SIAC showdown, SWAC title rematch set

LUT WILLIAMS
BCSP Editor

With little exception – particularly Delaware State’s date 4 p.m. Saturday with Missouri – the games pitting overmatched HBCU teams against teams in NCAA divisions above them are over. It’s time to get on to the games between conference foes.

The featured SIAC game of the week is the battle of unbeatens as BCSP No. 7 Tuskegee (3-0, 2-0 SIAC, 0-0 W) hosts Lane (3-0, 1-0, 0-0 W) Saturday (1 p.m.) in a West Division showdown. Lane features the SIAC rushing leader in junior Marcus Holliday who is averaging 146.4 rushing yards per game. Holliday ran for 214 yards on 19 carries in last week’s 46-44 win over Langston. He also leads the league with four rushing touchdowns. Tuskegee is led by senior quarterback Kevin Lacey who is passing for 203.7 yards per game with five TD passes and just two interceptions. Lacey is hitting on 65.4% of his passes and to lead the league in passing efficiency (252.7).

The two are the top scoring teams in the league with Lane at 33.3 points per game and Tuskegee at 28.0. The other intra-divisional match ups pair Benedict (2-1, 0-0 E) and Fort Valley State (1-2, 0-0 E) in an East Division tilt in Columbia, S.C. (6 p.m.) and Kentucky State (0-3, 0-1) and Central State (0-3, 0-1) from the West Division doing battle at the Circle City Classic in Indianapolis (3 p.m.). The only inter-divisional tilt has Morehouse (2-1, 1-0 SIAC) from the East hosting (2 p.m.) defending West Division champ Miles (1-1, 0-0 SIAC).

The top game in the SWAC game is at Robinson Stadium in Grambling, La. (6 p.m.) as the BCSP No. 2 G-Men hosts No. 8 Alcorn State in a rematch of the 2015 championship game. Grambling (1-2, 1-0 W) enters the game fresh off a 35-14 win at Jackson State Saturday. Two-time defending league champ Alcorn State (1-1, 1-1 E) is trying to rebound from a 45-43, 3-overtime upset loss at home to Arkansas-Pine Bluff Thursday. Both feature first-year signal callers. Grambling’s Devante Kincade is a junior transfer from Ole Miss currently leading the league in passing efficiency (155.3). Acorn freshman Noah Johnson is rushing for 61.4 yards per game with four rushing touchdowns and passing for 208.5 yards per game with three TDs.

The teams also have the top two receivers in the league in Grambling’s Chad Williams (20 rec., 283 yds., 1 TD) and Alcorn’s Jaborian McKenzie (16 rec., 161 yds., 1 TD). Also in the SWAC, Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1-2, 1-0 W) takes on Jackson State (0-3, 0-1 E) in Little Rock, Arkansas (4 p.m.). Southern (1-2, 1-0 W) plays (1 p.m.) at Alabama A&M (1-2, 1-1 E), Alabama State (0-3, 0-2 E) hosts (6 p.m) Texas Southern (1-2, 1-1 W) and Miss. Valley State (0-3, 0-2 E) is home (4 p.m.) vs. Prairie View (2-1, 2-0 W).

In the MEAC, BCSP No. 10 South Carolina State (0-3, 0-0) is on the road (6 p.m.) at Florida A&M (0-3, 0-0) with both looking for a first win. Norfolk State (1-2, 0-0) hosts No. 3 North Carolina Central (1-2, 0-0), No. 9 Bethune-Cookman (0-2, 0-0) is at Savannah State (0-2, 0-0) and Morgan State (0-2, 0-0) hosts Howard (0-3, 0-1).

In the CIAA, South Division teams are hosting five inter-divisional games. Winston-Salem State (1-2, 0-0 S) is at home (6 p.m.) facing unbeaten Virginia State (3-0, 0-0 N), Livingstone (1-2, 0-0 S) hosts Chowan (2-1, 0-0 N), Fayetteville State (0-3, 0-0 S) hosts Virginia Union (1-2, 0-0 N), Johnson C. Smith (0-3, 0-0 S) hosts Elizabeth City State (1-2, 0-0 N) and Shaw (0-3, 0-0 S) hosts Bowie State (1-2, 0-0 N).