MEAC Football Weekly Notes | MEAC Football Weekly Coaches Video Conference
NORFOLK, Va., Sept. 1, 2021 – Following North Carolina Central’s electrifying 23-14 victory over Alcorn State in the Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge in Atlanta last Saturday, the remaining five Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) teams now look to carry that momentum over into their respective season-openers this weekend.
This weekend’s five-game non-conference slate includes games against teams from the Central Intercollegiate Association (CIAA), the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), the Mid-American Conference (MAC) and the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), with two games on MEAC home turf and three on the road.
Here’s a glimpse at the games on tap for Saturday, Sept. 4:
Howard Bison (0-0, 0-0 MEAC) vs. Richmond Spiders (0-0, 0-0 CAA)
Saturday, Sept 4 • Robins Stadium • Richmond, Va. • 2 p.m.
TV: FloFootball – Live Stats
The Bison will kick off their first full season of the Larry Scott era with a non-conference battle against the Richmond Spiders in Richmond, Va. on Saturday. In the shortened spring seasons for both teams, Howard went 0-2, while the Spiders went 3-1. Both teams will be looking to defy their conference preseason predictions – the Bison were tabbed No. 6 in the MEAC, while the Spiders were picked No. 4 in the CAA. This will be the second meeting between the two programs.
Delaware State Hornets (0-0, 0-0 MEAC) vs. Bowie State Bulldogs (0-0, 0-0 CIAA)
Saturday, Sept. 4 • Alumni Stadium • Dover, Del. • 4 p.m.
TV: MEAC Digital Network / ESPN+ - Live Stats
The Hornets will begin their 2021 campaign at home against one of the nation’s top NCAA Div. II programs in Bowie State. The defending CIAA champion Bulldogs went 11-1 in 2019 and are ranked No. 18 in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Div. II Preseason Poll. Yet history is on the side of the Hornets, who hold a 3-1 record over Bowie State all-time, winning the last three meetings by a combined score of 101-17. In the spring, the Hornets went 2-3, while Bowie State opted out of competing.
Morgan State Bears (0-0, 0-0 MEAC) vs. Towson Tigers (0-0, 0-0 CAA)
Saturday, Sept. 4 • Earl Banks Field at Hughes Stadium • Baltimore, Md. • 4 p.m.
TV: MEAC Digital Network / ESPN+ - Live Stats
Tabbed “The Battle for Greater Baltimore,” crosstown foes Morgan State and Towson will renew their rivalry on the Bears’ home turf this weekend, the first of seven meetings between the two through the 2027 season. Morgan State and Towson have faced each other 25 times previously, with the Tigers holding a 19-6 advantage. The Bears won the first three games against Towson, with the Tigers winning the last three.
Norfolk State Spartans (0-0, 0-0 MEAC) vs. Toledo Rockets (0-0, 0-0 MAC)
Saturday, Sept. 4 • Glass Bowl Stadium • Toledo, Ohio • 7 p.m.
TV: ESPN3 – Live Stats
Norfolk State, picked No. 2 in the MEAC, is set to face the Toledo Rockets, No. 2 in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) West Division, at 7 p.m. in Toledo, Ohio. in this first-ever meeting between the two programs. After opting out of playing in the spring, the Spartans will see the debut of head coach Dawson Odums, who had a highly successful 10-year run as Southern University’s head coach before being tabbed the Spartans’ head coach in the spring. When last the Spartans played, they went 5-7 in 2019. The Rockets played a six-game schedule in the fall of 2020, finishing with a record of 4-2, all MAC contests.
South Carolina State Bulldogs (0-0, 0-0 MEAC) vs. Alabama A&M Bulldogs (0-0, 0-0 SWAC)
Saturday Sept 4 • Louis Crews Stadium • Huntsville, Ala. • 7 p.m.
TV: N/A – Live Stats
The Bulldogs of SCSU and AAMU will square off for the second time in calendar year 2021 when they meet in the Louis Crews Classic on the campus of Alabama A&M this Saturday. The last meeting, back on March 6, saw AAMU’s Bulldogs defeat SCSU’s Bulldogs by a score of 31-7 in Orangeburg, S.C., capping a spring season that saw South Carolina State finish 3-1 and Alabama A&M finish with an unblemished 5-0 mark. In the only other matchup between the two programs, SCSU defeated AAMU 32-0 in 2013. Both programs are predicted No. 1 in their respective conferences. AAMU is tabbed No. 1 in the BOXTOROW Black College National Poll and SCSU picked at No. 4 (tie).