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A 31-7 win by Alabama A&M over South Carolina State was enough to convince the FCS HBCU coaches that the Bulldogs deserved to be No. 1. Jackson State’s close but big win over Grambling State convinced the media that the Tigers should also be at the top. Both were voted tops in HBCU football as both the BOXTOROW Coaches and Media Polls were released on Monday.
AAMU moved up two places in the coaches poll from last week to take the top spot and received all but three first place votes. The game against South Carolina State came together in the middle of last week and the Bulldogs had to travel to Orangeburg, SC. No. 2 Jackson State, who received the other three first place votes, held on to defeat Grambling 33-28 on the road and moved up three spots from last week. No. 3 Prairie View A&M and No. 4 Arkansas-Pine Bluff both won on Saturday – UAPB defeated previous No. 1 Southern 33-30 – and jumped from the bottom 10 to the top five, with UAPB jumping all the way up from No. 10. Southern rounded out the top five.
In the media poll, Jackson State received one less first place vote, but edged out Alabama A&M by one point to take the top spot. No. 3 Arkansas-Pine Bluff jumped seven spots.
The BOXTOROW HBCU FCS coaches poll and media poll is administered by FROM THE PRESS BOX TO PRESS ROW. The coaches poll, in its 12th year is voted on by the HBCU Football Championship Subdivision coaches and the media poll, in its 14th year, is voted on by media members around the country who cover HBCU football.
Spring 2021 BOXTOROW FCS HBCU Football Coaches Poll
Week 3
(Records through March 7, 2021)
| No. | Team | W-L | Pts | Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama A&M (14) | 1-0 | 167 | 3 |
| 2 | Jackson State State (3) | 2-0 | 153 | 5 |
| 3 | Prairie View A&M | 1-0 | 126 | 6 |
| 4 | Arkansas-Pine Bluff | 1-0 | 124 | 10 |
| 5 | Southern | 1-1 | 108 | 1 |
| 6 | Grambling | 0-1 | 91 | 4 |
| T-7 | Delaware State | 1-0 | 60 | 9 |
| T-7 | South Carolina State | 0-1 | 60 | 2 |
| 9 | Alabama State | 0-1 | 47 | 7 |
| 10 | Tennessee State | 0-2 | 25 | 8 |
Others receiving votes: Texas Southern (0-1) 5, Howard (0-1) 2.
(1st place votes in parentheses)
Spring 2021 BOXTOROW HBCU Football Media Top 10 Poll
Week 3
(Records through March 7, 2021)
| No. | Team | W-L | Pts. | 2019 Final Poll |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jackson State (7) | 2-0 | 142 | 2 |
| 2 | Alabama A&M (8) | 1-0 | 141 | 6 |
| 3 | Arkansas-Pine Bluff | 1-0 | 115 | 10 |
| 4 | Prairie Vew A&M | 1-0 | 88 | 7 |
| 5 | Southern | 1-1 | 86 | 1 |
| 6 | Grambling | 0-1 | 76 | 3 |
| 7 | Delaware State | 1-0 | 51 | 5 |
| 8 | South Carolina State | 0-1 | 42 | 4 |
| 9 | Alabama State | 0-1 | 41 | T-8 |
| 10 | Tennessee State | 0-2 | 23 | T-8 |
Other receiving votes: Texas Southern (0-1) 11, West Virginia State (0-0) 8, Mississippi Valley State (0-0) 1.
(1st place votes in parentheses)