Classic Games Take Center Stage

Morehouse-Tuskeegee Classic headlines full slate of HBCU action Saturday

Oct. 4, 2007

By Eric N. Moore

Special to CSTV.com

	Eric Moore Eric contributes a twice-weekly HBCU column for CSTV.com. E-mail here!

        ---   Column Archive   --- HBCU FOOTBALL 12/15: Oliver The Catalyst 12/13: Old Rivals Meet Again 12/3: Tuskegee Completes Perfect Season 11/29: Pioneer Powers 11/21: Final Weekend Of HBCU Features Classics 11/19: The Last Hurrah 11/15: Last Division Standing 11/12: CIAA, MEAC Crown Champs 11/8: Title Time In CIAA And MEAC 11/5: East Meets West As CIAA Title Game Set 11/1: Judgment Day In HBCU 10/29: Homecoming Hurts 10/25: Weeks Winding Down 10/22: Two Tigers Teams Take Steps Toward Titles 10/18: SWAC Division Leaders Set For Showdown 10/15: Hampton's Pirates Walk The Plank 10/11: Queen Isn't Only Title At Homecoming 10/8: Southern Goes South 10/4: Classic Games Take Center Stage 10/1: Hello To October 9/27: Battle Of Unbeatens In Atlanta 9/24: The Pursuit Of Perfection 9/20: SIAC Leaders Showdown In Tuskegee 9/17: Stars Falling In Alabama 9/13: Rematch of '06 CIAA Title Game Set For Big Time 9/10: Pirates, Bulldogs and WWHornets Strike Early 9/6: Who's HU In HBCU 9/3: Southern Breaks The MEAC Streak 8/30: Calling Their Bluff 8/27: HBCU Opening Week Recap 8/23: Beginning With A Rematch 4/12: A Great American Is Laid To Rest 4/4: A Coaching Legend Has Passed Away 12/18: Alabama A&M Finally Wins A SWAC Title 12/4: Winding Down 11/23: Playoffs, Bayou Classic, Dominate HBCU Weekend 11/20: Two HBCUs Fall in Playoffs 11/16: Six HBCU Schools Heading to Postseason 11/13: Three Down, One To Go 11/6: It's Title Time 11/6: Rams Are First...Who's Next? 11/2: CIAA Championship Game Berth On The Line 10/30: Surprise Results Revise SIAC Title Race 10/26: MEAC Logjam Could Be Broken On Saturday 10/23: Pirates Walk The Plank 10/19: Showdown Saturday in HBCU Football 10/16: Jackson State No Longer SWAC Pushover 10/12: Homecomings Abound In HBCU Football 10/9: Albany State Takes SIAC Lead 10/5: SIAC Leaders Face Off in Albany, GA 10/1: Pirates Keep Win Streak Alive 9/28: Hampton Tries to Extend MEAC Winning Streak 9/25: NCC Wins Game, Loses Belongings 9/21: Eagles, Jaguars Meet for First Time 9/18: Panthers Get Over the Hump 9/11: Traditional Powerhouses Hit Bumps 9/7: Conference Play Begins in Earnest 9/5: Grand Stages Open Season 8/28: All Sorts of Change In 2006 HBCU BASKETBALL 2/23: North Carolina Central Earns First National Ranking 2/23: Virginia Union Returns To Top Of CIAA Tournament 2/15: North Carolina Central Is So Hot Right Now 2/15: Returning Courtside 2/9: Delaware State, Mississippi Valley Among HBCU Standouts 2/9: HBCU Notebook: It's Title Time

        ---   HBCU Links   --- MEAC Standings MEAC Scoreboard SWAC Standings SWAC Scoreboard CIAA Standings CIAA Scoreboard SIAC Standings SIAC Scoreboard

Two classic games, five homecomings and a CSTV multimedia doubleheader highlight this week's HBCU football schedule.

Lane vs. Kentucky State, Thursday night on CSTV

HBCU football returns to CSTV Thursday night when Kentucky State (1-5, 1-1 SIAC) travels to Jackson, Tenn. to face Lane College (3-1, 0-1 SIAC).

Lane shocked the world last year with its worst-to-almost-first performance, but the Dragons have struggled out of the blocks this season. In fact, the last time they appeared on national television, they were knocked off by Morehouse earlier this season.

SIAC Player of the Year candidate Sherrard Ellis seems to be back in a groove following an early season injury. 

Last week, he threw for 230 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 51 yards and another TD. His favorite receivers have been Virgil Union and Ed Williams, who combined for 13 catches, 152 yards and two touchdowns last Saturday.

Union has stepped in nicely for the departed Jacoby Jones, who now spends his Sundays catching passes and returning kicks in the NFL.

KSU tries to stop a two-game slide to stay mathematically competitive in the SIAC title chase.

Tuskegee-Morehouse in Columbus, GA

The traditional feline faceoff between the Golden Tigers of Tuskegee (4-0, 3-0 SIAC) and Maroon Tigers of Morehouse (3-1, 2-1 SIAC) takes on an added dimension this year thanks to the resurgence of the men from Atlanta.

For the past 72 years, these two teams have met in HBCU football's oldest game: The Morehouse-Tuskegee Classic.

Tuskegee leads the overall series, 63-27-7, and Morehouse hasn't beaten its arch rival since handing the Golden Tigers their only loss in the 2001 season. 

This year, the Maroon Tigers enter the contest riding a three-game winning streak and are just two points from being undefeated. New head coach Rich Freeman has his squad off to its best start since 1930 with an offense led by sophomore quarterback Christian Sterling.

In his first start two weeks ago, Sterling threw for 201 yards and a touchdown against Concordia, earning SIAC Offensive Player of the Week honors. The Maroon Tigers were off last weekend, giving them extra time to prepare for Tuskegee.

Tuskegee has a pretty good quarterback of its own in Jacary Atkinson. Taking over for departed all-everything Kevin Huff, the junior Alabama native has led the Golden Tigers to another undefeated start in its quest for another SIAC championship.

Atkinson has assumed the leadership role on the team quite comfortably. He leads the SIAC in total offense averaging 255 yards per game. He is the second leading passer in the conference heading a team averaging 40 points per game.

The game will be streamed on CSTV broadband Saturday afternoon.

Rams and Rattlers in Indy

One of the best attended HBCU classic games kicks off in Indianapolis this weekend when Florida A&M and Winston-Salem State meet in the 24th edition of the Circle City Classic.

What began as a HBCU football showcase for fans in the Midwest has now taken on homecoming characteristics growing to the point that the festivities surrounding the game now have their own title sponsor.

This year, FAMU welcomes WSSU into the MEAC as the Rams continue their transition to Division I. Although the game won't count in the conference standings, early bragging rights are on the line in this second meeting between future conference opponents. FAMU won the first-ever meeting between these two teams last year, taking a 25-21 victory in Tallahassee.

The Rattlers are coming off a nail-biting win over Tennessee State last week, holding on for an 18-17 victory over the Blue Tigers in the Georgia Dome.

WSSU was disappointed last week, losing to Howard, 24-21, in overtime.

The Rams are 2-2 against MEAC opponents.

Homecomings

Five schools will be celebrating homecoming this weekend with the biggest game in Baton Rouge.

Undefeated Southern (5-0, 3-0 SWAC) hosts SWAC defending champion Alabama A&M (4-1, 2-1 SWAC) in a possible preview of the SWAC Championship Game.

Other homecoming games feature Alcorn State (0-4 ) looking for its first win of the season when they host Prairie View ( 2-2) and Clark Atlanta (1-4) going for two in a row when they host Concordia (1-5).

Saint Paul's (1-4) also goes for its second straight win when it celebrates homecoming against Shaw (3-2) and Langston (2-3) hosts Texas College (1-2) for homecoming in Langston, Okla.