25th John Merritt Classic: Preview and Prediction

Saturday the Tigers of Tennessee State and the Delta Devils of Mississippi Valley State will clash in the 25th John Merritt Classic. This will be the first meeting between the schools since the 21st John Merritt Classic, matchup that TSU won 26-20.  Mississippi Valley State Coach Kendrick Wade’s Mississippi Valley State team is coming off a 1-10 season, with their lone victory being a 42-17 thrashing of fellow SWAC cellar dweller, Arkansas Pine Bluff. Last season the Delta Devils ranked at the bottom of the Southwestern Athletic Conference in points…

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TC Taylor names starter for Jackson State’s Week 1 matchup

Earlier Monday on the SWAC Media Call, Jackson State head coach TC Taylor said Jacobian Morgan would be the Tigers’ starting quarterback for their Week 1 opener against Louisiana-Monroe.  Last season the Syracuse transfer appeared in six games for the Tigers, completing 83 of 123 passes for 842 yards, 10 touchdowns, and an interception. His best statistical effort was 26-36 for 373 yards and 5 touchdowns in a 40-14 beatdown of Arkansas Pine Bluff on October 28.  The Thursday night meeting will be the second between the two schools. In…

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2024 MEAC/SWAC Challenge: Preview and Prediction

This Saturday former MEAC foes Norfolk State and Florida A&M will renew football acquaintances in the 2024 MEAC/SWAC Challenge.  The two schools last met on September 28, 2019, in a hotly contested matchup in which FAMU was able to escape Dick Price Stadium with a 30-28 win.  The Spartans went 3-8 last season, dropping 5 of their last 6 games, and come into the matchup looking to get not only a potential statement win that could springboard the Spartans into a winning 2024 campaign. Norfolk State has not finished a…

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HBCU Go Sports Kickoff Show airs Saturday

This Saturday will see the airing of the HBCU Go Sports Kickoff Show, presented by Proctor& Gamble. Hosted by broadcasting legend Charlie Neal, the three-hour extravaganza is in its third year and equips HBCU fans with in-depth analysis, player profiles, interviews, and game highlights.  Covering all HBCU conferences, segments include:  The HBCU Go Sports kickoff show will air from noon to 3 pm EST. 

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Jackson State’s Robert McDaniel named to Reese’s Senior Bowl Watch List

title image via Jackson State Football Courtesy of Jackson State Athletics Jackson State senior defensive back Robert McDaniel was named to the 2025 Senior Bowl Watch List released on Wednesday. McDaniel, a transfer from Alcorn State, totaled 30 tackles for the Braves as a defensive back in 2023 with 21 solo stops. He also recorded a pair of tackles for loss. McDaniel accounted for six turnovers last season causing three fumbles and was among the league leaders with three interceptions. He also recorded five pass breakups. After nearly eight months of tape study and…

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FAMU names starting quarterback

title image via FAMU Athletics When asked if he has named a starting quarterback, in his Week 0 press conference, FAMU coach James Colzie said, “It looks like we have. We will meet with both guys today and then going forward we will have our guy who’s number one and we’ll have our guy who’s number two. That number one guy will be Daniel Richardson, who emerged from the seven quarterbacks on the FAMU roster to assume the starting job. Richardson is a Florida Atlantic transfer who appeared in 11…

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Myles Crawley named to Urban Edge Network HBCU+ FCS National Player of the Year watch list

Courtesy of Curtis Ford, Grambling State Athletics Grambling State’s Myles Crawley added another preseason accolade this week as he was named to the Urban Edge Network HBCU+ FCS National Player of the Year watch list.  Crawley, who was picked as the preseason SWAC Offensive Player of the Year and is on the Walter Payton Award preseason watch list, had a remarkable 2023 season at GSU. The Redshirt-Senior from Lithonia, Ga. threw from 2,303 yards and 16 touchdowns while completing 60.1% of his passes (197-of-328). He was the first Grambling State quarterback…

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Grambling’s Myles Crawley and Tahj Martin garner BOXTOROW Preseason HBCU All-America honors

title image via Grambling Football The preseason accolades continue to roll in for the Grambling State University football program as Myles Crawley and Tahj Martin landed BOXTOROW Preseason HBCU All-America recognition on Tuesday.  Courtesy of Curtis Ford, Grambling State Athletics Crawley, who was picked as the preseason SWAC Offensive Player of the Year and is on the Walter Payton Award preseason watch list, had a remarkable 2023 season at GSU. The Redshirt-Senior from Lithonia, Ga. threw from 2,303 yards and 16 touchdowns while completing 60.1% of his passes (197-of-328). He was the first…

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Jackson State’s Fabian McCray named to HBCU+ FCS Player of the Year Watch List

Courtesy of Jackson State Fabian McCray was one of 20 players named to the inaugural Urban Edge Network HBCU+ FCS National Player of the Year Award Preseason Watch List, released by the organization on Thursday morning. McCray hauled in 41 receptions for 584 yards and four touchdowns including a season-long 47-yard reception. He recorded a season-high eight receptions for 79 yards against Alabama State, and another seven against UAPB. McCray recorded a season-high 109 yards against Alcorn State with a pair of touchdowns. He was named Preseason All-SWAC earlier this month before…

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UAPB Football named Tom Manley Running Backs Coach, Special Teams Coordinator

Courtesy of UAPB Athletics  The head football coach at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Alonzo Hampton, has announced the hiring of Tom Manley as the running backs coach and special teams coordinator. Coach Manley joins the Golden Lions staff after spending the last two seasons as the Offensive Coordinator at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania.  During his time at Lincoln, Coach Manley engineered an offense that set 11 school records in 2023. He coached both the CIAA offensive player of the year, sophomore quarterback Isiah Freeman, and HBCU Americans…

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