It did not take long for the HBCU football season to bring the fireworks as the second week of the season has come and gone.
The MEAC has a dark horse that may be more of a safe bet than you think. A Division II program kept up what has been a season of upsets so far. Also, the SIAC may have a powerhouse on its hands.
Here are the Five Takeaways from Week 2 of the HBCU Football season.
1. Morgan State is a player in the MEAC
The Morgan State Bears showcased their potential in a matchup against FBS opponent Akron, coming within a fumble returned for a touchdown in the final minute of an upset win.
Despite the loss, the Bears have proven they will be the biggest challenge to North Carolina Central for the MEAC crown.
An argument could be made that Morgan State’s defense is the best in all of HBCU football.
The Bears have surrendered just two offensive touchdowns through two games and are the only Division I HBCU defensive unit that has recorded at least ten sacks and four interceptions.
In addition, the Bears may have found the solution to who will be the team’s starting quarterback going forward in their matchup against Akron.
Of the three quarterbacks Morgan State played in the game, Duce Taylor anchored them to near victory, scoring two of the team’s three touchdowns.
With the combination of Taylor under center, a solid running game, and an elite defense, this team will be a top candidate to pull off the upset and overtake NC Central for the MEAC crown
2. Miles pulls off upset of the weekend
The opening weekend of the HBCU football saw multiple Division II teams put themselves on the map, scoring big wins over their Division I counterparts.
Both Bowie State and Virginia State knocked off Delaware State and Norfolk State, while Central State bested Mississippi Valley State.
Division II football added another upset to that list this weekend when the Miles Golden Bears took down the Alabama State Hornets in a 21-17 win.
This upset is easily the most significant of the three from the previous weekend for several reasons.
Alabama State is the only Division I team on the wrong end of the upset losses that finished with a winning record last season.
In addition, the Hornets were tabbed as a favorite to compete with Florida A&M and Jackson State for the SWAC East division crown.
Last but not least, not only did Miles finish last season with a 1-9 record, but the Golden Bears have been on the doorstep of upsetting Alabama State in their last two meetings.
Each of their last two meetings was decided by single-digits, including an overtime matchup in 2021 and a game last season in which the Golden Bears nearly came back from down 21 points, scoring 13 unanswered in the second half.
3. Benedict is off to a dominant start
Coming off a historic 2022 season in which they claimed their first-ever SIAC conference championship, the Benedict Tigers have shown absolutely no signs of slowing down.
Not only are the Tigers unblemished on the record, winning each of their first two contests of the season, but they are also unblemished on the scoreboard.
Benedict has shut out each of its first two opponents of the year, including a 34-0 win over Edward Waters this weekend.
They are the only team in all of Division II football that has not given up a single point and one of two teams yet to give up a touchdown.
The Tigers’ defense has not only prevented the opponent from scoring; they have not allowed teams to move the ball downfield.
They rank second in the country in offensive yards allowed per game (119.0), fifth in third down conversion percentage allowed (.125)
4. Killer Turnovers
In the many close games that took place this weekend, in one way or another, turnovers were the deciding factor.
As previously mentioned, Morgan State fell short of a win over Akron, thanks in part to a fumble that was returned for a touchdown in the final minute.
Bowie State committed five turnovers in its loss against Davenport, including an interception in the final seconds, which sealed the team’s fate.
Johnson C. Smith somehow went down to the wire in a contest against Walsh despite committing six turnovers through three quarters (including four in the first quarter). However, an interception with 1:14 remaining sealed a 14-9 loss for the Golden Bulls.
On a positive note, however, Norfolk State cemented its first win of the season against Hampton with an interception in the final two minutes.
5. West Virginia State gets over a hump
The West Virginia State Yellow Jackets got its first win of the season, overcoming an 11-point first-quarter deficit to defeat UNC Pembroke 37-35.
This marked the first win in school history for West Virginia State against UNC Pembroke. Not only had WVSU lost its previous five meetings against Pembroke, but they weren’t even close.
They lost the previous five outings by an average margin of 21 points, allowing over 40 points in four of the five games.
The 37 points scored in this year’s matchup equals the amount of points the Yellow Jackets scored in each of the two prior contests combined.
As a footnote, the final score was a bit ironic for the Yellow Jackets as they were on the wrong side of a 37-35 score in their season opener against Morehead State.
