The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference kicks off the 2023-24 athletic year with football’s Media Day on Friday in Norfolk, Virginia.
Six schools will be vying for the conference championship and a spot in the Celebration Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia. Two players and the head coach from each team will be present and answering questions, and for each team, we have one big question they’ll need to answer to be successful.
Delaware State
Can a coaching change bring that long-awaited winning season?
The Hornets started 2022 with a 4-2 record, then faltered down the stretch to finish 5-6, their 11th consecutive season under .500. That cost Hornet Hall of Famer and former Super Bowl champion Rod Milstead his job. Now Lee Hull, who took Morgan State to the FCS playoffs in 2014, is charged with getting DelState back on the winning track.
Howard
Are the Bison for real?
Howard overcame a slow start to claim a share of its first conference championship since the days of Jay “Sky” Walker at quarterback. There have been some rumblings about the legitimacy of the Bison’s conference title plans, but they appear ready for the challenge.
And before conference play starts, they will be challenged as their early schedule includes visits to Eastern Michigan and Northwestern and traditional battles with Morehouse and Hampton.
Morgan State
Will the Bears take “the leap”?
Damon Wilson’s first season was one of growth for the Bears, with the four wins tying their most since their MEAC championship/FCS playoff appearance year of 2014. Now that Wilson has established a culture on Cold Spring Lane, the Bears will be a team to look out for in 2023 and beyond.
Norfolk State
Can the Spartans play defense?
It wasn’t so much a drop-off in an offense that hurt Norfolk State last season, but their defense ranked last in the MEAC in every statistical category. For the Spartans to be competitive this year, they’ll have to give their offense, led by senior QB Otto Kuhns, a chance to start with a lead and keep it.
North Carolina Central
Can the Eagles avoid landmines?
Aside from getting hammered by Campbell and caught sleeping by South Carolina State, the North Carolina Central Eagles were the second most dominant HBCU football team east of the Mississippi in 2022, and they beat the most dominant one –Jackson State — in the Celebration Bowl.
Returning all-world quarterback Davius Richard and several offensive pieces and defensive contributors, the MEAC looks like the Eagle Invitational this season.
The key for Central will be to avoid injuries and take their competition seriously, which doesn’t seem to be an issue they have to worry about too much. However, the target is firmly on NC Central’s back, so it won’t be a cakewalk.
South Carolina State
Can the Bulldogs shock the world again?
Injuries and a few missed opportunities took South Carolina State from the top of the HBCU football world to near the bottom of the MEAC in 2022. Still, if any coach is prepared to rebound, Buddy Pough is heading into his 22nd season in charge of his alma mater as not just the dean of MEAC coaches but one of the all-time greats.
A healthy Corey Fields at quarterback makes SC State a much more dangerous team. With a defense that led the conference in interceptions and finished second in sacks a year ago, any game against the garnet, white and blue, is going to be a tough one, as tradition states.
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