ATLANTA — It's time for the league to fully get down to business. After the opening four weekends, coming mainly against outside competition, the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference has its first full 13-team field in action and a full slate of six conference matchups on the docket.
For the first time this fall, every SIAC team will be on the Saturday gridiron. The conference recorded six non-conference victories in the first four weeks of the season, including four coming in seven games against CIAA opponents.
The top SIAC contest again kicks off the seven-game schedule. In a battle of two of the four undefeated teams in the conference standings, gaining momentum fresh off two wins, Allen travels to Southwest Georgia against Albany State. A pair of 2-1 squads against NCAA DII opponents headline the evening action when Kentucky State goes to the coast against Savannah State.
Aiming for its first season win and first 2025 SIAC win against HBCU FCS opposition, Miles will be the lone team taking on outside competition versus Morgan State.
Central State and Lane College head up to the shores of Lake Ontario to Rochester, N.Y., for the Frederick Douglass HBCU Football Classic. For the latest game to be held in an NFL stadium, Miles against Morgan State will be at Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium for the Circle City Classic.
Along with Allen and Albany State being two, the SIAC has two other teams yet to lose in league play. Benedict aims to remain undefeated overall and in the SIAC at Clark Atlanta, while Edward Waters hosts Morehouse.
The biggest wins of Week 3 are shared by Benedict and Allen. After allowing the first 14 points of the season starting the night, Benedict posted the game's final 38 unanswered points in a 45-24 win over Tuskegee. Trailing by a field goal early in the fourth quarter, Allen running back
Fabian Duncan finished the biggest day on the ground of his career, 46 carries for 229 yards and three scores, with a two-yard run with 7:33 left in a 49-38 upset of Clark Atlanta. Getting the honorable mention nod, Savannah State broke open a tied game with one touchdown before half and a second four minutes in the third quarter for its 45-19 win over Miles College.
BOXTOROW's HBCU D2 rankings have six SIAC squads within its top 10 ratings – 2. Albany State; 3. Edward Waters; 4. Benedict ; 7. Savannah State; 9 Clark Atlanta and 10. Tuskegee. Edward Waters received a vote in the AFCA D2 Football Coaches rankings.
ALLEN AT ALBANY STATE – SIAC Network
Saturday, Sept. 27, at 1 p.m. ET
Location: ASU Coliseum
Address: 504 College Drive, Albany, GA 31705
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In the top contest 'on paper' heading into the weekend,
Allen looks to make it three wins in a row and host
Albany State comes off its bye week in search of success.
The Yellow Jackets and Golden Rams result will guarantee only one of them remain without a conference loss. Allen put together back-to-back home wins over Lane and Clark Atlanta, while ASU claimed a road win over Kentucky State in Week 1.
In only the ninth meeting coming up, Allen holds a 4-2-2 lead. Of those eight meetings, the two teams have faced each other only twice coming in the last two seasons in recent memory. Allen grabbed the 2023 renewal by a 39-27 score. ASU scored the first 20 points last October 5 on the way to a 57-17 victory.
The Yellow Jackets head to southwest Georgia off their strong finish a week ago. Clark Atlanta retook the lead, 38-35, with 11:53 left in the game only to see Allen's
Fabian Duncan plunge in from two yards four minutes later in the eventual 49-38 final.
Duncan carried the ball 46 times for 229 yards and three touchdowns. He leads the SIAC with 153.5 yards on the ground per game. Quarterback
Jamir Dismukes threw for 237 yards and three scores against Clark Atlanta, which was right at his 237.3 yard passing average.
Two weeks ago, ASU gave Florida A&M all it could handle. The Golden Rams took a 14-10 lead into the half but the Rattlers found the end zone twice in the third quarter for the eventual win, 33-25.
ASU recorded 321 yards of total offense against FAMU. Quarterback
Isaiah Knowles threw for 201 yards and a score and stands third in the conference at 224.7 yards passing per contest.
Game History: (1-1) Tied (since 2023)
Team Standings: Allen (2-2, 2-0 SIAC); Albany State (2-1, 1-0 SIAC)
CENTRAL STATE VS. LANE –
No stream available
Frederick Douglass HBCU Football Classic
Saturday, Sept. 27, at 1 p.m. ET
Location: Rochester Community Sports Complex
Address: 460 Oak St., Rochester, NY 14608
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In what will be both teams further game north of the season,
Central State and
Lane take part in the Frederick Douglas HBCU Classic.
Both the Marauders and Dragons seek their first 2025 victory. Central State held an early lead in its opener against Kentucky State, but it has been a tough run since Week 0. Lane stumbled in a pair of close opening two contests before moving up against FCS Alabama A&M last week.
Central State holds the slight edge, 9-6, over Lane in the first 15 meetings. The Dragons, though, pulled out a 27-24 win last season – Lane went out to a 13-0 lead in the opening frame only to see Central State bounce back with 17-straight tallies. Trailing 24-20, Lane scored from a yard out with 48 seconds left.
CSU claimed the 2023 edition in a close, 17-14, final score.
The Marauders' offense has come up dry in each of the last three games as they have been outscored 70-0 over that time. FCS Morgan State found the end zone only 3:33 into last Saturday's affair and kept the momentum to a 27-0 final score.
Domonique Davis II had a big day on defense with 14 tackles and a sack.
Lane saw Alabama A&M hold a commanding 49-0 lead after three quarters before
John White returned an interception for 37 yards and a touchdown for the Dragons' only points.
Game History: (6-5) Central State (since 2013)
Team Standings: Central State (0-4, 0-3 SIAC); Lane (0-3, 0-1 SIAC)
BENEDICT AT CLARK ATLANTA – SIAC Network
Saturday, Sept. 27, at 3 p.m. ET
Location: CAU Panther Stadium
Address: 735 Beckwith St., Atlanta, GA 30314
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On the red turf of Panther Stadium, it will be arguably the second-best game on the SIAC schedule. Riding high off its national TV Thursday night victory,
Benedict College aims for its third 4-0 start in four seasons while host
Clark Atlanta tries to rebound from a tough ending of a road loss.
Benedict College holds claim to 15 wins of the first 28 contests (15-10-3) played against Clark Atlanta. The two opponents, though, have not lined up against each other the last two years. The last meeting came in 2022 as the Tigers won 49-20 for the fifth victory in a row over the Panthers. Clark Atlanta's last win came back in 2016 by a 27-14 final.
After shutting out its first two foes, Benedict was not able to repeat the feat, but, more importantly, it registered the win. Tuskegee scored first and held a 14-7 lead after a quarter and a 17-7 lead five minutes into the second quarter. Benedict flipped the momentum to the tune of 38 unanswered points for the 45-24 win.
Quarterback
Darius Ocean in his first college start threw for 213 yards and four touchdowns to be named the SIAC Newcomer of the Week. Ocean found
Malaqhi Jones five times for 90 yards and one score.
Over the first three games, Benedict leads the SIAC with only allowing 8.0 points per game on defense.
The Panthers came up short in the final quarter of a back-and-forth game last Saturday. CAU went back ahead, 38-35, on a 6-yard pass with 11:53 left in the contest. Allen answered back with the final two scores in a high-scoring, 49-38, final.
Quarterback
Xzavier Jackson passed for 244 yards on 15 of 23 attempts with four touchdowns.
Cameron Williams guided the CAU defense with 13 tackles, one for a loss and an interception.
Game History: (14-7-1) Benedict (since 1955)
Team Standings: Benedict (3-0, 2-0 SIAC); Clark Atlanta (2-2, 1-1 SIAC)
MILES VS. MORGAN STATE –
No stream available
Circle City Classic
Saturday, Sept. 27, at 3 p.m. ET
Location: Lucas Oil Stadium
Address: 500 S Capitol Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46225
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Heading to the big stage,
Miles tries to turn around a rocky start to the 2025 season. After playing three teams rated in the latest HBCU D2 Top 10 and an FCS opponent in the middle, Miles looks for its first win when it plays Morgan State in the Circle City Classic.
Saturday will be the first meeting between Miles and Morgan State.
The Golden Bears tied the Tigers of Savannah State last weekend,17-17, on a 44-yard pass with 2:10 left in the second quarter. Savannah State put the ensuing two touchdowns on the scoreboard and 28 of the final 30 points for the game in the 45-19 final.
Of Miles' 276 yards of total offense,
Brinley Vandiver threw for 217 yards of it with one touchdown. Wide receiver
Glen Williams grabbed seven passes for 132 yards and the one score.
Morgan State posted its first win this season in a 27-0 shutout over Central State last week and has won its last three games against NCAA DII opponents the last two years.
Team Standings: Miles (0-4, 0-2 SIAC); Morgan State (1-3, 0-0 MEAC)
FORT VALLEY STATE AT TUSKEGEE – ESPN+
Saturday, Sept. 27, at 3 p.m. ET
Location: Cleve L. Abbott Memorial Alumni Stadium
Address: 1112 Chambliss St., Tuskegee, AL 36088
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It will be the 57th edition between the two winningest SIAC programs. For the first time since the 2023 opener,
Fort Valley State and
Tuskegee tangle on the gridiron.
The two teams have 1,093 combined and a .600 winning percentage.
Both of the long-time rivals come off tough results from last week heading into the weekend. For the third time in a row, FVSU suffered a final quarter loss with a 21-16 decision to Delta State. Tuskegee led early last Thursday night only to see host Benedict College rattle off 38 points in a row of a 45-24 final.
FVSU and Tuskegee last met three years in a row of the inaugural three Red Tails Classic played in Montgomery, Ala. The Wildcats won the first two games – 30-0 in 2021 and 21-6 in 2022 – while the Golden Tigers held on for a 37-31 win in 2023. In fact, FVSU was stopped at the Tuskegee 1-yard line on the 2023 game's final play.
The Wildcats led 13-0 in the second quarter and 13-7 after three periods against the Statesmen last Saturday. FVSU booted a 22-yard field goal with 1:14 left and edged back ahead, 16-14, only to see Delta State punch in the winning points with 27 seconds for the 21-16 final. Quarterback
Don Hudson Jr. threw for 111 yards and a touchdown, while linebacker
Jadyn Walker registered seven tackles, a sack, forced a fumble and had a pass breakup.
Tuskegee opened the year with two wins before a road loss to FCS Jackson State was followed with the defeat at Benedict. Quarterback
Raequan Beal passed for 209 yards and two scores, both to wide receiver
EJ Hall, who had four catches for 117 yards.
Game History: (10-3) Tuskegee (since 2008)
Team Standings: Fort Valley State (0-3, 0-1 SIAC); Tuskegee (2-2, 1-1 SIAC)
KENTUCKY STATE AT SAVANNAH STATE – ESPN+
Saturday, Sept. 27, at 6 p.m. ET
Location: Theodore A. Wright Stadium
Address: 4437 Skidaway Road, Savannah, GA 31404
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In one of the best SIAC games of Week 4, two teams battling to stay in the top teams of the conference standings.
Kentucky State and
Savannah State both come off sound victories and seek to continue the momentum.
The Thorobreds took care of the Maroon Tigers of Morehouse College, 35-17. Savannah State dominated most of last week's 45-19 win over Miles with 28 of the final 30 points in the last 30:27 of the game.
The series between the two teams is tied at 6-6 in the first 12 games. KSU won the last matchup, 28-13, which was played in Savannah after scoring the opening 14 points. The Tigers prevailed, 21-17, the prior year in 2021.
KSU has bookend wins around two losses in its four games to this point. Following an opening win over Central State (34-24), KSU pulled to an even 2-2 with the win over Morehouse. Quarterback
Torrence Bardell threw touchdown passes of 61 and 34 yards to take KSU out to a 14-0 lead and went on for the win over Morehouse. Bardell accounted for 172 yards through the air as the SIAC's top wide receiver
Darius Cyprian had 76 yards on four receptions and one score.
Jordan Thompson earned the SIAC Defensive Player of the Week, with 10 tackles, four for loss and three sacks.
Tied at 17, Savannah State's quarterback
Fabian Walker found
Cinsere Clark, from 16 yards out and then a punt return touchdown pushed the team ahead for good over a four-minute timeframe.
Xavier Esquillen sacked the Morehouse QB 3.5 times and had six total tackles.
Game History: (1-1) Tied (since 2021)
Team Standings: Kentucky State (2-2, 2-1 SIAC); Savannah State (2-1, 1-1 SIAC)
MOREHOUSE AT EDWARD WATERS – SIAC Network
Saturday, Sept. 27, at 6 p.m. ET
Location: Nathaniel Glover Community Stadium
Address: 1658 Kings Road, Jacksonville, FL 32209
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Wrapping up the Saturday full schedule,
Morehouse travels to northeast Florida and battles
Edward Waters.
After two opening long road trips, Morehouse allowed Kentucky State to score a pair of early touchdowns and never was able to gain the lead in a 35-17 loss. Edward Waters saw its undefeated season come to a close as FCS Bethune-Cookman also scored the first two scores of a 35-9 loss.
In the first 13 contests of the series, Morehouse claimed eight wins. Edward Waters, though, won each of the last four games played from 2021-24, including a 28-11 final last fall. Morehouse's last victory came by a 26-20 finish in 2019.
Despite quarterback
Miles Scott throwing for 334 yards on 25 of 31 passes and two touchdowns, Morehouse could not get the lead after Kentucky scored the game's first 14 points. The Maroon Tigers amassed 408 yards of total offense in the game.
Scott ranks second in the SIAC at 225.3 yards passing over the first three games.
With 128 points in the first three games, Edward Waters scored one touchdown and a field goal against Bethune-Cookman.
Noah Bodden did throw for 167 yards with five of his passes going to
Torey Morrison covering 52 yards.
Jaylen Brown took down 10 ball carriers and sacked the Bethune-Cookman quarterback two times.
Game History: (6-4) Morehouse (since 2005)
Team Standings: Morehouse (0-3, 0-1 SIAC); Edward Waters (3-1, 2-0 SIAC)
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ABOUT THE SOUTHERN INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (SIAC)
The SIAC is a NCAA athletic conference consisting primarily of historically black colleges and universities with headquarters in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The SIAC includes 15 member institutions (Albany State University, Allen University, Benedict College, Central State University, Clark Atlanta University, Edward Waters University, Fort Valley State University, Kentucky State University, Lane College, LeMoyne-Owen College, Miles College, Morehouse College, Savannah State University, Spring Hill College, and Tuskegee University), which are located within a contiguous seven-state footprint (Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee and Ohio). The SIAC sponsors nine men's and seven women's sports and is a proud member of the NCAA Division II. For more information, visit
www.thesiac.com.