HBCU Football Week 3 SMQB: South Carolina State Surges, Prairie View Faces Questions, MEAC Rises

HOUSTON – Sunday morning brings Week 3 of HBCU football into focus: South Carolina State is rumbling. Prairie View A&M is stumbling. Two MEAC teams are rising this week, but the psyche of the SWAC's preseason favorites may hinge on key Week 4 and Week 5 divisional matchups.

The questions extend beyond the scoreboard. At Prairie View A&M and Florida A&M, the head coaches pointed to what happened during the week to explain what went wrong Saturday.

Welcome to Sunday Morning Quarterback. Let's review the games, performances, and decisions that stood out.

Chennis Berry coaching his South Carolina State Bulldogs against Virginia State in Orangeburg, South Carolina. The Bulldogs defeated the Trojans, 66-0. | South Carolina State Football

South Carolina State Made a Statement. So Did Berry.

South Carolina State's 20-17 victory at Furman was a statement win for the unbeaten Bulldogs, who improved to 4-0.

Chennis Berry's team struck on its opening play when Keely Watson connected with DJ Mautsby for a 65-yard touchdown. The Bulldogs built a 17-3 halftime lead, then held off Furman's fourth-quarter rally to finish the job in Greenville, South Carolina.

This win versus Furman has strengthened South Carolina State's early-season resume. More nonconference tests remain against Bethune-Cookman, The Citadel, and Charleston Southern before the Bulldogs begin defending their MEAC crown.

What does the future hold for Berry after this season? Winning a third consecutive MEAC title and making another Celebration Bowl appearance may put him on the FBS radar as opportunities open up.

Coach Tremaine Jackson at a on-field postgame interview with HBCU Legends. Sept. 6, 2026; Panther Stadium in Prairie View, Texas. | Kyle T. Mosley, HBCU Legends

Prairie View A&M's Problems Began Before Saturday

Prairie View A&M fell 31-10 to Stephen F. Austin before 6,794 spectators at Panther Stadium. The Lumberjacks led 24-0 at halftime, and Panthers coach Tremaine Jackson pointed directly to his team's preparation.

"Yeah, we got to get in and get some life, man," Jackson said during a halftime interview. "It's like our week that we had is starting to show up today, and that's normally what happens when you don't have a good week, you don't have a good game, and so we got to get in and fix it as coaches, and hopefully we can get some started in the second half."

The Panthers struggled to establish an offensive rhythm. Starting quarterback Tevin Carter completed 9 of 13 passes for 109 yards. Backup Kaeden Smith completed 5 of 10 passes for 69 yards and added a late rushing touchdown.

Carter hasn't been able to post solid numbers since the Panthers' 41st Labor Day Classic victory over Texas Southern. There he threw for 217 yards and 4 touchdowns, including rushing for a score.

SFA finished with a 420-267 advantage in total offense. The Panthers' defensive concerns extend beyond one afternoon: In their three losses, they surrendered 49 points to Tarleton State, 44 to Baylor, and 31 to Stephen F. Austin. That is 124 points, or 41.3 per game.

Someone must check on the Panthers' defense. It needs a shot of B12. The Panthers need answers, and quickly.

Grambling State returns from a bye to face Prairie View A&M in the State Fair Classic in Week 4. It's a pivotal game for both programs, and the winner will likely control the SWAC West title race. If either the Panthers or Tigers slip, Alcorn State, Southern, and Texas Southern are waiting to pounce and take over as divisional leaders.

If the recent showings against FCS opponents are any indication of Prairie View A&M's status against elite talent, the Panthers have to look in the mirror and assess honestly.

Are these Panthers ready to fight for another division title and a SWAC championship? Can they build a team that can return to the Celebration Bowl?

Saturday will offer a better answer than any preseason projection.

Sunday Morning Quarterback - HBCU Football | HBCU LEGENDS

Florida A&M Lets a Late Lead Slip Away

For a moment, Florida A&M appeared to have found its escape route.

With a little more than five minutes remaining, running back Jaquan Lee caught a short pass from third-string quarterback Armond Parker and turned it into an 80-yard touchdown at Bragg Memorial Stadium. The Rattlers rallied to a 26-20 lead, sending much of the 12,399-strong crowd into celebration.

Then came the extra point attempt.

Tennessee State blocked the kick, and Syncere Safeeullah returned it for two points. Suddenly, Florida A&M led 26-22, and a touchdown could put the Tigers ahead.

"I'm sick and tired of giving kids chance after chance after chance."

Head Coach Quinn Gray was blunt about his players following @FAMU_FB's 29-26 loss against @TSUTigersFB. pic.twitter.com/QXdNuHIw9C
— Taylor Viles (@TVilesWCTV) September 20, 2026

Quarterback Daylin Lee led Tennessee State into the red zone. After a holding penalty nullified a touchdown, he connected with running back Brenton Paul on a 20-yard scoring pass. The Tigers won 29-26 for their seventh consecutive victory in the series.

Florida A&M head coach Quinn Gray delivered a pointed assessment afterward.

"There's no way you can do the things during the week that you do and expect to show up on Saturdays," Gray said in a postgame interview. "We got to fix that as coaches, and we're gonna fix it because we're going to play the kids that actually want to be here and actually wanna do things the right way. I'm sick and tired of giving kids chance after chance after chance. I know I might get in trouble for saying what I'm saying, but at the end of the day, these kids have our livelihoods in their hands, and at the end of the day, they've got to perform when their time comes. What happens is they get in practice, and they don't think it's important, and it's more important than they actually think. And we're trying to get them to realize that, but at the end of the day, it's going to take time for us to get them going where we want them to go."

Practice. Yes, we're talking about practice.

Somewhere Allen Iverson is cringing. Games are often won and lost in the details coaches emphasize during, you guessed it, practice.

Both Florida A&M and Prairie View A&M are 1-3. For Jackson's Panthers, the State Fair Classic is a grit check for the D.O.G.s in purple and gold.

Nate Rembert scores a touchdown against Tuskegee. | JSU Athletics

Jared Lockhart and Nate Rembert Are BALLERS!

QB Jared Lockhart. BALLER. WR Nate Rembert. BALLER. Even Jared's younger brother, Jaden Lockhart, is a BALLER.

Jackson State led Tuskegee 10-0 at halftime before pulling away for a 41-7 victory. Lockhart completed 21 of 30 passes for 376 yards and four touchdowns, adding another productive performance to his early-season resume.

Rembert is a weekly highlight-film candidate. He spins, jukes out of tackles, and turns routine touches into must-see plays. Give him a more recognizable name in the national media, and he'd be an ESPN top-plays regular.

Black College Football Player of the Year Spotlight:

Jared Lockhart, QB, Jackson State

Jared delivered a standout performance in Jackson State’s 41-7 win over Tuskegee, completing 21-of-30 passes for 376 yards and 4 touchdowns. pic.twitter.com/Koq5zYeMIp
— BlackCollegeFootball (@BCFHOF) September 20, 2026

T.C. Taylor's Tigers enter the Boom Box Classic against Southern with momentum. The Jaguars, meanwhile, have an offensive development worth watching.

Southern improved to 2-2 under first-year head coach Marshall Faulk with a 50-31 victory over Louisiana Christian. Fred McNair took over play-calling duties from Ken Merchant, a change that could matter as conference play begins.

#Southern head coach Marshall Faulk explains why he moved Fred McNair to offensive playcaller over Ken Merchant.

With McNair calling the plays against Louisiana Christian, Southern scored 50 points and put up 539 yards of total offense.#SWAC @LAFirstNews pic.twitter.com/sVl9wuAcF3
— Brendon Fairbairn (@FairbairnTV) September 20, 2026

Faulk described the approach as a "collaborative effort" and referenced McNair's "Mississippian drawl" in discussing communication with the quarterbacks.

Hanging a 50-burger is an encouraging sign. Sustaining that production against Jackson State is the next test.

Division II: McGirt Classic & Kentucky State Strengthens Its Case

Kentucky State may be the top team in HBCU Division II right now. Saturday's 21-17 victory over Saginaw Valley State helped coach Felton Huggins make that claim.

Johnson C. Smith needed a late touchdown to finish off Fayetteville State, 20-14, in another important CIAA matchup.

The game also offered an early look at the CIAA's partnership with Urban Edge Network. The broadcast drew 52,311 viewers, according to figures UEN Chief Revenue Officer Hardy Pelt provided directly to HBCU Legends. Pelt explained how UEN measures the viewing activity:

"The digital platform uses the VAST measurement ad-delivery data as an indicator of active viewing," said Hardy Pelt, Urban Edge Network's chief revenue officer. "When a viewer is actively watching a stream and an ad opportunity is triggered, the VAST workflow records the resulting ad request/impression activity. By aggregating these events across a broadcast, we can quantify the active viewing activity associated with the stream. This measurement comes from the advertising delivery layer and is separate from Uplynk's native player or playback analytics."

Elsewhere, Benedict needed overtime to defeat Fort Valley State. Morehouse beat Lane 44-0, while Virginia Union, Edward Waters, Miles, and Albany State also collected victories.

Norfolk State running back. | NSU Athletics

Norfolk State Wins the Battle of the Bay

Michael Vick learned last season that coaching requires adjustments from everyone, including the head coach. Norfolk State's 42-21 victory over Hampton offered another sign of progress.

"Not only am I changing the culture, they're changing the culture for themselves," Vick said in a postgame interview.

He added: "It was a good win for us. I'm proud of the players and coaches. We've got to keep moving forward."

Michael Vick and Norfolk State earn 42-21 win in Battle of the Bay at Dick Price Stadium. The win was Vick's first over a Division I program in his 16 games as NSU head coach.

RECAP: pic.twitter.com/eTr8HLwopw
— Craig Loper II (@CraigLoperWAVY) September 20, 2026

Quarterback Deljay Bailey completed 17 of 25 passes for 184 yards. His decision-making kept the offense moving, and the Spartans added 240 rushing yards. Running back Daniels led the ground game with 102 yards on 22 carries. Rayon Moore Jr. and Bailey contributed rushing touchdowns.

Return specialist Jason Wonodi supplied the fireworks. The game's MVP scored on punt returns of 76 and 57 yards.

He's an electric player! That is how a rivalry game becomes a statement.

Damon Wilson's Bears Break Through

Norfolk State was not the only MEAC team celebrating a rivalry victory.

Damon Wilson and Morgan State ended a 17-year drought against Towson with a 41-26 win in the Battle for Greater Baltimore. A crowd of 10,900 watched the Bears improve to 3-1.

"From a player standpoint, I think the guys played well today defensively," Wilson said. "In the red zone, they did a really good job offensively. We showed some of our playmakers today, and it was really good to see. And special teams played sound — special teams with a kickoff return and also being able to block a field goal. So I'm really excited about the guys' performance."

Kudos to Wilson and the Bears. Their next test is Villanova on Oct. 3.

South Carolina State has set an early standard, and Norfolk State and Morgan State are adding reasons to watch the MEAC. In the SWAC, the coming matchups will begin separating preseason expectations from conference results. The SIAC and CIAA races are taking shape, too.

For Prairie View A&M, the most urgent question is simple: Will a better week of preparation produce a better Saturday?

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