Record performances and fourth-quarter finishes highlighted the Oct. 17 This HBCU homecoming recap highlights Alabama A&M’s explosive victory, Jackson State’s comeback and Prairie View’s late winning kick on Oct. 17, 2026. games, while music and alumni traditions extended the celebrations beyond football.
Alabama A&M scored 61 points after falling behind by two touchdowns. Jackson State erased a fourth-quarter deficit before more than 44,000 spectators. Prairie View A&M needed a field goal in the closing minutes to finish its homecoming with a victory.
Across historically Black colleges and universities, Saturday’s homecoming games delivered a mix of commanding performances and close finishes. Howard, Benedict, Tennessee State, Clark Atlanta, Fayetteville State and Johnson C. Smith also gave returning alumni victories to celebrate.
Alabama A&M scores 61 in comeback victory
Alabama A&M defeated Grambling State 61-31 at Louis Crews Stadium, turning an early 17-3 deficit into a decisive Southwestern Athletic Conference victory.
Receiver Jaylan Bean caught 10 passes for a career-high 240 yards and four touchdowns. Quarterback Cornelious Brown IV threw for 417 yards and five touchdowns as the Bulldogs finished with 669 yards of offense.
Kicker David Faulk added a school-record 56-yard field goal as the first half expired, putting Alabama A&M ahead 19-17. The Bulldogs followed with 35 third-quarter points and scored 44 unanswered points during the comeback.
Alabama A&M improved to 6-2 overall and 3-1 in conference play, earning its fifth consecutive homecoming victory.
The official conference box score listed attendance at 14,096 on a sunny afternoon at Louis Crews Stadium.
Jackson State finishes strong against FAMU
Jackson State defeated Florida A&M 27-17 at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, scoring the final 15 points to turn a fourth-quarter deficit into a homecoming victory.
FAMU led 17-12 entering the final period after Jamal Hailey’s 81-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
Jackson State answered with a seven-play, 58-yard drive. Jared Lockhart connected with Jabari Jones for a 25-yard touchdown with 12:21 remaining, then ran for the two-point conversion to give the Tigers a 20-17 lead.
Terrance Hibbler Jr. recovered a FAMU fumble on the ensuing possession, setting up Nate Blount IV’s 2-yard touchdown run. Jackson State’s defense finished with four takeaways and held the Rattlers scoreless in the fourth quarter.
The Tigers improved to 6-1 overall and 3-1 in SWAC play.
The official box score recorded 44,173 spectators, with sunny conditions and a temperature of 69 degrees.
Prairie View wins on a late field goal
Prairie View A&M defeated Alcorn State 41-38 at Panther Stadium at Blackshear Field after Ethan Eddins kicked a 37-yard field goal with 1:56 remaining.
The Panthers led by two touchdowns twice in the first half, but Alcorn recovered and took a 35-31 lead in the third quarter.
Alcorn quarterback Jaylon Tolbert passed for 356 yards and five touchdowns without an interception. Fredrick Robertson added three touchdown receptions and finished with 197 yards from scrimmage.
Prairie View regained the lead in the fourth quarter before Alcorn tied the game at 38. Eddins’ field goal settled the scoring, and the Panthers stopped the Braves’ final possession.
Prairie View improved to 3-5 overall and 3-2 in conference play despite being outgained 505-397.
Tennessee State earns a milestone victory
Tennessee State defeated Morgan State 25-16 at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, ending the visiting Bears’ four-game winning streak.
Daylin Lee passed for 220 yards and two touchdowns without an interception and rushed for 63 yards. Receiver Jaden Jones added a 50-yard touchdown pass to Cam Bulluck on Tennessee State’s opening possession.
The Tigers kept Morgan State scoreless in the fourth quarter and improved to 2-5. The victory was coach Reggie Barlow’s 100th career win, according to Tennessee State’s official report.
Morgan State, which held its own homecoming the previous weekend, fell to 5-2.
Benedict and CIAA hosts win comfortably
Benedict built a 28-0 first-half lead and defeated Edward Waters 45-24 in Columbia, South Carolina.
The Tigers’ homecoming victory came against an Edward Waters team ranked 21st in Benedict’s official game report.
In North Carolina, Fayetteville State defeated Elizabeth City State 43-7, while Johnson C. Smith beat Lincoln University of Pennsylvania 40-6.
The two CIAA hosts won by a combined 70 points, giving their returning alumni comfortable victories during a weekend that featured several much closer finishes elsewhere.
Clark Atlanta celebrates on the field and onstage
Clark Atlanta defeated Allen 17-14, adding a close football victory to a homecoming week that also included music and alumni gatherings.
Hip-Hop Wired’s concert recap documented performances by Yung Miami, G Herbo, Jacquees and other artists. The published photographs captured the entertainment component of a celebration that extended beyond Saturday’s game.
At Howard, the university’s published homecoming program centered on its “Wildest Dreams” theme, with Yardfest, a Greek step show, a royal court coronation and family activities among the scheduled events.
HBCU homecoming recap: Oct. 17 winners
| Homecoming host | Final score |
|---|---|
| Alabama A&M | Alabama A&M 61, Grambling State 31 |
| Benedict | Benedict 45, Edward Waters 24 |
| Clark Atlanta | Clark Atlanta 17, Allen 14 |
| Fayetteville State | Fayetteville State 43, Elizabeth City State 7 |
| Howard | Howard 31, Morehouse 17 |
| Jackson State | Jackson State 27, Florida A&M 17 |
| Johnson C. Smith | Johnson C. Smith 40, Lincoln (Pa.) 6 |
| Prairie View A&M | Prairie View A&M 41, Alcorn State 38 |
| Tennessee State | Tennessee State 25, Morgan State 16 |
Homecoming designations and results were checked against published schedules and the weekend scoreboard.
Around HBCU football
Other notable Saturday victories included Virginia State’s 76-13 win over Shaw, Virginia Union’s 48-7 victory over Bowie State and Kentucky State’s 55-22 win over Lane.
Winston-Salem State defeated Bluefield State 43-14, North Carolina A&T beat Chicago State 27-12, and West Virginia State defeated Wheeling 30-24 in overtime.
Tuskegee edged Albany State 17-14. Alabama State defeated Arkansas-Pine Bluff 21-15, Bethune-Cookman beat Mississippi Valley State 34-14, and Fort Valley State defeated Savannah State 22-9, with the latter three visitors winning on their opponents’ homecoming weekends.
Rivalry recap: Howard pulls away from Morehouse
Howard closed its homecoming game with 14 unanswered fourth-quarter points to defeat Morehouse 31-17 at Greene Stadium.
The teams entered the final quarter tied at 17. Ja’Shawn Scroggins scored on a 1-yard run with 6:50 remaining, and Travis Kerney added a 7-yard touchdown run with 48 seconds left.
Eden James rushed for 120 yards, including a 61-yard touchdown. Howard finished with 201 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns before an official crowd of 9,995.
The victory improved the Bison to 3-4 and completed a matchup Howard’s alumni office described as a renewal of the schools’ rivalry.
Click here to read about last weeks homecoming results.
