BOXTOROW HBCU Coaches Poll: North Carolina A&T reigns supreme atop HBCU poll amid Aggies’ best start in 24 years
Michael WallaceRALEIGH, N.C. – Another blowout victory, another week as the No. 1 team in black college football for the North Carolina A&T Aggies, who continue to distance themselves from ranked competitors.
In the BOXTOROW HBCU coaches poll, the Aggies (4-0) received 18 of 20 first-place votes coming off a 49-17 victory at Morgan State over the weekend. They have outscored opponents by a combined 185-51 through the first four games of the season, which includes a win over the FBS-level Charlotte 49ers.
The poll’s two other first-place votes went to No. 2 Grambling (3-1), which has won three straight games since a season-opening loss on the road to FBS foe Tulane. Grambling moved up one spot this week after Tennessee State (3-1) suffered its first loss of the season on Saturday to UT Martin and dropped to No. 4 in the poll. No. 3 North Carolina Central (2-1) and No. 5 Howard (2-2) both won last week – the Eagles defeating South Carolina State 33-28 and the Bison defeating Bethune-Cookman 26-24.
Ranked among the FCS’s top-10 in scoring defense and turnover margin, and fueled offensively by the nation’s eight-leading rusher in Marquell Cartwright, the Aggies are off to their best start since 1993. Still, coach Rod Broadway believes the Aggies have another level of dominance to reach.
“I thought once again the guys played really well early,” Broadway told reporters after Saturday’s win. “But for some reason, when we get way ahead, we want to ease up a little bit and start making mistakes that drive me nuts. We still have a lot to get corrected.”
The BOXTOROW coaches poll is administered by FROM THE PRESS BOX TO PRESS ROW and is voted on by the HBCU Football Championship Subdivision coaches.
2017 BOXTOROW FCS HBCU Football Coaches Poll Week 4
(Records through September 23, 2017)
No. Team W/L Pts Last Week 1. 
North Carolina A&T (18)4-0 198 1 2. 
Grambling (2)3-1 178 3 3. 
North Carolina Central 2-1 142 4 4. 
Tennessee State 3-1 135 2 5. 
Howard 2-2 112 8 6. 
Alcorn State 2-2 109 9 7. 
Prairie View A&M 1-2 42 NR 8. 
Hampton 2-2 41 10 9. 
South Carolina State 1-2 39 6 10. 
Bethune-Cookman 1-3 36 5 Others receiving votes: Florida A&M (2-2) 31, Southern (1-3) 20, Arkansas-Pine Bluff (2-2) 7. (1st place votes in parentheses)
Note: (1st place votes in parentheses)
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Published on Sep 26, 2016
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