Morgan State 17, No. 16/18 Richmond 10
RICHMOND, Va. -- Morgan State ran for 114 yards and the defense accounted for four turnovers Saturday evening, as the Bears defeated No. 16/18 Richmond 17-10 at Robins Stadium in the season opener for both teams.
The win, Morgan's first ever over the Bears, marked Richmond's first home-opening defeat since 2005.
Jabriel Johnson's 10-yard run with 6:24 left in the contest gave the Bears a 17-10 lead; the score came immediately after Erick Hunter sacked Richmond quarterback Kyle Wickersham, forcing a fumble that Noah Washington recovered.
The Spiders threatened late, but the Bears forced a punt and recovered the loose ball after the kick was muffed.
Box Score | Recap
No. 19/19 North Carolina Central 47, Winston-Salem State 21
DURHAM, N.C. -- With 9,330 people in attendance, No. 19/19 North Carolina Central put up 448 yards on 60 attempts and scored six touchdowns in the home-opening 47-21 victory against Winston-Salem State Saturday evening inside O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium.
The reigning HBCU national champions had a lead of 37-0 at the half. During the first half, punt returner Brandon Codrington returned a punt of 81 yards for a touchdown, resulting in the fourth-longest punt return in Eagles history.
NCCU senior quarterback Davius Richard, the reigning MEAC Offensive Player of the Year, completed 15 of 22 passes for 236 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 42 yards on five attempts for a touchdown, totaling four total scores.
Box Score | Recap
Bowie State 22, Delaware State 11
DOVER, Del. -- Quarterback Marqui Adams connected with wide receiver Khyheem Waleed for one touchdown late in the fourth quarter, adding to Nathan Wilson's 31-yard field goal, but it was not enough for Delaware State on Saturday afternoon, as Bowie State defeated the Hornets 22-11.
Adams, who started in the second half for the Hornets, completed eight of 16 passes for 99 yards and one touchdown. He was sacked once.
The Hornets finished with 21 total rushing yards out of 115.
Box Score | Recap
Virginia State 33, Norfolk State 24
NORFOLK, Va. -- Norfolk State had two opportunities in the final minutes to upend Virginia State in the annual Labor Day Classic on Saturday afternoon. However, both opportunities fell just short as the Trojans escaped with a 33-24 victory at William "Dick" Price Stadium.
The Spartans burned their final two timeouts and with six seconds remaining, VSU called a timeout. Instead of punting the football, the Trojans elected to try to run out of the clock as Bailey was stopped short of the first down marker with 1 second left, turning the ball back over to the Spartans with an opportunity to potentially tie the game.
But just when it appeared the game was headed to overtime, the snap of the field goal attempt was high as Dante Clark picked up the loose ball and sprinted 77 yards into the end zone as time expired.
Box Score | Recap
Charlotte 24, South Carolina State 3
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- South Carolina State was held to 168 yards of total offense Saturday evening at Jerry Richardson Stadium, as Charlotte defeated the Bulldogs 24-3.
S.C. State fell to 0-2 on the season.
The Bulldogs' lone score of the game came with 13:53 left in the second quarter, when Gavyn Zimmerman capped a 6-play, 3-yard drive with a 42-yard field goal. The drive came after S.C. State picked off the 49ers on the previous possession.
Box Score | Recap
Eastern Michigan 33, Howard 23 (Friday)
YPSILANTI, Mich. -- Howard University spotted Eastern Michigan a 30-9 halftime lead and then rallied to make it a one-possession game before falling, 33-23, in a non-conference showdown at Rynearson Stadium Friday evening.
Quarterback Quinton Williams threw two touchdown passes, ging 16-for-33 in the air for 194 yards. Running back Eden James added 96 rushing yards on nine carries, and Jamarr Ebron caught two passes for 79 yards -- including a 69-yard score in the second quarter.
Box Score | Recap