HBCU Football Week 11: SC State Three-Peats, SWAC Race Tightens, VA Union, Benedict Win Titles

HOUSTON — This Week 11 edition of Sunday Morning Quarterback (SMQB) for HBCU football is brought to you by HBCU+.

Championship Saturday brought the drama, heartbreak, and high stakes that make November such an exciting month for HBCU football.

Benedict erased a 24-point deficit to stun Kentucky State in overtime for the SIAC crown. Virginia Union needed one explosive run and a second-half shutout to avenge last year’s championship loss to Johnson C. Smith and reclaim the CIAA title. South Carolina State punched its ticket to the 2026 Cricket Celebration Bowl with a third consecutive MEAC championship.

Meanwhile, the SWAC championship race took another dramatic turn. Prairie View A&M survived on a walk-off field goal, Alabama A&M reclaimed control of the East, and Jackson State may have watched its championship hopes slip away.

Two conference champions have been crowned, and one Celebration Bowl ticket is locked in. Four SWAC teams are still in the hunt, and the coaching hot seat is heating up.

Championships are being claimed, chances are slipping away, and November is showing which programs are built to last. As Coach Tremaine Jackson said after beating Alabama A&M in Week 10, “November is what they remember.”

Let’s go to work!

SIAC Championship: Benedict 52, Kentucky State 45 (OT)

Felton Huggins Jr.'s team did almost everything right for three quarters at Charlie W. Johnson Stadium in Columbia, S.C. Kentucky State trailed 14-7 after one quarter, then scored 31 straight points. Juan Gainous hit Jaden Hale for a 60-yard touchdown, and the Thorobreds led 24-14 at halftime and 38-14 midway through the third.

Benedict used three quarterbacks during the game, but Glenn Foreman III had already connected with TJ Hatch for a 73-yard first-quarter touchdown. With the Tigers down 24 in the third quarter, Foreman directed the comeback.

Foreman led a 78-yard drive that A'chean Durant finished from 4 yards out. Zane Spires kicked a 37-yard field goal with 10:43 to play. Cayden McIntosh blocked a punt, and Javon Bowser carried it 35 yards for a touchdown with 8:49 left. Foreman's 13-yard pass to Demetris McKelvey tied the game at 38 with 6:17 remaining. That is 24 points in about 15 minutes of game time.

Kentucky State answered on the very next snap. Tristan Thomas ran 82 yards to make it 45-38. Benedict answered that, too, going 72 yards for Christopher Johnson's 2-yard touchdown with 3:15 left.

The back-and-forth game kept fans on the edge of their seats until the final seconds, when Kentucky State’s championship hopes slipped away.

Benedict 52, Kentucky State 45 (OT)

Congratulations to the Benedict College Tigers, the 2026 SIAC Football Champions! 🏈🏆#SIAC | #SIACFB | #LeadersRiseHere pic.twitter.com/VWkFgCSgjZ
— The SIAC (@TheSIAC) November 14, 2026

The Ending Kentucky State Will Replay All Winter

With just over a minute left, Benedict muffed a punt and the Thorobreds recovered at the Tigers' 17. They moved inside the 5. A field goal would have won the school's first SIAC title.

However, the kick never happened. Kentucky State ran out of timeouts and couldn’t get its field-goal unit on the field before time expired, according to Benedict's game account. Yahoo Sports called it a time management meltdown, which might be putting it mildly.

Coach Huggins mismanaged the final seconds, costing the Thorobreds a chance to kick the winning field goal. He may have tried to get extra yards or a touchdown with little time left, possibly worried about his kicking team. Either way, it was a tough lesson.

Coach Huggins is one of the top young coaches in the FCS. Unfortunately, the championship slipped away on Saturday.

Benedict took the ball first in overtime. Foreman found McKelvey for 25 yards on the first play. Kentucky State threw four straight incompletions, and it was over.

Foreman finished 23 of 40 for 348 yards and four touchdowns with one interception. Tamyrion "TJ" Hatch caught eight passes for 171 yards, including a 73-yard score. Benedict, the SIAC's best rushing team at 201.5 yards a game, ran for 79 and won anyway.

It is Benedict's third SIAC title in five seasons and the first for Ron Dickerson Jr., who is in his third year. The Tigers are 10-1 and hold the SIAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division II playoffs. Kentucky State is 8-3, went into the weekend No. 2 in Super Region Two, and is expected to hear its name on Sunday's selection show.

BC+ gave Benedict a 60 percent chance and predicted a 28-24 final. The model picked the right team, but I didn’t. I doubt anyone expected a 52-45 score.

Congratulations, Coach Dickerson and Benedict!

CIAA Championship: Virginia Union 15, Johnson C. Smith 14

A year ago in this game, Johnson C. Smith beat Virginia Union 45-21 for its first CIAA title since 1969. Alvin Parker's Panthers spent 12 months answering for it.

On Saturday at Durham County Memorial Stadium, with over 5,100 fans watching, they responded on the field. It wasn’t pretty, but it didn’t have to be.

Damien Mazil's 4-yard run put the Golden Bulls up early. Virginia Union stayed close with three Gage Miller field goals, but Fabian Duncan scored from 1 yard out with 18 seconds left in the half, and Johnson C. Smith led 14-9.

The score stayed 14-9 into the fourth quarter. With 14:07 left, the Golden Bulls missed a 36-yard field goal that could have made it a two-score game. Just ninety seconds later, Ramon Brown broke free for a 69-yard touchdown. The two-point attempt failed, but Virginia Union took a 15-14 lead.

Then the Panthers' defense closed the door. Johnson C. Smith ran for 238 yards on the ground, but could not score in the second half.

Ahmad Ross, the CIAA Defensive Player of the Year, had nine tackles. Elijah Candia had eight.

Brown was named the game's Most Valuable Player. Parker, the CIAA Coach of the Year, finished off a perfect run through the conference this season. The Panthers are 8-0 in the regular season, and have reclaimed the championship trophy.

Virginia Union is 10-1, winning 10 straight games since falling to Lenoir-Rhyne.

I picked Virginia Union to win the trophy, and BC+ gave the Panthers a 67 percent chance. Three field goals and one long run is a slim margin, but I’m sure the Panthers are happy with it. Congrats to Coach Parker and VA Union!

Friday Night Blitz and the Playoff Wait

The CIAA’s new Friday game kicked off the weekend with its first comeback. Fayetteville State was down 21-0 to Virginia State in the second quarter but came back to win 31-29 on John Hernandez-Vargas’ 30-yard field goal with 1:47 left. The Broncos (8-3) have now won six in a row, while Virginia State (7-4) has dropped three straight after starting 7-1.

The NCAA Division II selection show airs Sunday at 6 p.m. ET on NCAA.com, with first-round games set for Saturday, Nov. 21. Johnson C. Smith and Fayetteville State are among the teams waiting to hear their fate.

SWAC East and West: Four Teams Left, One Week to Go

West: Prairie View A&M Is One Win Away

Last week, Tremaine Jackson asked the media to find something to say about Pine Bluff so he could show it to his team. Whatever he found worked. Ethan Eddins kicked a 43-yard field goal on the final play, and Prairie View A&M beat Arkansas-Pine Bluff 13-10.

Tevin Carter completed 29 of 38 passes for 201 yards, ran for 64 and scored the Panthers' only touchdown. The winning drive covered 45 yards in 13 plays. It is Prairie View's fourth straight win, and combined with Alcorn State's loss, it put the defending champions alone at 5-2.

GRIT https://t.co/I4h90leWMk
— Prairie View A&M Football (@pvamufb_) November 15, 2026

The math is simple. Prairie View wins the West with a victory at Alabama State on Saturday.

If the Panthers lose, Southern is the only team that can catch them. The Jaguars (4-3) beat Alcorn State 41-28, led by Trey Holly’s 154 yards and three touchdowns. Southern needs Prairie View to lose, a win over Grambling State in the Bayou Classic on Nov. 28, and help from either Texas Southern or Alcorn State.

QB1 Tevin Carter with a TOUCHDOWN bringing the score to 7-7 🐾#FTF | #DOG | #PVAMUFootball pic.twitter.com/n0S8CaYbDz
— Prairie View A&M Football (@pvamufb_) November 14, 2026

Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Alcorn State, both 4-3, are out.

East: Alabama A&M Is In Control Again

Jackson State controlled the East for exactly one week. Alabama State took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter on Aaron Frye's 39-yard run and a fumble that Myles Richardson recovered in the end zone, then held on to win 20-13.

Andrew Abu-Akel kicked 47- and 40-yard field goals in the fourth quarter, and Zamari Hall intercepted Jared Lockhart in the end zone with six seconds left.

Jackson State outgained the Hornets 297-219 and lost. The Tigers ran for 68 yards and converted 3 of 12 third downs.

Alabama A&M did its part. Cornelious Brown IV threw for 201 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a third; Kolton Nero ran for 100 yards and two scores, and the Bulldogs led Texas, Southern 35-0 before winning 35-6.

Alabama A&M (5-2) wins the East with a victory at Mississippi Valley State on Saturday, or a loss to Jackson State at Alcorn State.

Come to Louis Crews? Leave with a L💯#DawgNation #DaChase pic.twitter.com/jSWLxpzc9V
— Alabama A&M Football (@AamufbR) November 15, 2026

Jackson State (4-3) needs to win, and the Delta Devils, 3-8, need to beat the Bulldogs. Alabama State is 4-3 and eliminated after losing to Alabama A&M.

The SWAC Championship is set for Dec. 5 at the home of the team with the better conference record. If Prairie View and Alabama A&M both win Saturday, the game will be in Prairie View, Texas. The Panthers won the first meeting 31-10 just eight days ago. I’m sure the Bulldogs are salivating for a rematch.

I was there for the first one, and this should be a great game if it happens!

🏆 moments >>@SCState_Fb | @SCStateAthletic #MEACFootball #BuiltByUs pic.twitter.com/aK3nUutpUv
— Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (@MEACSports) November 14, 2026

MEAC: South Carolina State Makes It A Three-Peat

N.C. Central scored on its second play in Orangeburg, a 59-yard Gino Addison run, and led or shared the lead for the entire first half. It was 24-24 at the break.

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Then Chennis Berry’s defense stepped up.

South Carolina State gave up 110 yards and struggled in the first half. After halftime, the Bulldogs shut out the Eagles, allowing no points and finishing with five sacks and 11 tackles for loss to win 38-24.

Keely Watson threw three touchdown passes. Zaivan Offord threw a fourth, a 58-yarder to Malaqhi Jones on a reverse. Marquis Lane-Owens ended it with an interception return for a touchdown.

Howard's 30-24 win over Delaware State took the Hornets out of the race, so the Bulldogs (9-2, 4-0) are MEAC champions for the third straight year and the 21st time.

They have now won 14 straight conference games.

Next up is the Cricket Celebration Bowl in Atlanta, where they’ll face the SWAC champion.

HBCU Football Coaches on the Hot Seat: A Week 11 Temperature Check

Last week in this space, I wrote about having trust issues. HBCU administrators who stay patient with a coach tend to get rewarded. One example is Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The Golden Lions’ leadership kept Alonzo Hampton after he went 9-26 in three seasons, and he competed for first place in the SWAC West on Saturday.

Though patience has limits, unfortunately for a few, November is when athletic directors make difficult decisions about football programs and leadership. As one AD once told me, “I have a job to protect also.”

Three SIAC jobs have already come open this season. Tuskegee fired Aaron James on Oct. 4. Lane announced a change on Oct. 20. Fort Valley State parted ways with Marlon Watson on Saturday, two days after a loss to Clark Atlanta dropped the Wildcats to 2-8.

Several HBCU Division I coaching seats are getting hotter. Here’s my take, based on records, tenure, and preseason expectations for each program.

Again, this is my opinion, and no school on this list told HBCU Legends that a change is coming.

Heating Up

Grambling State Tigers - Mickey Joseph Era | Credit: GSU Athletics

Mickey Joseph, Grambling State (third season): The league's voters picked Grambling second in the West and gave the Tigers two first-place votes. Today, that’s not the case for the G-Men.

They are 5-5 overall and 3-4 in the conference. Grambling has been eliminated from the postseason. This past week, the SWAC suspended 23 players and fined both schools $25,000 after the Nov. 7 fight with Arkansas-Pine Bluff. It was the second straight season under Joseph that the Tigers were suspended and fined for postgame fighting. Some fans and alums are growing weary of the football program’s inconsistency.

What will President Martin Lemelle Jr. and VP for Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Trayvean Scott do at the end of the season, once the Bayou Classic is played? Southern, under Coach Marshall Faulk, is playing at a high level, with postseason aspirations still on the table if they win.

A Bayou Classic win could help Coach Joseph, but as he said in Week 10’s SWAC Coaches Media Session, he can’t control if someone decides to fire him. We’ll see how things turn out for Coach Joseph.

Coach Cris Dishman - Postgame Press Conference - Week 8 — Oct. 24, 2026; Texas Southern head football coach Cris Dishman during his postgame press conference following defeating the Southern Jaguars, 24-21, in Week 8 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. | Credit: Kyle T. Mosley, HBCU Legends

Cris Dishman, Texas Southern (third season): A year ago, Dishman gave Texas Southern its first winning season since 2000. The Tigers were picked fourth in the West, but they are currently last at 2-5 in the SWAC and 3-7 overall.

Coach Dishman took over defensive play-calling in October, but aside from a couple of wins, the Tigers still can’t seem to get over the hump. Saturday’s 35-6 loss at Alabama A&M was 35-0 until the final six minutes. Will TSU’s new athletic director, Ashley Robinson, and the TSU Board let Dishman finish his contract, or will they make a change? We’ll see.

Michael Vick - Press Conference | Credit: BET

Michael Vick, Norfolk State (second season): The Spartans lost 17-7 at Morgan State and have now lost four straight. Coach Vick is 5-18 overall and 0-9 in the MEAC, still winless in conference play. Four wins are better than last year’s one, and the Vick name still draws fans. But will Coach Vick step down, or try for another year?

The Spartans were 4-3 in October. Now they’re 4-7, and the N.C. Central loss—when a kneel-down would have sealed the win—is the kind that lingers for a coaching staff. Howard visits Norfolk on Saturday. Ted White and the Bison are tough opponents. Coach Vick needs a win.

Lukewarm

Raymond Woodie Jr., Bethune-Cookman (fourth season): The Wildcats were picked third in the East and were just one game out of first place going into Saturday. Now they’ve lost three straight, giving up 63, 45, and 32 points, and are 5-6. The Florida Classic against Florida A&M will determine if this season counts as progress.

Reggie Barlow, Tennessee State (second season): Saturday’s 13-12 win over Eastern Illinois was the Tigers’ first conference win since 2024. Tennessee State is 3-8 after going 2-10 in Barlow’s first year, and they were picked last in the league both times. Coaches usually get a pass in year two of a rebuild, but year three is when expectations rise.

Cooling Off

Coach Hampton — Sep 3, 2026; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions head coach Alonzo Hampton talks to a referee against the Missouri Tigers during the first half at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Alonzo Hampton, Arkansas-Pine Bluff (fourth season): The Golden Lions were picked last in the West and are now 6-4. The loss to Prairie View in Week 11 ended their title hopes, but it shouldn’t overshadow the progress being made by Coach Hampton this season.

Coach Thomas — Alcorn State's Head Coach Cedric Thomas gets frustrated at a referee during the game against Jackson State in Jackson, Miss., on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Cedric Thomas, Alcorn State (third season): The Braves are competitive, currently at 6-5 after finishing 5-7 last year, and they were tied for first entering Saturday. Losing at Southern hurts, but it’s still progress.

Year One Gets a Pass in Tallahassee

Quinn Gray Sr. is 3-8 at Florida A&M with a team that cannot play in the postseason. Van Malone is 1-10 at Hampton. Ted White is 5-6 at Howard and just knocked Delaware State out of the MEAC race. Marshall Faulk is 6-5 at Southern and still alive in the West.

Rumors

MEAC media are saying that changes could come at Delaware State. HBCU Legends has not verified discontent from Coach DeSean Jackson. He did lose the athletic director who hired him, and the program is struggling financially. Losing him will be huge for the program and conference. Hopefully, the rumors aren’t true.

First-year coaches inherit rosters and problems. Check back next November.

One more thing: coaching changes can go both ways.

Felton Huggins at Kentucky State, DeSean Jackson at Delaware State, and Tremaine Jackson at Prairie View A&M are coaches that bigger programs might pursue. Some schools on this list could end up competing with others to hire the same coaches.

Preseason Predicted Order of Finish vs. Today: SWAC and MEAC

The SWAC's coaches and sports information directors voted in July. The MEAC's did the same.

With one week left, here is how those ballots look. "Now" is each team's place in its division or league by conference record through Nov. 14.

SWAC East

Alabama A&M: Preseason 5th; current 1st; conference record 5-2; up four positions.
Alabama State: Preseason 1st (16 first-place votes); current tied for 2nd; conference record 4-3; down one.
Jackson State: Preseason 2nd (7 first-place votes); current tied for 2nd; conference record 4-3; unchanged.
Bethune-Cookman: Preseason 3rd; current 4th; conference record 3-4; down one.
Florida A&M: Preseason 4th; current tied for 5th; conference record 2-5; down one.
Mississippi Valley State: Preseason 6th; current tied for 5th; conference record 2-5; up one.

One voter gave Alabama A&M a first-place vote in July. Just one. That person made a great prediction.

Alabama State got 16 first-place votes and was eliminated on Saturday, although the Hornets had the last word against Jackson State.

SWAC West

Prairie View A&M: Preseason 1st (19 first-place votes); current 1st; conference record 5-2; unchanged.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff: Preseason 6th; current tied for 2nd; conference record 4-3; up four.
Southern: Preseason 5th (1 first-place vote); current tied for 2nd; conference record 4-3; up three.
Alcorn State: Preseason 3rd (1 first-place vote); current tied for 2nd; conference record 4-3; up one.
Grambling State: Preseason 2nd (2 first-place votes); current 5th; conference record 3-4; down three.
Texas Southern: Preseason 4th (1 first-place vote); current 6th; conference record 2-5; down two.

The voters got the top pick right, but almost nothing else matched the final standings.

The teams picked fifth and sixth are now tied for second, while the teams picked second and fourth are at the bottom. Our preseason analytics also had Prairie View at No. 1, but the Panthers needed a midseason staff change and four straight wins to

MEAC

South Carolina State: Preseason 1st (5 first-place votes); current 1st, MEAC champion; conference record 4-0; unchanged.
N.C. Central: Preseason 2nd (1 first-place vote); current 2nd; conference record 3-1; unchanged.
Howard: Preseason 6th; current tied for 3rd; conference record 2-2; up three.
Delaware State: Preseason 3rd (2 first-place votes); current tied for 3rd; conference record 2-2; unchanged.
Morgan State: Preseason 4th; current 5th; conference record 1-3; down one.
Norfolk State: Preseason 5th (1 first-place vote); current 6th; conference record 0-4; down one.

The MEAC ballot was nearly perfect at the top, except for Howard.

Ted White's team was picked last, beat Alabama A&M in the opener, and can finish with a winning league record by beating Norfolk State.

Someone also gave Norfolk State a first-place vote. That prediction didn’t pan out.

HBCU Legends will have Part II of our Week 11 SMQB will the weekend's top performances and a closer look at the SWAC division races.

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