The 2026 HBCU football season officially hit full speed Saturday, with championship contenders, new coaches and historic rivalries taking center stage across the country.
There were statement victories, stunning upsets, and a few reminders that preseason expectations mean little once the games begin.
Here’s a look at what happened.
Bulldogs … pounded
The defending HBCU national champions wasted no time reminding everyone why they enter the season among the nation’s elite.
No. 24 South Carolina State overwhelmed Savannah State 87-0, setting a school record for points in a game.
The Bulldogs led 52-0 at halftime and finished with 627 total yards, including 423 rushing yards. South Carolina State scored on all 11 of its trips into the red zone.
Running back Josh Shaw scored three touchdowns, while quarterback Keely Watson threw three touchdown passes and completed 8 of 12 passes for 95 yards.
The Bulldogs also held Savannah State to just 117 total yards, including 75 rushing yards and 42 passing yards. The Tigers managed only six first downs and never reached the red zone.
🎙️🐶 A MESSAGE FROM COACH BERRY.
After tonight’s DOMINATING PERFORMANCE, @coachberry77 Head Coach Chennis Berry had a message for the Bulldogs in the locker room.@SCStateAthletic @MEACSports #PayTheFee#DigDEEP#STATEofMind#RaiseTheBAR
🔴🔵🐶🏈 pic.twitter.com/xUJRIsqa0C— South Carolina State Football (@SCState_Fb) August 30, 2026
The 87-point margin was the fifth-largest winning margin by an FCS team since 1996, according to the NCAA.
The takeaway: South Carolina State looked every bit like a team capable of defending its Celebration Bowl championship.
Michael Vick gets back in the win column
Michael Vick’s second season at Norfolk State began with a dominant shutout.
The Spartans rolled past Winston-Salem State 56-0, scoring on their opening possession and taking a 21-0 halftime lead before adding 35 points after intermission.
Quarterback Deljay Bailey completed 13 of 20 passes for 119 yards and three touchdowns.
Vick said the performance reflected months of preparation.
It’s been a long time since Michael Vick beamed after a football game.
Here’s some of what the Norfolk State coach said after the Spartans won for the first time in 357 days, with a 56-0 rout of Winston-Salem State.
📹 Norfolk State Athletics pic.twitter.com/ouBoJUqYAJ
— HBCU Sports (@HBCUSports) August 30, 2026
“I thought today was … a testament to the hard work that we’ve been putting in since January.”
Norfolk State’s defense made sure the Rams never found a rhythm as the Spartans turned their season opener into a one-sided affair.
Quinn Gray defeats former program
The Quinn Gray era at Florida A&M is off to a winning start.
The Rattlers defeated Albany State 20-7 in Tallahassee, overcoming a strong defensive performance from the Golden Rams.
Florida A&M quarterback Isaiah Knowles, who followed Gray from Albany State to FAMU, completed 14 of 23 passes for 190 yards and a touchdown.
The Rattlers finished with 260 total yards, while Albany State managed only 163. Most notably, the Golden Rams were held to just 3 net rushing yards on 37 attempts.
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Florida A&M led 7-0 at halftime and 10-0 entering the fourth quarter before pulling away with 10 points in the final period.
The victory gave Gray an emotional win against the program he led to a 12-2 record and SIAC championship in 2025.
Marshall Faulk era begins with fast start before fizzle
Southern’s new era began with promise before unraveling.
The Jaguars built a double-digit lead against Alabama State but ultimately fell 30-17 in the Birmingham Football Classic.
For new Southern coach Marshall Faulk, the problem wasn’t effort. It was execution.
“For the majority of the guys, I was pleased with their effort. The guys, they played hard. We just have to finish plays. We got to finish drives.”
Faulk was especially critical of penalties that repeatedly stopped Southern drives.
“The number one thing that I told you guys we can’t do, which is beat yourself.”
The coach delivered perhaps the strongest message of the day when he said players who continue making costly mistakes could lose their jobs.
“We’re going to find guys to play that might not be as talented … but at least they won’t beat themselves.”
The takeaway: Southern showed enough early to suggest improvement may be coming, but Faulk’s team has plenty to clean up.
Texas Southern erase 14-point deficit to stun MEAC power
Texas Southern produced one of Saturday’s biggest comebacks.
The Tigers rallied from a 14-0 first-quarter deficit and a 24-14 halftime hole to beat North Carolina Central 42-30.
Texas Southern dominated the second half 28-6.
Quarterback Cam’Ron McCoy threw three touchdown passes, including a 45-yard strike that helped ignite the comeback.
Running back Athean Renfro Jr. rushed for 163 yards and a touchdown, while Jordan Thompson scored on a 34-yard blocked-punt return. Jacob Washington added a 20-yard touchdown run to help seal the victory.
The takeaway: Texas Southern might be a contender in the SWAC.
Van Malone starts with a shutout
The Van Malone era at Hampton got off to a spectacular start.
The Pirates blanked Virginia University-Lynchburg 45-0, producing their first shutout in 88 games.
Hampton accumulated 476 yards of total offense, while holding VUL to just 220 yards and 1.7 yards per rushing attempt.
The Pirates also forced three turnovers.
“We have a lot to work on but we battled tonight and played hard,” Malone said.
The victory also snapped Hampton’s six-game losing streak.
Wildcats rally late
Fort Valley State erased an early deficit to edge Elizabeth City State 17-14.
ECSU jumped ahead 8-0 in the first quarter, but Fort Valley State eventually took control.
Fort Valley quarterback Don Hudson threw for 201 yards, while running back Mich Caballero rushed for 67 yards and a touchdown.
Elizabeth City State quarterback Navia Hilliard threw for 163 yards and a touchdown, but the Vikings were shut out in the second half.
Ted White’s gets victory in coaching debut
Howard opened the Ted White era with a statement, rallying past Alabama A&M 31-24 in the Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge at Center Parc Stadium in Atlanta.
The Bison led 20-14 at halftime before Alabama A&M briefly pulled even in the fourth quarter. Howard answered with a late touchdown to regain the lead, then sealed the victory with a defensive stop that included a game-clinching forced fumble.
The victory gave Howard its first win in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge after the Bison lost to Alabama State in their previous appearance in 2022.
White entered the matchup emphasizing the importance of the national platform.
“We have an opportunity to play a good brand of football,” White said before the game, noting that the ABC broadcast would give recruits, fans and supporters a chance to see what Howard has to offer.
The takeaway: Howard found a way to win a nationally televised opener that came down to the final minutes — exactly the kind of start White wanted in his first season.
Jaylon Tolbert was flawless
Alcorn State needed only one quarter to find its rhythm — and then turned Saturday night into a rout.
The Braves blasted Miles 56-7, scoring 49 unanswered points after the Golden Bears tied the game 7-7 late in the first quarter.
Quarterback Jaylon Tolbert was nearly flawless, completing 25 of 28 passes for 265 yards and five touchdowns without an interception.
Jamarr Ebron caught six passes for 63 yards and two touchdowns, while Elijah Griffin added four catches for 49 yards and a score. Alcorn also got a huge special-teams play when Kameron Brown blocked a field goal and Jaylen McRoy returned the loose ball for a touchdown.
The takeaway: Jaylon Tolbert will be in the conversation for HBCU football’s best player.
Jackson State takes over Nashville
Jackson State survived a back-and-forth battle with Tennessee State, escaping with a 26-24 victory in the John Merritt Classic at FirstBank Stadium.
The Tigers struck first in spectacular fashion. Quarterback Jared Lockhart connected with Jabari Jones for an 88-yard touchdown, giving Jackson State a 7-0 lead.
Lockhart finished 17-of-26 for 222 yards and a touchdown, while Jackson State ran for 183 yards on 36 attempts. Nate Blount IV led the ground attack with 101 yards on 15 carries.
Jackson State survives!
The Tigers beat rival Tennessee State after a chaotic finish in Nashville 😅 pic.twitter.com/qdsKFGzJ3V
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) August 30, 2026
Jones finished with 117 receiving yards and a touchdown, while kicker Andrew Ivaniciuc delivered 14 points, going 4-for-5 on field-goal attempts, including a 51-yarder.
But the game’s biggest play came with less than a minute remaining.
Tennessee State lined up for a potential game-winning 36-yard field goal, only for Jackson State’s defense to break through and block the attempt.
The takeaway: Jackson State didn’t dominate. It didn’t need to. The Tigers answered every Tennessee State push and made the biggest defensive play of the night when the game was on the line.
