The Matchup: Bethune-Cookman (7-5, 5-2 MEAC in 2018) vs. Jackson State (5-5, 4-3 SWAC in 2018) in 15th annual MEAC-SWAC Challenge

Kickoff: 3 p.m. ET Sunday at Georgia State Stadium in Atlanta

Television: ESPN2

Series: Jackson State leads 4-2 (last meeting: Jackson State won 27-7 in 1989)

The Skinny: The teams in the annual season-opening matchup between the two FCS conferences of historically black colleges haven't met in 30 years. The SWAC has won the last two Challenges, but the MEAC holds a 9-4 series lead with the 2016 game, which involved Bethune-Cookman, declared a no-contest because it was ended early by lightning. Bethune, from the MEAC, is 2-0 and Jackson State 0-1 in the Challenge.

Bethune returns eight starters on each side of the ball. QB Akevious Williams completed 63 percent of his passes and accounted for 20 total touchdowns before he suffered a season-ending knee injury in the eighth game a year ago. In addition to Williams, the Wildcats want the ball in the hands of playmaker Jimmie Robinson, who led the MEAC in all-purpose yards. The defense boasted four MEAC preseason first-team selections in DE Marques Ford (10½ tackles for loss, 8½ sacks), LB Marquis Hendrix and DBs Trevor Merritt and Tydarius Peters. Coach Terry Sims has posted a winning record in three of his four seasons and been at least .500 in conference each year.

Coach John Hendricks guided Jackson State over the final month last season, going 2-1 on an interim basis before he earned the full-time job after the campaign. The Tigers have a relatively new look with just 10 returning starters. They averaged only 16.5 points last season (115th nationally), and Hendricks may employ two quarterbacks with late-season starter Derrick Ponder and transfer Jalon Jones, who ran into problems off the field at SEC power Florida. Two-time rushing leader Jordan Johnson also will attack a Bethune defense that struggled against the run last year. The Tigers' defense ranked second in the SWAC with LB Keonte Hampton the team's leading tackler as a freshman.

Prediction: Jackson State posted a surprising win over MEAC member Florida A&M last September, but Bethune has too much returning talent for the Tigers program still on the rise again. Bethune-Cookman, 26-20.