HBCU Football Week 4: SC State, PVAMU, JSU Show Grit; NC A&T Upsets Ranked Foe | SMQB

HBCU Football's Sunday Morning Quarterback in Week 4 by Kyle T. Mosley examines South Carolina State, Prairie View, and Jackson State's gritty victories, and NC A&T's huge upset of Rhode Island.

Sunday Morning Quarterback (SMQB) presented by HBCU Legends' Kyle T. Mosley | Credit: SC State, PVAMU Football, and NC A&T Athletics

HOUSTON -- The Week 4 storylines in HBCU football are compelling mostly because we learned a lot about several teams, especially those that delivered passionate comebacks and gritty performances.

The coaches also shared how their personalities shaped the young men they lead.  In Chennis Berry’s case, he also spoke about his mother’s legacy in a postgame interview.

Chennis Berry at the South Carolina State vs. Bethune-Cookman game. | South Carolina State Athletics

SMQB Power Ranking, Top 5s

Division I

1. South Carolina State
2. Prairie View A&M
3. Jackson State
4. Alabama State
5. Alcorn State

Undefeated Division 1 HBCUs after Week 4:

- South Carolina State (5-0)
- Jackson State (4-0) pic.twitter.com/HXttaK0FHs

— LIGHT ON COLLEGE SPORTS (@LightOnSports) September 27, 2026

Division II

1. Kentucky State
2. VA Union
3. Johnson C. Smith
4. Edward Waters
5. Tuskegee

PVAMU Celebrates State Fair Classic victory. | PVAMU Athletics

SWAC Report

Prairie View A&M won its eighth out of the last ten State Fair Classic games against Grambling State.  Saturday’s 21-14 victory was close, but it said a lot about the direction of both programs.  

Jackson State QB Jared Lockhart runs an RPO play and tosses a 70-yard TD pass to Nate Rembert.

Southern DB just nowhere close on defense pic.twitter.com/3QzxgIMT1W

— Toyloy Brown III (@TJ3rd_) September 26, 2026

Key Performers/Notable Stats

• SWAC QBs threw only three interceptions in the six games played in Week 4: Quad Brown (AAMU), Aaron Frye (ASU), and Armond Parker (FAMU) each had one INT in their respective games.  A pretty clean day for the passers.
• Alcorn State QB Jaylon Tolbert has 1,471 yards, 13 TDs, and 7 INTs.  
• Quad Brown and Jared Lockhart each have 11 TDs.
• Jackson RB Nate Blount is averaging 102.8 yards; Southern RB Trey Holly leads the SWAC with 438 rushing yards and 5 TDs.
• Wideouts Nate Rembert (JSU) and Jarel Williams (AAMU) are averaging 80.5 yards and 79.0 yards, respectively.
• Three wide receivers have four touchdowns this season: Jarel Williams (AAMU), Demetric Whitlock (UAPB), and Tyree Kelly (Alcorn St.)
• Leading tackler: D.J. Barber (AAMU) with 50 total (32 assisted and 18 solo)

Data from the SWAC Statistics.

Doug Williams at Grambling State University | Credit: GSU Athletics

Where’s the next Great Grambling QB?

First, Grambling: ESPN analyst and Black College Football Hall of Famer Jay Walker made an astute observation about the Tigers’ program.  Where is the heralded quarterback GSU was once known for in Black College football?  James “Shack” Harris, Doug Williams, and Bruce Eugene are a few names synonymous with the prototype Black College quarterback position.  

Harris and Williams were stars in college and the NFL.  Williams won Super Bowl XXII and the MVP trophy against the Denver Broncos.   Harris became the first Black quarterback to start a season for an NFL team and win an MVP trophy at the 1974 NFL Pro Bowl.

Since the numerous records set by four-time SWAC champion and now quarterbacks coach Bruce Eugene, Grambling State University's quarterback has been a mystery.  Clemente Gordon won a SWAC championship for the G-Men in 1989.  

RJ Johnson III didn't play because of an illness, so Coach Joseph turned to Jacobe Robinson and Ashton Frye.  It’s been decades since a truly stellar quarterback has emerged at Grambling.  You'd think under coaches Fobbs, Jackson, Graves, or Joseph, at least one name would have stabilized the position and earned a spot in the pantheon of great Grambling State passers—hopefully one day.

Alcorn State's Carl McDonald Jr. (22) waves goodbye to UAPB fans after Alcorn State won the Southern Heritage Classic 53-51 in double overtime at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tenn., on September 12, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Who’s the best in the West?

1. Prairie View A&M
2. Alcorn State
3. Grambling State

At this point in the season, Texas Southern, UAPB, and Southern will be on the outside looking in to see if the Panthers, Braves, and G-Men can win the western division.  Consider this: Southern's Marshall Faulk recently assumed the reins in Baton Rouge; what does the future hold for Cris Dishman and Alonzo Hampton?  

The TSU Tigers have been plays away from winning in the SWAC West since Dishman’s arrival three seasons ago.  Close losses and strange defeats have defined the Texas Southern football program over the years.  Dishman is getting there.  Will the powers that be in Third Ward Houston remain patient?  We shall see.

Jackson State running back Tyler Arrington (12) runs the ball during the game against Southern at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson, Miss., on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

SWAC East

1. Jackson State won its eighth straight game in the Boom Box Classic.  Southern couldn't respond to the Tigers.  Southern did not quit.  Still, could a better team win at The Vet without making mistakes?
2. Alabama State didn’t miss a beat without Andrew Body in the lineup.  Freshman quarterback Aaron Frye led the Hornets to a 41-15 victory against Mississippi Valley State.
3. Alabama A&M defeated a FAMU team for the first time since 1979.  Could the Bulldogs sneak up on JSU and ASU for the SWAC East title?
4. Florida A&M: Quinn Gray Sr. - “We’re not a good team right now.”  The loss of Isaiah Knowles is glaring.

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MEAC Report

South Carolina State: Chennis Berry admitted in his postgame interview that the Bulldogs responded well to adversity…as has he.  HBCU GO’s Lawrencia Moten, who recently lost her father, spoke to Coach Berry about holding up after the death of his mother, Valerie Berry.  With tears in his eyes, Berry delivered an emotional tribute to the family’s matriarch.  Her funeral services will be this week in Ohio.  

The Bulldogs won 31-21.

• Towson may want to stop scheduling MEAC opponents.  Morgan State defeated them last week.  On Saturday, Delaware State downed them 33-28.
• The Michael Vick era at Norfolk State posted its first road victory by defeating Chicago State, 43-20.
• NCCU lost to East Carolina, 42-9.
• Morgan State and Howard were on a bye week.

CAA

North Carolina A&T pulled off the day's biggest upset, defeating No. 21 Rhode Island, 22-18.  “But so much you can take,” A&T head coach Shawn Gibbs said about losing games.  The victory was a big one for the Aggies.  

Division II

• The SIAC's Kentucky State is a darn good team.  The Thorobreds posted a 24-16 victory against Albany State, its first against the Golden Rams.
• Morehouse scored 22 fourth-quarter points but was eventually defeated by Edward Waters, 46-38.
• Tuskegee’s win against Benedict has thrown the SIAC into semi-chaos.   KSU, EWU, and Tuskegee lead the conference 2-0. Watch out for Central and Miles; they are sitting at 2-1 but have a favorable outlook in the coming weeks.
• The Big 3 lead the CIAA with undefeated conference records: VA Union, Virginia State, and Johnson C. Smith.  Surprisingly, Shaw is 2-1 and 4-1 overall.  Not bad for a program in desperate need of financial resources.

WEEK 4 HBCU FOOTBALL SCORES - 2026 | HBCU LEGENDS

HBCU FOOTBALL - WEEK 4 SCOREBOARD

Division I

• Jackson State 35, Southern 17
• Alabama A&M 40, Florida A&M 21 (att. 11,380)
• Alabama State 41, Mississippi Valley State 15
• Prairie View A&M 21, Grambling State 14 (State Fair Classic)
• Alcorn State 43, Texas Southern 40 (OT)
• S.C. State 31, Bethune-Cookman 21
• Norfolk State 43, Chicago State 20
• Delaware State 33, Towson 28
• N.C. A&T 22, Rhode Island 18
• Campbell 44, Hampton 20
• East Carolina 42, N.C. Central 9 (att. 43,772)
• Rutgers 58, Howard 7 (Fri., att. 34,466)

Division II and NAIA

• Virginia State 49, Winston-Salem State 19
• Bowie State 34, Elizabeth City State 23
• Virginia Union 14, Fayetteville State 0
• Shaw 28, Livingstone 27 (OT)
• Lincoln (Pa.) 20, Bluefield State 7
• Kentucky State 24, Albany State 16
• Edward Waters 46, Morehouse 38
• Central State 38, Lane 6
• Miles 25, Savannah State 17
• Warner (Fla.) 32, Clark Atlanta 10
• West Georgia 49, Fort Valley State 7
• Arkansas Baptist 24, Langston 9
• Cumberland (Tenn.) 41, Florida Memorial 14
• Tuskegee 20, Benedict 17 (Thu.)

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