Football | 11/7/2025 3:29:44 PM

MEAC enters Week 11 of football action as teams shift into full conference play. Action gets underway Friday night as Delaware State makes the short trip to Baltimore to square off against Morgan State at Hughes Stadium during a nationally televised matchup on ESPNU.
Conference play continues Saturday, as Howard hits the road to take on South Carolina State in Orangeburg, S.C., and Norfolk State will cap off the weekend as they travel to Durham to face the Eagles of North Carolina Central, with kickoff set for 2 p.m.
   
Here is a glimpse at this week’s contest.
 
  The Delaware State Hornets will play their final road contest of the season on Friday night, as they take on the Morgan State Bears at Hughes Stadium.  The Hornets picked up their second straight conference win in the last outing, defeating Norfolk State 27-20. Delaware State enters the matchup as one of two remaining unbeaten teams in conference play, riding a three-game winning streak. In last week’s win over Norfolk State, the Hornets totaled 228 yards on the ground. James Jones led the way with 110 yards, while Marquis Gillis added 82. Graduate quarterback Kaiden Bennett was efficient through the air, completing 16 of 18 passes for 158 yards.  Morgan State comes into the contest following a 36-30 loss at South Carolina State. The Bears were paced by standout performances from their young core, including quarterback Raymond Moore III, who threw for 229 yards and added 90 yards on the ground, and redshirt freshman Randall Nauden, who contributed 83 rushing yards on 12 carries.  Morgan State comes into the contest holding a 10-3 edge in the all-time series against Delaware State, having won the most recent matchup 36-28.
 

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  The Howard Bison will head south to take on the South Carolina State Bulldogs in the first stop of a two-game road stretch before returning home on Nov. 22 for the Bison’s season finale.  Howard enters the matchup following a 35-14 loss to North Carolina Central. Graduate quarterback Tyriq Starks threw for 149 yards on 17-of-27 attempts, while the Bison rushing attack struggled, totaling just 93 yards.  The South Carolina State Bulldogs come into the game riding a four-game winning streak, including a 36-30 victory over Morgan State last week. William Atkins IV completed 21 passes for 363 yards, while redshirt junior Tyler Smith added 163 rushing yards. South Carolina State has won the last two meetings between the programs, including a 38-14 win in 2024 and a 27-24 victory in 2023.  Howard brings the league’s top-rated defense into the contest, allowing just 23.6 points per game. The Bulldogs counter with the MEAC’s third-ranked offense, averaging 30.8 points per game.
  Norfolk State travels to Durham, N.C., on Saturday to take on the Eagles of North Carolina Central, rounding out the day’s MEAC action. The Spartans look to bounce back following a 27-20 loss to Delaware State in Week 10.  In that matchup, graduate quarterback Otto Kuhns led Norfolk State with 311 passing yards and three touchdowns, while graduate wide receiver JJ Evans recorded five catches for 124 yards and two scores.  North Carolina Central enters the matchup following a 35-14 win over Howard. Quarterback Walker Harris threw for 321 yards and four touchdowns, his fourth 300+ yard passing game of the season while the Eagles also added 170 yards on the ground. Chaucey Spikes picked up national honors following a stellar performance with 208 yards receiving on nine catches and three touchdowns.

This marks the 12th all-time meeting between the programs, with North Carolina Central holding a 9-2 advantage, including a 37-10 win over Norfolk State in 2024.