Week four of the HBCU football season was a showcase for the MEAC, who had its best performance of the season across the board.
These include a pair of rivalry games ending in uncontested blowouts and a win streak that hasn’t been seen in over a decade.
Elsewhere, a matchup between top CIAA contenders features a strong offensive performance. Also, the upset of the weekend sees an SIAC team getting revenge over its former coach.
Here are the 5 Takeaways from Week 4 of the HBCU football season.
1. NC Central record-setting performance against NC A&T
North Carolina Central had itself a day for the ages in the renewal of the Aggie-Eagle Classic, rewriting the record books to the tune of a 66-20 win over North Carolina A&T.
The Eagles set a new school record with 765 offensive yards, replacing the previous mark of 684 yards set in 1982.
In addition, NCCU claimed its fourth straight win over the Aggies, serving as the longest streak for the Eagles in this series since 1974.
Walker Harris finished with 380 passing yards, the second straight game he has done so after throwing for a career-high 387 yards against Fayetteville State last week.
Eagles running backs Chris Mosley and Arthur Rodgers combined for 297 rushing yards and five touchdown, out gaining the Aggies’ entire offense (294 offensive yards).
After having its FCS losing streak snapped last week against Hampton, North Carolina A&T dips back into conference play next weekend with more questions than answers as to its realistic expectations moving forward.
2. Howard snaps losing streak against Hampton
North Carolina Central was not the only team to secure a dominant win over a former conference rival now in the CAA, as Howard took down Hampton 34-7, ending its long losing streak in the series.
The Bison had lost eight straight against the Pirates before their win on Saturday, with this being their first win in the Battle of the Real HU since 2014.
Howard took control of this game from the opening kickoff, only needing three plays from scrimmage to score its first points and never let up.
The 27-point margin of victory serves as the largest for Howard against Hampton since 1976.
With the exception of a single turnover in the first quarter, this was as close to a perfect performance that the Bison could possibly have.
Now that the proverbial monkey has been removed from Howard’s back, they can now shift their focus to
3. Delaware State’s wins third straight
We’re not done with the MEAC as the conference’s great day, in which they finished 3-1 against FCS opponents, also featured Delaware State coming away with a 39-10 win over St. Francis.
The win was Delaware State’s third in a row, marking its first three-game win streak since 2012, which was also the last time the Hornets finished with an overall winning record.
In addition, this is the Hornets second win against a non-conference FCS opponent, something they have not done in a single season since 1991.
DeSean Jackson’s first season as head coach has exceeded expectations, having the Hornets producing the best results they’ve had in over a decade.
For the first time in a long time, Delaware State have a realistic opportunity to compete MEAC championship in an accelerated rebuild under Coach Jackson.
A fourth straight win could strengthen the Hornets’ unprecedented argument to be in consideration for a spot in the FCS playoffs.
4. Curtis Allen leads Virginia Union to key win
Shifting to the CIAA, the reigning two-time champion Virginia Union Panthers bounced back from their first loss of the season, taking down top contender Johnson C. Smith 28-10.
Panthers running back Curtis Allen was the star of the game, rushing for 108 yards on 23 attempts, and accounting for all four of the team’s touchdowns.
Allen now has eight rushing touchdowns through three games, putting in a five-way tie for the most in Division II football (Allen running back Fabian Duncan is also among that group).
While this game did not count toward Virginia Union’s conference record, it was critical in restoring faith in their quest for a three-peat.
The Panthers’ mistake-laden performance against Edward Waters last weekend briefly casted doubt on their championship aspirations.
Now it is Johnson C. Smith who will have to answer questions about its championship hopes, with its resolve in the face of adversity being the topic of discussion.
5. Allen upsets Clark Atlanta
The Upset of the Weekend award without question goes to the Allen Yellow Jackets, who knocked off former head coach Teddy Keaton and reigning SIAC championship runner-up Clark Atlanta 49-38.
Despite Clark Atlanta starting quarterback Zy McDonald being taken out of the game due to an undisclosed injury, freshman backup Xzavier Jackson entered in relief of the Jackson State transfer and gave the team a chance to win.
He tossed four touchdowns, including a third connection with Armone Harris that gave the Panthers a 38-35 lead in the fourth quarter.
However, two unanswered touchdowns down the stretch sealed the upset win for Allen, getting revenge over its former head coach of five years.
Being picked to finished ninth in the preseason SIAC standings, the Yellow Jackets are one of three teams that improved to 2-0 in conference competition.
This game is a perfect representation of the unpredictable, exciting nature of SIAC football. Fans can never know what to expect in any given weekend in the SIAC and this game is just another example of that.