We’ve now made it to the halfway point of the 2022 HBCU FCS football season. This week’s slate has 12 matchups, including games on Thursday and Sunday. As the conference races begin to heat up, a few teams will be celebrating homecoming and Howard will be making history in DC while Texas Southern and Prairie View A&M will get some rest on their byes.
Last week, I went 8-1 while being one point away from the Hampton/Maine final score (30-24), and five seconds away from a perfect week (thanks, Norfolk State).
Here are my top five matchups and predictions for this week.
All times are Eastern Standard.
Predictions Record:
2022 record: 66-17
Week 6: 8-1
Week 7 Top 5 Games
Morgan State (2-3, 0-1 MEAC) at North Carolina Central (4-1, 0-0 MEAC), Thursday, 7:30 PM (ESPN2)
Playing a five-game slate, there’s not much wiggle room for a MEAC program with two losses on their leger to obtain a conference title. With that said, the Bears are already down one game after their last-minute homecoming loss last weekend. Things won’t get any easier for them, as they travel to Durham on a short week to face a rested Central ball club with aspirations of making dual-threat QB Davius Richard one-dimensional.
Eagles 31, Bears 24
No. 8 Jackson State (5-0, 3-0 SWAC) vs. Bethune-Cookman (1-4, 1-1 SWAC), Saturday, 4:00 PM (ESPN3)
One week after “The Push Heard ‘Round the World,” the Tigers are traveling to Jacksonville to face Bethune-Cookman at TIAA Bank Field. All eyes will be on JSU Shedeur Sanders, who had his seventh 300-yard-plus passing game of his career, but the Wildcats have had issues stopping the run this year, allowing three opponents to rush for 185 or more yards in a game. That BCU Defense will see a lot of RBs Sy’veon Wilkerson and Santee Marshall.
Tigers 49, Wildcats 17
Alcorn State (3-2, 2-0 SWAC) at Southern (3-2, 2-1 SWAC), Saturday, 7:00 PM (ESPN+)
Fresh off decisive road victories, both teams are looking to extend their respective win streaks while taking hold of the SWAC West Division lead. The conference’s second-best rush defense will look to slow down the nation’s fourth-leading rusher Jarveon Howard (646 rush yards, 8 touchdowns) while SU QB Beseaon McCray, who compiled 365 total yards and four total touchdowns against Prairie View, might give the Braves defenders fits. Thing is that the Jag’s last win in Lorman against ASU head coach Fred McNair came in 2016.
Jaguars 31, Braves 28
Delaware State (3-2, 0-0 MEAC) at Norfolk State (1-5, 1-0 MEAC), Saturday, 2:00 PM (ESPN+)
Last week, it would’ve been hard to convince me that the then 0-5 Spartans would be atop the MEAC standings this week, but they are. The conference’s worst-scoring offense found a way to score 13 points over their season average in BMore. This week, Norfolk State will be welcoming the league’s best defense to their homecoming festivities. Norfolk State ruined Morgan State’s homecoming last week, will turnabout be fair play?
Spartans 21, Hornets 20
Hampton (3-2, 0-2 CAA) at UAlbany (1-4. 0-2 CAA), Saturday, 3:30 PM (FloSports)
After starting the year 3-0, the Pirates are currently riding a two-game skid. This week, they will be the homecoming opponent for new conference foe UAlbany. Great Danes head coach Greg Gattuso is aware of the abilities of Pirate WR Jadakis Bonds (22 receptions, 456 yards, 6 touchdowns), but their run defense is atrocious, allowing 212 yards per game on the ground. If RBs Darran Butts and Elijah Burris can take advantage, and Hampton can slow down UA RB Todd Sibley (83 carries, 577 yards, 7 touchdowns), the Pirates could leave New York with their first CAA conference win.
Great Danes 30, Pirates 24
Big South
Edward Waters (1-4) at North Carolina A&T (2-3), Saturday, 1:00 PM (ESPN+)
Aggies 38, Tigers 7
MEAC
Virginia Lynchburg (0-3) at South Carolina State (1-4), Saturday, 1:30 PM (ESPN+)
Bulldogs 42, Dragons 12
Harvard (3-1) vs. Howard (1-4), Saturday, 4:00 PM (ESPN3)
Crimson 35, Bison 24
OVC
Tennessee State (1-4, 0-0 OVC) at Tennessee Tech (1-4, 0-2 OVC), Saturday, 7:00 PM (ESPN+)
Tigers 24, Golden Eagles 17
SWAC
Florida A&M (4-2, 2-1 SWAC) at Grambling State (1-5, 0-3 SWAC), Saturday, 2:05 PM (HBCU GO)
Rattlers 31, Tigers 21
Mississippi Valley State (0-6, 0-3 SWAC) at Alabama State (3-3, 1-2 SWAC), Saturday, 3:00 PM (Bounce TV)
Hornets 17, Delta Devils 14
Alabama A&M (2-4, 2-1 SWAC) vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (2-4, 0-3 SWAC) Sunday, 4:00 PM
Bulldogs 24, Golden Lions 21
