NORFOLK, Va., Sept. 20, 2023 – Five Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) programs will be in action this weekend, the fourth full week of the 2023 season. Defending conference and Cricket Celebration Bowl champion North Carolina Central highlights the slate, traveling across the country to face No. 24 UCLA.
n
n
Here is a look at this week’s contests.
n
n
Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils (0-2, 0-0 SWAC) vs. No. 18/19 North Carolina Central Eagles (2-1, 0-0 MEAC)
n
Circle City Classic
n
Saturday, Sept. 23 ● Lucas Oil Stadium ● Indianapolis, Ind. ● 3 p.m.
n
n
North Carolina Central suffered its first loss of the season last weekend, a 59-7 defeat at the Rose Bowl to ranked FBS foe UCLA, while Mississippi Valley State is searching for its first win of 2023 after this past Saturday’s 35-7 loss to Delta State in the Delta Classic. This will be just the second all-time meeting between the two programs; in 2021, the Delta Devils defeated the Eagles 17-16 in Itta Bena, Miss. Mississippi Valley State is in its first season under head coach, and alum, Kendrick Wade, and the Delta Devils were picked to finish fifth in the East Division in the preseason rankings.
n
n
Delaware State Hornets (0-3, 0-0 MEAC) vs. Miami (OH) Redhawks (2-1, 0-0 MAC)
n
Saturday, Sept. 23 ● Yager Stadium ● Oxford, Ohio ● 3:30 p.m.
n
TV: ESPN+ ● Live Stats
n
n
Delaware State hits the road for the third straight weekend, still in search of the program’s first win of the Lee Hull era following Saturday’s 38-6 loss at Richmond. Miami (Ohio), meanwhile, has won back-to-back games after a 31-24 overtime victory over Cincinnati this past weekend. This will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs, though this will be the Hornets’ second game against an FBS opponent this season (Delaware State fell 57-0 to Army in Week 2). The Redhawks are in their 10th season under head coach Chuck Martin, and they were picked to finish second in the MAC’s East Division this year.
n
n
Norfolk State Spartans (1-2, 0-0 MEAC) vs. Towson Tigers (1-2, 0-0 CAA)
n
Saturday, Sept. 23 ● Johnny Unitas Stadium ● Towson, Md. ● 4 p.m.
n
TV: FloFootball ● Live Stats
n
n
Norfolk State hits the road for the second straight week, looking to bounce back after Saturday’s 41-9 loss to Temple. Towson will face a MEAC foe for the second straight week, having defeated Morgan State in the Battle for Greater Baltimore, 20-10 this past weekend for the Tigers’ first win of 2023. This will be just the second-ever meeting between the two teams; Towson won the only previous meeting, 31-21, back in 1984. The Tigers are in their first season under head coach Pete Shinnick, son of former Colts linebacker Don Shinnick, who won a Div. II national championship in 2019 with West Florida.
n
n
Albany Great Danes (1-2, 0-0 CAA) vs. No. Morgan State Bears (1-2, 0-0 MEAC)
n
Saturday, Sept. 23 ● Hughes Stadium ● Baltimore, Md. ● 6 p.m.
n
TV: ESPN+ ● Live Stats
n
n
Morgan State is home for the second straight game this weekend, as the Bears look to bounce back following last Saturday’s 20-10 loss to Towson in the Battle for Greater Baltimore. Albany is also 1-2 on the young season, coming off a bye week; the Great Banes last played on Sept. 9, when they were on the road for a 31-20 loss to Hawaii. Albany leads the all-time series 2-0, and the two teams last met in 2021, when the Great Danes won 41-14 at home. The Great Danes are in their 10th season under head coach Greg Gattuso, and they are football-only members in the CAA (while competing in the MAAC and America East in all other sports).
n
n
The Citadel (0-3, 0-1 SoCon) vs. South Carolina State Bulldogs (0-3, 0-0 MEAC)
n
Saturday, Sept. 23 ● Oliver C. Dawson Stadium ● Orangeburg, S.C. ● 6 p.m.
n
TV: ESPN+
n
n
South Carolina State will be home for the first time in 2023 this Saturday, squaring off against in-state foe The Citadel in a game where both squads are looking for their first win of the season. The Bulldogs are coming off the first of two bye weeks, while The Citadel dropped its conference opener this past weekend, falling 38-3 to Chattanooga. The Citadel leads the all-time series 4-0, though these two teams haven’t met since 2001 – when the Bulldogs fell 31-8. This game will mark The Citadel’s first-ever trip to Orangeburg. Alum Maurice Drayton, who in 2008-09 was also on the Bulldogs’ staff with head coach Oliver “Buddy” Pough, is in his first season as head coach of The Citadel.
