The pregame prediction called for a three-point thriller. What we got Friday night at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium was something more dramatic—a tale of two halves, missed opportunities, and a Bulldogs team that found just enough championship mettle when it mattered most.
South Carolina State improved to 8-3 overall and 4-0 in MEAC play with a hard-fought 34-27 victory over North Carolina Central (7-4, 2-2 MEAC) in front of 7,291 fans. But this one had "instant classic" written all over it until the fourth quarter, when the Bulldogs' offense finally delivered the knockout punch.
A First Half That Said 'We Belong'
Coming in, everyone knew South Carolina State's formula: jump early, build a cushion, make the Eagles chase. They'd done it two weeks earlier in Orangeburg, racing to a 17-0 lead. And they did it again in Durham.
William Atkins IV looked poised and precise, hitting Deyandre Ruffin for a 28-yard touchdown strike late in the first quarter, then finding Nigel Johnson for a 51-yarder with six seconds left in the period. Combined with Nico Cavanillas connecting on a 50-yard field goal, the Bulldogs jumped out 17-3 and looked every bit the undefeated MEAC squad everyone expected.
The problem? N.C. Central remembered they were playing for conference supremacy too.
When Momentum Flips on a Dime
The second quarter belonged entirely to the Eagles. Eric Adams picked off Atkins IV and took it to the house for 33 yards. Suddenly, it's 17-13. Then Chris Mosley capped a 10-play, 98-yard drive with a nine-yard rushing touchdown, and just like that, NCCU took a 20-17 lead into halftime.
The home crowd was rocking. The Eagles' game plan—control tempo early, win the turnover battle, lean on home-field energy—was working to perfection. South Carolina State's road struggles (2-3 away from Orangeburg this season) looked like they might bite again.
The Third Quarter Slugfest
Both teams traded field goals and touchdowns in a physical third quarter that felt like two heavyweights trading haymakers. Cavanillas hit from 28 yards to tie it at 20, but Walker Harris answered immediately with a 35-yard touchdown bomb to Mehki Wall. The Eagles were up 27-20 heading into the final frame, and you could feel the upset brewing.
But championship teams find ways. And South Carolina State found theirs.
Championship Poise When It Mattered
Atkins IV orchestrated a methodical 13-play, 80-yard touchdown drive that took over five minutes off the clock. The payoff? A 24-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Smith that knotted things at 27 with 13:25 remaining.
Then came the dagger.
Josh Shaw, who'd been largely quiet through three quarters, exploded for a 30-yard touchdown run with 1:51 left. Shaw finished with 83 yards on 10 carries, but that final burst was pure closer mentality—the kind of play that separates contenders from pretenders.
The Eagles had one last shot, driving into South Carolina State territory, but Harris couldn't connect on fourth-and-10 from the Bulldogs' 49. Game. Set. MEAC supremacy still intact.
The Conference Picture Just Got Clearer
South Carolina State is now alone atop the MEAC at 4-0, extending their win streak to six games. They've proven they can win ugly on the road, handle adversity, and execute when the pressure's highest. That's the DNA of championship teams.
For North Carolina Central, this stings. They had revenge on their minds after falling 24-21 in Orangeburg, they had the home crowd, and they had a 27-20 lead with 15 minutes to play. But moral victories don't cut it in November when conference titles are on the line. The Eagles drop to 2-2 in MEAC play, and their path to the championship just got significantly steeper.
What South Carolina State Did Right
1. Dominated Time of Possession
The Bulldogs held the ball for 36:29 compared to N.C. Central's 23:31. That's not just winning—that's imposing your will. When you need to close out a hostile road game, you keep the other team's offense on the sideline and their crowd sitting down. South Carolina State converted 10 of 17 third downs, chewing clock and maintaining offensive drives when it mattered.
2. Protected the Football When It Counted
After Atkins IV's second-quarter pick-six, the Bulldogs locked it down. Zero turnovers in the final 32 minutes of game time. Meanwhile, N.C. Central coughed up a fumble on a kickoff return in the third quarter that shifted momentum. Championship teams don't beat themselves in crunch time, and South Carolina State made sure they didn't.
3. Found the Ground Game at Exactly the Right Time
Josh Shaw's 30-yard touchdown run was the obvious highlight, but the entire rushing attack stepped up when Atkins IV was under pressure. The Bulldogs rushed for 140 yards on 39 carries, keeping N.C. Central's defense honest and setting up play-action opportunities. When you can run the ball late, you can control the outcome.
What North Carolina Central Failed to Do
1. Couldn't Sustain the Pass Rush
The Eagles recorded five sacks and 10 tackles for loss—impressive numbers. But when the game was on the line in the fourth quarter, they couldn't get home. South Carolina State's offensive line held firm on that game-winning drive, and Harris couldn't generate pressure on the Bulldogs' final possession. You need your front seven to be difference-makers in November, and N.C. Central faded when it mattered most.
2. Special Teams Mistakes Proved Costly
Two illegal block-in-the-back penalties on kickoff returns pinned the Eagles deep in their own territory twice in the fourth quarter. One set them up at their own 11-yard line, the other at the eight. You can't give a team like South Carolina State short fields and long drives to work with. Those 15 combined yards in field position penalties might not show up in the box score as game-changers, but they absolutely were.
3. Couldn't Close Defensively in the Red Zone
The Eagles held the Bulldogs to just one touchdown in two red-zone trips, forcing a field goal on the other. That sounds good—until you realize South Carolina State scored touchdowns on the drives that mattered. N.C. Central's defense bent but didn't break for most of the night, but championship defenses get stops in the red zone in the fourth quarter. The Eagles didn't.
South Carolina State moves on with their eyes fixed on a MEAC championship and potential playoff positioning. N.C. Central heads home knowing they had their shot and couldn't deliver the knockout blow when they had their foot on the Bulldogs' throat.
That's the difference between good teams and great ones. And right now, South Carolina State is proving they're the latter.
