LIVE: Virginia State vs Virginia Union football
SALEM, Va. (KTTV) - This week's HBCU Game of the Week is a rematch of last week to determine the CIAA champion, as the Virginia State Trojans battle the Virginia Union Panthers in Salem, Virginia.
The Trojans and Panthers finished with identical records in the CIAA. Both went 7-3 overall and 6-1 in the conference. The Panthers' only in-conference loss came at the hands of Virignia State just last week. The Trojans beat the Panthers 35-28 in that contest.
Saturday's battle for the top spot is bound to be a grind. Both teams boast the most efficient offenses in the CIAA, and are in the top five in most offensive and defensive categories.
They even have the top two scorers in the CIAA, with running backs Jada Byers of Viringia Union and Jimmyll Williams of Virginia State. Byers leads the conference in rushing yards — by nearly 700 — and rushing touchdowns. Byers is the second leading rusher in all of Division II this season.
All-time in the series, the Trojans edge out the Panthers slightly with eight wins to the Panthers' seven. The last time these two teams met in the postseason was nearly 90 years ago, in 1938.
You can watch this game on foxla.com, and through the FOX Local app on mobile and connected TVs.