Four Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) programs take to the field this week in more non-conference action. #11/14 North Carolina Central sits at the top of the conference standings with a 4-1 overall record. Norfolk State is on a bye week, while Morgan State cancels its non-conference matchup and homecoming game against Stony Brook.
 
Here is a look at this week’s matchups:
   
The Bulldogs return to the field this weekend after their second bye in three weeks. South Carolina State picked up their first win of the season two weeks ago with a 31-10 victory over The Citadel. This week, the Bulldogs will host Virginia Lynchburg for their second home game of the season. The Dragons will be playing their fifth straight game on the road and are still looking for their first win of the season. This is the second consecutive week that Virginia Lynchburg will face a MEAC opponent. The Dragons fell to Delaware State last week, 48-10. 
   
The Eagles continue to rise in national rankings after an exciting come-from-behind overtime victory, 49-48, against Campbell. Currently sitting No. 11 in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and 14^th in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Polls. N.C. Central improved to 4-1, with its sole loss coming against FBS opponent UCLA. Eagle quarterback returned to the field last week, garnering five total touchdowns and the conference’s Player of the Week accolades. This week, the Eagles face Elon, who is boasting a three-game win streak, including a 14-6 win over fifth-ranked William & Mary last week. It has been over a decade since these two programs have faced one another. The last meeting between the two occurred in 2011 and 2012, with the Elon holding a 2-0 series record over the Eagles. 
  The Bison returned from the bye-week with a convincing victory over Northeast Conference opponent Robert Morris, 35-10. Special teams play found its footing last week with a 88-yard kickoff return touchdown by Ian Wheeler. The win marked the second for Howard this season and tied the all-time series against the Colonials to 1-1. Howard is back on the road again this week, facing Big Ten power five opponent Northwestern. The Wildcats are 2-3 this season and are coming off a tough 13-41 loss to #6 Penn State last week.  This is the first meeting of the two programs.
 
  After four consecutive defeats to start the season, the Hornets found their groove last week with a 48-10 win over Virginia University of Lynchburg. The Hornets were clicking on all cylinders offensively and defensively in the matchup and were aided by special teams play with DSU kicker Nathan Wilson nailing 6-of-6 point after attempts and 2-of-2 in field goals. Delaware State looks to improve its record against a struggling Connecticut State team who have lost three consecutive games and are looking to bounce back against DSU for their homecoming celebration. This will be the first-ever contest between the Hornets and Blue Devils as both teams look for this game to be a turning point in their season.