NORFOLK, Va., Nov. 12, 2022 – Week 11 of the 2022 season featured wins from North Carolina Central, Howard and Morgan State. North Carolina Central clinched at least a share of the MEAC title and earned the league’s bid to the Cricket Celebration Bowl.
Howard can finish the season as the co-champion with a win next week, while a loss will make NCCU the outright champs.
North Carolina Central 48, Norfolk State 14
Howard 28, South Carolina State 14
Morgan State 37, Delaware State 7
North Carolina Central 48, Norfolk State 14
NORFOLK, Va. -- North Carolina Central University amassed 548 yards of total offense and junior quarterback Davius Richard accounted for five touchdowns as the Eagles beat Norfolk State, 48-14, to clinch their first MEAC championship in six years and earn the conference's bid to the Cricket Celebration Bowl.
Richard completed 22-of-31 passes for 347 yards and four touchdowns, while rushing for 24 yards and another score.
NCCU senior receiver E.J. Hicks converted five catches into 127 receiving yards, including an 81-yard touchdown dash. Andrew Smith finished for five grabs for 41 yards, Devin Smith collected four receptions for 81 yards, and Joaquin Davis added two catches for 14 yards with a touchdown.
Running backs Latrell Collier and J’Mari Taylor registered two touchdowns apiece, one on the ground and another through the air. Collier recorded a team-best 96 rushing yards and caught four passes for 48 yards.
Sophomore defensive back Kole Jones and redshirt freshman Max U’Ren posted a team-high seven tackles each, while Jones prevented a Spartan touchdown with an interception in the end zone.
Freshman Jayden Flaker sparked the Eagles on special teams with a huge blocked punt, his second of the season, which set up NCCU for a touchdown and a two-score advantage late in the second quarter.
After a slow start by NCCU, the Eagles exploded 28 unanswered points in the second quarter to take a 28-7 lead into the locker room at intermission. Norfolk State (1-9, 1-3 MEAC) trimmed the gap to 28-14 in the third quarter, but the visitors scored three more touchdowns in the second half to seal the victory.
In his third season as head coach, Trei Oliver has delivered a conference title to his alma mater, the program’s first in six years, and will lead the Eagles to Atlanta for the Celebration Bowl on Dec. 17.
However, before the bowl game, NCCU (8-2, 4-1 MEAC) closes out its regular season at Tennessee Tech on Nov. 19.
Howard 28, South Carolina State 14
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Howard University third-year Bison running back Jarett Hunter had a career day, tallying 192 all-purpose yards (149 rushing & 43 receiving) with three total TDs (two receiving and one rushing) in the victory over South Carolina State (SCSU), 28-14, in a MEAC game at Greene Stadium before 4,457 spectators.
The Bulldogs (3-7, 1-3 in the MEAC) got on the board first when Justin Smith-Brown hooked up with Prometheus Franklin, II from 22 yards at the 5:14 mark of the first quarter, 7-0.
The Bison (4-6, 3-1 in the MEAC) answered quickly when Hunter scored from seven yards after setting up the score with a 71-yard jaunt, 7-7.
From there, Howard dominated the visitors by using its ground game, which rushed for a season-best 290 yards and controlled the clock for more than 35 minutes.
The Howard defense limited SCSU to 219 yards of total offense and held them to only 3-of-10 on third-down conversions.
The Bulldogs were led by wide receiver Shaquan Davis, the conference's leading receiver, who caught three passes for 88 yards and no touchdowns.
Howard closes out the regular season Saturday (Nov. 19) when they travel to Baltimore to take on the upstart Morgan State Bears at noon.
Morgan State 37, Delaware State 7
DOVER, Del. – Morgan State’s defense and special teams scored two touchdowns each, while its offense chipped in a touchdown to highlight the Bears’ 37-7 victory over Delaware State in a MEAC game at Alumni Stadium on Saturday.
The Hornets dropped their third game in four outings to fall to 5-5 overall and finish their MEAC schedule with a 2-3 league record. Morgan State has won two of its last three games to improve to 4-6 and 2-2.
In addition to the two touchdowns, the Bears’ defense recorded nine sacks, and held the Hornets to just 81 yards of total offense. Delaware State lost 63 yards on the Morgan State sacks, contributing to the Hornets’ team total of minus-1 on the ground.
The Hornets were also plagued by five turnovers, including four lost fumbles.
Morgan State hosts Howard on Saturday at 12 p.m.
About the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) is in its 52nd year of intercollegiate competition with the 2022-23 academic school year. Located in Norfolk, Va., the MEAC is made up of eight outstanding historically Black institutions across the Atlantic coastline: Coppin State University, Delaware State University, Howard University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina Central University and South Carolina State University.