NORFOLK, Va., Sept. 6, 2023 – Saturday’s slate of Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) football will see all six teams in action, and two of them will square off on the road against in-state rivals and former conference foes.
Here is a glimpse at this week’s contests.
Delaware State Hornets (0-1, 0-0 MEAC) vs. Army Black Knights (0-1)
Saturday, Sept. 9 | Michie Stadium | West Point, N.Y. | 12 p.m.
TV: CBS Sports Network | Live Stats
Delaware State comes into this weekend’s contest – the Hornets’ first road game of the season – looking to bounce back after this past Saturday’s loss to Bowie State. Army is also looking to get into the win column for the first time in 2023, as the Black Knights fell 17-13 at Louisiana Monroe this past weekend. The Black Knights, an FBS independent, are in their 10th season under head coach Jeff Monken. Army went 6-6 in 2022, a campaign that ended with a double overtime win over rival Navy, the program’s fifth win in that series in the last seven years. Saturday’s match-up against the Hornets will be Army’s 2023 home opener, and this will be the first meeting between the two programs.
South Carolina State Bulldogs (0-2, 0-0 MEAC) vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (0-1, 0-1 ACC)
Saturday, Sept. 9 | Bobby Dodd Stadium | Atlanta, Ga. | 1 p.m.
TV: ESPN+/ACC Network Extra
For the second time in three weeks, South Carolina State will be in Atlanta, Ga.; this time, the Bulldogs will square off against Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) foe Georgia Tech. It will be the third straight game away from Orangeburg for S.C. State to open the campaign, while the Yellow Jackets will be in their home stadium for the first time in 2023. Both teams are in search of their first win of the season; the Bulldogs fell 24-3 to Charlotte this past weekend, while Georgia Tech, in its first season under head coach Brent Key, is coming off a 39-34 loss to Louisville in a rare September conference game. This will be the second meeting all-time between the two teams, as Georgia Tech defeated the Bulldogs 41-10 in 2010.
Morgan State Bears (1-0, 0-0 MEAC) vs. Akron Zips (0-1, 0-0 MAC)
Saturday, Sept. 2 | Summa Field at InfoCision Stadium | Akron, Ohio | 6 p.m.
TV: ESPN+
Morgan State got year two of the Damon Wilson era off to a fine start this past Saturday, defeating nationally ranked Richmond 17-10 on the road. The Bears defense created four turnovers in that contest, helping the program earn its first season-opening win since 2012. Morgan State, the Stats Perform FCS FedEx Ground National Team of the Week, will hit the road again this weekend to square off against Akron out of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) – a program coming off a 24-21 loss to Temple this past weekend. This will be the fourth all-time meeting between the two teams (the first since 2018), with the Zips owning a 3-0 edge. Akron is in its second season under head coach Joe Moorhead, and the program was picked to finish fifth in the MAC East Division this year.
Norfolk State Spartans (0-1, 0-0 MEAC) vs. Hampton Pirates (1-0, 0-0 CAA)
Saturday, Sept. 2 | Armstrong Stadium | Hampton, Va. | 6 p.m.
TV: FloFootball | Live Stats
This year’s Battle of the Bay heads to Armstrong Stadium, as the Spartans and Pirates meet for the 58th time on Saturday. Norfolk State leads the all-time series 29-27-1, though Hampton has won two of the last three meetings (including 17-7 at Dick Price Stadium in 2022). Norfolk State, in its third season under head coach Dawson Odums, is coming off a 33-24 loss to Virginia State this past weekend, while the Pirates won their season opener this past Saturday, defeating Grambling State 35-31 in the Brick City Classic. Hampton is in its fourth season under head coach Robert Prunty, and the Pirates were picked to finish 15th in the CAA this season.
No. 18/18 North Carolina Central Eagles (1-0, 0-0 MEAC) vs. North Carolina A&T State Aggies (0-1, 0-0 CAA)
Saturday, Sept. 2 | Truist Stadium | Greensboro, N.C. | 7 p.m.
TV: FloFootball | Live Stats
Another year, another Aggie-Eagle Classic, as nationally ranked North Carolina Central and North Carolina A&T State square off in Greensboro this Saturday. The Eagles are coming off a 47-21 win over Winston-Salem State to open the season last weekend, as quarterback Davius Richard accounted for four touchdowns, while the Aggies are coming off a 35-6 loss at UAB. North Carolina A&T is in its first season under head coach Vincent Brown, and the Aggies were picked to finish 10th in the CAA. Saturday’s game will be the 94th meeting all-time between the two teams, with the Aggies leading the series 53-35-5, though the Eagles won last year’s match-up 28-13 in the Duke’s Mayo Classic (snapping NCAT’s four-game winning streak in the head-to-head).
Howard Bison (0-1, 0-0 MEAC) vs. Morehouse Maroon Tigers (0-1, 0-0 SIAC)
Saturday, Sept. 2 | Greene Stadium | Washington, D.C. | 7 p.m.
TV: ESPN+ | Live Stats
Howard University will be home for the first time this season on Saturday, kicking off the Greene Stadium slate with a primetime match-up against Morehouse College. The Bison are looking for their first win of the season after a 33-23 loss at Eastern Michigan this past Saturday, while Morehouse is coming off a 45-13 loss to Virginia Union in the Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic. Gerard Wilcher is in his first season as head coach at Morehouse, and the Maroon Tigers were picked to finish 13th in the SIAC. Howard and Morehouse squared off in 2022 in the NYC HBCU Classic, a 31-0 win for the Bison. Howard is 26-10-2 all-time against Morehouse.