The soundtrack of Week 4 in HBCU football came with stakes

The first sound of Week 4 did not come from a referee’s whistle. Brass spilled from tunnels, drumlines battled with myriad cadences and, once the ball went in the air, the competition on the gridiron supplied a rhythm of their own.

Kentucky State ended two decades of frustration, Jackson State tightened its grip on the BoomBox Classic, Prairie View A&M owned the Cotton Bowl stage and South Carolina State kept perfection intact.

All the while, bands turned grandstands and halftime fields into competitions of their own, stretching the energy of Saturday well beyond four quarters. By the time the last notes faded, the culture and the sound of it all were impossible to separate.

Kentucky State ends two decades of frustration

Kentucky State beat Albany State 24-16 for its first victory in the series since 2003, ending a 12-game losing streak against the Golden Rams. The Thorobreds improved to 4-1 and 3-0 in SIAC play after outgaining Albany State 406-246 yards. The road win strengthened Kentucky State’s case as a legitimate factor in the SIAC championship race.

Tuskegee still has a say in the SIAC

Tuskegee handed Benedict its first loss of the season with a 20-17 victory that moved the Golden Tigers to 2-0 in SIAC play. Benedict forced five turnovers but could not turn enough of them into points. Tuskegee sealed the upset with an interception in the end zone with 1:45 remaining. The result reshaped the early SIAC picture and gave Tuskegee a signature win against one of the league’s hottest teams.

Jackson State still owns the BoomBox Classic

Jackson State remained unbeaten with a 35-17 victory against Southern, extending its winning streak against the Jaguars to eight games. Nate Blount IV rushed for 135 yards and two touchdowns, as the Tigers improved to 4-0 overall and opened SWAC play with another convincing rivalry win. What once felt like one of the SWAC’s most unpredictable rivalries has become increasingly one-sided in Jackson State’s favor.

Prairie View A&M owns the Cotton Bowl stage

Prairie View A&M defeated Grambling State 21-14 before 42,942 fans at the Cotton Bowl and improved to 2-0 in the SWAC. The Panthers erased an early deficit and scored 14 unanswered points in the second half before protecting the lead late. In one of HBCU football’s signature classic settings, Prairie View added another meaningful conference win to its early SWAC résumé.

South Carolina State passes another test

South Carolina State remained unbeaten with a 31-21 road win over Bethune-Cookman after the Wildcats trimmed a 24-7 halftime deficit to three points. The Bulldogs answered with an 85-yard fourth-quarter touchdown drive and finished with 282 rushing yards to improve to 5-0.

Edward Waters survives Morehouse’s comeback

Edward Waters improved to 4-1 and 3-0 in SIAC play with a 46-38 road victory over Morehouse after building a commanding 46-10 third-quarter lead. Morehouse responded with 28 unanswered points, including 22 in the fourth quarter, before its comeback ran out of time. Edward Waters escaped Atlanta with its conference record intact, but Morehouse turned what looked like a rout into one of the weekend’s most dramatic SIAC finishes.

Alcorn State finds another win in overtime

Alcorn State survived Texas Southern 43-40 for its second overtime victory in three games and improved to 2-0 in the SWAC. Fredrick Robertson scored four touchdowns, including the winner in overtime, after Texas Southern erased a 22-point second-half deficit. For an Alcorn team repeatedly pushed into close games, another late escape reinforced the Braves’ growing reputation for finding a way to win when regulation is not enough.

Alabama A&M ends a 47-year drought

Alabama A&M scored the final 17 points in a 40-21 road victory for its first win against Florida A&M since 1979 and its first 1-0 SWAC start since 2021. Byron Perrilliat rushed for 223 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns after Florida A&M cut the Bulldogs’ advantage to two points.

Virginia Union’s scores another shutout

Virginia Union held Fayetteville State to 93 total yards in a 14-0 victory, improving to 4-1 overall and 3-0 in CIAA play. The Panthers recorded six sacks and posted consecutive shutouts for the first time since 2022.

Delaware State delivers against Towson

Delaware State drove 90 yards before Ui Ale scored on a 6-yard run with 42 seconds remaining to beat Towson 33-28. The Hornets improved to 3-2 after surrendering a 27-14 halftime advantage and then answering Towson’s fourth-quarter comeback with the winning drive.

HBCU band spotlight

The first notes came before the opening kick, rolling out of tunnels and across grandstands. By halftime, brass, drums and dance lines had turned stadiums into stages, and when the football clock finally hit zero, nobody was quite ready to pack up. Week 4 belonged as much to the bands trading songs, swagger and a few well-placed musical jabs as it did to the action on the field.

Southern brought the hits and one perfectly timed troll

Southern’s Human Jukebox moved across generations with Patti LaBelle’s “Somebody Loves You Baby,” Yeat and Drake’s “MISS MY DAWG,” Dave and Tems’ “Raindance,” Drake’s “Whisper My Name” and Rihanna’s “Man Down,” then brought BabyChiefDoit’s “Ghetto Love Story” to the field during its BoomBox Classic halftime show. The Jukebox also went directly at Jackson State with Doug E. Fresh’s “The Show,” a signature Sonic Boom selection that turned an old rivalry into a little musical trolling.

The Sonic Boom changed channels and never lost the groove

Jackson State’s Sonic Boom of the South turned television nostalgia into a soundtrack with selections from “I Love Lucy,” “Soul Train,” “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” and “Law & Order.” The Boom gave the BoomBox Classic a throwback twist as familiar themes rolled through the stadium with Jackson State’s signature power.

The Ocean of Soul brought Future to the yard

Texas Southern brought Future’s “F-kk A Interview” into the stands against Alcorn State and gave the track the full Ocean of Soul treatment. The song injected a current hip-hop edge into Jack Spinks Stadium as the Ocean of Soul made the popular record its own.

Alcorn made the walk in feel like an arrival

Alcorn State’s Sounds of Dyn-O-Mite announced its presence before kickoff with a powerful entrance into Jack Spinks–Marino Casem Stadium, while Alcorn’s Tower of Power drumline later traded rhythms with Texas Southern’s Funk Train. The clips captured two staples of HBCU band culture, pageantry on the move and percussion competition up close.

Alabama A&M left its mark on Bragg

Alabama A&M’s Marching Maroon & White made its trip to Tallahassee, Florida, about more than football as the band commanded Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium during halftime. The Bulldogs brought their own sound, precision and showmanship into one of HBCU football’s most recognizable band environments.

FAMU reached for Michael Jackson and let the 100 work

Florida A&M’s Marching 100 dipped into Michael Jackson’s catalog with “Human Nature” and let the melody float through Bragg Memorial Stadium. The selection delivered a smooth dose of nostalgia while showcasing the musicality and control behind the Marching 100’s unmistakable sound.

Grambling brought World Famed energy to the State Fair Classic

Grambling State’s World Famed Tiger Marching Band filled the State Fair Classic stage with the sound and showmanship expected from one of HBCU football’s signature bands. Grambling also slowed the tempo with “Lovers and Friends,” showing how quickly the World Famed can move from high-powered spectacle to an R&B groove.

Prairie View made sure the Storm had its say

Prairie View A&M’s Marching Storm brought its own sound and swagger to halftime against Grambling State at the State Fair Classic.

South Carolina State put some Stevie Wonder in the stands

South Carolina State’s Marching 101 reached into the soul catalog with Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours).” The familiar melody gave Week 4 one of its smoothest moments and sounded right at home in the hands of the 101.