CHARLOTTE, NC – CIAA Football Week Zero Recap/Weekly Honors: 2026 Opening Week

Virginia State and Fayetteville State Earn Opening-Week Victories as CIAA Football Kicks Off 2026 Season
The 2026 CIAA football season officially got underway with eight conference programs taking the field during opening week, highlighted by victories from Virginia State University and Fayetteville State University.
Virginia State delivered an impressive opening-night performance with a 44-17 victory over Barton, while Fayetteville State rallied from an early deficit to defeat conference opponent Shaw University, 33-20. Across the league, CIAA student-athletes turned in several notable individual performances as teams opened the new campaign and began their journey toward the 2026 CIAA Football Championship.
Virginia State 44, Barton 17
Virginia State opened the 2026 season in commanding fashion, defeating Barton 44-17 Thursday night at Rogers Stadium. Five different Trojans found the end zone as Virginia State piled up 470 yards of total offense and closed the game with 21 unanswered points. Quarterback Rahsaan Matthews Jr. completed 20-of-27 passes for 262 yards and two touchdowns, while Brandon Rose rushed for 51 yards and two scores. Vincent Ordenes led the receiving corps with nine catches for 95 yards. Defensively, the Trojans limited Barton to 212 total yards, with Kile Artis and Ian Wynn each recording an interception. Virginia State was also a perfect 6-for-6 in red-zone scoring opportunities, including five touchdowns, to start the season 1-0.
Virginia State will face Bowie State University on September 5, 2026.
Tusculum 42, Bluefield State 7
Bluefield State opened the 2026 season with a 42-7 setback to Tusculum Thursday night. The Big Blue totaled 196 yards of offense, including 112 yards on the ground. Derek Binder led the rushing attack with 58 yards on five carries, highlighted by a 40-yard run, while Brandon Wiley hauled in five receptions for 59 yards and scored Bluefield State's lone touchdown. Defensively, Rowan Baptiste and Kamaree Wells led the Big Blue with six tackles apiece as Bluefield State recorded four sacks.
The Big Blue return to action Saturday, September 5, traveling to face Concord at 1 p.m.
Lenoir-Rhyne 45, Virginia Union 3
Virginia Union opened the 2026 season with a 45-3 setback to Lenoir-Rhyne Friday evening at Moretz Stadium. The Panthers broke through in the fourth quarter when freshman kicker Gage Miller connected on a 41-yard field goal. Quarterbacks RJ Rosales and Myles Derricott combined for 157 passing yards, while Ahmad Ross led the Virginia Union defense with 12 tackles. Punter Joshua Mitchell also turned in a strong performance, averaging 46.1 yards on seven punts with a long of 59 yards.
Virginia Union will look to rebound in its home opener against Livingstone on Saturday, September 5.
Fayetteville State 33, Shaw 20
Fayetteville State rallied from a 12-point first-half deficit to defeat Shaw 33-20 in the CIAA opener for both teams Saturday night at Luther "Nick" Jeralds Stadium. Shaw jumped out to a 12-0 advantage before the Broncos used a pair of special teams plays, including Terrell Ford's 95-yard defensive PAT return, to pull within 12-11 at halftime.
Fayetteville State took control in the second half behind quarterback Jamir Dismukes, who threw for 144 yards and a touchdown while adding 56 rushing yards and a score. Braylon Vinson added 88 rushing yards and a touchdown. The Broncos' defense recorded seven sacks and 10 tackles for loss, while Zyking Patillo sealed the victory with a late interception return for a touchdown. For Shaw, Trey Thorpe rushed for 53 yards and a touchdown, while Landon Melton added a fourth-quarter rushing score as the Bears pulled within seven before Fayetteville State secured the win.
Fort Valley State 17, Elizabeth City State 14
Elizabeth City State came up just short in its 2026 season opener, falling 17-14 to Fort Valley State Saturday at Roebuck Stadium after carrying a 14-3 advantage into halftime. The Vikings struck first when Navia Hilliard connected with Troy Smith for a 26-yard touchdown before Solomon Ford converted the two-point attempt. ECSU extended its lead in the second quarter when Joe Griffin recovered a fumble and returned it 53 yards for a touchdown.
The Vikings' defense kept Fort Valley State out of the end zone through the first three quarters, but the Wildcats mounted a fourth-quarter comeback with two touchdowns, including the go-ahead score with 1:47 remaining. Hilliard finished with 163 passing yards and a touchdown, while the Vikings totaled 279 yards of offense and recorded three sacks defensively.
Benedict 32, Johnson C. Smith 10
Johnson C. Smith opened the 2026 season with a 32-10 loss to Benedict on Saturday at Charlie W. Johnson Stadium. Fabian Duncan provided the Golden Bulls' lone touchdown with an explosive 64-yard run in the second quarter, while Alexis Rosario-Beltran connected on a 42-yard field goal in the third. Benedict used a 13-point third quarter to pull away and secure the victory.
JCSU will look to bounce back Sunday, September 6, when the Golden Bulls face Albany State in the Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic in Canton, Ohio.
Allen 37, Livingstone 16
Livingstone opened the 2026 season with a 37-16 setback to Allen University on Saturday. The Blue Bears started strong, taking a 10-7 first-quarter lead behind a 21-yard field goal from Jason Zapata and a 40-yard touchdown connection from Brandon Edinburgh Jr. to Davyn Reid. Allen responded with 23 unanswered points over the next two quarters to take control of the contest. Edinburgh added a four-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter before the Yellow Jackets answered with the final score of the game.
Livingstone will look to rebound Saturday, September 5, when the Blue Bears travel to face Virginia Union at 6 p.m.
Norfolk State 56, Winston-Salem State 0
Winston-Salem State opened the 2026 season with a 56-0 setback to Norfolk State on Saturday in the Rams' first game under head coach Tory Woodbury. Quarterback Kendall McKoy completed 14-of-24 passes for 88 yards, with Taron Biles-Walker leading the receiving corps with five catches for 69 yards. Defensively, Maurice Odom paced the Rams with nine tackles and two tackles for loss, while Jayden Grimes contributed 73 yards on three kickoff returns.
Winston-Salem State returns home Saturday, September 5, to host Mars Hill at 8 p.m. inside Bowman Gray Stadium.

CIAA Football Weekly Honors (As voted on by the CIAA Sports Information Directors Association) 

The CIAA has announced its Football Weekly Honors following the opening week of the 2026 season:
Quarterback of the Week: Rahsaan Matthews Jr., Virginia State University
Offensive Back of the Week: Fabian Duncan, Johnson C. Smith University
Offensive Receiver of the Week: Vincent Ordenes, Virginia State University
Offensive Lineman of the Week: Tavin Whitehead, Virginia State University
Defensive Lineman of the Week: Osirus Rhodes, Fayetteville State University
Linebacker of the Week: John Earley, Elizabeth City State University
Defensive Back of the Week: Rossie Grimes, Johnson C. Smith University
Special Teams Player of the Week: Joshua Mitchell, Virginia Union University
Rookie of the Week: Kristopher Young, Shaw University

Road to the 2026 CIAA Football Championship
The road to the 2026 CIAA Football Championship is officially underway as teams compete throughout the regular season for an opportunity to play for a conference title.
The 2026 CIAA Football Championship Weekend will bring the conference's top teams to Durham, North Carolina, in November for the culmination of the CIAA football season.
Fans are encouraged to follow the race throughout the season and secure their tickets for championship weekend. Visit TheCIAA.com for tickets and additional information.
 

Media Contact:  
Matisse S. Lee | mlee@theciaa.com  
Senior Associate Commissioner, Communications & Marketing  
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA)  

About the CIAA  
Founded in 1912, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is the first, and longest running, African American athletic conference in the U.S. and one of the most recognized conferences in Division II. The CIAA conducts 14 championships attended by more than 150,000 fans from around the country. The Basketball Tournament has been honored as a 2019 Champion of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism by Sports Destination Management, the leading publication with the largest circulation of sports event planners and tournament directors in the sports tourism market, for both 2018 and 2019.  

Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the CIAA is governed by the Presidents and Chancellors of its 12 member institutions: Bowie State University, Bluefield State University, Claflin University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Livingstone College, Shaw University, Virginia State University, Virginia Union University, and Winston-Salem State University.  

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