NORFOLK, Va. – Conference play begins in earnest this week for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), and things kick off on Thursday with the first ESPNU contest of the season – where Delaware State will hit the road to face two-time defending MEAC champion North Carolina A&T State at BB&T Stadium on 7:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPNU, and all three of Saturday's contests will be live on ESPN3 via the MEAC Digital Network.
 
   
The Hornets are coming off a 24-9 loss to Howard this past weekend to drop their conference opener. Preseason Defensive Player of the Year Brian Cavicante logged 12 tackles, a sack, and a blocked kick in the loss. Meanwhile, North Carolina A&T State is coming off its bye week, sitting at No. 17 in the STATS FCS Top 25 poll. The Aggies won the last meeting between the two schools 34-6 last season, and they lead the all-time series between the schools 24-22-1.

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Howard is coming off its first win of the season, 24-9 over Delaware State. Bethune-Cookman won its second game of the season against the SWAC with a 22-6 win over Mississippi Valley State this past Saturday. Bethune-Cookman has won five of the last eight meetings between the two schools, although Howard has taken the last two, including last year's 41-35 thriller in the Circle City Classic. Howard quarterback Caylin Newton threw for 301 yards and two scores and ran for 40 yards on 14 carries in that contest, while receiver Jequez Ezzard caught eight passes for 149 yards and a touchdown. Akevious Williams threw for 212 yards and a pair of scores, and Jimmie Robinson had three catches for 50 yards and a touchdown and became the first Wildcat to run two kickoffs back for touchdowns. Robinson also set program single-game record for kick return yards with 202 in last year's meeting, which broke the previous record of 165 set by Chris Stewart in 1986.

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Florida A&M renewed its rivalry with Southern with a 27-21 win over the Jaguars this past Saturday. Quarterback Ryan Stanley threw for a career-high 355 yards and became the program career leader in completions. Stanley was named MEAC Offensive Player of the Week for his play, and sophomore wideout Xavier Smith had nine receptions for a career-high 201 yards and a touchdown. Juwan Carter threw for 243 yards and two touchdowns in the Spartans' 56-21 loss to No. 8 Montana State this past weekend while running back Kevin Johnson added eight carries for 112 yards and a touchdown. His 84-yard touchdown run was the longest in school history, and Johnson was named MEAC Co-Rookie of the Week for his play.

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The Eagles routed Elizabeth City State 45-7 this past Saturday for their first win of the season. Davius Richard threw for 208 yards and three scores, Isaiah Totten ran for 77 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, and Darius Royster paced the defense with eight tackles (3 TFL), two sacks, and a forced fumble. Morgan State is still searching for its first win, after losing 52-21 to Army this past weekend. Rico Kennedy led the defense with 12 tackles (1.5 TFL), 1.5 sacks, and a forced fumble. DeAndre Harris threw for 230 yards and a pair of scores, while Manasseh Bailey had six receptions for 121 yards and two touchdowns. The two schools have matched up well in recent years, with the Bears winning four of the last seven meetings. However, the Eagles have won the last two meetings, including the last one, 21-17 back in 2016. No team in NCAA Div. I football has more takeaways than North Carolina Central; the Eagles top both the FCS and FBS ranks with 13 turnovers gained, including MEAC-highs of seven interceptions (third in FCS) and six fumble recoveries (fourth in FCS).