Midway through the black college football season, surprises abound.

The best has got to be Prairie View A&M, which is a sparkling 4-0 and looking every bit like a force in the SWAC. The Panthers are at the top of the league heap in scoring at 41 points a game and scoring defense at 11 per outing. Not to put a jinx on coach Henry Frazier's reclamation project, but the program hasn't been this good since legendary coach Billy Nicks roamed the sidelines in the 1960s.

A pair of great stories are brewing in the MEAC, where Florida A&M and Hampton are 3-1 with first-year coaches. FAMU is rebounding under the guidance of Joe Taylor, who bolted Hampton in the offseason to rebuild the Rattlers program. Finding talent in the Sunshine State was relatively easy; Taylor, the best coach in the MEAC, is putting it to work.

Any bruised feelings Hampton fans had about Taylor leaving town have surely been soothed by Jerry Holmes, who spent three seasons as Hampton's defensive coordinator before his promotion. His emphasis on physical football isn't very different from Taylor's, and it works all the same. If FAMU and Hampton continue on their current course, the Nov. 15 game in Talahassee, Fla., could be for the league title.

The CIAA has a surprise team too, if you count Virginia Union. The Panthers not only survived a sudden change in coaches when Greg Richardson replaced Arrington Jones, they've thrived with a 4-1 record. VUU's formula for success is simple – spread the field and let

2007 CIAA offensive player of the year Lamar Little do his thing running or throwing.

Tennessee State is off to a 3-1 start under fourth-year coach James Webster, with a 28-21 loss to FAMU the only blemish on the Tigers' record. After posting losing campaigns in his first three seasons and given the historical high expectations of old school TSU faithful, Webster needs a good season in Nashville. He's certainly headed in the right direction.