JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – HBCU football is in full swing as we enter the fifth week of the season.
This is the time of year where conference championship races start to heat up as teams start to find their footing. Here is your Week 5 Florida HBCU football glance:
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Florida A&M (3-1) at Mississippi Valley State (0-3), Sat. 7 p.m.
With the departure of Deion Sanders and a large group of players from Jackson State, eyes were on the HBCU football world to see what team would become the new team to watch. Some were saying that the Rattlers would be that team. So far, they are that team.
The Rattlers came into Week 4 at 2-1 with their only loss coming from a close contest with FBS team South Florida. The Rattlers were ranked No. 2 in the NCAA HBCU rankings and looked like that against Alabama State. Florida A&M did lose two fumbles, but they never let the Hornets capitalize on those turnovers. The Rattlers led in the first quarter and never looked back.
Now, the Rattlers look to continue their dominance in the SWAC on the road against Mississippi Valley State. The Delta Devils are 0-3 and have given up 104 points this season. This looks to be an easy win for the Rattlers.
N4J prediction: Florida A&M 41, Mississippi Valley State 10.
Edward Waters (1-3) at Savannah State (2-2), Sat. 6 p.m.
The Tigers from Duval County started the season with three straight losses, so last week’s game against Morehouse was an important game to win in order to give the team momentum for the rest of the season. Both Edward Waters and Morehouse came into the game winless, but it was the Tigers who got their first win of the season. The Tigers got a commanding win against the Maroon Tigers 44-13.
The Tigers led the Maroon Tigers 24-0 at halftime. EWU was just dominant all day with 456 yards of total offense. Jyron Russell threw for 280 yards, two touchdowns and an interception for the Tigers. The defense only allowed 270 yards of total offense. This was the best performance by the Tigers all season and they will hope to keep this up against conference rival Savannah State.
Savannah State comes into this game after losing to Albany State 15-12. Besides their loss against Division I opponent Bethune-Cookman, the Tigers have played in one-possession games. This is going to be a tough game for EWU to win. The Tigers have lost their last five matchups against Savannah State, including a 31-28 loss last year. If the Tigers from Duval County want to win, they’re going to have to play almost perfect football because there will be no room for mistakes.
N4J prediction: Savannah State 24, Edward Waters 21.
Bethune-Cookman Wildcats (1-3) OFF
The Wildcats have started the season with only one win in four games but have had two games against FBS opponents, including the 18th-ranked Miami Hurricanes. The Wildcats have only played one game where the competition was on-par with their team. That game was last week against conference rival Jackson State (3-2).
The Wildcats led the Tigers at halftime 9-8 but the second half was all Tigers. The Tigers scored 14 unanswered points to close out the win. The Wildcats did score a late touchdown, but it was too late. The Wildcats are going to have to learn how to maintain momentum as they go on the road next week to Alabama State (1-2).
Florida Memorial (1-2) at Ave Maria (2-1), Sat. 7 p.m.
After suffering a beatdown from NCAA HBCU opponent Grambling State, the Lions had the week off from competitive play. They did host a scrimmage against John Melvin University to prepare for their Sun Conference opener against Ave Maria (2-1) on the road Saturday.
Ave Maria is coming off a 50-6 rout of the University of Fort Lauderdale and will look to continue their dominance against Florida Memorial. The Lions look to use their week off from competitive play to finally beat Ave Maria. Unfortunately, history is not on their side. Since 2020, the Lions have given up at least 38 points to Gyrenes, losing three consecutive games.
N4J prediction: Ave Maria 42, Florida Memorial 14.