HBCU Football enters the second half of the season this weekend.
SWAC/CIAA/SIAC play promises to be exciting while the MEAC is finally winding down their never-ending non-conference schedule.
Week Seven will be a fun one to predict, but before your friendly neighborhood HBCU football prognosticator drops this week’s science, let’s look back at Week Six’s results.
Week Six Record: 16-9
2025 overall record to date: 134-42
Best pick: Virginia Union 33, Winston-Salem State 28 (Panthers won 44-34. Can anybody – not named Edward Waters – beat this team?)
Worst pick: Arkansas-Pine Bluff 26, Texas Southern 24 (Tigers won 51-7, a nice momentum boost heading into a pivotal game at Grambling this weekend.
Game of the week: Alabama State (4-1, 2-0 SWAC East) at Jackson State, (4-1, 1-0 SWAC East), Saturday Oct. 11, 3:30 p.m. EST, ESPNU
Forget game of the week, this could be the game of the year.
ASU comes into the game winners of four straight and averaging just about 41 points per game, ranked 10th in all of FCS.
The Tigers are winners of three in a row and not that far behind in offense, averaging nearly 35 points an outing.
The quarterback duel everyone is looking forward to is the Tigers’ Jacobian Morgan vs. the Hornets’ Andrew Body. Morgan is a bigger quarterback, but mobile, while Body might be slight, but his arm and feet are anything but.
Both defenses will have to finish tackles on either one of these quarterbacks or face extended plays that could make for a long afternoon.
The winner will likely claim a spot in the SWAC championship game. The loser will have to wonder what might have been. Expect both teams to leave everything on the grass of Mississippi Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
Prediction: Jackson State 34, Alabama State 33
North Carolina Central (4-2) at Florida A&M (1-4), Saturday Oct. 11, 3 p.m. EST, HBCU GO
Coming off a timely bye week, NCCU makes a trip to Tallahassee to face a Rattlers squad in need of a win.
One thing that FAMU cannot allow is the running back tandem of Chris Mosley and A.J. Rodgers to chew up clock and field. And even if they force the Eagles into a passing game, Walker Harris has proven more than capable of making the right throw and his receivers doing the rest.
Florida A&M’s best bet is running the ball with Thad Franklin Jr. and Bo Summersett to keep the Central offense off the field.
Prediction: North Carolina Central 31, Florida A&M 17
Edward Waters (4-1, 3-0 SIAC) at Kentucky State (4-2, 4-1 SIAC), Saturday Oct. 11, 2 p.m. EST, SIAC Network
Two of the most explosive offenses and best stories in HBCU football meet up in Frankfort Saturday afternoon for a leg up in the ultra-competitive SIAC.
Noah Bodden, freed from the drama of the SWAC West, has blossomed under Brian Jenkins’ leadership, completing 58 percent of his passes for nearly 1200 yards and nine touchdowns so far this season.
Johntarrious Thomas is second in the conference in rushing while Makai Lovett (17 catches, 250 yards) leads a group of four Tiger receivers with double digit receptions.
Kentucky State will counter with an effective run game led by freshman Chad Elzy Jr., sophomore Jaylen Middletown and quarterback Torrance Bardell, who has also thrown for nearly 1100 yards and 12 touchdowns against just two interceptions.
Prediction: The winner of this battle joins Albany State as the SIAC’s last two unbeaten teams. The loser is not out of the title chase but will need the other to lose a game along the way to make up ground.
Prediction: Edward Waters 30, Kentucky State 27
Livingstone (3-2, 2-1 CIAA) at Winston-Salem State (3-3, 1-2 CIAA), Saturday Oct. 11, CIAA Network
Neither team is completely eliminated from the CIAA championship game story, but the loser certainly will be once this game is finished.
The Blue Bears were shocked by Elizabeth City State last weekend while the Rams fought back, but dug too deep of a hole against Virginia Union.
WSSU will hopefully have learned their lesson or else it’s another long stretch of playing out the string and wondering what to do for 2026.
Prediction: Winston-Salem State 27, Livingstone 18
Week Seven
Saturday, Oct. 11
Delaware State 35, Southern Connecticut State 14
Morgan State 24, Virginia-Lynchburg 17
Norfolk State 28, Wofford 27
South Carolina State 33, North Carolina A&T 24
Howard 25, Sacred Heart 20
Alcorn State 31, Lincoln (Ca.) 13
Arkansas-Pine Bluff 34, Westgate Christian 16
Alabama A&M 26, Mississippi Valley State 23
Bethune-Cookman 30, Southern 20
Texas Southern 27, Grambling 24
Southeast Missouri 32, Tennessee State 14
William & Mary 32, North Carolina A&T 16
Hampton 35, Campbell 31
Bluefield State 29, Bowie State 24
Johnson C. Smith 31, Shaw 13
Virginia Union 35, Lincoln (Pa.) 12
Virginia State 34, Elizabeth City State 28
Albany State 35, Lane 18
Morehouse 24, Central State 22
Albany State 30, Clark Atlanta 18
Benedict 33, Fort Valley State 17
Miles 19, Lane 16
Savannah State 27, Allen 26
Lincoln (Mo.) 20, Northeastern State 19
West Virginia State 32, Concord (W. Va.) 24
Arkansas Baptist 35, Langston 32
Ottawa (Az.) 30, Texas College 14
Florida Memorial 28, Kaiser 14
Clayton State 31, Barber-Scotia 20
