Week 2 wasn’t big on surprises in our Ultimate Division I Football Poll, as many in the top 10 won games they were supposed to win while others met a little more resistance from FBS opponents and FCS contenders. Here’s the updated poll heading into Week 3.
1. North Carolina Central (1-1)
One week after jumping on Alabama State with the first 21 points of the game, the Eagles had the misfortune of having Elon achieve that feat against them in their opener. They never recovered, losing to the Phoenix 41-19.
It doesn’t get any easier this coming Saturday. They have a 30-minute drive but a worlds apart road game: they face North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Central won’t back down, but getting back home with the roster in good health and some lessons learned against an FBS foe will be the key this weekend.
2. Florida A&M (2-1)
45 years after the Rattlers shocked Miami on the strength of a field goal by future MLB stolen base icon Vince Coleman, the Hurricanes didn’t give FAMU a chance to repeat history this time around. The next road test for Florida A&M takes them to Troy, Alabama, next weekend to face a Trojans squad that has had a rough go of it against Nevada and Memphis. They’ll likely be glad to see FAMU, but they shouldn’t take the defending HBCU national champs lightly.
3. Howard (1-1)
The defending MEAC champs squandered a 21-3 lead against FCS newbies Mercyhurst, then snatched the game back thanks to a botched conversion returned for two points by Kenny Gallop Jr. and Ja’Shawn Scroggins engineering a final drive that led to a field goal by Dylan West as time ran out for a 32-31 win.
That scare likely woke the Bison up, and that’s bad news for this week’s opponent, Morehouse, who gets to play Howard on neutral ground at the HBCU NYC Football Classic at MetLife Stadium.
4. Alabama State (1-1)
A win against a Division II opponent is expected of an FCS-level school, but the Hornets’ domination of Miles Saturday likely eased some fears of another season of unfulfilled potential. ASU made it easy on freshman QB James Hayes, running for 191 yards while the defense forced the Golden Bears into four turnovers.
Bama State’s next opponent is Samford, so another strong defensive performance will be necessary to compete in that game.
5. Morgan State (1-1)
Morgan State held Towson to 14 points, but offensive woes resurfaced Saturday as they could only manage nine points in dropping their first game of the season. The Bears will have to be better on that side of the ball this weekend as they travel to FBS Ohio, where the Bobcats are averaging 231 rushing yards per game in their first two games.
6. Jackson State (1-1)
The Tigers took care of business against Division II Lane and will start SWAC play this weekend at home against Southern in what should be a very entertaining game. A win for the Jaguars here could serve notice that they’re ready to reclaim the Eastern Division title.
7. South Carolina State (1-1)
Chennis Berry’s first FCS win didn’t come without a fight, but the Bulldogs came away from their encounter at the Citadel with a 23-20 decision in their favor. They’ll travel to Georgia Southern this weekend with their eyes on an even bigger win before a bye week.
8. Alcorn State (0-2)
A nightmare first two weeks for the Braves ended without much incident, and they’ll get Division II Edward Waters to start their home schedule. A decisive win here would give Alcorn State some much-needed confidence before a trip to McNeese the following weekend.
9. Tennessee State (1-1)
The Tigers were right there with North Dakota State for a quarter and a half, but the FCS powerhouse took control after that and coasted to an easy victory. Saturday’s Southern Heritage Classic in Memphis against Arkansas-Pine Bluff is not a guarantee by any stretch, so TnSU should be ready for a fight or else face a 1-2 start before beginning their OVC-Big South Schedule.
10. Southern (1-1)
The Jaguars defeated Savannah State soundly and will travel to Jackson, Mississippi to face JSU in what should be a game that will tell us a lot about both teams. The quarterback situation is intriguing in Baton Rouge as both Noah Bodden and Czavian Teasett have played in SU’s first two games, keeping the opponents off balance and throwing for an average of 247.5 yards in the first two games. Whether this split system stays in place remains to be seen, but it seems to be working for the Jaguars.
