Rahsaan Matthews Jr. threw for 476 yards, and Virginia State still took its first CIAA loss. Johnson C. Smith blocked two extra points and a 23-yard field goal with 1:17 left in regulation, stopped the Trojans on fourth down in overtime, and led the team to a 39-33 win when Fabian Duncan ran 19 yards for the winning touchdown.

Central State made another big statement in Week 9. The Marauders led Edward Waters by 22 points in the third quarter and held on 35-28 to pull even with Kentucky State atop the SIAC. Benedict shut out Savannah State to join them at the top, and Fayetteville State knocked off Bowie State. Bluefield State earned its first win of the season in a 45-42 shootout with Shaw, Albany State beat Clark Atlanta with 26 seconds left, and Virginia Union stayed perfect in CIAA play with a 62-0 rout of Lincoln. Here is the full Week 9 Division II HBCU football recap.

The rankings next to each team below are its spot in its Super Region in the NCAA Power Index released Oct. 25, the last update before these games. CIAA teams play in Super Region One, and SIAC teams play in Super Region Two.

Johnson C. Smith Blocks Three Kicks and Beats Virginia State in Overtime

Virginia State entered the tournament unbeaten in the CIAA and No. 4 in Super Region One. Johnson C. Smith, No. 10, was coming off its first league loss. The Golden Bulls controlled the ball for more than 11 minutes in each of the first two quarters and led 26-13 at halftime.

Duncan set the tone early. He carried the ball 11 times on a 16-play, 77-yard drive that ended in Alexis Rosario-Beltran’s 25-yard field goal, then scored on an 11-yard run early in the second quarter. Virginia State answered on its next snap, when Matthews hit Jaylen Pretlow for a 75-yard touchdown.

Damien Mazil hit Brian Lane for a 36-yard touchdown, and then the special teams took over. Divine Ohiaeri blocked the extra point after Matthews’ 9-yard touchdown run and returned it for two points. Mazil found Duncan for an 11-yard score before the half, and the Golden Bulls went into the break up 13.

Virginia State fought back. Matthews ran for an 8-yard score, though Clinton Riley blocked the extra point, and Matthews found Nazir McKenzie for a 3-yard touchdown to tie it 26-26 late in the third quarter. Johnson C. Smith recovered a fumble on the Trojans’ next possession, and Mazil hit Reggie Brigman for a 64-yard touchdown on the very next play.

The fourth quarter was a slugfest. Rossie Grimes broke up a fourth-down pass at the Johnson C. Smith 4. Reginald Daniel’s 37-yard catch ended in a fumble through the end zone, resulting in a touchback. Matthews then converted a third-and-12 with a 14-yard touchdown pass to McKenzie, tying the game at 33 with 4:46 left.

Kenny Faison intercepted Mazil on the next drive, and Virginia State converted a fourth-and-8 with a 24-yard pass to Vincent Ordenes to reach the 9. The drive stalled, and Marque Vereen blocked Ali Abdelkader’s 23-yard field goal attempt with 1:17 left. Darion Johnson recovered, and the game went to overtime.

Virginia State had the ball first and faced 4th-and-5 from the 20. Vincent Hill sacked Matthews to end the possession. Duncan ran for 6 yards, then 0, then 19 for the game-winner.

Matthews completed 25 of 38 passes for 476 yards and three touchdowns, with one interception, and ran for 65 yards and two scores. Pretlow caught five passes for 117 yards, and Ordenes caught five for 102. Virginia State outgained Johnson C. Smith 614 to 474, and KJ McNeil made 13 tackles.

Duncan carried 39 times for 203 yards and two touchdowns and caught three passes for another score. Mazil threw for 256 yards and three touchdowns, and Brigman caught two passes for 98 yards. Hill finished with 11 tackles, two tackles for loss and the overtime sack, and Reagzon Mackey made nine tackles.

Johnson C. Smith improves to 7-2 and 6-1 in CIAA play and closes the regular season against Livingstone. Virginia State falls to 7-2 and 6-1 and hosts Virginia Union on Nov. 7.

Central State Holds Off Edward Waters

Central State, No. 5 in Super Region Two, built a 35-13 lead over No. 2 Edward Waters and then survived a fourth-quarter rally to win 35-28.

Edward Waters scored first on a 13-yard run by Camren Stewart, but the extra point failed. Jackson Wasik answered with a 1-yard touchdown run, threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Khamari Adams, and ran for a 10-yard score. Tavion Faulk’s 3-yard run cut the halftime lead to 21-13.

The Marauders put the game away in the third quarter. Wasik threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Nicholas Smith Jr., and Dylan Purry intercepted Faulk on the next possession. Wasik later finished a 99-yard drive with a 25-yard scoring strike to Damon Griffin Jr.

Edward Waters did not go quietly. Faulk threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Jayden Pressey early in the fourth quarter, and the Tigers converted the two-point try. Faulk then scored on a 1-yard run with 1:56 left. Central State recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock.

Wasik completed 18 of 28 passes for 216 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 59 yards and two scores. Isaiah Thompson ran for 154 yards on 25 carries. Central State held the ball for 34:35, converted 7 of 13 third downs, and scored touchdowns on all five red zone trips.

Faulk threw for 215 yards and a touchdown, with one interception, and ran for 79 yards and two scores. Johntarrious Thomas ran for 89 yards. Trevon French made 11 tackles with 3.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble, and Williams added 11 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

Central State improves to 6-3 and 6-1 in SIAC play and visits Benedict on Nov. 7. Edward Waters falls to 6-3 and 5-2 and hosts Allen on Nov. 7.

Fayetteville State Holds Off Bowie State

Fayetteville State, No. 19 in Super Region One, scored three straight touchdowns and then held on to beat No. 7 Bowie State 21-17.

Bowie State took a 10-0 lead. Devonta Johnson blocked a Fayetteville State punt and returned it 24 yards for a touchdown, and Chris Gbakinro capped a 16-play drive with a 39-yard field goal.

The Broncos answered with Isaiah Silver’s 44-yard touchdown run late in the first half. Jamir Dismukes opened the second half with a 31-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Fleming, and Fleming ran 9 yards for another score to finish a 13-play, 77-yard drive that took 8:32, making it 21-10.

Bowie State stayed close. Zayden Flemmings blocked a 42-yard Fayetteville State field goal try, and Jaylin Solomon scored on a 2-yard run with 10:18 left. The Bulldogs got the ball back with 4:47 left and drove to the Fayetteville State 32, but penalties pushed them back to fourth and 17, and Amari Best intercepted Solomon to seal it.

Dismukes completed 14 of 19 passes for 160 yards and a touchdown, and Silver ran for 83 yards on five carries. Jason Melton II made 19 tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss, and Ryan Debow had two sacks and a forced fumble. Fayetteville State sacked Bowie State quarterbacks four times.

Joshuah Keith threw for 114 yards, including a 66-yard completion to Carlos Smith, and Maximus Jones ran for 73 yards. Deshawn Willoughby had a 24-yard sack that forced a fumble, and Tyrell Deal intercepted Dismukes.

Fayetteville State improves to 6-3 and 5-2 in CIAA play. Bowie State falls to 4-5 and 4-3.

Virginia Union Shuts Out Lincoln

Virginia Union, No. 5 in Super Region One, scored on 10 of its 12 possessions and beat Lincoln 62-0 on Friday night in front of 21,854 fans.

RJ Rosales hit Zyaire Tart for a 44-yard touchdown on the Panthers’ second play. Rosales later threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Latrell Sutton and ran for a 1-yard score. Ramon Brown ran for 3-yard and 11-yard touchdowns, Raphael Tucker added a 16-yard scoring run, and Gage Miller kicked 37- and 22-yard field goals.

Myles Derricott threw fourth-quarter touchdown passes to Montrell Wright and Lyvarius Gilbert. Virginia Union scored on all nine red-zone trips and went 5 for 5 on fourth down.

Brown ran for 150 yards on 22 carries, and the Panthers ran for 320 yards as a team. Rosales completed 12 of 16 passes for 127 yards. The defense held Lincoln to 112 total yards and five first downs. Charles Thompson made eight tackles with a sack, and Dahmon Artis had two tackles for loss and a sack. Lincoln was penalized 16 times for 122 yards.

Virginia Union improves to 8-1 and 7-0 in CIAA play and visits Virginia State on Nov. 7. Lincoln falls to 1-8 and 1-6.

Benedict Shuts Out Savannah State

Benedict, No. 3 in Super Region Two, beat No. 30 Savannah State 23-0 to stay tied for first in the SIAC.

Logan Karwacki kicked 20, 19, and 35-yard field goals to build a 9-0 lead through three quarters. Kahmari Cook then intercepted Rashawn Truell and returned it 17 yards for a touchdown, and Glenn Foreman threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Terrance Mitchell II with 1:09 left.

The Benedict defense held Savannah State to 220 total yards and 52 passing yards, and Savannah State converted just 2 of 12 third downs. David Makonzo returned a fumble 43 yards to set up a field goal, and Cook finished with seven tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. Garrett Hyder averaged 45 yards on six punts and put three inside the 20.

David Smith ran for 90 yards, and Jett Peddy threw for 82. Kendarius Brown ran for 59 yards for Savannah State, and Trevor Strowbridge had two sacks.

Benedict improves to 8-1 and 6-1 in SIAC play and hosts Central State on Nov. 7.

Bluefield State Outlasts Shaw for Its First Win

Bluefield State, last in Super Region One, beat No. 27 Shaw 45-42 in Durham, N.C., for its first win of the season. Rishon Holmes accounted for six touchdowns.

Holmes threw first-quarter touchdown passes of 59 and 7 yards to Julian Crawley and added a 3-yard touchdown run early in the second. Shaw tied it 21-21 on a 29-yard touchdown pass from Landon Melton to Floyd Lyles and a 51-yard strike from Alexander Marsh to Trey Thorpe. Eli Adams answered with a 40-yard field goal as the first half ended.

Holmes then broke touchdown runs of 67 and 43 yards early in the third quarter and threw a 22-yard scoring pass to Curry Kates Jr. for a 45-28 lead. Thorpe scored twice on 1-yard runs in the fourth quarter, the second with 1:37 left, but the conversion try failed. Shaw’s ensuing kickoff went out of bounds, and Bluefield State ran out the clock.

Holmes ran for 158 yards on 11 carries and threw for 172 yards. Crawley caught four passes for 95 yards, and Cameron Glenn ran for 82 yards. Bluefield State ran for 308 yards as a team.

Thorpe ran for 69 yards and caught four passes for 117 yards. Keon Batts returned a fumble 10 yards for a Shaw touchdown, and Christian Agina-Obu and Latrell McFadden intercepted Holmes. Shaw was penalized 13 times for 98 yards and fell to 4-6 and 2-6 in conference.

Albany State Wins Late at Clark Atlanta

Jeffery Davis found Cameran Loyd for a 12-yard touchdown with 26 seconds left, and Albany State, No. 23 in Super Region Two, beat No. 21 Clark Atlanta 21-17.

Clark Atlanta jumped ahead 10-0 on Trayvon Pinder’s 1-yard run and Cedric Oglesby’s 42-yard field goal. Keymon Jefferson then blocked a Clark Atlanta punt and recovered it in the end zone, and Davis hit Loyd for an 8-yard touchdown for a 14-10 halftime lead.

Clark Atlanta blocked two Albany State field-goal attempts in the second half. Pierre Fogle Jr. blocked a 35-yarder, and DeAndre Pridgett blocked a 27-yarder. Xzavier Jackson then finished a 13-play, 85-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown run, putting the Panthers ahead 17-14 with 2:34 left.

Davis answered with an eight-play, 75-yard drive, hitting Loyd for gains of 24 yards twice before the winning score. Jayshaun Wanton intercepted Jackson with six seconds left to seal it.

Davis completed 16 of 21 passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns. Loyd caught nine passes for 108 yards. The Golden Rams intercepted Jackson three times, including a 70-yard return by Cameron Watts. Pinder ran for 80 yards for Clark Atlanta, and Savion Husband had nine tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack.

Albany State improves to 4-5 and 4-3 in SIAC play.

Allen Survives Morehouse at Homecoming

Allen, No. 26 in Super Region Two, built a 26-10 lead and held on to beat No. 16 Morehouse 26-23 at Homecoming.

Brent Upshaw Jr. threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Mike Bowman early in the first quarter. Ja’Morian Phillips and Demetri Simmons added touchdown runs, and Upshaw broke a 68-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter.

Morehouse made it close. Miles Scott threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Noah Rhodes, who also caught a 59-yard score in the first quarter. Then Joshua Houston blocked an Allen punt, and Jordan Woods returned it 22 yards for a touchdown with 3:07 left. Allen answered by running out the clock, with Simmons picking up a 15-yard gain to clinch it.

Simmons ran for 126 yards on 27 carries, and Upshaw ran for 99 yards and threw for 143. Allen ran for 227 yards and converted 10 of 15 third downs, while holding Morehouse to 41 rushing yards. Rhodes caught three passes for 107 yards, and Sean Johnson made 15 tackles and forced a fumble.

Allen improves to 3-6 and 2-5 in SIAC play and visits Edward Waters on Nov. 7.

Tuskegee Wins at Lane

Ja’Khael Rowser ran for two touchdowns, and Tuskegee, No. 10 in Super Region Two, beat No. 29 Lane 27-14.

Rowser scored on a 17-yard run, and Lorcan Ryans kicked a 38-yard field goal for a 10-0 first-quarter lead. Bryson McGrew finished a 14-play drive with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Jermaine Hardy Jr. Lane answered when Tametrius Pogue threw a 79-yard touchdown pass to DeMahri Wallace.

Ryans added a 35-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter, and Rowser scored from 24 yards out. Makhi Watson ran for a late Lane touchdown.

Rowser ran for 87 yards, and McGrew completed 14 of 19 passes for 165 yards. Tuskegee sacked Pogue five times and held Lane to 38 rushing yards. Braylon Jessie had three tackles for loss and two sacks, Jordan Reed made 10 tackles, and Denard Johnson returned an interception 42 yards. Wallace caught six passes for 104 yards.

Tuskegee improves to 5-4 and 5-2 in SIAC play.

Elizabeth City State Blanks Winston-Salem State

Elizabeth City State beat Winston-Salem State 5-0 and won its second straight game, snapping the Rams’ two-game winning streak.

Sir’Sean Ingram tackled Jayvion Danzy in the end zone for a safety on Winston-Salem State’s first possession. Diego Coca-Hernandez kicked a 35-yard field goal early in the second quarter, and that was all the scoring.

The Vikings’ defense held Winston-Salem State to 122 total yards and 33 rushing yards. Ajani Farmer had 5.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. Josef Manley ran for 81 yards and threw for 98, though he was intercepted twice. Yetristan Brown made nine tackles and had an interception for Winston-Salem State.

Elizabeth City State improves to 3-6 and 3-4 in CIAA play. Winston-Salem State falls to 2-7 and 2-5.

Livingstone Records 11 Sacks

Livingstone sacked Virginia-Lynchburg 11 times and won 37-14. Davion Watkins had 6.5 of those sacks.

Andrew McClain ran for 167 yards and two touchdowns and threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to Avery Hoggard. Manny Moss returned an interception 60 yards for a touchdown, Javen Parker scored, and Jason Zapata kicked a 21-yard field goal. Virginia-Lynchburg finished with minus 44 rushing yards.

Livingstone improves to 3-6. Virginia-Lynchburg is not an NCAA member, so the win does not count in the NCAA Power Index.

Miles Edges Fort Valley State on a Late Touchdown

Anthony Mix threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to James Gatewood with 2:20 left, and Miles, No. 13 in Super Region Two, beat No. 25 Fort Valley State 35-28 on Thursday in Fairfield, Ala.

Special teams kept Miles in it early. Jaecyn Myles returned the ensuing kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown after Don Hudson’s 29-yard touchdown pass to Donte Curry. After Lavarion Logan’s 7-yard run tied it 14-14, Jacobi Whitfield returned a blocked Fort Valley State field goal 70 yards for a touchdown and a 21-14 halftime lead.

Mix scored on a 6-yard run to finish a 13-play, 80-yard drive early in the fourth quarter. Fort Valley State answered fast. Hudson hit Solomon Burney for a 78-yard touchdown, then broke a 77-yard touchdown run to tie it 28-28 with 3:43 left.

Miles needed three plays to go 80 yards for the winning score. Hudson drove the Wildcats to the Miles 15 in the final minute, converting a fourth-and-15 along the way, but his last four passes fell incomplete.

Hudson threw for 337 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 166 yards, and Burney caught six passes for 140 yards. Fort Valley State outgained Miles 573 to 389. Mix ran for 122 yards and threw for 162, and Gatewood caught six passes for 66 yards. Kingston Lowe had 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks, and Miles missed three field goals.

Miles improves to 4-5 and 4-3 in SIAC play.

The SIAC and CIAA Races

Central State, Kentucky State and Benedict are all 6-1 in SIAC play, and Edward Waters’ loss drops it to 5-2. Central State visits Benedict on Nov. 7, and the SIAC title game is Nov. 14.

In the CIAA, Virginia Union is the last unbeaten team at 7-0. Virginia State and Johnson C. Smith are both 6-1, and Fayetteville State is 5-2. Virginia Union visits Virginia State on Nov. 7, and the CIAA Championship Weekend is Nov. 13 and 14 in Durham, N.C.

The Latest NPI Rankings

The NCAA released new NPI rankings through Oct. 31 on Sunday. Division II Playoff Field Projections: Seven HBCUs Make the Cut in the Latest NPI Rankings explains how those rankings decide the field. Here is where the CIAA and SIAC contenders stand in their regions.

Johnson C. Smith’s overtime win lifted it from 10th to fifth in Super Region One, back inside the region’s top eight. Fayetteville State’s win over Bowie State lifted the Broncos from 19th to 10th, while the Bulldogs fell from seventh to 14th.

In Super Region Two, all four SIAC title contenders sit in the top five. Central State’s win moved it up to second, while Edward Waters slipped from second to fifth.