ORANGEBURG, SC—The South Carolina State Bulldogs (6-3, 1-0 MEAC) look to keep their winning ways going when they host the visiting Bison of Howard (4-5, 1-1 MEAC) in a pivotal Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference showdown Saturday (Nov. 8) inside Oliver C. Dawson on Wille Jeffries Field.
 
Kickoff is 1:30 p.m. and can be followed on LIVE Stats as well on ESPN+.
 
It is the third of five league games for both SC State and Howard. The Bulldogs are coming off a 36-30 win over Morgan State last Saturday, helping Coach Chennis Berry's team keep pace with a surprising Delaware State team. The two teams have identical 6-3, 2-0 MEAC records to share the top spot in the league standings. The Hornets prevailed 27-20 over Norfolk State last week. SC State took a 28-10 lead over the Bears in the third quarter but had to hold on after Morgan State scored three 4-quarter TDs, including one aided by a successfully executed on-side kick, which closed the gap to six points in the final two minutes.
 
Howard suffered its first MEAC loss last week, losing 35-14 at home to NC Central. SCSU Coach Chennis Berry and his Bulldogs have won four straight contests, including back-to-back league outings. Graduate QB Bill Atkins has gotten the last two starts for SC State, which has used two quarterbacks (Atkins and Ryan Stubblefield) most of the season. Atkins, however, has had two strong outings and appears primed to remain the starter on Saturday. He threw for 428 yards and four TDs in a 51-20 triumph over Norfolk State and had another strong outing against Morgan State last Saturday throwing for 363 yards and a score.                   

The Attraction:
SC State has declared today as Senior and High School Band Day. Approximately 25 SC State seniors will be playing their final home game before the Bulldog faithful. The players will be recognized in a special pre-game ceremony that will include their parents and other relatives. High school bands across the Palmetto State and neighboring Georgia and North Carolina have been invited to the contest and will join the famed SCSU Marching 101 in some pregame, halftime and postgame activities.

The Series
The Bulldogs and Bison are meeting for the 52nd time in a series that began in 1971. The host Bulldogs lead the rivalry 39-12 and tamed the Bison 38-14 at Washington, DC last season. Howard prevailed 28-14 in Washington in 2022. The Bulldogs have won eight of the last ten matchups.

Last Time Out: N.C. Central 35, Howard 14 
North Carolina Central University quarterback Walker Harris threw for 321 yards and four touchdowns, three to Chauncey Spikes, as the Eagles defeated Howard 35-14 last Saturday at Greene Stadium. NCCU (6-3, 1-1 MEAC) jumped out to a 21-0 halftime lead behind two first-quarter touchdown connections between Harris and Spikes and a 13-yard rushing score by Harris. The Eagles added two more passing touchdowns in the second half, including a third Harris-to-Spikes strike, to seal the win. Spikes finished with a career-high 208 receiving yards on nine catches, while Harris notched his fourth 300-yard passing game of the season.   S.C. State 36, Morgan State 30    
South Carolina State held off Morgan State 36-30 on Saturday at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium, powered by William Atkins IV, who threw for 363 yards and a touchdown while connecting with nine different receivers on 21 catches. Running back Tyler Smith added two rushing touchdowns and 110 yards on 18 carries, and Jordan Smith led the receiving corps with 107 yards on four catches. SC State built a 33-10 lead after three quarters and sealed the win with a 36-yard field goal by Nico Cavanillas Alti early in the fourth. Morgan State rallied late with three touchdowns from quarterback Raymond Moore III but fell short. Defensively, Malik Harp led the Bulldogs with eight tackles, and Jordan Franklin added six solo stops, a tackle for loss, and an interception, helping preserve the win as SC State improved to 6-3 overall and 2-0 MEAC play.

Bulldog Notes: South Carolina State will be bidding for its eighth straight MEAC victory Saturday. The last time the Bulldogs dropped a conference game was November 11, 2023, when Morgan State edged the Bulldogs 20-17 at Orangeburg.
Bulldog players have received several national and conference recognition following SC State's victories the last three weeks. Quarterback Billy Akins was the Stats Perform HBCU National Player of the week following his performance in a 51-20 win over Norfolk State Oct. 25, He and three teammates also reaped MEAC accolades that week. Atkins was the conference's Offensive POTW. Teammates who also earned MEAC Weekly honors for their play against Norfolk State: Jordan Dollard (Def POTW), Chevez Trask Jr. (OL OTW), and Nico Cavanillas Alt (Spec. OTW).

Defensive end Michael Lunz, II and linebacker Jordan Franklin were earlier named NBCU National Co-Players of the week.

ABOUT SC STATE ATHLETICS
South Carolina State University is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level intercollegiate athletic program. The university currently fields teams in 14 sports: women's volleyball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's indoor track & field, softball, men's and women's outdoor track and field, women's soccer and football with all teams competing in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), except for women's soccer.
 
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