Week 4 of the HBCU football season delivered plenty of drama. Alcorn State needed overtime to outlast Texas Southern in a 43-40 shootout, Jackson State remained unbeaten with a lopsided win over Southern in the Boombox Classic, and Prairie View A&M held off Grambling State in the State Fair Classic. No. 14 South Carolina State kept its unbeaten season alive with a comeback road win at Bethune-Cookman, and Alabama A&M snapped a decades-long skid against Florida A&M. North Carolina A&T’s upset of nationally ranked Rhode Island added another signature result to the week. Here is how each game played out.

The State Fair Classic

Prairie View A&M held off Grambling State 21-14 Saturday at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas in the 101st playing of the State Fair Classic, played before 42,942 fans.

Grambling grabbed the first points of the game late in the second quarter when quarterback Ashton Frye connected with Nae’Saan Dickerson on a 50-yard touchdown pass. Prairie View answered before halftime, as Tevin Carter found Travon Jones for a 37-yard score to tie the game 7-7 at the break.

The Panthers took their first lead in the third quarter on a 17-yard touchdown run by Jahbari Kuykendall, then extended the margin to 21-7 early in the fourth quarter when Carter hit Kheagian Heckaman for a 2-yard touchdown. Grambling answered when Jacobe Robinson found Tyson George for a 47-yard touchdown with just over three minutes remaining, but Prairie View ran out the final possession to close out the win.

Carter finished 18 of 22 passing for 160 yards and two touchdowns, connecting with Rodny Ojo five times for 64 yards. Kuykendall led the ground game with 41 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries, while Chase Bingmon added 42 yards on 11 carries. Grambling used two quarterbacks, with Robinson going 9 of 18 for 131 yards and a touchdown and Frye adding the 50-yard scoring strike.

Defensively, Grambling’s Lonell Cunningham led all players with 11 tackles, and Jon Horton contributed 1.5 sacks. Damani Maxson recorded three pass breakups for Prairie View.

Prairie View improves to 2-3 overall and 2-0 in SWAC play. Grambling, which opened SWAC play with the loss, falls to 2-2 overall and 0-1 in the conference.

The Boombox Classic

Nate Blount IV rushed for 135 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries to lead unbeaten Jackson State to a 35-17 win over rival Southern in the Boombox Classic Saturday night at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, extending the Tigers’ winning streak in the series to eight games.

Jackson State jumped ahead on a 1-yard touchdown run by Blount, and after Southern answered with a field goal, quarterback Jared Lockhart connected with Nate Rembert on a 70-yard touchdown pass to make it 14-3. Blount’s second touchdown, an 8-yard run, and a 1-yard run by Lockhart pushed the lead to 28-9 by halftime.

Southern cut the margin to 28-17 in the third quarter, but Jackson State’s defense shut the Jaguars out over the final 15 minutes. The Tigers put the game away late when center Alex Valbuena hauled in a tipped pass at the line of scrimmage and rumbled 4 yards for his first career touchdown.

Lockhart finished 12 of 18 for 165 yards and two touchdowns, along with his rushing score. Rembert caught five passes for 87 yards and a touchdown. Jackson State’s defense recorded three sacks and held Southern to 165 passing yards, with Keith Bass Jr. leading the way with seven tackles.

Jackson State improved to 4-0 overall and 1-0 in SWAC play in its conference opener. Southern fell to 2-3 overall and 0-1 in the SWAC.

Alcorn State Outlasts Texas Southern in Overtime

Alcorn State needed overtime to hold off Texas Southern, escaping with a 43-40 win Saturday at Jack Spinks-Marino Casem Stadium in Lorman, Mississippi, in front of 9,731 fans in a game that swung several times in the final period.

Alcorn built a 34-12 lead in the third quarter behind three rushing touchdowns from Fredrick Robertson, but Texas Southern stormed back in the fourth. Cam’Ron McCoy scored on a 34-yard run and then found the end zone again on a 5-yard run with a two-point conversion pass to Athean Renfro, tying the score at 34-34 with just over four minutes left. Alcorn answered with a 35-yard field goal from Kenyon Bowyer to retake the lead, but Miguel Arana forced overtime for Texas Southern with a 25-yard field goal as time expired in regulation, tying it at 37.

Texas Southern struck first in overtime on a 48-yard Arana field goal, but Alcorn answered when Robertson capped an eight-play possession with a 1-yard touchdown run to win it, 43-40.

McCoy passed for 319 yards and two touchdowns for Texas Southern, connecting with Daveon Walker seven times for 110 yards and finding Fatu Mukuba for a 54-yard score. Arana made four of five field goals, including the kick that forced overtime.

Jaylon Tolbert threw for 332 yards and two touchdowns for Alcorn, and Robertson finished with 105 yards and three rushing touchdowns, plus a 27-yard touchdown catch. Alcorn improved to 3-2 overall and 2-0 in SWAC play, while Texas Southern fell to 1-3 overall and 0-2 in the conference.

South Carolina State Stays Unbeaten at Bethune-Cookman

No. 14 South Carolina State remained unbeaten Saturday night, using a dominant rushing attack and a late fourth-quarter touchdown drive to hold off Bethune-Cookman 31-21 at Daytona Stadium.

The Bulldogs built a 24-7 halftime lead behind touchdown runs from Josh Shaw and a pair of touchdown passes from Keely Watson, but Bethune-Cookman rallied within three points in the third quarter on touchdown runs from Tyler Jefferson and Rashon Brown and a touchdown pass from Isaiah Daniel to Josh Evans. South Carolina State’s defense held the Wildcats scoreless in the fourth quarter while the offense marched 85 yards on 11 plays to salt away the win with Shaw’s second touchdown run.

Mason Pickett-Hicks led the ground game with 136 yards on 14 carries, and Tyler Smith added 91 yards on just seven carries. Watson finished 14 of 19 passing for 146 yards and two touchdowns without an interception, connecting with Troy Hillman and Darius Thompson for scores.

The Bulldogs’ defense recorded five sacks, with Josh Barker collecting 2.5, and South Carolina State was perfect in the red zone on four opportunities.

South Carolina State improves to 5-0. Bethune-Cookman falls to 2-2.

Alabama A&M Snaps Decades-Long Skid at Florida A&M

Alabama A&M scored the final 17 points to defeat Florida A&M 40-21 Saturday night at Bragg Memorial Stadium, giving the Bulldogs their first win over the Rattlers since 1979 and their first 1-0 start in SWAC play since 2021.

Byron Perrilliat rushed for 223 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns, and Cornelious Brown IV threw three touchdown passes, two of them to Jaylan Bean, as Alabama A&M totaled 490 yards of offense. Florida A&M struck first on a 40-yard touchdown pass from Armond Parker to Kieren Jackson, but Brown answered with touchdown throws to Jarel Williams and Bean to put the Bulldogs in front.

Florida A&M twice pulled within single digits in the second half. Nacarri Johnson’s return of a blocked extra point for two points proved to be a difference-maker in a 23-13 Alabama A&M halftime lead. Perrilliat’s two fourth-quarter touchdown runs, set up in part by a Jaylin Chambers interception, cut the deficit to two scores.

“I’m proud of the way our players responded when this became a two-point game,” Alabama A&M head coach Sam Shade said. “We stayed together, made plays in all three phases, and finished strong on the road. Byron gave us a spark in the fourth quarter, and our defense created the opportunities we needed.”

Brown finished 18 of 26 passing for 198 yards and three touchdowns. Alabama A&M and Florida A&M have now met 16 times, with the Bulldogs improving to 3-13 all-time in the series.

Alabama A&M improves to 4-1 overall and 1-0 in SWAC play. Florida A&M falls to 1-4 overall and 0-1 in the conference.

Norfolk State Overwhelms Chicago State on Its Longest Trip of the Season

Norfolk State’s long trip to the Chicago area paid off Saturday, as the Spartans piled up 623 yards of total offense in a 43-20 win over Chicago State at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois.

Jalyn Daniels rushed for 136 yards and two touchdowns, including a 95-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter, and Jason Wonodi added a 76-yard touchdown run of his own. Quarterback DaJean Golmond passed for 265 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a third score.

Chicago State stayed within a score for most of the first half before Norfolk State pulled away, scoring touchdowns on four straight second-half and fourth-quarter possessions.

Norfolk State improves to 3-2 on the season. Chicago State falls to 1-4.

North Carolina A&T’s Upset of Rhode Island

North Carolina A&T’s 22-18 upset of nationally ranked Rhode Island was one of the week’s signature results, snapping the Aggies’ 0-4 start on Hall of Fame weekend in Greensboro. NC A&T Stuns No. 19 Rhode Island in Greensboro During Hall of Fame Weekend takes a full look at the win, including Tyrek Brown’s turning-point fumble return touchdown and coach Shawn Gibbs’s postgame comments.

Delaware State Holds Off Towson

Delaware State trailed by a touchdown twice in the final 20 minutes before quarterback Ui Ale ended it himself, capping an 11-play, 90-yard drive with a 6-yard touchdown run with 42 seconds left to beat Towson 33-28 at Alumni Stadium. Towson twice answered Delaware State scores with touchdown passes from Andrew Indorf to Aaron Enterline, a 75-yard strike and a 2-yard score, and Xavier Pugh’s 1-yard touchdown run had put the Tigers ahead 28-27 before the Hornets’ final possession.

Ale passed for 193 yards and a touchdown and added 71 yards and another score on the ground, including a 53-yard run that set up the eventual winning score. Jaylin Terzado caught eight passes for 82 yards, and Jayden Jenkins and Sean Weston Jr. each added rushing touchdowns for Delaware State. Indorf finished 25 of 32 for 247 yards and three touchdowns for Towson, while Enterline caught five passes for 113 yards and two scores.

Delaware State’s defense forced four turnovers, including an interception and a fumble recovery from Andrew Harris, and turned those takeaways into 13 points. The Hornets also converted all five red-zone trips into scores. Delaware State improves to 3-2. Towson falls to 0-5.

North Carolina Central Falls at East Carolina

North Carolina Central forced four turnovers for the second time this season, but the Eagles could not overcome a long East Carolina scoring run in a 42-9 loss at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. Freshman kicker Riley Daniels opened the scoring with a 39-yard field goal to cap an 8-play opening drive, and safety Amari Sifford forced a fumble in the end zone that Jakarii Martin II recovered, but East Carolina answered with 35 unanswered points behind touchdown runs and passes from TJ Engleman Jr. and Emory Williams.

The Eagles defense kept fighting throughout, with Zarion Walters forcing and recovering a fumble on a sack in the second quarter, linebacker Joshua Maxwell picking off his first interception of the season in the third, and Brandon Sanders forcing and recovering another fumble to open the fourth. North Carolina Central’s only touchdown came with 5:10 left, when Cobey Thompkins found Nasim Cosby from 10 yards out to cap a 10-play, 76-yard drive. Sophomore defensive back Joshua Truesdale led the Eagles with eight tackles and a pass breakup. North Carolina Central falls to 2-3. East Carolina improves to 2-2.

Campbell Pulls Away From Hampton

Campbell rolled past Hampton 44-20 at Darling Stadium, turning a 13-13 halftime tie into a rout with 31 unanswered points in the third quarter. Hampton had led twice in the first half, the second time 13-10 on a Gracen Goldsmith touchdown run, before Chinua Ezeigbo’s 34-yard touchdown catch put Campbell back in front just ahead of a Brett Starling field goal that tied the game at the break.

Campbell then took over. Devon Thomas scored on a 2-yard run and a 29-yard touchdown catch, Christian Campbell added a 6-yard touchdown reception, Kaleb Robison hit a 24-yard field goal, and Ezeigbo capped the surge with a 64-yard touchdown catch that made it 44-13. Kamden Sixkiller threw for 308 yards and five touchdowns on 24 of 31 passing, with Ezeigbo catching just two passes for 98 yards and both long scores. JJ Cowan and Jon Gullette combined for 91 rushing yards. Hampton’s Tre’Von Taylor threw for 259 yards and a touchdown but was intercepted twice, and Isaiah Smith caught a fourth-quarter touchdown to close the scoring. Campbell improves to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in the CAA. Hampton falls to 1-4 overall and 0-2 in the conference.

Alabama State Cruises Past Mississippi Valley State

Alabama State forced a fumble on Mississippi Valley State’s first possession, and freshman quarterback Aaron Frye needed just two plays to cash in with a 34-yard touchdown pass to DJ Hicks. A muffed Delta Devils punt set up another short field, and Frye scored himself on a 6-yard run to make it 14-0. Andrew Abu-Akel added two field goals, the second as time expired in the first half, sending Alabama State into the break with a 20-6 lead in what would become a 41-15 win at ASU Stadium.

Hicks opened the second half with a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, and Frye capped his day with a 9-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter for his second rushing score. Frye and Jareese Howard combined for 110 rushing yards, and Randall King led the receivers with three catches for 72 yards. Linebacker Eldridge Shelton paced the defense, forcing two fumbles and recording 3.5 tackles for loss, as Alabama State held Mississippi Valley State to 2.6 yards per rush and extended its home winning streak to nine straight games. Alabama State improves to 3-1 overall and 1-0 in SWAC play. Mississippi Valley State falls to 1-4 overall and 0-1 in the conference.