Johnson C. Smith had not lost a CIAA game all season. The Golden Bulls allowed 10.1 points a game, the second fewest in Division II, and they walked into Bowie eight spots ahead of the Bulldogs in Super Region One of the NCAA Power Index, No. 8 to No. 16. None of it mattered with 34 seconds left at Bowie State’s 91st Homecoming, when Joshuah Keith found John Thompson for a 7-yard touchdown and a 16-13 win.

Kentucky State also needed a late touchdown to stay atop the SIAC, beating Savannah State 27-24 on a 48-yard pass with 21 seconds left. Meanwhile, Lane earned its first win of the season, 16-6 at Fort Valley State, in Jeremy C. Patterson’s first game as interim head coach. Virginia Union, Benedict, Central State, and Edward Waters all won big. Here is the full Week 8 Division II HBCU football recap.

The NPI ranks in this recap are Super Region rankings through Oct. 17, the last release before Saturday’s games. The ranked CIAA teams are in Super Region One, and the SIAC teams are in Super Region Two. Three SIAC Teams Top Super Region 2 in Division II’s New NCAA Power Index explains how the new rankings work and why they now decide the playoff field.

Bowie State Hands Johnson C. Smith Its First CIAA Loss

Bowie State, No. 16 in Super Region One, needed one more drive against the No. 8 Golden Bulls, and it found one. The Bulldogs went 85 yards in 13 plays in the final five minutes for the 16-13 Homecoming win.

The Bulldogs struck first. Keith scored on a 6-yard run to finish an 11-play drive, although Devedrick Wilson blocked the extra point. Chris Gbakinro added a 40-yard field goal for a 9-0 lead. The Golden Bulls answered with a 13-yard field goal from Christopher Mejia and a 52-yarder from Alexis Rosario-Beltran.

Johnson C. Smith finally took the lead early in the fourth quarter. Damien Mazil found Brian Lane for a 9-yard touchdown with 9:13 left, and the Golden Bulls led 13-9. Earlier in the drive, a Fabian Duncan touchdown run had been wiped out by a penalty.

Bowie State’s winning drive started at its own 15 with 5:07 left, and Johnson C. Smith penalties fueled it. A pass interference call, a holding call, and a face mask penalty that erased a sack all kept the drive moving. Jaylin Solomon broke a 12-yard run, an unnecessary roughness penalty moved the ball to the 7, and Keith found Thompson for the go-ahead score. Mazil then hit Duncan twice for 21 yards each, but Rosario-Beltran’s 50-yard field-goal attempt at the horn was no good.

Duncan ran 35 times for 138 yards, and Mazil completed 18 of 29 passes for 186 yards and a touchdown. Lane caught eight passes for 84 yards. Johnson C. Smith outgained Bowie State 383 to 194, but it was penalized eight times for 89 yards. Aaron Anderson led Bowie State with 14 tackles, and Davon Telp Jr. had 2.5 tackles for loss.

Bowie State improves to 4-4 and 4-2 in CIAA play. Johnson C. Smith (6-2, 5-1 CIAA) hosts unbeaten Virginia State on Oct. 31.

Kentucky State Survives Savannah State With a Late Strike

Savannah State outgained Kentucky State 481 to 309 and held the ball for 38:20. However, Juan Gainous threw a 48-yard touchdown pass to Aiyon Carter with 21 seconds left, and the SIAC leaders escaped 27-24. Kentucky State entered the day at No. 2 in Super Region Two, while Savannah State was No. 29.

Kentucky State’s defense provided the early lead. Lawrence McConnell returned an interception 84 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter, and Gainous found Darius Cyprian for a 5-yard score, giving Kentucky State a 13-0 halftime lead.

Savannah State took control after the break. Rashawn Truell hit Tristan Sizemore for a 77-yard touchdown, Joshua Woodley kicked a 20-yard field goal, and Fabian Walker ran for a 4-yard score to give the Tigers a 17-13 lead. Gainous answered with a 41-yard touchdown pass to Cyprian. Truell then scored on a 1-yard run with 1:10 left for a 24-20 lead. On the final drive, Kentucky State went 76 yards in 44 seconds.

Gainous completed 23 of 32 passes for 283 yards and three touchdowns, though he threw two interceptions. Carter caught 10 passes for 119 yards, and Cyprian caught two of his four passes for touchdowns. McConnell finished with two interceptions, Carlos Bazert Jr. had four tackles for loss, and Roman Hernandez made 11 tackles. Kentucky State ran for just 21 yards.

Savannah State ran for 221 yards, and Sizemore caught three passes for 153 yards. Walker also completed 4 of 5 passes for 128 yards. Kentucky State (7-2, 6-1 SIAC) remains in first place and closes its regular season on Nov. 7 against Morehouse. Savannah State falls to 1-7 and 1-6.

Virginia Union Rolls at Homecoming

Virginia Union stayed unbeaten in CIAA play, routing Shaw 49-6 in a Homecoming game before 9,178 fans at Hovey Field. The Panthers, No. 7 in Super Region One, led 35-0 at halftime.

RJ Rosales completed 10 of 15 passes for 193 yards and four touchdowns. Montrell Wright caught 27- and 41-yard scoring passes, and Ben Haulmark and Latrell Sutton also caught touchdown passes. Jerome Jones and Raphael Tucker added touchdown runs, and Myles Derricott threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Lyvarius Gilbert in the fourth quarter.

The defense was just as sharp. Virginia Union held Shaw to 169 total yards and sacked Alexander Marsh four times. Derrick Burroughs and Quincy Jefferson each intercepted Marsh, with Jefferson’s coming at the goal line. Ahmad Ross made 10 tackles with two tackles for loss.

Shaw avoided the shutout when Marsh threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Mekhi Gaines Coakley with 4:15 left. Trey Thorpe ran for 75 yards, and Quadir McEachin made 12 tackles.

Virginia Union (7-1, 6-0 CIAA) plays at Lincoln on Friday night, Oct. 30, and visits Virginia State on Nov. 7. Shaw falls to 4-5 and 2-5.

Benedict Shuts Down Albany State

Benedict, No. 3 in Super Region Two, scored 20 points in the second quarter and held No. 23 Albany State to 152 total yards in a 29-8 win. The Tigers stayed one game behind Kentucky State in the SIAC standings.

Zane Spires carried the Benedict offense with three long field goals. He opened scoring from 53 yards, hit from 54 at the halftime horn, and added a 48-yarder in the third quarter. JaHaven Phillips returned a fumble 30 yards for a touchdown, and David Smith broke a 50-yard touchdown run.

Albany State converted just 2 of 18 third downs and ran for 60 yards. Ty’Metrius Patterson had two sacks, Kahmari Cook had two tackles for loss, and David Makonzo blocked a field goal. Roderick McCrary scored the Golden Rams’ only touchdown in the fourth quarter, and they added a late safety.

Smith ran for 113 yards on 15 carries, and A’chean Durant scored on a 10-yard run. Jett Peddy threw for 138 yards but threw two interceptions. For Albany State, Vinson Berry completed 9 of 27 passes for 92 yards, and Cameron Watts had an interception and five pass breakups.

Benedict (7-1, 5-1 SIAC) hosts Savannah State on Oct. 31 and Central State on Nov. 7. Albany State falls to 3-5 and 3-3.

Central State Pulls Away at Miles

Jackson Wasik threw four touchdown passes and ran for another, and Central State, No. 8 in Super Region Two, beat No. 12 Miles 48-20 to stay in the SIAC title race.

The Marauders scored 27 points in the first half. Wasik threw touchdown passes to Damon Griffin Jr. and Tyler Wright and ran for a 14-yard score, and Jahmar Richardson added a 2-yard run. Anthony Mix scored on a 1-yard run just before halftime for Miles, which trailed 27-10.

Wasik put the game away in the second half. He hit Avantae Burt for a 48-yard touchdown late in the third quarter and found Nicholas Smith Jr. for a 16-yard score in the fourth. Richardson added a 7-yard touchdown run.

Wasik completed 16 of 23 passes for 269 yards. Isaiah Thompson ran for 83 yards, and Griffin caught five passes for 79. Central State’s defense sacked Miles’ quarterbacks six times. Joe Hudson led the way with three sacks, four tackles for loss, and a forced fumble.

Mix ran for two touchdowns and threw for 104 yards for Miles, and Jacobi Whitfield intercepted Wasik. Central State (5-3, 5-1 SIAC) hosts Edward Waters on Oct. 31. Miles (3-5, 3-3 SIAC) hosts Fort Valley State on Thursday, Oct. 29.

Tuskegee Holds Off Allen

Preston Parker returned a punt 50 yards for a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, and Tuskegee, No. 11 in Super Region Two, held on to a 26-23 win over No. 27 Allen.

Tuskegee led 13-0 after one quarter. Ja’Khael Rowser scored on a 5-yard run, and Bryson McGrew threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to EJ Hall. Allen answered with a 12-yard touchdown run from Brent Upshaw Jr. and a 2-yard run from Ja’Morian Phillips, cutting the lead to 16-14.

Early in the fourth quarter, Tuskegee finished a 20-play, 66-yard drive that took 11:17 with a 26-yard Lorcan Ryans field goal. Ethan Piel answered with a 29-yarder for Allen. Parker’s punt return then made it 26-17. Demetri Simmons scored on a 2-yard run with 2:07 left, but the two-point try failed, and Tuskegee recovered the onside kick. Allen got one last chance and reached the Tuskegee 33 before a fourth-down pass fell incomplete.

Rowser ran for 131 yards on 22 carries, and Tuskegee ran for 287 yards as a team. The Golden Tigers also sacked Upshaw five times, including 1.5 sacks each from Devin Smith and Tyranny McGowan. Upshaw threw for 199 yards and ran for 61. Jayshawn Smalls made 15 tackles for Allen, and Ja’mel Patterson intercepted McGrew in the end zone.

Tuskegee improves to 4-4 and 4-2 in SIAC play. Allen falls to 2-6 and 1-5 and hosts Morehouse for Homecoming on Oct. 31.

Fayetteville State Scores 36 in the Second Quarter at Bluefield State

Fayetteville State’s defense and special teams scored twice in a 36-point second quarter, and the Broncos beat Bluefield State 51-13.

Christopher Bentley opened the quarter by returning an interception 76 yards for a touchdown on a fourth-down play. Jamir Dismukes then threw touchdown passes to Jayden Frazier and Marcus Fleming. Amari Best blocked a punt and recovered it in the end zone, and Braylon Vinson scored on a 3-yard run as the half ended.

Dismukes completed 11 of 16 passes for 117 yards and three touchdowns, adding a 16-yard scoring pass to Devin Grainger in the fourth quarter. He also ran for 70 yards. Malik Fuller scored the game’s first touchdown on a 2-yard run.

Bluefield State’s Rishon Holmes threw for 238 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score. Brandon Wiley caught three passes for 128 yards. Bluefield State also committed 17 penalties for 114 yards.

Fayetteville State (5-3, 4-2 CIAA) hosts Bowie State on Oct. 31. Bluefield State falls to 0-8 and 0-6.

Elizabeth City State Builds a Big Lead and Holds On

Elizabeth City State scored the game’s first four touchdowns and held off a Livingstone rally for a 34-26 win in Salisbury, N.C.

Josef Manley threw 15- and 22-yard touchdown passes to Terrance Holland, and Trakell Murray and Ameil Braswell added short touchdown runs. The Vikings led 28-3 late in the second quarter.

Livingstone fought back. Brandon Edinburgh Jr. threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Tikey Hayes, Jason Zapata kicked two field goals, and Edinburgh ran for a 2-yard score to make it 28-19. Traquan Johnson’s 1-yard touchdown run with 1:55 left sealed it, before Andrew McClain threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Davyn Reid with 10 seconds left.

Manley completed 14 of 24 passes for 183 yards, and Holland caught five passes for 79 yards. Elizabeth City State held the ball for 37:03, and Jaevon Branch made 11 tackles with five tackles for loss. Edinburgh threw for 164 yards for Livingstone, and Zion Lloyd made 15 tackles.

Elizabeth City State improves to 2-6 and 2-4 in CIAA play. Livingstone falls to 2-6 and 2-5.

Winston-Salem State Wins Its Second Straight

Winston-Salem State scored on special teams and a long pass to beat Lincoln 21-14 at the Lions’ Homecoming in front of 12,854 fans.

Lincoln scored first on a 1-yard run by Malory Pinkney. In the second quarter, Derrick Reid Jr. blocked a Lincoln punt, and Daunte Stokes returned it 36 yards for a touchdown. Early in the third quarter, Brayden Jeffries threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to Sean Walker Jr., and Jamison Funderburk added a 2-yard touchdown run.

Lincoln cut the lead to 21-14 on Rhyel Miles-Eubanks’ 29-yard touchdown pass to Kyrie Tyson with 4:40 left, but the Rams held on. Zymiere Dempsey-Freeman also blocked a short Lincoln field-goal attempt, and Yetristan Brown recorded an interception and a fumble recovery.

Walker caught four passes for 113 yards, and Jeffries threw for 178 yards. Tyson caught 10 passes for 101 yards for Lincoln. Winston-Salem State improves to 2-6 and 2-4, and Lincoln falls to 1-7 and 1-5.

Lane Earns Its First Win

Lane, No. 31 in Super Region Two, beat No. 24 Fort Valley State 16-6 at the Wildcats’ Homecoming for its first win of the season. It came in Jeremy C. Patterson’s first game as interim head coach, days after Stanley Conner stepped down after 18 straight losses.

Edward Waters Routs Clark Atlanta

Edward Waters, No. 1 in Super Region Two, gave its Homecoming crowd of 2,513 a show. Tavion Faulk completed 19 of 22 passes for 367 yards and five touchdowns, ran for two more scores, and the Tigers piled up 600 yards in a 62-14 rout of No. 19 Clark Atlanta.

The Tigers scored on their first three possessions. Faulk ran for a 1-yard touchdown and threw 27-yard touchdown passes to Fatoma Paulk and 23-yard touchdown passes to Davari Morris for a 20-0 lead. After Trayvon Pinder answered with a 4-yard run, Faulk added touchdown passes to Kyron Burroughs and Zackeus Malveaux, and Edward Waters led 34-7 at halftime.

The special teams and defense joined in after the break. King-William Johnson blocked a Clark Atlanta punt and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown, and Malveaux blocked another punt earlier in the game. Camren Stewart ran for a 13-yard score, and Faulk hit Tylon Williams for a 78-yard touchdown on the next play from scrimmage after Pinder’s 34-yard touchdown run. Mataye Youman and D’Juan Grant both intercepted Xzavier Jackson inside the Edward Waters 10, and Jordan Allen blocked a field goal.

Williams caught six passes for 171 yards, and Johntarrious Thomas ran for 132 yards on 14 carries. Edward Waters converted 6 of 8 third downs, and Trevon French made 10 tackles, including 4.5 for loss. Pinder ran for 76 yards and two touchdowns for Clark Atlanta, and Chry’shawn Sellers caught four passes for 90 yards. The Tigers improve to 6-2 and 5-1 in SIAC play and visit Central State on Oct. 31.

The SIAC and CIAA Races

Kentucky State leads the SIAC at 6-1, with Benedict, Central State and Edward Waters all a game back at 5-1. The conference title game is Nov. 14, with the No. 1 seed hosting the No. 2 seed.

In the CIAA, Virginia State and Virginia Union are both 6-0, and Johnson C. Smith is 5-1. Next week, Johnson C. Smith hosts Virginia State on Oct. 31, and Virginia Union visits Lincoln the night before.