ORANGEBURG, S.C. (Nov. 14, 2026) — Three straight championships. Twenty-one conference titles. One dominant dynasty.
South Carolina State continued its championship tradition Saturday afternoon, capturing its 21st Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) football championship with an impressive 38-24 victory over rival North Carolina Central at Oliver C. Dawson Bulldog Stadium.
The victory secured the Bulldogs' third consecutive MEAC championship under head coach
Chennis Berry, marking the program's first three-peat since the championship run that culminated in 2010.
Berry continued his remarkable success at the helm of the Bulldogs, extending his consecutive conference winning streak to 14 games while guiding South Carolina State to another undefeated MEAC campaign.
The Bulldogs improved to 9-2 overall and finished conference play with a perfect 4-0 record, while North Carolina Central dropped to 5-6 overall and 3-1 in league action.
South Carolina State's championship performance was fueled by an explosive passing attack, timely defensive stops and a decisive 14-point third-quarter surge that broke open a tightly contested showdown between the conference's top two teams.
Graduate quarterback Keely Watson completed 15 of 25 passes for 169 yards and three touchdowns without an interception, leading an offensive attack that produced 333 total yards and four passing touchdowns.
Wide receiver Malaqhi Jones delivered a standout performance, hauling in five receptions for a game-high 91 yards and two touchdowns, including a spectacular 58-yard scoring reception from Zai Offord in the second quarter.
Sophomore standout
DJ Maultsby added four receptions for 83 yards, while Troy Hillman contributed four catches for 34 yards and a touchdown.
The Bulldogs faced an early challenge when North Carolina Central running back Gino Addison broke loose for a 59-yard touchdown run just 23 seconds into the contest, giving the Eagles a 7-0 advantage.
South Carolina State responded with a seven-play, 78-yard scoring drive, capped by Watson's 30-yard touchdown strike to Hillman to even the score at 7.
After North Carolina Central regained the lead, Watson connected with freshman running back Ricorian Brown on a 21-yard touchdown pass, tying the contest at 14 late in the opening quarter.
The Eagles moved ahead 21-14 early in the second quarter before the Bulldogs answered with one of the game's biggest offensive plays.
Offord connected with Jones on a 58-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 21 with 8:29 remaining before halftime.
Following a 24-yard field goal by North Carolina Central's Riley Daniels, South Carolina State kicker Jett Jackson drilled a 38-yard field goal with 18 seconds remaining, sending the teams into halftime tied at 24.
The Bulldogs took complete control in the third quarter.
Watson engineered a 10-play, 65-yard scoring drive to open the second half, connecting with Jones on a 10-yard touchdown pass that gave South Carolina State its first lead of the afternoon, 31-24, with 10:21 remaining in the period.
Less than a minute later, the Bulldogs' defense delivered the defining moment of the championship contest.
Linebacker
Marquis Lane-Owens intercepted a North Carolina Central pass near the Eagles' goal line, setting up another South Carolina State touchdown on the ensuing scoring sequence and extending the Bulldogs' advantage to 38-24 with 9:34 remaining in the third quarter.
South Carolina State's defense dominated the second half, shutting out the Eagles over the final two quarters while recording five sacks for 30 yards and 11 tackles for loss totaling 40 yards.
Lane-Owens led the defensive effort with seven tackles, 1.5 sacks, two tackles for loss and an interception.
Defensive lineman
Ka'Von Chisolm contributed five tackles, one sack and two tackles for loss, while Jayden Fuller recorded two sacks for 14 yards.
Jadin Jones and Zayveon Wells added five tackles apiece as the Bulldogs held North Carolina Central scoreless throughout the second half.
The Eagles finished with 314 total yards, including 138 rushing and 176 passing, but struggled to sustain drives against South Carolina State's aggressive defensive front.
North Carolina Central converted just seven of 20 third-down opportunities, while the Bulldogs limited the Eagles to 2-for-12 on third downs after halftime.
Offensively, South Carolina State totaled 227 passing yards and 106 rushing yards. Brown led the Bulldogs' ground attack with 48 yards on 13 carries, while
Josh Shaw added 37 yards on 10 attempts.
The Bulldogs' special teams also contributed to the championship victory. Jackson converted all five extra-point attempts and his only field-goal attempt, while punter MaxCeon Cobb averaged 40.5 yards on six punts, including a 60-yard punt and three kicks downed inside the 20-yard line.
For Berry, the victory added another chapter to his successful tenure at South Carolina State, where the Bulldogs have continued to establish themselves among the premier programs in the Football Championship Subdivision.
The championship also reinforced South Carolina State's historic standing within the MEAC, adding another conference crown to one of the league's most decorated football programs.
With three consecutive conference championships and 14 straight MEAC victories under Berry, the Bulldogs have established a standard of consistency and championship excellence.
South Carolina State now turns its attention to postseason competition after completing another undefeated conference campaign and securing the league's championship.
Championship Game Statistical Highlights
| Category |
SC State |
NC Central |
| Total offense |
333 |
314 |
| Passing yards |
227 |
176 |
| Rushing yards |
106 |
138 |
| First downs |
22 |
23 |
| Passing touchdowns |
4 |
2 |
| Sacks |
5 |
3 |
| Tackles for loss |
11 |
9 |
| Third-down conversions |
5 of 12 |
7 of 20 |
| Second-half points |
14 |
0 |
Top Bulldog Performers
- Keely Watson, QB: 15-of-25 passing, 169 yards, three touchdowns.
- Malaqhi Jones, WR: Five receptions, 91 yards, two touchdowns.
- DJ Maultsby, WR: Four receptions, 83 yards.
- Ricorian Brown, RB: 13 carries, 48 yards; two receptions, 22 yards and one touchdown.
- Marquis Lane-Owens, LB: Seven tackles, 1.5 sacks, two tackles for loss and one interception.
- Ka'Von Chisolm, DL: Five tackles, one sack and two tackles for loss.
- Jayden Fuller, DE: Two sacks for 14 yards.
- Jett Jackson, PK: 38-yard field goal, 5-for-5 on extra points.
Postseason Outlook: South Carolina State finishes MEAC competition undefeated at 4-0, captures its third straight league championship and earns the conference's automatic berth in the Cricket Celebration Bowl, scheduled for December in Atlanta.
