The 2025 FCS HBCU football regular season is mostly over.
The participants for the SWAC Championship Game on Dec. 6 are now set with Jackson State (East) and Prairie View A&M (West) winning their respective divisions. The winner will face back-to-back MEAC champion South Carolina State in this year’s Celebration Bowl a week later.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy a little HBCU action over the Thanksgiving holiday.
This condensed slate, filled primarily with SWAC teams, has two in-state rivalry games and a rescheduled conference matchup “due to unforeseen circumstances and issues beyond our control with the organizers of the Georgia Football Classic.”
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Here are my previews and predictions for this week. All times are Eastern Standard.
Predictions Record:
2025 record: 135-32
Week 13: 10-1
Florida A&M (5-6, 4-3 SWAC) vs. Mississippi Valley State (1-10, 0-7 SWAC), Saturday, 3:00 PM (SWAC TV)
MVSU head coach Terrell Buckley referred to Saturday’s contest as a “pride game.” After both programs dropped games last week, neither team has anything else to play for other than the Delta Devils snapping Florida A&M’s historic 23‑game home winning streak a year ago. With hopes of steering clear of their fourth consecutive one-win season, the SWAC’s worst defense will face quarterback RJ Johnson III, who has amassed 2,456 yards of total offense with 19 touchdowns vs. one interception in his first season in Tallahassee.
Rattlers 37, Delta Devils 6
101st Turkey Day Classic
Tuskegee (4-6) at Alabama State (9-2), Thursday, 3:00 PM (SWACT TV)
After falling short of winning their first divisional crown in 15 years, the Hornets still have an opportunity to earn their first 10-win season since 2004 when they face in-state Division II rival Tuskegee. Currently leading the Classic series 49-36-3, the Golden Tigers enter this matchup riding a two-game win streak. Still, the Tuskegee defense will look to slow down backup quarterback Te’Sean Smoot, who has compiled 733 total yards and six touchdowns against one interception in his three starts.
Hornets 42, Golden Tigers 14
52nd Annual Bayou Classic
Grambling State (7-4, 4-3 SWAC) vs. Southern (1-10, 0-7 SWAC), Saturday, 2:00 PM (NBC)
Even though Grambling had its four-game win streak snapped last weekend, the Tigers will end the season above .500 for the first time since 2019. Conversely, the Jags are on the heels of their worst season in program history, having been outscored 350-154 during their nine-game losing streak. Nevertheless, you should throw out the records in arguably the most recognized rivalry in HBCU sports, right? Southern currently leads the all-time Bayou Classic series 41–34, having won six of its last seven matchups, including the previous three against Grambling.
Tigers 31, Jaguars 24
