ORANGEBURG, SC—Senior running back Will Ford had a record-breaking game on “Senior Day” as he rushed for 156 yards 23 carries to lead the South Carolina State Bulldogs to their 19th straight MEAC win and a 28-10 victory over rival N.C. A&T Saturday at Oliver C. Dawson.
SC State (10-1, 8-0 MEAC), which secured its second consecutive Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title and back-to-back berths in the FCS playoffs last Saturday in a 37-13 win over Morgan State. Coach Buddy Pough’s team finished its second season with a perfect league record.
The defense came up big limiting N.C.A&T to just 176 total offensive yards, SC State finished with 458 on the day.
The first-half was a battle of the defenses with A&T getting on the board first with a 1-yard punch from Tony Coles to take a lead 7-0 with 5:42 left in the first quarter. Junior quarterback Malcolm Long connected with senior wide receiver Oliver Tre’ Young a 12-yard pass to tie the score 7-7 at the 9:03 mark the in the second quarter.
The first-half ended in a 7-7 tie.
“I told them that at half-time if they didn’t get it together and play better in the second-half, our season is over, stated Pough.”
The second-half was all SC State jumping ahead 21-7 on a 49-yard bomb from Long to Young at the 14:45 mark in the third quarter. All-MEAC running back Will Ford scored on an 18-yard scamper with 10:20 left. N.C. A&T finally got on the board on a 39-yard field goal from Wallace Miles with 0:15 seconds left.
South Carolina State closed out the regular season 10-1 overall and a perfect 8-0 mark in the league, while N.C. A&T finished the season 5-6 overall, 3-5 in the league.
The Bulldogs were led by senior Oliver Tre’ Young with six catches for 123 yards and two touchdowns, while junior quarterback Malcolm Long finished the day with 18 of 31 for 222 yards and two scores.
“Everyone was thinking about the first game in the playoffs, whether it’s home or away,” said SC State coach Buddy Pough. “N.C. A&T came to play and we gave up the ball to many times.”
SC State will find out its next opponent in a 3 p.m. FCS Playoff Championship Selection show hosted by ESPN. The Bulldogs will be making its fourth appearance in the I-AA playoffs.
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