Week 10 of Dr. Cavil’s Inside the HBCU Sports Lab Major Division Top 7 was a busy one, with 5 of the 7 positions now occupied by a different team than the week before.
7 Grambling State Tigers ( 5-3, 3-2)
The Tigers of Grambling State University enter the rankings at No.7. Powered by its defense, Grambling was able to gut out a 13-10 win over Alabama A&M this past Saturday. The GSU defense piled up 8 sacks and held an Alabama A&M offense that had averaged 28.25 points per game over its previous 8 contests to just 10 points and 175 yards of offensive production. Winners of three straight games, Grambling will host Bethune-Cookman Saturday at 2 pm CST. The Tigers defeated the Wildcats 28-14 in their last meeting, which took place on October 28, 2023.
6 North Carolina Central Eagles ( 6-3, 1-1)
North Carolina Central moves up one spot to No.6 in this week’s poll rankings. The Eagles bounced back from their 35-26 Homecoming loss to Delaware State with a 35-14 win over Howard on Saturday. Quarterback Walker Harris completed 17 of 2mmlljklnyjkt htgml>jhhhhhhhh!!n x \9 passes for 321 yards and 4 touchdowns. Three of the scoring tosses went to Chauncey Spikes, who also caught 9 passes for a career best 208 yards. Saturday North Carolina Central welcomes the Spartans of Norfolk State to O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium. NCCU handily defeated NSU 37-10 in the last meeting between the two teams, which took place September 28, 2024.
5 Delaware State Hornets ( 6-3, 2-0)
Delaware State remains at No.5 in this week’s polls. In their most recent outing, the Hornets defeated Norfolk State 27-20 in the HBCU Battle of Legends in front of a crowd of 47,266 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA. The Hornets ran for 201, which was their second-lowest output of the season, with 109 of them coming from James Jones, who included a 76-yard touchdown scamper. Up next for the Hornets is a trip to Baltimore, MD Saturday to take on the Bears of Morgan State. MSU defeated DSU 36-28 in their meeting last season.
4 Prairie View A&M Panthers (6-3, 4-1)
Prairie View takes a descent down the rankings, falling from No.2 . In their most recent outing, the Panthers lost a close one at home to Alabama State, falling 31-28. Chase Bingmon and quarterback Cameron Peters each topped the century mark, with 118 and a score for Bingmon and 106 yards for Peters. The PVAMU signal caller also completed 16 of 34 passes for 189 yards and 3 touchdowns but also threw several to the Hornets, as they picked him off 4 times. The Panthers will face Alabama A&M on Saturday. Last season Prairie defeated Alabama A&M 41-20.
3 South Carolina State (6-3, 2-0)
The Bulldogs of South Carolina State moved up one position to No.3 in this week’s polls. South Carolina State defeated Morgan State 36-30 in their most recent outing. The Bulldogs held a commanding 33-10 lead heading into the fourth quarter, but Morgan outscored South Carolina State 20-3 in the period to put pressure on South Carolina State, who had to hang on to get the win. Winners of four straight games, the Bulldogs will host the Bison of Howard University on senior day. South Carolina State defeated 38-14 in their meeting last season.
2 Jackson State ( 6-2, 4-1)
Jackson State moved up to No.2 in this week’s rankings, up from No.3 in the previous week. The Tigers bounced back from their surprising loss to Grambling last week in the inaugural Las Vegas HBCU Classic by heading to Tallahassee, FL and laying a 41-16 beatdown on Florida A&M. The Tigers’ ruining game led the way with Ahmad Miller running for 165 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries and Donerio Davenport adding 112 yards and a score of his own on 16 carries. Altogether Jackson State racked up 392 yards on the ground. Up next on the Tigers’ docket is a trip to Itta Bend, MS to take on Mississippi Valley State, a team that Jackson State has defeated 29 consecutive times.
Alabama State Hornets (6-2, 4-1)
The Hornets of Alabama State remain at the zenith of Dr.Cavil’s Inside the HBCU Sports Lab Major Division Top 7 for the second consecutive week. The Hornets were down early 14-0 but were able to battle back to claim a 31-28 win. The Hornets’ defense forced four Prairie turnovers, while running back Jamarie Hostzclaw turned in a solid performance, running for 127 yards on 21 carries. Saturday Alabama State will host Texas Southern. The teams have not met since a 16-13 win by Alabama State on October 1, 2022.
Dropped out:
Texas Southern Tigers (5-4, 4-1)
Also receiving votes:
Bethune-Cookman Wildcats (5-4, 4-1) 148
Texas Southern Tigers (4-4, 3-2) 130
Howard Bison (4-5, 1-1) 113
