Week four of the HBCU football season will bring some critical conference matchups that will have a bearing on the conference championship race.
Here are the five games to watch in Week 4 of the HBCU football season.
1. Alabama State vs. Florida A&M
In a game that could decide the fate of the SWAC East division title race, the Alabama State Hornets travel to Tallahassee to face the current division-leading Florida A&M Rattlers.
This game is Alabama State’s conference opener, coming off a week in which they were idle. They have not been seen since they suffered an upset loss to SIAC opponent Miles.
They will be looking to hand Florida A&M its first conference loss of the season and its first conference loss against a team other than Jackson State since entering the SWAC.
The winner of this game will have a massive advantage in a top-heavy SWAC East division going forward.
2. Prairie View A&M vs. Alcorn State
Transitioning to the SWAC West, the Prairie View A&M Panthers and Alcorn State Braves clash in a critical division matchup.
Alcorn State begins a grueling battle in the race for the SWAC West division title against a Prairie View A&M team that already has a leg up entering this contest.
While this is the Braves’ conference opener, the Panthers already come into this game with a 1-0 record in the SWAC due to their season-opening win over Texas Southern.
Alcorn has history, winning five straight against Prairie View, including a 23-16 overtime win last season.
3. Savannah State vs. Albany State
In a matchup between top SIAC contenders, the Savannah State Tigers face off against the Albany State Rams in the Coastal City Classic.
Both teams come into this game following wins in their conference opener against Clark Atlanta and Morehouse, respectively.
With the SIAC no longer running a division system, these two teams could see each other again in the conference championship game in November.
While Savannah State is showing much improvement over its production last season, Albany State is still adjusting with new head coach Quinn Gray.
This will be an essential matchup that will have a bearing on the hierarchy in the SIAC.
4. Fayetteville State vs. Virginia Union
The reigning CIAA champion Fayetteville State Broncos face off against a top threat in their bid to go back-to-back out of the CIAA North, the Virginia Union Panthers.
Virginia Union has been Fayetteville State’s kryptonite in recent years, beating the Broncos four straight times in 2014.
Last season, the Panthers got the best of the Broncos, scoring 17 fourth-quarter points on their way to a 31-28 victory.
Things could be different this time as Virginia Union star running back Jada Byers missed the last game after suffering an injury in the team’s previous match against Shaw and could be out against Fayetteville State.
It is pertinent for the Broncos to put this losing streak behind them, building momentum for a potential clash in the conference title game.
5. Fort Valley State vs. Kentucky State
The Fort Valley State Wildcats will look to secure their third straight win when they go on the road to face the Kentucky State Thorobreds.
Fort Valley State has bounced back well from its season-opening loss to Tuskegee, claiming wins against Clark Atlanta and Edward Waters.
On the other hand, Kentucky State has had a disastrous past two weeks, suffering a double-digit loss to Tuskegee and losing to Allen after leading by 23 points entering the fourth quarter.
This is a must-win game for the Thorobreds as they will be in for an uphill battle in their quest for an SIAC championship berth should they lose.
