Football | 9/6/2026 9:47:25 PM

NORFOLK, Va. – The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) wrapped up Week 1 of the 2026 football season Sunday, as No. 21/22 South Carolina State capped the weekend with a 31-13 victory over Florida A&M in the Orange Blossom Classic.

The Bulldogs moved to 2-0 on the season with the victory, while North Carolina Central also secured a win during the weekend. Five MEAC teams now sit at 1-1 heading into Week 2.

Scores Around the League
Saturday, Sept. 5
No. 23 Richmond def. Howard, 28-21
Old Dominion def. Norfolk State, 31-10
North Carolina Central def. Elizabeth City State, 27-6
No. 17/19 William & Mary def. Delaware State, 22-15
Arizona State def. Morgan State, 70-7

Sunday, Sept. 6
No. 21/22 South Carolina State def. Florida A&M, 31-13

Weekend Roundup
No. 21/22 South Carolina State (2-0, 0-0 MEAC) – Box Score | Recap
South Carolina State took control early and pulled away for a 31-13 victory over Florida A&M in Sunday’s Orange Blossom Classic at Hard Rock Stadium. After Florida A&M opened the scoring with a field goal, the Bulldogs answered with three consecutive touchdowns, including a 58-yard touchdown run by Mason Pickett-Hicks and two rushing scores from Josh Shaw, to take a 21-6 lead into halftime.

Pickett-Hicks added a 32-yard touchdown run in the third quarter as South Carolina State finished with 479 yards of total offense, including 292 on the ground, while averaging 7.7 yards per rushing attempt. The Bulldogs also held Florida A&M to 161 total yards and recorded five sacks.

North Carolina Central (1-1, 0-0 MEAC) – Box Score | Recap
North Carolina Central improved to 1-1 with a 27-6 victory over Elizabeth City State in its home opener at O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium. Freshman quarterback Nelson Layne completed 12-of-18 passes for 160 yards and two touchdowns, connecting with Chance Peterson for a 74-yard score and Brendon Wyatt for an 11-yard touchdown, while freshman running back Gino Addison added a one-yard touchdown run.

Peterson finished with five catches for 109 yards, his first 100-yard game of the season, and Riley Daniels added two field goals to extend his season total to 5-for-5. The Eagles led 21-0 at halftime and finished with 326 yards of total offense while holding Elizabeth City State to 145 yards, including just 39 rushing, with Zarion Walters recording eight tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery.

Delaware State (1-1, 0-0 MEAC) – Box Score | Recap
Delaware State fell 22-15 to No. 17/19 William & Mary on the road Saturday night, dropping the Hornets to 1-1 despite a strong defensive performance. The Hornets held William & Mary to 187 total yards, including 89 rushing and 98 passing, while recording seven sacks and 13 tackles for loss. William & Mary built a 22-0 lead before Delaware State scored twice in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to 22-15, but neither team scored again.

Howard (1-1, 0-0 MEAC) – Box Score | Recap
Howard rallied from a 20-0 halftime deficit, but ultimately fell 28-21 to No. 23 Richmond at William H. Green Stadium. Gabe Stephens got the Bison on the board early in the third quarter by recovering a Richmond fumble in the end zone, before Ja’Shawn Scroggins led an 84-yard drive that ended with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Hunter, cutting the deficit to 20-14.

Billy Roberson II capped a 75-yard, 14-play drive with a one-yard touchdown run to bring Howard within 28-21 with 11:35 remaining in the fourth quarter, but the Bison were unable to complete the comeback. Howard’s defense held Richmond to 113 total yards in the second half and recorded four sacks, with Aidan Foster and Rodney Roane each finishing with eight tackles and a sack.

Norfolk State (1-1, 0-0 MEAC) – Box Score | Recap
Norfolk State fell 31-10 to Old Dominion on Saturday at Kornblau Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium, dropping the Spartans to 1-1 on the season. Jalyn Daniels led the offense with 84 yards on 11 carries, while Paul Billups II recorded seven catches for 49 yards and Deljay Bailey completed 14-of-20 passes for 94 yards and added a three-yard rushing touchdown.

After trailing 17-0, Norfolk State cut the deficit to 17-7 late in the first half following Josiah Davis’ interception and Bailey’s touchdown run, then pulled within 17-10 on Marco Peery’s 37-yard field goal midway through the third quarter. Old Dominion responded with two touchdowns to extend its lead. Defensively, Brenden Thompson recorded 11 tackles, Jordan Saunders added nine tackles, a tackle for loss, forced fumble and fumble recovery, and Josiah Davis and Eugene Allen each recorded a sack.

Morgan State (1-1, 0-0 MEAC) – Box Score | Recap
Morgan State fell 70-7 to Arizona State on Saturday night at Mountain America Stadium, dropping the Bears to 1-1 on the season. Arizona State scored touchdowns on each of its first seven possessions and built a 49-7 halftime lead, finishing with 681 yards of total offense while Morgan State was held to 188 yards.

About the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) enters its 56th year of intercollegiate competition with the 2026–27 academic year. Headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, the MEAC is comprised of eight distinguished Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) along the Atlantic seaboard: 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. Since its founding in 1970, the MEAC has been dedicated to promoting academic excellence, sportsmanship, and the personal growth of student athletes. For more information, visit www.MEACSports.com.