September 25th, 2026 12:00am
CIAA Week 4 Preview
We’ve reached the point in the season where there is a clear line of demarcation in the standings. Five (!) teams have yet to win a game, which is a tough place to be as a conference. Yet, let’s have renewed optimism, because someone has to win games to separate themselves in the basement, right?
Also, if you have not had the chance, I encourage you to check out the CIAA Coaches Show on Mondays on the conference's YouTube channel. That show features each coach talking about their perspective on how things are going with their clubs.
In my own victory lap, I have been 23-0 over the last three weeks. I think that streak might be in peril this week because there some landmines out there. Read on to find out more here.
Games in order of interest
Virginia Union (2-0, 3-1) at Fayetteville State (1-1, 2-2)
These two teams have not met since 2023. VUU seems to have found their stride, ascending a familiar throne: leading the conference in scoring. It’s the familiar VUU of old, with a punishing run game and a stingy defense leading the way. A negative for VUU is that they are averaging 94 yards per game in penalties. Eww. Fayetteville State comes into this matchup at the tail end of a grueling 5 game stretch. Each team they have faced only have one loss on the season.
These two teams tend to play a close game, and I expect nothing different this season. FSU’s in an odd position, with a -5 differential in scoring margin. Still, the Broncos sport a dynamic playmaker at quarterback in Jamir Dismukes and a disruptive defensive front four in Jatavien Taylor and Osirus Rhodes (the conference’s current sack leader). VUU leads with a tandem of running backs, along with linebackers Ahmad Ross and Christian Aiken.
There are some things to look out for in this game. Pay attention to whether FSU zeroes in on the run game and force VUU quarterback RJ Rosales to be the playmaker. While VUU can go vertical with wide receivers Montrell Wright and Latrell Sutton, the Panthers at time struggle with consistency in the pass game. FSU’s running game has barely been serviceable beyond what Dismukes and Braylon Vincent can generate. It puts more pressure on Dismukes to be a creator, and that’s not a pleasant place to be against a solid defense.
Advantage: Fayetteville State. It’s a home game for the Broncos, where they are most dangerous. Their backs are against the wall. They like to play close games against good teams. Lastly, I think VUU’s penalty-heavy personality lets the Broncos linger around too long, giving an opportunity for the Broncos kicking game to steal a game.
Livingstone (2-1, 2-2) at Shaw (1-1, 3-1)
In the Bear Bowl, the biggest surprise within the conference so far this year is Shaw, who is scoring at a breakneck pace. The Bears have taken a big step on offense this year courtesy of its offensive line. Shaw leads the conference in rushing yards thanks to the #2 (Fabian Diggs) and #3 (Trey Thorpe) leading rushers in the conference. Livingstone will seek to match them against Manny Moss and company. Moss leads the conference in tackles for loss.
Livingstone is looking to have more potency on both sides of the ball. The offense is steady, and the definition of balanced, but it has the lowest time of possession in the conference. The defense is picking up the pace on sacks though, with 14 on the seasons. The problem is that the defense may find themselves on the field for extended periods – Shaw hoards the ball at 32 minutes a game.
Advantage: Shaw. Shaw’s defense will give up points to the Blue Bears, but the plain ol’ Bears have a lot of resolve to sustain themselves.
Bowie State (0-1, 0-3) at Elizabeth City State (0-1, 0-3)
Its hard to have a lot of good to about these two teams at this point in the season. Bowie’s defense has no sacks this year. Both teams are the two worst in the country in redzone offense. ECSU is particularly noteworthy because of the lack of a kicking game, and Bowie has only scored in the redzone via FGs.
Let’s breath optimism. ECSU’s Jack Earley is a candidate for freshman of the year on defense. ECSU gave Virginia State some fits in the backfield, slowing down VSU’s ability to get going and getting a lot of hits on the quarterback. ECSU’s offense is a fast-starting team can pad the stat line….in the first half. Bowie State has a good rushing attack led by Daniel Coles Jr. and Maximus Jones. The Bulldogs have a number of options at quarterback that could get the passing game going.
I feel like we kind of know what ECSU is right now, and Bowie feels like more of a wild card. Advantage: Bowie State with the get back from last year.
Bluefield State (0-2, 0-4) at Lincoln PA (0-1, 0-3)
Let’s talk optimism here: Lincoln’s pass duo pair of quarterback Jayden Triplett and Kyrie Tyson drips with chemistry. Tyson is the leading the conference in receiving yards. Defensive lineman Charles Thompson hasn’t lost a step from last year and is a tackling machine. Bluefield State has a running game that has improved from last year’s moribund status. Its rushing defense has also improved. Both teams have reduced the margin of defeat as well, signaling improvement.
The ugly: Lincoln’s problems include allowing opponents to convert 54 percent of third down. The Lions are also third most penalized team in the country at 99 yards per game. I had higher hopes for Bluefield State’s offense, but it has just has not been as capable as I had hoped. Big Blue has also fallen into the trap of having to rely on multiple quarterbacks to run its offense. Big Blue is also prone to entering penalty fests themselves. Advantage: Lincoln….I think? It should be a very entertaining game, and could be defense is optional type of game.
Winston-Salem State (0-2, 0-4) at Virginia State (2-0, 3-1)
You watch this game because you are looking to see how these two teams will improve. WSSU hasn’t intercepted the ball any this year. Still, its defense has periods of slowing teams down, especially because the Rams are not getting blown out. I think some of that has to do with teams favoring the running game, as the Rams have surrendered over 250 yards on the ground, worst in the conference. A key weakness is that opponents converting over 50 percent of third downs. Blech. What else is keeping the Rams on the mat? They sport the fourth worst scoring offense in Division II. Egads. VSU has been a slow starting team of late, letting the likes of Barton and ECSU stick around even though they are the stronger, more cohesive team. So, that note could give WSSU fans hope. Don’t be lured into an optimism trap if this game closes by the end of the third quarter. VSU scored at least 14 points in the fourth quarter in each of their three wins. Quarterback RJ Matthews continues to be one of the country’s most consistent quarterbacks, and VSU’s wide receiver corps of Jaylen Pretlow, Chuckie Gayles, and Vincent Ordenes is a pretty impressive group. Where can VSU improve? Its running game, which has been mediocre. Advantage: Virginia State, XXL big margin
Idle: Johnson C. Smith, who is plotting how else it can take the bull by the horns within the conference.