Alabama A&M started Saturday with an 83-yard kickoff return. It was the best moment the Bulldogs had all afternoon in Prairie View.

The No. 1 team in the Black College Football Poll turned that return into three points, missed two field goals, and threw two interceptions deep in Prairie View territory, leaving Blackshear Field with a 31-10 loss. No. 6 Prairie View A&M became the second SWAC team to beat the Bulldogs this season and moved into first place in the SWAC West. Jackson State now leads the East.

No. 5 Arkansas-Pine Bluff, one of three West teams at 4-2, needed a 76-yard punt return and a fourth-down conversion in the final two minutes to survive at Grambling State, 35-32. North Carolina A&T led Monmouth late in the first half but lost 21-17 in New Jersey, and North Carolina Central and South Carolina State both won on touchdowns in the final 30 seconds, setting up a de facto MEAC championship game next week in Orangeburg. Rankings are from last week’s Black College Football Poll. Here is the rest of the Week 10 HBCU football recap.

Prairie View A&M Stuns No. 1 Alabama A&M

Prairie View A&M came out of its week off and handed Alabama A&M its first SWAC loss since Week 5. The Panthers won 31-10 before 8,409 fans, outgained the Bulldogs 437 to 231 and held the ball for 34:26.

Aaron Rogers took the opening kickoff 83 yards to the Prairie View 17, but the Bulldogs managed 1 yard on the drive and settled for David Faulk’s 32-yard field goal. That would be the Bulldogs’ only points of the first half. Faulk missed from 35 yards later in the first quarter and from 47 early in the second.

Tevin Carter made them pay. He found Braylon Finney for a 14-yard touchdown to cap a 10-play, 80-yard drive, then hit Toric Goins Jr. from 12 yards out at 9:32 of the second quarter for a 14-3 lead. Alabama A&M drove to the Prairie View 22 on its next possession, but Damani Maxson intercepted Cornelious Brown in the end zone.

The Bulldogs got a break early in the third quarter, when a Prairie View fourth-down play at its own 25 ended in an intentional grounding penalty and a turnover on downs. Byron Perrilliat scored from 3 yards out three plays later to make it 14-10. The Panthers answered with a 7-play, 60-yard drive capped by Chase Bingmon’s 33-yard touchdown run, and Eric Zachery intercepted Brown at the Prairie View 2 late in the quarter. Ethan Eddins added a 29-yard field goal, and Zayvion Turner-Knox finished it with a 10-yard touchdown run at 1:59.

Carter completed 25 of 35 passes for 292 yards and two touchdowns, while Nacari Johnson threw two interceptions. Damien McDaniel caught eight passes for 155 yards, and Turner-Knox ran for 54 yards and a score. Prairie View converted 10 of 16 third downs, while Alabama A&M went 4 for 13. Zachery added three pass breakups to his interception.

Brown completed 16 of 32 passes for 124 yards, and Kolton Nero ran for 80 yards on 12 carries. Jeremiah Hudson-Davis made 16 tackles for the Bulldogs, including two for loss, and D.J. Barber had 13. Prairie View improves to 5-5 and 4-2 in the SWAC with its third straight win and takes over first place in the West. Alabama A&M falls to 7-3 and 4-2 and slips behind Jackson State, which beat the Bulldogs 31-28 in Week 5, in the East.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff Survives at Grambling State

Arkansas-Pine Bluff scored 14 points in a 2:19 span in the fourth quarter, then spent the final five minutes trying to hold on. The Golden Lions did, beating Grambling State 35-32 before 5,746 fans at Eddie Robinson Stadium.

The first half was a shootout. Jalen Williams scored from 1 yard out, Jack Schierholz broke a 20-yard touchdown run, and Demetric Whitlock Jr. caught an 82-yard touchdown pass from Schierholz to give Arkansas-Pine Bluff a 21-10 lead with 7:43 left in the second quarter. Seventeen seconds later, Jordan Bride returned the kickoff 73 yards for a Grambling State touchdown.

That started a 15-point run for the Tigers. Theodore Caballero made field goals of 37, 20 and 41 yards, the last with 47 seconds left in the third quarter, and Grambling State led 25-21. Caballero finished with four field goals, including a 33-yarder in the first quarter.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff took the lead back on an 8-play, 95-yard drive, capped by Jaylen Jennings’ 3-yard run at 8:16. On Grambling State’s next possession, DaeDae Allen returned a punt 76 yards for a touchdown to take a 35-25 lead. Grambling State needed one play to answer, as Jacobe Robinson hit Byron Eaton Jr. for a 78-yard touchdown with 5:41 left.

The Golden Lions then ran out nearly the entire clock. Za’Marion Webber picked up 16 yards on third and 2, and Jennings converted a fourth-and-2 at the Grambling State 43 with 1:52 left. Arkansas-Pine Bluff punted with three seconds to go, and the Tigers’ final play, a completion and lateral, ended in a fumble recovered by the Golden Lions.

Schierholz completed 10 of 19 passes for 208 yards and ran for 80 more. Whitlock caught five passes for 107 yards, and Du’Wayne Paulhill led the defense with 11 tackles. Jamarion Parker ran for 116 yards for Grambling State, and Robinson completed 15 of 23 passes for 203 yards. Arkansas-Pine Bluff improves to 6-3 and 4-2, and Grambling State falls to 4-5 and 2-4.

Monmouth Holds Off North Carolina A&T

North Carolina A&T’s winning streak ended at three games at Kessler Stadium, where Monmouth held on for a 21-17 win before 2,763 fans. Neither team scored after halftime.

Monmouth scored on its first two drives. Nazir Treadwell ran in from 2 yards to finish a 90-yard march, and wide receiver Tra Neal threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to quarterback Frankie Weaver for a 14-0 lead. A&T answered with a 5-play, 84-yard drive that ended on Kevin White’s 29-yard touchdown pass to Nebanye Moore.

The Aggies then took control of the second quarter. Asher Holland’s 22-yard field goal capped a 16-play, 91-yard drive that took 7:03, and White hit Michael Carlock-Williams for a 20-yard touchdown with 1:48 left for a 17-14 lead. Monmouth needed only 37 seconds to retake the lead, as Weaver found Christian Harrison for a 47-yard score at 1:11.

A&T’s best chance to retake the lead came early in the fourth quarter. White hit Jayvonne Dillard for 60 yards to the Monmouth 10, but two plays later he fumbled at the 4, and Monmouth recovered at the 1. The Aggies’ last possession began at their own 16 with 2:54 left and ended in a punt after a sack, and the Hawks ran out the clock.

White completed 13 of 29 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns and was sacked four times. Dillard caught two passes for 66 yards, and Jayden White added three catches for 58. Punter DJ Page averaged 48.4 yards on eight punts, and Donavan Frederick and Tyrek Brown made 11 and 10 tackles.

Elijah Jennings ran for 115 yards on 19 carries for Monmouth, and Weaver completed 14 of 29 passes for 201 yards. The Hawks outgained A&T 374 to 358 and converted 7 of 17 third downs to A&T’s 4 of 15. Monmouth improves to 8-2 and 7-0 in the CAA. A&T falls to 4-6 and 3-3.

Thursday Night: South Carolina State Wins It at Howard With 17 Seconds Left

South Carolina State blew a 14-point halftime lead at Greene Stadium, then still won. Ricorian Brown’s 9-yard touchdown run with 17 seconds left gave the Bulldogs a 35-28 win over Howard before 4,827 fans.

The Bulldogs built a 21-7 lead in the first half. Jett Jackson made 49- and 34-yard field goals, Keely Watson threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Jahzae Kimbrough, and Ronnie Robinson scored on a 3-yard run and added the two-point conversion with 21 seconds left in the half. Se’Quan Osborne’s 38-yard touchdown run accounted for Howard’s only first-half points.

Howard tied the game in the third quarter. Isaiah Freeman threw touchdown passes of 11 and 26 yards to Antonio Hunter, the second with 45 seconds left in the quarter. Brown answered with a 9-yard touchdown run at 10:21 of the fourth, but Freeman found CJ Neely for a 51-yard touchdown with 1:31 left to make it 28-28.

Watson needed only 65 seconds to answer. He completed five of six passes on the final drive, four of them to Malaqhi Jones for 52 yards, and Brown went 9 yards up the middle for the winning score. Howard’s last possession ended at its own 29.

Brown ran for 143 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries. Watson completed 21 of 29 passes for 241 yards without an interception, and Jones caught nine passes for 107 yards. Ka’Von Chisolm had three tackles for loss and two sacks, and the Bulldogs outgained Howard 479 to 382 despite 15 penalties for 141 yards.

Freeman completed 19 of 37 passes for 233 yards and three touchdowns. South Carolina State improves to 8-2 and 3-0 in the MEAC, and Howard falls to 4-6 and 1-2.

Disaster Strikes Norfolk State as NCCU Pulls Off Win in Final Moments

North Carolina Central trailed by 14 at halftime, by 11 early in the fourth quarter, and by five with under two minutes left. The Eagles still left Norfolk with a 29-28 win, thanks to Mehki Wall’s 26-yard touchdown catch from Joshua Jones with 27 seconds left.

Norfolk State controlled the first half. Deljay Bailey threw touchdown passes for 2 yards to Jamison Stevens and 43 yards to Jason Wonodi, then ran for a 6-yard score with 1:47 left in the half to take a 21-7 lead. Jones had answered with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Tyree Saunders.

Jones found Luke Bracey for an 8-yard touchdown early in the third quarter, and Riley Daniels added a 25-yard field goal. Jalyn Daniels’ 13-yard touchdown run put the Spartans ahead 28-17 on the first play of the fourth, and Jones answered with a 7-yard touchdown run, but the extra point failed, and Norfolk State still led 28-23.

Norfolk State answered with a 13-play drive that took 8:50 off the clock. The Spartans went from their own 26 to the North Carolina Central 7 and converted two third downs along the way. North Carolina Central called timeouts at 2:35 and 2:29, and Jake Walker’s 25-yard field goal try on fourth and 4 missed with 2:24 left.

The Eagles moved from their own 20 to the Norfolk State 45 on the next possession, but Gino Addison fumbled after a 10-yard run. Brenden Thompson forced it, and Josiah Davis recovered for Norfolk State with 1:36 left.

Jalyn Daniels ran for 5 yards on first down. On the next snap, Bailey lost 13 yards and fumbled; Khareem Thompson forced it, and John Clifford Jr. recovered for North Carolina Central at the Norfolk State 37 with 1:27 left. The Eagles had one timeout remaining, after using two of their three second-half timeouts during Norfolk State’s long drive.

On the drive’s fifth play, Jones hit Wall for the go-ahead score. The two-point try failed, and the Spartans drove to the North Carolina Central 19 before a 37-yard field goal try missed with four seconds left.

Norfolk State coach Michael Vick said after the game that his final call on that possession was victory formation. “I put my headset down. I called victory formation. All we had to do was take a knee,” Vick said. “I looked up, and we was running the ball, and then I seen the fumble.”

Vick said he did not know why a run was called. “I don’t know why we even ran that play,” he said. “People look at that, and that’ll go on as a teaching tape for a lot of teams across the country for years to come.” He added that he felt “really bad for the players right now.”

Addison ran for 174 yards on 18 carries. Jones completed 16 of 28 passes for 156 yards and three touchdowns, with two interceptions by Jordan Saunders, and ran for another score. Thompson had three tackles for loss, a sack and the forced fumble.

Bailey completed 22 of 26 passes for 278 yards, and Kam’Ryn Thomas caught six passes for 104 yards. North Carolina Central improves to 5-5 and 3-0 in the MEAC, and Norfolk State falls to 4-6 and 0-3.

Delaware State Seals It With a Pick Six

No. 7 Delaware State held Morgan State to 191 total yards and beat the Bears 24-14 before 4,503 fans at Alumni Stadium. Phillip Dunnam’s 38-yard interception return with 2:09 left sealed the win.

Marqui Adams opened the scoring with a 2-yard run that capped a 16-play, 76-yard drive lasting 7:42. Cameron Edge tied it with a 1-yard run with 50 seconds left in the half. Adams threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Kyree Benton in the third quarter, and a 25-yard field goal made it 17-7.

Morgan State got back within three when Marquez Spells returned a punt 60 yards for a touchdown at 9:06 of the fourth quarter. That was as close as the Bears got.

Adams completed 12 of 26 passes for 169 yards, and Deontae Williams ran for 89 yards. Carl Nesmith had two sacks and a forced fumble, and the Hornets held Morgan State to 2 of 13 on third down. Edge completed 19 of 31 passes for 136 yards, Joseph Towler caught seven passes for 89 yards, and Arturo Mattocks made 10 tackles with 2.5 for loss.

Delaware State improves to 6-4 and 2-1 in the MEAC. Morgan State falls to 5-5 and 0-3.

Southern Runs Over No. 9 Bethune-Cookman

Southern ran for 381 yards and beat No. 9 Bethune-Cookman 45-17 before 18,631 fans at A.W. Mumford Stadium. Trey Holly did the most damage, running for 206 yards on 16 carries.

The game was tied 3-3 after the teams traded field goals. Southern then scored 28 straight points before halftime. Wydell Clark Jr. ran for a 12-yard touchdown and caught a 21-yard scoring pass from Christian Johnson, and Holly broke two 44-yard touchdown runs in the second quarter.

Johnson added a 6-yard touchdown pass to Aiden Valdez in the third quarter to make it 38-3. Tyler Jefferson ended a 90-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Deanwar Johnson, but Macario Dade Jr. answered with a 70-yard touchdown run. Isaiah Daniel scored Bethune-Cookman’s final touchdown on a 2-yard run in the fourth quarter.

Southern outgained the Wildcats 492 to 290 and needed only 13 passes. Johnson completed eight of them for 111 yards and two touchdowns, and Dade ran for 104 yards on four carries. Jefferson completed 12 of 31 passes for 144 yards, Rashon Brown ran for 98 yards, and Stephen Sparrow Jr. forced two fumbles. Both teams are now 5-5 and 3-3 in the SWAC.

No. 10 Alabama State Outlasts Texas Southern

Aaron Frye accounted for three touchdowns of 35 yards or longer, and No. 10 Alabama State beat Texas Southern 34-31 at Shell Energy Stadium. Frye completed 13 of 17 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 162 yards.

Texas Southern opened with a 13-play, 93-yard drive that took 8:05 and ended on Cam’Ron McCoy’s 11-yard touchdown pass to Roriyon Richardson. Alabama State tied it on the next snap, a 76-yard touchdown pass from Frye to Randall King. Jordan Thompson blocked an Alabama State punt late in the half, and McCoy and Richardson connected again from 26 yards with 22 seconds left for a 14-7 halftime lead.

Alabama State recovered a fumble on the second-half kickoff, and Jareese Howard scored from 3 yards five plays later. Jamarie Hostzclaw’s 2-yard run capped a 12-play, 99-yard drive for a 21-14 lead. Texas Southern went back in front 24-21 on McCoy’s 20-yard touchdown run and Miguel Arana’s 39-yard field goal.

Frye answered on the next play from scrimmage with a 76-yard touchdown run, and his 35-yard touchdown pass to Israel Tate made it 34-24 with 5:13 left. McCoy threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Kordell Rodgers at 3:12, but Alabama State ran the final 3:09 off the clock without throwing a pass.

Alabama State ran for 277 yards and outgained Texas Southern 486 to 317. McCoy threw for 113 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 111 yards, and Athean Renfro Jr. had 77 rushing yards on 23 carries. Alabama State improves to 5-4 and 3-3 in the SWAC, and Texas Southern falls to 3-6 and 2-4.

No. 4 Alcorn State Rallies Past Florida A&M

Florida A&M led No. 4 Alcorn State 14-0 in Lorman. Then Malachi Augustus took over. He caught four passes for 171 yards and three touchdowns, and the Braves won 38-20 before 3,922 fans.

Armond Parker threw touchdown passes of 16 yards to Corey Petty and 84 yards to Kieren Jackson in the first quarter. Alcorn State answered with Jaylon Tolbert’s 92-yard touchdown pass to Augustus, and Tolbert and Augustus connected again from 10 yards to finish a 15-play, 86-yard drive and tie it 14-14 at halftime.

The teams traded field goals in the third quarter, with Kenyon Bowyer making a 40-yarder and Gabriel Perez answering from 25. On the last play of the third quarter, Tolbert hit Augustus for a 63-yard touchdown and a 24-17 lead. Tolbert added a 7-yard touchdown pass to Damien Jones, and Fredrick Robertson scored from 1 yard out to close it.

Tolbert completed 16 of 23 passes for 314 yards and four touchdowns, and the Braves outgained Florida A&M 546 to 342. Robertson ran for 96 yards. Parker completed 20 of 36 passes for 283 yards and two touchdowns; Jackson caught four passes for 133 yards, and Petty had nine catches for 100. Denzel Johnson made 16 tackles for the Rattlers. Alcorn State improves to 6-4 and 4-2 in the SWAC, and Florida A&M falls to 2-8 and 1-5.

No. 3 Jackson State Rolls Past Mississippi Valley State

Jared Lockhart threw for 299 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another, and No. 3 Jackson State beat Mississippi Valley State 38-7 before 16,386 fans at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Lockhart opened the scoring with a 38-yard touchdown run early in the first quarter, and Andrew Ivaniciuc added a 44-yard field goal. Dezmond Ray’s 5-yard touchdown run cut the lead to 10-7 early in the second quarter, but Li’Darious Pryor scored from 2 yards before halftime.

Jackson State pulled away in the second half. Lockhart threw an 81-yard touchdown pass to Jency Riley Jr., an 11-yard touchdown pass to Pryor and a 10-yard scoring pass to Joanes Fortilien in the fourth quarter.

Lockhart completed 22 of 33 passes. Riley caught four passes for 95 yards, and Fortilien had five catches for 81. Jalen Foster intercepted two passes, and the Tigers held Mississippi Valley State to 171 total yards and 3 of 15 on third down. Ray ran for 65 yards and a touchdown for the Delta Devils. Jackson State improves to 7-2 and 4-2 in the SWAC and sits in first place in the East, and Mississippi Valley State falls to 3-7 and 2-4.

Elon Pulls Away From Hampton

Hampton intercepted Elon four times and still lost 24-6 at Rhodes Stadium. Kamerin Mcdowell-Moore ran for 171 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries.

The Pirates struck first when Xavier Brookins threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Chaz Portis, but the point-after failed. Mcdowell-Moore answered with a 2-yard touchdown run, and Luke Barnes added a 43-yard field goal for a 10-6 halftime lead. Hampton blocked a second Barnes try from 41 yards out, five seconds before the break.

Elon put the game away in the fourth quarter. Elijah Guttman ran for a 3-yard touchdown, and Mcdowell-Moore broke a 24-yard touchdown run at 8:14.

Anthony Hightower intercepted two passes for 58 return yards, and Cam Sturdifen and Brandon Parnell each had one. Brookins completed 9 of 11 passes for 99 yards, and Hampton totaled 229 yards. Hampton falls to 1-9 and 0-6 in the CAA, and Elon improves to 5-5 and 3-3.

Southeast Missouri State Pulls Away From Tennessee State

Tennessee State led Southeast Missouri State 7-3 midway through the third quarter at Nissan Stadium. The Redhawks then scored 21 points in the final 4:50 of the quarter and won 33-14 before 1,184 fans.

Daylin Lee gave the Tigers the lead with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Aaron Duncan II. Southeast Missouri State answered with Khyair Spain’s 1-yard touchdown run, DJ Delmore’s 45-yard interception return and Chance Wilson’s 23-yard touchdown run as time expired in the third quarter.

Lee threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Brock Montgomery early in the fourth quarter, but Spain added an 11-yard touchdown run, and Justin Keller kicked a 35-yard field goal.

Lee completed 20 of 36 passes for 273 yards and two touchdowns, and Anthony Taylor caught seven passes for 73 yards. The Redhawks ran for 362 yards, with Spain gaining 160 and Wilson 140. Devyn Curtis made 13 tackles for Tennessee State, which falls to 2-8 and 0-5 in conference play. Southeast Missouri State improves to 6-4 and 4-1.

Where the Races Stand

Saturday’s game in Orangeburg is the de facto MEAC championship. South Carolina State and North Carolina Central are the league’s only unbeaten teams at 3-0, and Delaware State is a game back at 2-1 with games left at Howard and at South Carolina State. In the latest Toyota Championship Projection, the Bulldogs won the MEAC in 75.97% of the simulations and the Eagles in 20.41%.

Jackson State once more leads the SWAC East. The Tigers and Alabama A&M are both 4-2, and Jackson State beat them 31-28. The Tigers still have road games at Alabama State and Alcorn State. Alabama A&M hosts Texas Southern and visits Mississippi Valley State.

Prairie View A&M leads the West, though it shares a 4-2 conference record with Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Alcorn State. Southern is a game back at 3-3. Alcorn State beat Arkansas-Pine Bluff 53-51 in double overtime, and Prairie View beat Alcorn State 41-38. The Golden Lions host the Panthers on Saturday, and the Braves visit Southern.

The Week 10 preview has the full breakdown of how each team got here. Follow every result and the full standings on the 2026 football season dashboard.