CHARLOTTE, NC – Week #9 is in the books and we’re one week away from officially crowning divisional champions … Let’s look back and look ahead to the regular season finale matchups.
 
Fayetteville State 21 (7-2 / 7-0 CIAA / 4-0 South) at Shaw 14 (2-7 / 2-5 CIAA / 1-3 South
The defending champions of Fayetteville State had just enough in the tank in the waning seconds of Saturday’s contest to defeat Shaw by a score of 21-14. With the victory, Fayetteville State clinches the CIAA Southern Division crown and will participate in the conference championship game no matter what happens in the Broncos regular season finale. Fayetteville State’s Joe Owens threw for a game-high 280 yards, completing 23-of-32 passes and one touchdown. Owens also led the FSU Broncos in rushing with 34 yards. FSU’s Nigel Fitzgerald led all receivers with 91 yards and one touchdown. Fayetteville State's defense held up against Shaw's offense, giving up 299 total yards. The Broncos' defense lived in Shaw's backfield all game, piling up six sacks and 10 total tackles for loss. The Shaw Bears were led on offense by Navian Hillard’s 74 passing yards followed by Sidney Gibbs and Trey Thorpe with 72 and 66 rushing yards respectively.

FULL GAME RECAP: Shaw Bears Fall Late to Fayetteville State                       BOX SCORE
Next Opponent: Fayetteville State hosts Winston-Salem State (November 4 at 2 PM)
                              Shaw at Saint Augustine’s (November 4 at 1 PM)

 
#20 Virginia Union 57 (8-1 / 6-1 CIAA / 4-0 North) at Bluefield State 12 (1-8 / 0-7 CIAA / 0-4 North)
Bluefield State was no match for nationally ranked Virginia Union on Saturday afternoon, falling big to the Panthers by a score of 57-12. Virginia Union’s Christian Reid competed 12-of-19 passes for a game-high 276 yards. Reid’s primary target was Said Sidibe with eight receptions for a game-high 165 yards. VUU’s Jada Byers and Curtis Allen each toted the ball 12 times with Byers’s accounting for 67 rushing yards and Allen rushing for 59 yards. Bluefield State’s leading offensive producer was quarterback Isiah Teal with 185 passing yards. Only two Big Blue rushers had positive yards; Jahdir Loftland with 29 and Steven Howard with two yards. The BSU Big Blue receivers were led by Khyon Smith with 49 reception yards followed by Perry Wilder III and Lucas Moore with 43 and 41 reception yards respectively. As a team, Virginia Union amassed 520 yards of total offense compared to just 180 total yards of offense for Bluefield State.

FULL GAME RECAP: Bluefield State Falls To Virginia Union               BOX SCORE
Next Opponent: Virginia Union hosts Virginia State (November 4 at 1 PM) HBCU GO TV
                              Bluefield State at Elizabeth City State (November 4 at 1 PM)
 
 
Elizabeth City State 7 (2-7 / 1-6 CIAA / 1-3 North) at Bowie State 19 (5-4 / 4-3 CIAA / 2-2 North)
Bowie State closed out its home portion of the 2023 season on Saturday defeating Elizabeth City State 19-7 on Senior Day. Bowie State and Elizabeth City State were virtually even in total offense with the Bulldogs recording 267 yards and the Vikings recording 247 yards. ECSU’s Donoven Davenport led both teams in passing with 183 yards but was intercepted five times and sacked twice. Elizabeth City State’s Quenzel Lockhart led all receivers with 85 reception yards and the teams’ only touchdown. The ECSU Vikings had a pair of double-digit tacklers in Tracey White (10) and Teonne Porter (10). Bowie State’s Jordan Morse paced the Bulldogs offense with 105 passing yards and two touchdowns. Bowie State’s top rusher was Joshua Thurston with 63 yards (one touchdown) while Chris Ferguson was BSU’s leading receiver with 45 reception yards.  

FULL GAME RECAP: Bowie State Tops Elizabeth City State 19-7      BOX SCORE
Next Opponent: Elizabeth City State hosts Bluefield State (November 4 at 1 PM))
                              Bowie State at Lincoln (PA) (November 4 at 1 PM)

 
Lincoln (PA) 25 (4-5 / 4-3 CIAA / 2-2 North) at Virginia State 75 (8-1 / 6-1 CIAA / 3-1 North)
Virginia State had no mercy on Lincoln (Pa.) in Rogers Stadium on Saturday afternoon, as the Trojans routed the Lions 75-25 on Senior Day. The VSU Trojans rolled up 586 yards of total offense (286 rushing and 300 passing) compared to 320 yards of total offense (80 rushing and 240 passing) for Lincoln (Pa.). VSU’s Jordan Davis completed 13-of-20 passes for a game-high 272 yards and four touchdowns. Roy Jackson III was VSU’s leading receiver with 80 reception yards and Meziah Scott led both teams in rushing with 76 yards (two touchdowns) and averaged 12.7 yards per carry. The Lincoln (Pa.) Lions were led by quarterback Isaiah Freeman with 240 passing yards and his team-high 32 rushing yards. LUPA’s Dah’mear Triplett led receivers with 101 reception yards.

FULL GAME RECAP: Virginia State Dismantles Lincoln (PA) 75-25      BOX SCORE
Next Opponent: Lincoln (PA) hosts Bowie State (November 4 at 1 PM)
                              Virginia State at Virginia Union (November 4 at 1 PM) HBCU GO TV
 
 
Winston-Salem State 31 (4-5 / 4-3 CIAA / 2-2 South) at Johnson C. Smith 35 (6-3 / 5-2 CIAA / 2-2 South) 
The Golden Bulls of Johnson C. Smith University snapped a 21-game losing streak by defeating the Rams of Winston-Salem State University 35-31, inside Irwin Belk Complex on Saturday afternoon. The last time JCSU beat the Rams was in 1996 in Charlotte. JCSU’s Jamere Cherry completed 10-of-19 passes for 87 yards and two touchdowns. Reggie Bryant and Tyrek Willians each caught a touchdown pass in the game and both had 33 yards reception yards. Johnson C. Smith’s Tim Newman Jr. led all rushers with 80 yards on 24 carries. Daylin Lee torched the Golden Bulls defense with 224 passing yards, completing 20-of-35 passes. Lee also led the WSSU Rams in rushing with 42 net yards on 12 carries. WSSU did manage to outgain JCSU in total offense (317 to 241) and the Rams defense was led by Noble Joyner with 10 total tackles. Dirk Cureton was the Golden Bulls leading tackler with nine followed by Jack Smiith, Latrae Bass and Gerald Nathan with six tackles each.

FULL GAME RECAP: JCSU Snaps a 21-game losing streak to the Rams, winning 35-31          BOX SCORE
Next Opponent:  Winston-Salem State at Fayetteville State (November 4 at 2 PM)
                              Johnson C. Smith hosts Livingstone (PA) (November 4 at 1 PM)
 

Saint Augustine’s 14 (0-9 / 0-7 CIAA / 0-4 South) at Livingstone 34 (4-5 / 4-3 CIAA / 3-1 South)
Livingstone football continued its hot streak Saturday evening, winning its fourth game in the past month by taking down Saint Augustine's, 34-14 and are winners of four of their last five. Both quarterbacks led their respective teams as Saint Augustine’s Donovan Brewington completed 12-of-23 passes for 146 yards compared to Livingstone’s Marcus Drish with 149 passing yards, completing 10-of-22. Anthony Archie of Saint Augustine’s led all rushers with 68 yards and Deandre Proctor was the top receiver for the SAU Falcons with 50 reception yards and one touchdown. Livingstone’s Davontay Deloatch was the games’ leading receiver with 94 reception yards on six receptions (one touchdown) and Davion Watkins led the Blue Bears rushers with 57 yards. On the defensive side of the ball, Saint Augustine’s was led by Adam Aiken with a game-high eight tackles followed by Jamieson Alston and Kennedy Nelson with six tackles apiece. The Livingstone defense was led by the duo of Jaden Echols and Bishop Norman with five tackles each.

FULL GAME RECAP: Livingstone Football Takes Down St. Augustine's on Senior Day             BOX SCORE
Next Opponent: Saint Augustine’s at Shaw (November 4 at 1 PM)
                              Livingstone at Johnson C. Smith (November 4 at 1 PM)