Fewer than 50 days remain until we know which two teams will represent HBCU football on its biggest stage, the Celebration Bowl. As we enter into the homestretch of the 2025 college football season, let’s dive into the biggest questions that lie ahead for all 21 FCS HBCUs.
No. 1 Jackson State — Will the Tigers avoid a trap game?
Jackson State might’ve beaten its toughest opponent after a thrilling victory over Alabama State. The Tigers have only one opponent left with a winning record, but it might not be all sunshine and rainbows. The SWAC can be a wild place. Any team can surprise a team if not ready. Jackson State has to be locked in every game to avoid any slip ups.
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No. 2 North Carolina Central — How far can Walker Harris take the Eagles?
Halloween 2024. That’s the day a Walker Harris fumble on a sack ended a fourth-quarter comeback for North Carolina Central against South Carolina State. NCCU wouldn’t touch the ball again after the fumble and finished second in the MEAC after the loss.
Fast forward to 2025 and you’ll see Walker Harris with the fourth-most passing yards in the FCS, commanding North Carolina Central as one of the MEAC favorites. Although football is a team game, Harris touches the ball almost every offensive play. NC Central will need Harris to step up in clutch moments if the Eagles are to get back to the Celebration Bowl.
No. 3 Alabama State — Will the Hornets get lucky in SWAC East?
Alabama State’s conference loss to Jackson State means the Hornets will need some help if they want to make the SWAC Championship Game. Not only does Alabama State have to basically win out, it also needs Jackson State to lose a game or two. That won't be easy.
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No. 4 Prairie View A&M — Are the Panthers good enough to beat Jackson State?
Prairie View A&M is already 4-0 in SWAC West play. This is a team whose fanbase already has its eyes set on the SWAC Championship Game, even though there’s more work to be done on the field with four more SWAC games.
Prairie View A&M plays Alabama State from the SWAC East but avoids SWAC East leader Jackson State. As long as the Tigers lead the East, fans will have to wonder if Prairie View can knock off the conference's best to become the best.
No. 5 Delaware State — Will the Hornet rushing attack continue its dominance in the MEAC?
No team in the FCS runs the ball better than Delaware State. Check the stats. DSU leads the nation in rushing yards per game, rushing touchdowns and first downs on runs. But will the status quo in Delaware of running the football remain the same as conference play starts?
If so, Delaware State will be a legitimate Celebration Bowl contender.
No. 6 South Carolina State — Can the Bulldogs cut back the penalties?
South Carolina State is the defending MEAC champion, but has had a so-so season so far. The Bulldogs beat a two-win Wofford by one point, lost to a two-win Charleston Southern and needed 15 fourth-quarter points to beat a one-win North Carolina A&T.
A common occurrence across all of the games are penalties. South Carolina State had seven penalties against Wofford, 12 against Charleston Southern and 16 against NC A&T. A year ago, the Bulldogs had the second-fewest penalties of any MEAC team in conference play. For SC State to successfully defend its title this fall, it can’t have costly penalties.
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No. 7 Texas Southern — Can the Tigers improve the vertical passing game?
Texas Southern averages only 131.6 passing yards per game, the fewest in the SWAC and sixth-worst in the FCS. Texas Southern has completed only four passes this season of 30 or more yards. The Tigers have two games with fewer than 100 passing yards and haven’t passed for more than 200 yards all season.
Texas Southern hasn’t been hampered by the lack of a downfield attack during its four-game win streak, but it’s something worth monitoring as the Tigers continue their SWAC West chase.
No. 8 Bethune-Cookman — Can the Wildcats win on the road?
Bethune-Cookman is 2-1 in SWAC play entering the homestretch of the season. The future opponents are home contests against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Mississippi Valley State, followed by road trips to Grambling State and Jackson State. Then — as always — the season closes with the Florida Classic.
The only two teams left on the schedule with a winning record are Grambling and Jackson State, with both games on the road. Bethune-Cookman is 0-4 on the road this year and has only won three road games since entering the SWAC.
Bethune-Cookman has the farthest distance to travel to play a road game of any team in the conference, since the Florida A&M game is always at a neutral site. Can the Wildcats overcome the distance and turn the tide when it comes to road games? If so, Bethune-Cookman could end up representing the SWAC East.
No. 9 Alabama A&M — Will Quad Brown be healthy to close the season?
Quarterback Cornelious Brown IV, better known as Quad, has a five total touchdown game and a pair of 300-plus passing yard games. However, he’s missed three games due to injury. Backup quarterback Eric Handley proved he can get the job done against Mississippi Valley State, but Brown provides a dual-threat element that can take the offense to the next level.
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No. 10 Grambling State — Can the Tigers fix their third-down offense?
Grambling State has one of the worst third-down offenses in the SWAC, converting just 35 percent of its attempts. A lack of success on third downs saw the Tigers start the year 0-2 in SWAC play, and Grambling needed late fourth-quarter to overcome a 5 of 14 (35%) day on third downs against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
If Grambling wants to finish with a winning record for the first time this decade, it'll need to convert more on the money down.
No. 11 Tennessee State — Can the Tigers finish strong in conference play?
Tennessee State just picked up a great homecoming win over Howard, but will that momentum carry itself throughout the remainder of the season? TSU’s remaining schedule features a one-win Western Illinois team, a two-win Charleston Southern team and only one team with a current winning record overall.
It’s been a rough year for coach Reggie Barlow in his first year after Tennessee State made the FCS playoffs a year ago. However, a strong close to the season could bring hope back to the Tiger fan base.
No. 12 Morgan State — Will this be the year the Bears passing offense gets the job done?
The passing offense is questioned all the time with Morgan State, and this year is no different. The Morgan State offense ranks second-to-last in the MEAC in passing yards per game and passing efficiency.
Meanwhile, the Bears again have one of the conference's top defenses and a rushing attack that ranks third in the conference. If the passing offense can improve its efficiency, Morgan State can be a complete team as it chases a MEAC title.
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No. 13 Howard — Can the Bison get the passing game rolling with Tyriq Starks?
Howard is on a three-game losing streak entering conference play. During that stretch, quarterback Tyriq Starks hasn’t thrown a touchdown. Starks’ two interceptions against Richmond sparked Howard’s fourth-quarter collapse, and his two interceptions against Tennessee State didn’t help either.
Now, Howard is a team that loves to run the ball, and a win over Hampton with 46 rushing attempts for 274 yards and four touchdowns prove that the Bison can win without a dynamic passing attack. But what about when Howard’s rushing game gets shut down, like when it only ran for 67 yards on 2.0 yards per carry against Tennessee State?
Delaware State has the No. 12 offense in the FCS and North Carolina Central No. 14 scoring offense in the FCS. Howard is tied for 99th. The Bison will have to score if it wants to contend in the MEAC.
No. 14 Arkansas-Pine Bluff — Can the Golden Lions cut down the turnovers?
Arkansas-Pine Bluff quarterback Christian Peters threw three interceptions in a four-point loss to Grambling State. The Golden Lions had three turnovers previously in a 51-7 loss to Texas Southern.
For an Arkansas-Pine Bluff team that isn’t always more talented on paper than the other team, six turnovers in two games is not a formula for winning. UAPB can flirt with a .500 record this year, but only if it maintains possession of the football.
No. 15 North Carolina A&T — Can the Aggies win a CAA game over a non HBCU?
Since joining the CAA in 2023, North Carolina A&T has won just one CAA conference game — a 33-30 win over Hampton this year. Will magic strike twice in Greensboro as the Aggies look to rise from the pits of the CAA?
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No. 16 Hampton — Will the Pirate defense step up?
33, 34, 41, 34, 38, 56. No, those aren’t lottery numbers. Those are the point totals Hampton’s defense has allowed in the last six games. With an offense that ranks near the bottom of the CAA in yardage and scoring, Hampton isn’t built for shootouts. The Pirates have to get some stops on defense in order to have a fighting chance down the stretch.
No. 17 Florida A&M — Will the Rattlers carry momentum from homecoming into the SWAC slate?
Florida A&M has not had a good season by any means with a 2-4 record so far. However, the Rattlers are 1-1 in SWAC play, meaning there’s still a chance to achieve all of their preseason goals.
If Florida A&M can build off of a homecoming victory, and possibly upset Jackson State, there’s a chance that FAMU could be back in SWAC East title conversations.
No. 18 Southern — Can Jaguar interim head coach Fred McNair right the ship?
Southern has not been competitive in a game since August. It led the Jaguars firing head coach Terrence Graves after a 1-6 start, despite Graves winning the SWAC West last year.
In comes interim head coach Fred McNair — the former Alcorn State head coach from 2016-23. McNair has head coaching experience, but as the co-offensive coordinator this season at Southern, the Jaguars rank last in the SWAC in scoring offense and total offense.
That said, Southern’s schedule isn’t overly difficult down the stretch, meaning there’s a chance for McNair to get things back on track before the season is over.
No. 19 Norfolk State — Can the Spartans play spoiler in the MEAC race?
At 1-6, Michael Vick’s first year as Norfolk State’s head coach has been rough. While no conference games have been played yet, it still feels like a reach to say this year’s Spartan team can win the MEAC.
However, Vick and crew could still have an impact on who goes to the Celebration Bowl with a few upsets. Wins like that could be the momentum the former NFL star needs as a coach to carry into year two of his tenure.
No. 20 Mississippi Valley State — Can the Delta Devils close the door?
In my pregame talks with Mississippi Valley State head coach Terrell Buckley before the Alabama A&M game, he said that his team has to “close the door” and finish games.
MVSU has blown leads to Southern, Texas Southern and Alabama A&M in SWAC play so far. The Delta Devils are a competitive team, and if they can figure out how to finish games strong, they progress the rebuild in Itta Bena faster.
No. 21 Alcorn State — Will the Braves finish winless in the SWAC?
Alcorn State is on pace for its second-worst season of the 21st century, trailing only 2000’s 0-11 season. The Braves have just one win this year, going winless against every DI opponent. Coach Cedric Thomas does have Mississippi Valley State and a reeling Southern team left on the schedule for potential wins, but losses in either could mean big changes are coming to The Reservation.
🏈: Recapping the 2024 HBCU football season
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📚 Football History: Top MEAC/SWAC Challenge moments | Individual stars | Recapping 2023 | Recapping 2022 | Recapping 2021
🏆 Championships: Jackson State wins 2024 Celebration Bowl | Tennessee State, NC Central win tennis title | Football title history | Track champions
🏟 Classics: Every HBCU Football Classic's history | Florida Classic | Bayou Classic | Can't miss atmospheres
🏀 HBCU hoops: Pac-12/SWAC series |1980s Alcorn State | NBA draft picks | Hall of Famers
👀 March Madness: Men's history | Women's history | Two HBCU wins in 2021 | HBCU vs. HBCU | Tournament upsets
