| MEAC FOOTBALL WEEK ELEVEN PREVIEW Norfolk State goes for the title clincher at Morgan St. Saturday |
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| Tue, Nov 8, 2011 > 11:28am |
Four other teams are still hoping for a final lap on Nov. 19By ALVIN HOLLINS JR. Rockstat7376@aol.com Tallahassee, FL – The first week of November saw the Norfolk State Spartans’ march towards the 2011 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title get closer to realization with a huge road win at Savannah State, while a four-way tie for second place has now developed as two more teams fell out of contention. All eyes will now be focused on Baltimore this Saturday, as the defacto MEAC title game will be staged between first place Norfolk State (8-2, 6-1) and Morgan State (5-4, 4-2). A victory by Norfolk would give them their first-ever MEAC title since joining the league in 1997, while consigning the four trailing teams to a race for second place and chasing faint hopes of an NCAA FCS at-large playoff bid. Three of the four squads – Bethune-Cookman, Florida A&M and South Carolina State – are hoping Morgan can pull off the upset at Baltimore Saturday, extend the 2011 MEAC title chase to a final lap on Nov. 19. Last Week In Review The Spartans crushed Savannah State (1-8, 1-5) 45-3 Saturday, rolling up over 500 total yards, while holding the Tigers under 100, to clinch at least a tie for the title. Other winners on Saturday were Howard University (5-5, 4-3) which eliminated punchless Hampton University (5-4, 3-3) with a 10-7 win at Armstrong Stadium, where the Pirates’ lone score came on defense; Bethune-Cookman (6-3, 4-2) who waylaid the visiting Morgan State Bears (5-4, 4-2), 49-23 behind QB Jackie Wilson’s 260 total yards and 3 TDs; North Carolina Central (2-7, 1-5) edged slumping Delaware State (2-7, 0-6), which lost its’ seventh straight, 14-7, while Florida A&M ( 6-3, 4-2) rallied from a 20-7 deficit to ease past visiting North Carolina A&T (4-5, 3-3), 26-20. South Carolina State (5-4, 4-2) enjoyed a bye this weekend, and will return to action at home next Saturday against North Carolina A&T at Orangeburg, before closing the regular season at Savannah State. This Week’s Games There will be five games this week, but none bigger than the 1:00 Battle of Baltimore between Norfolk and Morgan. Only one team will be cooling their heels – the resurgent Bison of Howard University (5-5, 4-3) – who will enjoy a bye after a surprising season under first-year head coach Gary “The Flea” Harrell. *Norfolk State (8-2, 6-1) at Morgan State (5-4, 4-2). 1:00 @The Game of The Week pits two teams in search of the MEAC title, visiting Norfolk State who could clinch their first-ever title since joining the league in 1997, and Morgan State, which won its’ last title in 1979… The homestanding Bears, who rank #5 in total defense will have their hands full against the invading Spartans, who come in ranked #1 in scoring defense, rushing defense and total defense, while featuring the league’s #1 offense and #1 passing attack….. On paper at least, Norfolk should be the clear favorite, but they’ve struggled at times to put teams away this season, and coach Pete Adrian likely still has nightmares about losing the 2007 title game in overtime to Delaware State, after holding a big lead in regulation, so look for NSU to drop the hammer early and often to put this game away. *Delaware State (2-7, 0-6) at Hampton (5-4, 3-3), 1:00 @This matchup of Delmarva region foes has little on the line except pride, as both teams have struggled to disappointing campaigns… DelState under first year coach Kermit Blount has lost seven straight after a 2-0 start, dropping to last place not only in the standings at 0-6, but in scoring, rushing, total offense and total defense… Hampton remains one of the league’s top offenses, ranking in the top three in passing and total offense, although without injured QB David Legree, the Pirates hope they have enough juice left to subdue the slumping Hornets, and try to salvage something out of a season gone wrong, as the Pirates have split their last six games after starting 2-0. *North Carolina A&T (4-5, 3-3) at South Carolina State (5-4, 4-2), 1:30 @The hard-luck A&T Aggies complete their hellish four-game MEAC road tour this week in Orangeburg against a rested South Carolina State bunch coming off a bye… A&T lost the first three games on the swing falling out of title contention, but aims to close out one the three defending co-champs from 2010, who themselves will be seeking to stay alive in the 2011 chase – even if it is until suppertime… The Aggies’ brahma bull, RB Mike Mayhew, who has run for a league-high 953 yards and 9 TDs was injured against FAMU last week, and his status is uncertain… A&T (#4) and SCSU (#5) are in the top half of the league offensively, as are their defenses (A&T, #3; SCSU, #6), so look for a toe-to-toe match to the final round. *Florida A&M (6-3, 4-2) at North Carolina Central (2-7, 1-5), 2:00 @FAMU is riding a three-game win streak and have won five of their last six games and desperately need a win to stay in the title conversation, but being ranked last in pass defense could be a challenge for the Rattlers against the fourth-ranked aerial attack of NCCU, which ended a six-game skid with a 14-7 win at Delaware State last week… Central, on the other hand, will have to contend with a surging FAMU offense averaging 29 points per game, and the league’s #2 passing attack, one of the league’s stronger run defenses, and a Rattler secondary which has a league-high 20 interceptions. *Savannah State (1-8, 1-5) at Bethune-Cookman (6-3, 4-2), 3:00 @Streaking Bethune-Cookman, winners of four straight will aim to close their 2011 home schedule with a win over Savannah State to keep their MEAC championship and NCAA at-large possibilities alive… The visiting Tigers have dropped five straight after their lone win at North Carolina Central in Week Four, and are last in total defense and rushing defense which could mean a long day on Daytona Beach as the Wildcats rank first in scoring, rushing and total offense, while ranking in the top three defensively. HANDICAPPING THE MEAC FOOTBALL RACE With two weeks left, five teams – Norfolk State (6-1), Morgan State (4-2), South Carolina State (4-2), Bethune-Cookman (4-2) and FAMU (4-2) – remain mathematically alive in the MEAC title chase. NORFOLK STATE (6-1): Can win the title outright by beating Morgan State in Baltimore this week to finish 7-1. @MEAC LOSS: To Bethune-Cookman MORGAN STATE (4-2): Must win their last two games over Norfolk and Hampton to finish 6-2, preventing NSU from winning the title outright, while landing in a tie for first. @MEAC LOSSES: To Bethune-Cookman, North Carolina A&T SOUTH CAROLINA STATE (4-2): Must win their final two games (A&T, Savannah) and hope Norfolk loses to Morgan, and that FAMU and Morgan both finish with three (3) conference losses, to earn a share of the title with Norfolk, whom they did not play this year.. @MEAC LOSSES: To FAMU, Norfolk BETHUNE-COOKMAN (4-2): Must win out, beating Savannah and FAMU to finish 6-2, then would need Norfolk to finish 6-2, given their head-to-head edge over the Spartans, and for SCSU to lose one more game to neutralize their head-to-head advantage. @MEAC LOSSES: To S.C. State, North Carolina A&T FLORIDA A&M (4-2): Must win out beating NCCU and B-CU to finish 6-2, then with Hampton getting eliminated with a loss on Saturday, FAMU now needs Morgan to beat Norfolk to have shot at claiming a share of the title. @MEAC LOSSES: To Hampton, Howard HAMPTON (3-3) and NORTH CAROLINA A&T (3-3): were both eliminated from further consideration with loses on Saturday. Week 10 Scores (Nov. 5) *North Carolina Central 14, Delaware State 7 *Howard 10, Hampton 7 *Bethune-Cookman 49, Morgan State 23 *Norfolk State 45, Savannah State 3 *FAMU26, North Carolina A&T 20 BYE: South Carolina State *Conference Games This Week’s Games (Nov. 12) *Norfolk State at Morgan State. 1:00 *Delaware State at Hampton, 1:00 *North Carolina A&T at South Carolina State, 1:30 *Florida A&M at North Carolina Central, 2:00 *Savannah State at Bethune-Cookman, 3:00 BYE: Howard *Conference Games Next Week’s Games (Nov. 19) *Howard at Delaware State, 1:00 *Hampton at Morgan State, 1:00 *North Carolina Central at North Carolina A&T, 1:30 *South Carolina State at Savannah State, 2:00 *Bethune-Cookman vs. Florida A&M (Orlando), 2:30 BYE: Norfolk State *Conference Games TIEBREAKER UPDATES POINTS STANDINGS (For Out of Conference Games): Bethune-Cookman, 4 (Prairie View); Florida A&M, 4 (Southern); Morgan State, 4 (Robert Morris); Norfolk State, 4 (College of Charleston); South Carolina State, 4 (Georgia State) SAGARIN COLLEGE FOOTBALL RATINGS (The No Jive Five Only / As Of 11-5-11): 160-Norfolk State (50.82) 164-South Carolina State (50.15) 169-Bethune-Cookman (49.38) 192-Florida A&M (45.12) 211-Morgan State (40.45) |