Some HBCU Football Saturdays build slowly. Others, like Week 6, came out swinging from the first kickoffs.

The last unbeaten HBCU in the FCS stepped into the Hole on Saturday night and left with a loss. Grambling State outlasted No. 22 Jackson State 45-38 in a game that swung back and forth until the final two minutes, when a 32-yard punt return and an interception gave Grambling the win. Jackson State has now lost three straight to Grambling, and no HBCU is left unbeaten in the FCS.

Meanwhile, North Carolina A&T needed a touchdown on the last snap of regulation, got it on fourth and 10, and then won in overtime. In Baltimore, Morgan State trailed by six with four minutes left at its own Homecoming, marched 75 yards and took the lead with 24 seconds to go. In Huntsville, Alabama A&M turned a soggy SWAC East showdown into a 55-17 rout of Bethune-Cookman.

South Carolina State fell to Charleston Southern for the second straight year after a pair of return touchdowns put the Bulldogs in a hole they could not climb out of, and Mississippi Valley State pulled off its second straight comeback. Norfolk State threw the party of the year in front of a record crowd, and Howard and NC Central both saw fourth-quarter leads or chances slip away. Here is how every game played out.

Grambling State Hands Jackson State Its First Loss

Jackson State came to Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium as the last unbeaten HBCU in the FCS. It left with its first loss after Grambling State scored the final 10 points to win 45-38, the Tigers’ third straight win in the series.

Jackson State struck first and fast. Li’Darious Pryor capped a 96-yard drive with a 25-yard touchdown run, and Justin Foster scooped up an Ashton Frye fumble and took it in for a 14-0 lead. Grambling answered behind Jacobe Robinson, who hit Tyson George for a 5-yard touchdown, ran for a 6-yard score, and found Nae’Saan Dickerson for a 5-yard touchdown with 26 seconds left in the first half to tie it 21-21.

Andrew Ivaniciuc’s 48-yard field goal put Jackson State back in front in the third quarter, but Robinson threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Patrick Williams II and then hit Lantavious Murphy for a 54-yard score early in the fourth quarter for a 35-24 lead. Jackson State roared back. Caron Tyler found Jency Riley Jr. for a 7-yard touchdown, and Pryor broke off a 79-yard run that set up his own 3-yard score, putting the visitors ahead 38-35 with 9:21 left.

The last six minutes decided it. Grambling drove to the 5 before Clyde McClendon Jr. fumbled and KJ Chisholm Jr. recovered for Jackson State. Jackson State moved out to its own 32 but had to punt, and Tyrone Wilson returned it 32 yards to the Jackson State 32. Robinson hit Dickerson for a 30-yard gain on the next play, and D’Shaun Ford ran it in from the 1 with 1:41 left for a 42-38 lead. On Jackson State’s first snap after the kickoff, Marcellius Johnson intercepted Tyler and returned it to the 9, and Theodore Caballero’s 24-yard field goal made it 45-38 with 1:04 left. Jackson State’s final drive reached the Grambling 32 as time expired.

Robinson was nearly perfect, completing 17 of 21 passes for 212 yards and four touchdowns and running for another score. George caught eight passes for 93 yards, and Ford ran for 71 yards. Donte Hookfin had three tackles for loss.

Pryor ran for 166 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries, and Nate Rembert caught four passes for 101 yards. Tyler threw for 111 yards and ran for 67, and Jared Lockhart completed 3 of 7 passes for 75 yards. Keith Bass Jr. led Jackson State with 10 tackles. Jackson State falls to 5-1 and 2-1 in SWAC play, and Grambling State improves to 4-2 and 2-1.

Alabama A&M Rolls Through the Rain Past Bethune-Cookman

Alabama A&M turned a rain-soaked night at Louis Crews Stadium into a statement, scoring 41 unanswered points to blow out Bethune-Cookman 55-17. The Bulldogs piled up 504 yards, ran for 335 at 8.0 yards a carry, and held the SWAC’s top rushing team to 210 yards on the ground and just 26 through the air.

It was a game at halftime. Byron Perrilliat’s 6-yard run capped a 92-yard drive for an early lead, Cornelious Brown IV hit Jarel Williams for an 11-yard touchdown, and Bethune-Cookman answered with a 13-yard Rashon Brown run to cut the lead to 14-10. David Faulk’s 32-yard field goal at the horn made it 17-10 at the break.

Then the third quarter belonged entirely to Alabama A&M. Brown found Williams for a 60-yard touchdown on the opening drive of the half. Therman-Deon Moore forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, which Diwonne Williams recovered, setting up a 44-yard Faulk field goal; Moore later intercepted Tyler Jefferson and returned it 50 yards to set up Perrilliat’s 21-yard touchdown run. Ty’Jarian Williams added a 25-yard touchdown run, and the Bulldogs scored 24 points in the quarter.

The takeaways kept coming. Nacari Johnson intercepted Joel Morris to set up a 2-yard run by Ty’Jarian Williams, and Troy Bruce’s 22-yard touchdown run made it 55-10 midway through the fourth quarter. Bethune-Cookman turned it over four times, and Morris’ 2-yard run with 1:55 left was its only second-half score.

Perrilliat ran for 103 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries; Bruce added 76 yards; and Jarel Williams caught four passes for 133 yards and both of Brown’s touchdown passes. D.J. Barber made 11 tackles, and Donnivan Bozeman had two tackles for loss. Rashon Brown ran for 97 yards and a touchdown for the Wildcats, and Stephen Sparrow Jr. made 10 tackles.

Alabama A&M (5-2, 2-1 SWAC) already has more wins than it did in all of 2025, and Bethune-Cookman (3-3, 1-1 SWAC) is still searching for its first win in Huntsville since 1976.

North Carolina A&T Wins It at the Gun, Then Again in Overtime

North Carolina A&T had every reason to fear the worst. One week after watching a late lead vanish at Bryant, the Aggies trailed New Hampshire 27-21 with 1:40 left after the Wildcats put together a 17-play, 60-yard drive that ate 9:22 off the clock and ended with a 26-yard Lucas Glassburn field goal. New Hampshire nearly scored on that drive, but a 7-yard Myles Thomason run into the end zone was wiped out by a holding penalty.

Kevin White took it from there. The Aggies gained 75 yards in 16 plays, converting a fourth-and-8 on a 12-yard strike to Michael Carlock-Williams and a fourth-and-4 on a 5-yard catch by Elijah Kennedy. White ran for 10, 6, and 16 yards on the drive to get A&T to the 19. After three straight incompletions, the Aggies faced fourth-and-10 with one second left, and White found Kennedy for a 19-yard touchdown as time expired to tie it 27-27. Asher Holland missed the extra point, and the game went to overtime in the rain at Truist Stadium.

New Hampshire got the ball first and drove to the 6, but Kamari Blankumsee sacked Brooks Bentley on third-and-3, pushing the Wildcats back to the 12, and Glassburn missed a 29-yard field goal attempt. A&T ran three times to set up Holland, who made a 34-yarder to win 30-27.

“Super proud of these guys and the way they went out and won the game,” head coach Shawn Gibbs said. “You’re trying to build a program. You got to learn how to win games like that. We’ve been in before, and it didn’t come out our way, but today they found a way to do it. Like I say all the time, confidence follows evidence. Now we have even more evidence that we can play with these people.”

Gibbs said there was never any doubt about Holland, who had missed a 31-yard try in the third quarter. “There was nobody on our sideline that had any doubt that he was going to make that kick,” he said.

“I was just glad I was able to do it for them,” Holland said. “I didn’t want to let them down.”

White completed 18 of 35 passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns, with scoring throws to Amonte Jones, Carlock-Williams and Kennedy. Carlock-Williams caught five passes for 129 yards, including a 32-yard touchdown, and Shimique Blizzard ripped off a 45-yard run, finishing with 72 yards on six carries.

The defense was everywhere. Terry Radford made 17 tackles, 13 solo; the Aggies sacked Bentley five times; and Eddie Conover added two tackles for loss, a sack, and a forced fumble. Blankumsee also intercepted a pass. Logan Perez caught eight passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns for New Hampshire, including a 75-yarder. A&T is now 2-5 and 2-2 in CAA play.

Keith Jenkins Jr. Wins Morgan State’s Homecoming With 24 Seconds Left

Morgan State gave its Homecoming crowd of 11,200 at Hughes Stadium a finish it will not forget, rallying past Robert Morris 28-27 on a 1-yard touchdown run by Keith Jenkins Jr. with 24 seconds left. The Bears are 5-1 for the first time since 2009 and have won four straight.

Robert Morris controlled the first half. Carson Haggard capped a 12-play, 99-yard drive with a 28-yard touchdown pass to Attawan Mays, then ran in a 4-yard score to take a 14-0 lead. Gavin Fetty’s 30-yard field goal at the halftime horn got Morgan State on the board, and his 19-yarder early in the third quarter made it 14-6.

Then the third quarter turned into a shootout. Cameron Edge hit Joseph Towler for a 56-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 14-13, and Haggard answered less than a minute later with a 54-yard scoring strike to Noah Schaerli. Jenkins went 45 yards for a touchdown, and a two-point pass to Alex Simmons tied the game 21-21.

Robert Morris missed a 36-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter but went back ahead when Haggard found Eyasu Palmore for a 9-yard touchdown with 4:16 left. Shawn Phillips blocked the extra point, keeping the Bears within six.

The winning drive covered 75 yards in 11 plays. Jenkins converted a fourth-and-1 at midfield, Edge ran 22 yards on third-and-7, and a penalty moved the ball to the 11; Edge’s 9-yard run set up first-and-goal at the 1. Jenkins punched it in, and Fetty’s extra point made it 28-27. Robert Morris had one last chance after a 27-yard completion to Jaqai Carter, but Donovan Moyer sacked Haggard and forced a fumble that Jordan Jeudy recovered as time expired.

Jenkins finished with 98 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries, plus five catches for 47 yards. Edge threw for 181 yards and a touchdown, ran for 61, and Morgan State averaged 7.0 yards per carry. Moyer had three tackles for loss, and Darius Jones led the Bears with 10 tackles. Haggard was brilliant in defeat, completing 23 of 30 passes for 376 yards and three touchdowns.

Charleston Southern Stuns South Carolina State Again

For the second straight year, Charleston Southern beat South Carolina State, 49-39, in Charleston. The Bulldogs outgained the Buccaneers 470 to 305 and had 27 first downs to 18, but two return touchdowns, four turnovers, and 15 penalties for 113 yards dug too deep a hole.

Charleston Southern struck early in every way possible. Jared Echols hit Mekhi Campfield for a 33-yard touchdown, and Hakeem Watters returned a punt 60 yards for another. After Mason Pickett-Hicks’ 10-yard run cut the lead to 21-13 in the second quarter, Quay Kindell took back 98 yards on the ensuing kickoff. Echols found Campfield again before halftime to make it 35-16. Pickett-Hicks fumbled on the first play of the second half, and Watters scored on the next snap with a 24-yard run, making it 42-16.

South Carolina State made it a game. Kwantre Harry forced a fumble that Tyler Jones returned 25 yards to the 3, and Josh Shaw scored on the next play. Shaw added a 1-yard touchdown, and Ricorian Brown ran in the two-point try; early in the fourth quarter, Marquis Lane-Owens and KB Bonds tackled Watters in the end zone for a safety, cutting it to 42-33. Echols answered with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Maxwell Warren with 7:44 left, and the Bulldogs scored late with 15 seconds left when Ronnie Robinson threw a touchdown pass to Martavious Collins.

Robinson threw for 279 yards and a touchdown, with two interceptions; Keely Watson completed 8 of 12 passes and ran for a score; and Malaqhi Jones caught six passes for 111 yards. Echols threw for 194 yards and three touchdowns on 17-of-29 passes, and Steve Zayachkowsky made 17 tackles for the Buccaneers. South Carolina State has lost two straight and falls to 5-2.

Norfolk State Throws a Record Homecoming Party

A crowd of 48,357 packed William “Dick” Price Stadium, topping last year’s school record Homecoming crowd of 47,273, and Norfolk State gave them a show, routing Virginia University of Lynchburg 62-0. The Spartans scored 48 points in the first half and improved to 4-3, already their best win total since 2021.

The Norfolk State defense and special teams nearly outscored the offense. Nasir Bashir (12 yards) and Kaleb Broadbent (39 yards) returned interceptions for touchdowns, and Christian James scored on 63- and 9-yard punt returns. The Spartans picked off four passes.

Jalyn Daniels ran for 87 yards on nine carries, including an 18-yard touchdown run, and caught a 7-yard touchdown pass from DaJean Golmond, who completed 8 of 9 passes for 91 yards. Deljay Bailey threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Elyjah Mitchell, and Kam’Ryn Thomas and Shamar Vick added touchdown runs. Norfolk State ran for 299 yards and outgained Virginia-Lynchburg 471 to 224. The Spartans head into an open date before opening MEAC play at South Carolina State on Oct. 24.

Penn Rallies Past Howard in the Fourth Quarter

Howard led 20-10 entering the fourth quarter at Franklin Field, but Penn scored twice in the final period to win 24-20. Quarterback Karson Siqueiros-Lasky caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from receiver Isaac Lee to make it 20-17, then led the winning drive, converting a fourth-and-7 with an 18-yard pass to Jack Donnelly and hitting Lee for a 13-yard touchdown with 57 seconds left. Ezra Fearon intercepted Howard’s final pass.

“I just thought that we didn’t execute well in the second half for whatever reason,” Howard head coach Ted White said. He also tipped his cap to Penn’s backup quarterback after the Quakers lost their starter. “They ended up bringing their second quarterback in the game, and he did some great things,” White said. “Those penalties really hurt us in the end because they allowed them to get a field goal range and end up scoring a touchdown out of it.”

Ja’Shawn Scroggins ran for a 1-yard touchdown and threw a 30-yard scoring pass to Zaden Jackson, and Matt Conord made 20- and 34-yard field goals. J. Augustus Olidge made nine tackles and broke up five passes, and Ben Chandler IV intercepted a pass. Penn sacked Scroggins five times. Siqueiros-Lasky completed 19 of 29 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns, and Ronan Johannson caught seven passes for 113 yards. Howard falls to 2-4 and hosts Morehouse for Homecoming next week. “If anybody knows anything about Howard University, homecoming is key,” White said.

William & Mary Spoils North Carolina Central’s Homecoming

NC Central outgained William & Mary 439 to 221 and ran for 282 yards in the rain, but the Tribe left Durham with a 17-14 win in front of a Homecoming crowd of 11,735. Max Lipinski’s 41-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter was the difference.

William & Mary scored first when Ryan Vail blocked a punt, and Jack Reuter returned it 10 yards for a touchdown. Joshua Jones tied it on a 1-yard run in the second quarter, and after Winston Watkins hit Alfred Honesty for a 16-yard touchdown, Cobey Thompkins answered with a 69-yard touchdown run to tie it 14-14 in the third quarter.

The Eagles had their chances. Gino Addison ran for 169 yards on 22 carries, but a penalty nullified his 50-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. NC Central missed 39- and 32-yard field goals, including the second with 6:56 left, and went 0-for-3 on fourth down.

“Our special teams let us down,” head coach Trei Oliver said. “We had twice as many yards as they did throughout the game. We played well on third down. We did everything we needed to do to win the game, except for converting and executing on special teams.”

Jakarri Martin II made eight tackles and returned an interception 42 yards, and Amari Sifford also picked off a pass. NC Central has lost four straight and falls to 2-5, but a bye week comes at the right time. “We definitely need a bye week,” Oliver said. “Got a bunch of guys banged up. You know, quite a few guys didn’t play tonight that we were counting on.”

UT Martin Scores 28 Straight to Beat Tennessee State

Tennessee State looked like it might end its skid against UT Martin early, jumping out to a 21-7 lead behind Daylin Lee, who threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Aaron Duncan II and a 99-yard touchdown pass to Cam Bulluck in the first quarter. Bulluck added a 20-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

UT Martin answered with 28 unanswered points. Chris Franklin’s 8-yard run cut it to 21-14 at halftime, and Farand Washington tied the game with a 97-yard fumble return in the third quarter. Makhia Sherrard scored on a 34-yard run, Franklin added a 4-yard run, and the Skyhawks went on to win 42-28 in the first Sgt. York Trophy game decided head-to-head. Joel Castleberry sealed it with a 23-yard interception return for a touchdown with 2:02 left.

Lee threw for 376 yards and four touchdowns with three interceptions, and Bulluck caught seven passes for 191 yards and three scores. Tennessee State managed just 15 rushing yards. Franklin ran for 82 yards and two touchdowns, and the win marked Jason Simpson’s 100th conference victory, making him the third OVC coach to reach that mark. UT Martin has won six straight in the series, and Tennessee State falls to 1-5 and 0-2 in OVC play.

Florida A&M Opens the Week With a Stunner in Montgomery

Florida A&M started the week on Friday, coming from behind to beat Alabama State 28-27 at the Hornets’ Homecoming. The full recap has every detail of Armand Burris’ two long touchdowns and the final play.

Mississippi Valley State Rallies Again, Stunning Texas Southern

For the second straight week, Mississippi Valley State refused to stay down. Trailing Texas Southern 31-14 in the third quarter, the Delta Devils scored 24 points in the fourth quarter to win 38-34 and earn back-to-back victories for the first time this season.

Josh Brown was unstoppable late. After Luka Sari’s 41-yard field goal opened the fourth quarter, Brown ran for a 5-yard touchdown to make it 31-24. Miguel Arana answered with a 46-yard field goal, but Brown hit Dayvian Bluitt for a 71-yard touchdown with 4:42 left, cutting the lead to 34-31. The Delta Devils got the ball back and drove 44 yards, and Brown ran the final 16 for the winning touchdown with 42 seconds left.

Brown threw for 266 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 100 yards and three scores, including a 54-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Bluitt caught three passes for 107 yards. Cam’Ron McCoy threw for 279 yards and two touchdowns for Texas Southern, and Athean Renfro ran for 82 yards and two scores, but the Tigers have now lost five straight. Mississippi Valley State (3-4, 2-1 SWAC) earned its first win over Texas Southern since 2019 and hosts Bethune-Cookman for Homecoming next week.

Alcorn State Cruises on Homecoming

Alcorn State bounced back from last week’s shootout loss at Grambling with a 63-7 Homecoming rout of Arkansas Baptist in front of 14,502 at Jack Spinks-Marino Casem Stadium. The Braves ran for 323 yards and scored six touchdowns, outgaining the Buffaloes 446-206.

Carl McDonald Jr. ran for 88 yards and two touchdowns, Joshua Tate scored twice, and Jaylon Tolbert added a 30-yard touchdown run and a 48-yard touchdown pass to Tyree Kelly. Omarion Blakes returned a 70-yard punt for a touchdown, and Kaidon Whidby scored on a 10-yard fumble recovery. Jordan Daniel led the defense with 11 tackles and two tackles for loss. The win was the 15th of Cedric Thomas’ tenure, and Alcorn State (4-3) visits Prairie View A&M next week.

Herman Brister III Seals Southern’s Win at Prairie View

Southern snapped a two-game skid with a 28-14 win at Prairie View A&M, and the road team has now won each of the last six meetings in the series. The Jaguars broke a 14-14 tie in the fourth quarter and got two interceptions from Herman Brister III, the second a 47-yard return for a touchdown with 15 seconds left.

Christian Johnson threw only 22 passes but made them count, finding Damien Henderson for 69- and 46-yard touchdowns. Prairie View answered each time, first on a 5-yard Chase Bingmon run and then on the first play of the second half: a 48-yard pass from Tevin Carter to Damien McDaniel. The Panthers also drove 94 yards late in the second quarter, but Kyyon Harris fumbled at the 1, and Ty Lee recovered for Southern.

The winning drive went 89 yards in 13 plays and ate 5:59 off the clock, and Trey Holly finished it with a 30-yard touchdown run with seven minutes left. Holly ran for 121 yards on 29 carries. Johnson threw for 207 yards, and Henderson caught two passes for 115 yards. Tayton James led Southern with 12 tackles, and Brister added 10.

Carter completed 20 of 33 passes for 179 yards with three interceptions, and McDaniel caught seven passes for 101 yards. Southern improved to 3-4 and 1-2 in SWAC play, while Prairie View A&M fell to 2-5 and 2-2.

Delaware State Shuts Out Franklin Pierce on Homecoming

Delaware State gave its Homecoming crowd at Alumni Stadium a 34-0 shutout of Franklin Pierce, bouncing back from last week’s 28-3 loss at UAlbany. The Hornets improved to 4-3 and stayed unbeaten at home at 4-0, adding Franklin Pierce to earlier home wins over Stony Brook, Bowie State, and Towson. Delaware State had not posted a box score or statistics from the game at the time of publication.