Week one of college football is finally here. When you think of week one in college football, what comes to mind? Some might want to get their first look at the College Football Playoff contenders. Others may only watch the conference where their teams are included. Certain people will watch all the power 5 conferences. The point I am trying to make is teams at the FCS level get lost in the fold. As week one draws near, there is one game that is played this week that might get overlooked. It is the annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge 2019 from Georgia State Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
This game began in 2005 at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. South Carolina State defeated Alabama State by a final score of 27-14. Since its inception, this game has primarily been played in Florida. This will be just the second game to be played in Atlanta. Prairie View A&M defeated North Carolina Central last year 40-24. The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) holds an overall record of 9-4 against the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).
2019s match up features Bethune-Cookman from the MEAC against Jackson State from the SWAC. Bethune-Cookman finished 2018 with a 7-5 record and a 5-2 conference record. The Wildcats held a 4-5 record heading into their final three games. The Cats won those last three games to register a winning record in 2018. Bethune-Cookman makes their fourth appearance in the annual game. They have won two of their first three appearances. The most recent appearance in 2016 ended in a no contest. The Wildcats hope to keep their success in this game going as we enter 2019.
Jackson State concluded 2019 with a .500 record at 5-5. The Tigers lost their season finale to Alcorn State 24-3. Jackson State’s only appearance in this game came back in 2008. The Tigers lost to Hampton by a final score of 17-13. It has been five years since Jackson State registered a winning record in a season. The Tigers finished 2013 7-4. Jackson State held a record of 7-2 before losing their final two games of the season to Alcorn State and Southern University. As we count down to 2019, the Tigers hope to jump start a winning season with a win against Bethune-Cookman.
Entering this match up, on paper, Bethune-Cookman appears to have the advantage. Not only with the recent season success, but the MEAC has dominated this annual game. Do not sleep on Jackson State. Upsets happen all the time and the Tigers will be motivated to put together a historical 2019 season. The winner of this game will be the one that limits turnovers and penalties. The winner will also capitalize on red zone opportunities. Whichever one of these two teams score more touchdowns than field goals in the red zone will come out on top. Another aspect of the game that I look at is field position. Special teams are a game breaking aspect for a reason. Which punter wins the field position battle? Which kicker has the longer leg? Those two special teams characteristics bode well for the winner of this game. This game is a toss-up and I would not be surprised if Jackson State pulled off the upset. I feel this game will be very competitive and close. The game will be won in the fourth quarter. The team that wins the fourth quarter will win the game. Tune in on Sunday, September 1st, at 2:00 p.m. central on ESPN2 to see who wins the 2019 MEAC/SWAC Challenge.
