In a game that looked like a runaway but turned into a close call, South Carolina State held on for its biggest win since its last HBCU national championship season.
The Bulldogs (6-2, 2-0 MEAC) jumped out to a 17-0 halftime lead, then held off a furious North Carolina Central rally for a 24-21 win to assume first place in the MEAC as the last unbeaten team in conference play.
In a game that saw a little bit of everything, here are the key points in a game that shifts the balance of power not just in the MEAC, but in HBCU football as a whole.
Eric Phoenix rises once again
The South Carolina State signal-caller, by way of Murray State and Benedict, stepped up once again on the big stage, completing 26 of 36 passes for 321 yards and two touchdowns, rushing for 60 yards and a touchdown as well.
His biggest play was an 18-yard scramble on 3rd and 20 just before the two-minute warning that allowed Deondra Duehart to squeeze into a tight window for the first down that sealed the ball game.
The @Eric7Phoenix to @CadenHigh TOUCHDOWN CONNECTION is Alive and Well!!!!!!!@SCStateAthletic @SCSTATE1896 @MEACSports @coachberry77 #PayTheFEE#DigDEEP#FearTheBITE
pic.twitter.com/snikp8zhaQ
— South Carolina State Football (@SCState_Fb) November 1, 2024
If this game was a deciding factor in who would earn the MEAC Offensive Player of the Year award, Phoenix made his case emphatically.
The special teams were anything but special
Neither team’s special teams unit will want to look at the film from Thursday night’s game. A blocked punt by South Carolina State turned into a new possession for Central after a Bulldog player touched it. A roughing the punter penalty against the Eagles gave SCSU a fresh set of downs and a chance to add to their lead.
NC Central’s slow start cost them
Falling behind 17-0 is a recipe for disaster, even for a team as talented as the Eagles. A first-half rushing touchdown by Phoenix and a pass to Caden High, along with a Kyle Gallegos field goal, gave SCSU a lead they would hold onto throughout the contest.
NCCU made it interesting with three quick strikes—a 36-yard touchdown run by J’Mari Taylor and passing touchdowns of 51 yards (Markell Quick) and 66 yards (Chauncey Spikes) from Walker Harris—but a Harris fumble late led to S.C. State’s clock-killing drive that put the game out of reach.
S.C. State is the big dog in the MEAC — for now
There is only one unblemished team in the conference, and that is the hungry pack of Bulldogs from Orangeburg. They have three MEAC games left—a two-game road trip to Howard and Morgan State, followed by their home finale against Norfolk State. SCSU’s ticket to Atlanta isn’t punched yet by any means, but beating the preseason favorite goes a long way toward the Celebration Bowl.
