Week 2 of Dr. Cavil’s Inside the HBCU Sports Lab Major Division saw some new additions to the rankings as well as some movement amongst the incumbent teams.
7. Howard University Bison (1-1, 0-0)
The Bison fall a slot to no.7 in this week’s rankings. It was a rough day at the office for Larry Scott’s ballclub against Temple University. The Owls scored on their first three offensive possessions, jumping out to 21-0 lead on the way to a 55-7 drubbing of the Bison. This week Howard faces Morehouse in the HBCU NY Football Classic which will be played at MetLife Stadium.
6. Prairie View A&M Panthers ( 1-1, 0-0)
Prairie View stands pat at no.6 from last week’s poll rankings. Coming off a win against Texas Southern in the season opening win in the Labor Day Classic, the Panthers had a somewhat surprising stumble against the University of Texas- Rio Grande Valley. The Vaqueros took an early 17-0 lead, however PVAMU would chip away at the UTRGV lead before taking a 21-20 lead in the fourth quarter. The Vaqueros mounted a drive in the later portion of the contest that put them back in front for good at 27-21. Prairie View face Rice this week. The Owls edged the Panthers 31-28 in their last meeting August 25, 2018.
5. Alabama A&M Bulldogs (1-1, 0-0)
Alabama A&M enters the rankings at no.5 after being unranked the previous week. The Bulldogs notched the first win of the Sam Shade era with a 41-31 win over Alcorn State in the 15th Louis Crews Classic on Saturday night. Quarterback Cornelious Brown IV had himself a ball game, completing 25 of 34 passes for 260 yards and 3 touchdowns, while also running for 69 yards and a pair of scores on 7 carries. Saturday the Bulldogs head to Nashville to face Tennessee State in the first installment of Legacy Series.
4. North Carolina Central Eagles (1-2, 0-0)
Coach Trei Oliver’s slides down a spot to number 4 in this week’s rankings. The Eagles took it on the beak Saturday, as they were on the business end of a 54-6 beating st the hands of Old Dominion. North Carolina Central will look to rebound from the loss on Saturday when they host Fayetteville State. The two schools have not met since September 1, 2012, a 54-31 win for the Eagles.
3. Alabama State Hornets (1-1,0-0)
After being unranked the previous Alabama makes it way onto the polls at no.3. Saturday the Hornets defense forced 4 turnovers as they defeated Southern 30-7 to get the first victory of the young season. Andrew Body turned in another strong performance, completing 16 of his 25 pass attempts for 198 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Saturday Alabama State returns home to face in state foe Miles College of the SIAC. The Hornets defeated the Golden Bears 24-3 in their meeting a season ago.
2. South Carolina State (1-1,0-0)
The 2024 MEAC Champions are ranked 2nd in this week’s rankings. Following their season opening 16-15 win over Wofford, the Bulldogs, who competed hard, were defeated 38-10 by the #10 South Carolina Gamecocks out of the SEC. SCSU looks to get back to winning ways when they play host to former MEAC opponent Bethune-Cookman. The schools last met September 10, 2022, a 33-9 victory for the Bulldogs.
1. Jackson State Tigers (1-1,0-0)
The Tigers of Jackson State remain at the top spot in the Week 2 Poll. In their most recent outing Jackson State headed to Hattiesburg, MS to face Southern Miss but were defeated 38-20, ending the Tigers’ 11-game winning streak dating back to September 21, 2024 , a surprising 41-20 loss to Grambling. Up next for Coach T.C. Taylor’s team is the W.C. Gorden Classic , in which they will face the SIAC’s Tuskegee University.
