The two teams with the clearest path to Atlanta both lost on Saturday. Jackson State and Morgan State sat atop the first Toyota Championship Projection for the Cricket Celebration Bowl presented by Toyota. The model had Jackson State as the SWAC’s most likely champion at 40.3% and gave Morgan State a 63.4% chance to win the MEAC. By sundown, neither number looked safe.

In Daytona Beach, Bethune-Cookman had lost five straight games to Jackson State. Tyler Jefferson ended that streak with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Rickie Shaw II with 40 seconds left, and the Wildcats beat the No. 1 team in the Black College Football Poll, 24-21. In Baltimore, Howard won its MEAC opener at Morgan State on an 87-yard interception return in overtime.

Texas Southern also beat Southern on a 46-yard field goal with one second left at its 99th Homecoming, and Arkansas-Pine Bluff survived at Florida A&M after blocking an extra point in the final minutes.

Bethune-Cookman Stuns No. 1 Jackson State in the Final Minute

No. 8 Bethune-Cookman needed a 75-yard drive in the final three minutes to beat Jackson State, and it got one. The winning throw came on third-and-11, and the Wildcats held on to win 24-21 at Daytona Stadium.

The Wildcats jumped out fast. Jefferson threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Josh Evans and a 33-yard scoring strike to Rashon Brown for a 14-0 first-quarter lead. Jared Lockhart answered with a 43-yard touchdown pass to Nate Rembert, and Aiden Lanier’s 23-yard field goal with 17 seconds left in the half made it 17-7.

Jackson State clawed back in the second half. Lockhart hit Jabari Jones for a 30-yard touchdown in the third quarter, cutting the lead to 17-14. Then, with three minutes left, a Bethune-Cookman punt went wrong. The Wildcats lost 35 yards and were flagged for illegal touching, giving Jackson State the ball at the 1. Li’Darious Pryor scored on the next snap, and the Tigers led 21-17 with 2:56 to go.

Bethune-Cookman did not panic. Deanwar Johnson broke a 36-yard run on third and 2, Cameron Oxendine added a 14-yard catch, and Jefferson found Shaw in the end zone. Jackson State still had one last chance. Lockhart moved the Tigers to the Bethune-Cookman 32, converting a fourth-and-10 with a 13-yard pass to Rembert. However, Andrew Ivaniciuc’s 49-yard field-goal attempt at the horn was no good. He also missed a 41-yard attempt in the first quarter.

The Wildcats won the game on the ground. They ran for 168 yards against the SWAC’s top run defense, while Jackson State managed just 33 rushing yards and was sacked four times. Jefferson completed 8 of 14 passes for 113 yards and three touchdowns and added 68 rushing yards. Johnson ran for 81 yards on nine carries. For Jackson State, Lockhart threw for 211 yards and two touchdowns, Rembert caught five passes for 118 yards, and Tymon Wells made 11 tackles.

The result reshapes the SWAC East. Bethune-Cookman (5-3, 3-1 SWAC) is now tied with Alabama A&M atop the division, and Jackson State (6-2, 3-2 SWAC) is a game back. The Road to Dec. 5 explains the tiebreakers: Alabama A&M holds the edge over Bethune-Cookman, and the Wildcats now hold it over the Tigers. Bethune-Cookman visits Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Oct. 31.

Howard Wins at Morgan State on an Overtime Pick Six

Howard’s road losing streak is over. Ben Chandler IV intercepted Cameron Edge and returned it 87 yards for a touchdown on the final overtime play, and the Bison beat No. 4 Morgan State 26-20 in the MEAC opener at Hughes Stadium. The win ended a 15-game road losing streak.

Neither offense found the end zone in the first half. Alex Amaya kicked 42- and 29-yard field goals for Morgan State, and Matt Conord answered with 38- and 27-yard kicks to tie it 6-6 at halftime. Edge then threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Joseph Towler late in the third quarter. Early in the fourth, he found Alex Simmons for a 14-yard score, giving the Bears a 20-6 lead.

Howard turned to quarterback Isaiah Freeman, and Morgan State’s mistakes gave him a short field. Two kick-catch interference penalties on Bears punts set up both Bison touchdown drives. Freeman ran for a 2-yard score with 7:46 left. On the next drive, Billy Roberson II broke a 20-yard run, Freeman hit Nathanial Clark for 20 yards, and Freeman found Roberson for a 4-yard touchdown with 3:09 left to tie it 20-20.

Morgan State got the ball first in overtime, but the drive stalled. Gabe Stephens and Faisal Mass combined on a 9-yard sack, and a short completion lost 6 more yards. Facing fourth and 19 from the Howard 34, Edge threw under pressure from Ishaun Abdul-Ali, and Chandler picked it off at the 13 and raced the other way.

Howard ran for 166 yards, led by Roberson’s 76 on 14 carries, and the Bison used three quarterbacks. Freeman completed 4 of 6 passes for 36 yards and a touchdown and ran for 42 yards and another score. Edge finished 23 of 33 for 195 yards and two touchdowns, and Keith Jenkins Jr. ran for 82 yards. Abdul-Ali had two tackles for loss, and Mass added 1.5 sacks.

Howard (4-4, 1-0 MEAC) visits North Carolina Central on Oct. 31. Morgan State (5-3, 0-1 MEAC) now faces a quick turnaround, with South Carolina State coming to Baltimore on Thursday night. The Bulldogs were second in the projection at 19.7%.

Texas Southern Walks Off Southern at Homecoming

Miguel Arana’s 46-yard field goal with one second left gave Texas Southern a 24-21 win over Southern in front of 21,523 fans at its 99th Homecoming. The win was the Tigers’ first in SWAC play this season, and it snapped a five-game losing streak.

Southern struck first when Christian Johnson found Damien Henderson for a 4-yard touchdown. Texas Southern took over in the second quarter. Jacob Washington scored on a 5-yard run, and Athean Renfro capped a 55-yard drive in just 41 seconds with a 15-yard touchdown run to give the 14-7 halftime lead.

Early in the third quarter, Donovan Jones sacked Johnson and forced a fumble that Ryan Robinson recovered. Cam’Ron McCoy then broke a 41-yard touchdown run for a 21-7 lead. Southern answered with a 24-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to Wydell Clark Jr. and tied it in the fourth quarter. On that drive, Quinton Murray Jr. intercepted Johnson on fourth and 4, but a pass-interference penalty kept the drive alive, and Trey Holly scored from 2 yards out with 4:24 left.

Texas Southern then put together the drive of its season. Starting at its own 35, the Tigers stayed on the ground. McCoy converted a fourth-and-2 at the Southern 44, Renfro kept moving the chains, and Arana drilled the winner as time nearly expired.

Renfro ran for 135 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries, and McCoy added 71 rushing yards as Texas Southern ran for 218. Holly carried 35 times for 156 yards and a touchdown for Southern, and Johnson threw for 124 yards and two scores. Tayton James led the Jaguars with 10 tackles and two tackles for loss.

Both teams are now 1-3 in SWAC play. Southern (3-5) visits Florida A&M on Oct. 31, and Texas Southern (2-5) hosts Grambling State on Nov. 1.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff Holds Off Florida A&M

The SWAC West remains wide open as Arkansas-Pine Bluff spoils Florida A&M’s Homecoming with a 31-28 win in front of 20,549 fans at Bragg Memorial Stadium. The Rattlers scored three touchdowns but made only one extra point, and that difference proved decisive.

The first half went back and forth. Jaylen Jennings gave the Golden Lions an early lead, and Gabriel Caison answered with 23- and 36-yard field goals. The second came after Camare Jackson forced a fumble at the Arkansas-Pine Bluff 6. Armond Parker then broke a 37-yard touchdown run to give Florida A&M a 13-7 lead. Jalen Williams answered with a 5-yard touchdown run with 1:04 left in the half, putting the Golden Lions back in front 14-13.

Williams fumbled the second-half kickoff, and Isiah Davis recovered for Florida A&M. Two plays later, Parker hit Corey Petty for a 17-yard touchdown, but the extra point failed. Arkansas-Pine Bluff answered with two touchdown drives. Za’Marion Webber scored on a 2-yard run, and Jack Schierholz threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Demetric Whitlock Jr. to give Arkansas-Pine Bluff a 28-19 lead.

Caison’s 43-yard field goal and Trey Glymph’s 39-yarder made it 31-22. On the next play from scrimmage, Parker found Kieren Jackson for a 61-yard touchdown with 3:19 left. Marquis Cagle blocked the extra point, and the Golden Lions ran out the clock with Webber, Schierholz and Jennings carrying the ball.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff ran for 211 yards. Williams ran for 66 yards and a touchdown and also completed 5 of 7 passes for 60 yards, and Tylan Cole had two sacks among three tackles for loss. Parker threw for 319 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another. Jackson caught two passes for 101 yards, Petty caught seven for 85, and Jaiden Roper made 13 tackles.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff (4-3, 2-2 SWAC) stays in the West race and hosts Bethune-Cookman on Oct. 31. Florida A&M (2-6, 1-3 SWAC) hosts Southern the same day.

South Carolina State Extends Its MEAC Streak at Homecoming

No. 3 South Carolina State opened MEAC play with a 22-7 Homecoming win over No. 9 Norfolk State at Oliver C. Dawson Bulldog Stadium. The Bulldogs now have 12 straight MEAC wins.

Mason Pickett-Hicks scored both touchdowns for South Carolina State. His 21-yard run on fourth and 5 capped a 13-play, 80-yard opening drive. Later, Mike Evans intercepted DaJean Golmond at the Norfolk State 28, and Pickett-Hicks scored from 7 yards out. Jett Jackson added 28- and 46-yard field goals for a 19-0 halftime lead.

Norfolk State’s only points came on special teams. Jason Wonodi returned a punt 47 yards for a third-quarter touchdown. The Spartans had other chances, but Kenneth Brown Jr. intercepted Golmond at the South Carolina State 15, and Golmond fumbled at the 17. Jackson’s 34-yard field goal in the fourth quarter closed the scoring.

Keely Watson completed 21 of 38 passes for 215 yards, and DJ Maultsby caught five passes for 57 yards. Jadin Jones had a sack among two tackles for loss. Golmond threw for 162 yards, Brevin Caldwell caught six passes for 80 yards, and Rontravious Perry made nine tackles and a sack. Norfolk State was also flagged 10 times for 90 yards.

South Carolina State (6-2, 1-0 MEAC) visits Morgan State on Thursday, Oct. 29. Norfolk State (4-4, 0-1 MEAC) meets Delaware State in Philadelphia on Oct. 31.

Friday Night: North Carolina Central Opens MEAC Play With a Win at Delaware State

The weekend started Friday in Dover, where North Carolina Central beat No. 5 Delaware State 31-12.

Addison, a freshman, ran 31 times for 214 yards and two touchdowns, and the Eagles ran for 272 yards as a team. They held the ball for 37:18 and scored on all five red zone trips.

Freshman Amari Sifford intercepted two passes, and the defense held Delaware State to 1-of-8 on third down. Cobey Thompkins completed 15 of 18 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown.

The win snapped a four-game skid for North Carolina Central (3-5, 1-0 MEAC), which hosts Howard on Oct. 31. Delaware State (4-4, 0-1 MEAC) suffered its first home loss of the season.

Monmouth Spoils Hampton’s Return to Armstrong Stadium

Hampton’s first home game this season did not go as planned. No. 18 Monmouth rolled up 565 yards and beat the Pirates 49-13 at their 98th Homecoming in front of 7,992 fans.

Monmouth set the tone with an 18-play, 99-yard drive that ended with Frankie Weaver’s 11-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Smith Jr. Hampton answered quickly. Donovan Shepard broke a 76-yard run to the Monmouth 1, and Xavier Brookins scored to tie it 7-7. However, Nazir Treadwell’s 1-yard run with 28 seconds left in the half put the Hawks back in front.

The second half belonged to Monmouth. Weaver threw touchdown passes to Tra Neal and Shane Garrett in the third quarter, and Smith added a 70-yard touchdown run in the fourth. Tre’Von Taylor threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to TK Paisant for Hampton’s second score.

Smith ran for 163 yards on 19 carries, and Monmouth ran for 298 yards as a team. Weaver completed 24 of 32 passes for 234 yards and three touchdowns. Shepard finished with 84 rushing yards. Marqwae Willis made 14 tackles, and Cam Sturdifen added 10.

Monmouth (6-2, 5-0 CAA) has won five straight and is 6-0 all time against Hampton. Hampton (1-7, 0-4 CAA) visits Towson on Oct. 31.

Charleston Southern Shuts Down Tennessee State

Tennessee State’s offense could not build on last week’s upset of Morgan State. Charleston Southern held the Tigers to 136 total yards, sacked them six times, and won 20-7 at Nissan Stadium.

The Buccaneers scored all 17 of their first-half points in the second quarter. Tristan Lennon returned a Daylin Lee interception 32 yards for a touchdown, Jared Echols threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to KD Dorsey, and Matt Rolader made a 45-yard field goal. Rolader added a 26-yarder in the third quarter, though he missed from 33 and 40 yards.

Tennessee State finally scored in the fourth quarter. Byron McNair replaced Lee and threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Cam Bulluck. Bulluck has now caught a touchdown pass in four straight games.

Echols completed 19 of 27 passes for 199 yards and a touchdown. Lennon made 10 tackles, including an interception return, and Joshua Modupe had two sacks. Lee completed 9 of 18 passes for 54 yards with two interceptions, and McNair went 7 of 12 for 65 yards. The Tigers ran for just 17 net yards. Epoki Fakaosi made eight tackles with two tackles for loss and two pass breakups.

Tennessee State falls to 2-6 and 0-3 in OVC play. Charleston Southern improves to 4-4 and 1-2.

Chase Bingmon Slams the Door at East Texas A&M

Prairie View A&M led by 18 points early in the fourth quarter, then gave up two touchdowns in 18 seconds. Then Chase Bingmon took a handoff up the middle and ran 52 yards for a touchdown. The No. 10 Panthers beat East Texas A&M 30-19 at Ernest Hawkins Field at Memorial Stadium in Commerce.

The Lions led 6-0 after two Ozlo Rigby field goals in the first quarter. Prairie View answered with 14 points in the second. Bingmon scored on a 2-yard run, and Tevin Carter found Rodny Ojo for a 9-yard touchdown with 39 seconds left in the half. Ethan Eddins hit a 45-yard field goal early in the third quarter, and Carter and Ojo connected again from 6 yards on the first play of the fourth quarter to make it 24-6.

East Texas A&M would not go quietly. A roughing-the-kicker penalty on a missed 40-yard field goal gave the Lions a fresh set of downs, and Reese Mooney threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Micah Simpson with 9:57 left. The Lions recovered the onside kick at the Prairie View 24, and Mooney hit Andrez Lewis for a 24-yard score on the next snap. Prairie View’s Damani Maxson broke up the two-point try, keeping the lead at 24-19.

Prairie View needed two plays to answer. Carter hit Damien McDaniel for 7 yards, and Bingmon went 52 yards to the end zone with 8:47 left. The Panthers’ defense then stopped the Lions on fourth and 17 at the Prairie View 36, and the offense ran nearly four minutes off the clock. East Texas A&M’s last drive ended at the Prairie View 41 as time expired.

Carter completed 19 of 25 passes for 237 yards and two touchdowns. Bingmon ran for 77 yards and two scores on nine carries, and Ojo caught four passes for 67 yards and both touchdown passes. McDaniel added six catches for 51 yards. Prairie View converted 6 of 11 third downs and scored touchdowns on all three red-zone trips. Hawkins had a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, and Malachi Williams led the team with six tackles and two pass breakups.

Mooney threw for 333 yards and two touchdowns on 31 of 52 passing attempts, and Simpson caught 10 passes for 90 yards. The Lions outgained Prairie View 378 to 355 but ran for only 45 yards. Prairie View improves to 4-5 and stays atop the SWAC West at 3-2. East Texas A&M falls to 2-6.

Follow every result and the full standings on the 2026 football season dashboard.