ORANGEBURG, SC--The 2019 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football championship trophy arrived in Orangeburg on Saturday and was presented to Bulldogs head coach Buddy Pough and his team.

The presentation was held during halftime of the MEAC men's basketball game between SC State and Florida A&M University inside Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center.

MEAC Commissioner Dr. Dennis Thomas presented the trophy to Pough, the Bulldogs, athletics director Stacy Danley and university president James Clark.

The Bulldogs were co-champions for 2019, along with North Carolina A&T State University. It marked the first conference championship for the SC State program since the 2014 season.

SC State finished 8-3 overall, 6-2 in conference play, capturing their 17th league crown and seventh MEAC Championship under Pough's leadership.

Pough led the Bulldogs to the biggest turnaround of the season in the MEAC, after the Bulldogs finished 2018 with a 5-6 overall record and a 4-3 mark in conference play.
Pough also surpassed Willie Jeffries as the all-time winningest coach in SC State football program history, moving to 133-74 in his time on the Bulldogs' sideline.


Redshirt freshman quarterback Corey Fields was named MEAC Rookie of the Year, while Pough earned his third MEAC Coach of the Year accolade.

Eight Bulldogs earned All-MEAC honors, and all were recognized during Saturday's ceremony.

Pough and Bowie State head coach Damon Wilson were both voted 2019 BOXTOROW Co-Coaches of the Year.