LUT WILLIAMS BCSP Editor
are on the road at No. 7 Miami Saturday, one of seven SWAC teams and three from the MEAC facing off against tough FBS opponents.
Six of the 12 teams in the SWAC and half the six teams in the MEAC are on the road this Saturday facing formidable FBS opponents.
Perhaps no one of the six SWAC teams has a bigger task than Grambling State (1-0) that goes to Columbus, Ohio to face FBS No. 1 Ohio State (1-0) coming off a big 14-7 home win Saturday over former No. 1 Texas. Grambling ran past NAIA member Langston 55-7 Saturday.
The 3:30 p.m. contest will be carried live on the Big Ten Network.
Bethune-Cookman (0-1) plays at preseason No. 10 and now No. 7 Miami (1-0) who knocked off No. 6 Notre Dame 27-24 Sunday. B-CU lost Friday at former Florida A&M head coach Willie Simmons’ debut at Florida International, 42-9. The ACC Network will carry the 7 p.m. game.
Texas Southern (0-1), coming off a lastsecond 22-21 loss to rival Prairie View A&M Saturday, travels out West to,faceCalifornia (10) who knocked off Oregon State 34-15 Saturday. ESPN+ will carry the 3 p.m. game.
Defending SWAC champion Jackson State (1-0) got a 28-14 home win over Hampton Saturday and stays in state to face Southern Miss (0-1) Saturday (4 p.m., ESPN+). Southern Miss fell to Mississippi State, 34-17.
Florida A&M (0-1), who lost 10-9 to, Howard at Miami’s Orange Blossom Classic Saturday, and Florida Atlantic (0-1), that lost 39-7 at Maryland, face off in Boca Raton, Fla. (6 p.m., ESPN+).
Mississippi Valley State (0-1), coming off a tough 34-29 loss at home vs. Southern, plays at 2-0 Tarleton State (6 p.m., ESPN+). Tarleton State has posted wins over Portland State (42-0) and Army (30-27 in 2OT).
The other non-conference games for SWAC teams are FCS affairs with Prairie View A&M (1-0) hosting Texas Grand Valley State (1-0) at 6 p.m. on SWAC TV and Arkansas-Pine Bluff (0-1), after its 67-7 loss at Texas Tech Saturday, playing at Central Arkansas (0-1), who lost 61-6 to Missouri.
SWAC conference play has Alabama State (0-1) facing 1-1 Southern at 6 p.m. on ESPN+ andAlcorn State (0-1) playing at 0-1 Alabama A&M at 6 p.m. on HBCUGo.tv.
The MEAC teams facing FBS opponents are Howard (1-0) traveling to Philadelphia (2 p.m., ESPN+) to face 1-0 Temple, N. C. Central (1-1) in Norfolk, Va. (6 p.m., ESPN+) to take on Old Dominion (0-1) and S. C. State (1-0) on the road at 1-0 South Carolina in Columbia, S.C. (7 p.m., SEC Network and ESPN+).
Morgan State (0-1) hosts Towson (1-0) in a Baltimore FCS Battle at 7 p.m. (ESPN+).
Tennessee State (1-0) got a close 24-21 win over North Carolina A&T Saturday in head coach Reggie Barlow’s debut. TSU is hosting 10-time FCS national champion, de-fending FCS national champion and preseasonFCS No. 1 North Dakota State Saturday (1:30 p.m., ESPN+). NC A&T (0-1) travels to Orlando to take on Central Florida (7 p.m., ESPN+).
Norfolk State had new head coach Michael Vick’s debut ruined last week in a 27-7 loss to Towson. The Spartans will try to get Vick’s first win when they face CIAA rival Virginia State (1-0) at 6 p.m. (ESPN+).
CIAA contender J. C. Smith (1-0) hosts Div. II No. 12 and 2024 D2 national runners-up Valdosta State (1-0) at 12 noon in Charlotte.