1 in the BCSP Div. II/NAIA Top Five, barely escaped with a 34-33 win in overtime vs. Fort Valley State.
On Saturday (1 p.m., ESPN+), BCSP D2 No. 3 Kentucky State (3-1, 2-0) is at Albany State (2-2, 2-0) in a battle of teams unbeaten in SIAC play and at the top of the current conference standings.
Also, BCSP D2 No. 2 Edward Waters (2-1), also at the top of the SIAC standings at 2-0, is at (1 p.m., SIACN) Morehouse (1-3, 1-2), coming off its first win over Lane. Central State (1-3, 1-1) is at (4 p.m., SIACN) winless Lane (0-4, 0-2) and Miles (1-3, 1-1) is at winless (0-2, 0-2) Savannah State (6 p.m., SIACN).
FVSU (1-2, 0-2) is at West Georgia (4 p.m., ESPN+) and Clark Atlanta (1-3, 1-2) is hosting Warner in non-conference action.
CIAA
Three teams are tied at the top of the CIAA race with 2-0 records, the same three that were picked to finish at the top of the league in the preseason – Virginia Union, J. C. Smith, and Virginia State.
This week, JC Smith, after scoring with under a minute left to defeat Fayetteville State 20-14 Saturday, is off, VSU is hosting Winston-Salem State (1 pm., CIAAN) and VUU is at dangerous Fayetteville State (1 p.m., Broncos Network).
Livingstone travels to Shaw (1 p.m., CIAA N), Bowie State plays at Elizabeth City State (1 p.m., CIAAN) and Bluefield State is at Lincoln Pa., both looking for a first win.
MEAC
Non-conference play will continue in the MEAC until the third week of October.
This week, Morgan State (3-1), fresh off its first win over Towson in 17 years, is idle. Delaware State (2-2) hosts that same Towson team (6 p.m, MEACN), N. C. Central (2-2) travels to Greenville, N.C. to meet 1-2 East Carolina (4 p.m., ESPN+) and Norfolk State (2-2) is on the road in Bridgeview, Illinois to meet Chicago State (0-2).
N. C. A&T (0-4) has a CAA date at No. 21 Rhode Island (2-2), the league favorite.
