Where They Stand
The defending everything is rolling. South Carolina State — the reigning MEAC, Celebration Bowl and Black college national champions — is 5-0 and ranked No. 15 in the FCS, riding the second-longest active winning streak in the subdivision at ten games. Chennis Berry is 23-6 in Orangeburg with a 10-0 MEAC record, two conference titles and two MEAC Coach of the Year awards in less than three full seasons. The machine he inherited from Buddy Pough hasn't just been maintained; it's been upgraded.
September was a statement month: an 87-0 opening-night demolition of Savannah State, a weather-delayed 31-13 Orange Blossom Classic win over Florida A&M behind 292 rushing yards, a 66-0 blanking of Virginia State, and a 20-17 road win at ranked Furman that proved the Bulldogs can win ugly against top-25 FCS competition. Quarterback Keely Watson, backs Mason Pickett-Hicks and Josh Shaw, and a defense that held FAMU to 161 total yards lead the way. MEAC play opens October 24 against Norfolk State, and the November 14 visit from North Carolina Central looms as the conference championship game in all but name. The target is on the Bulldogs' backs. They seem to like it there.
The Story of South Carolina State Bulldogs
South Carolina State football dates to 1907, and the program found its first glory under Willie E. Jeffries, who arrived in 1973 and built a powerhouse: Black college national championships in 1976 and 1977, five MEAC titles, and a 50-13-4 record in six seasons. Jeffries left in 1978 to become the first Black head coach at a predominantly white Division I school — Wichita State — then returned to Orangeburg in 1989 for a second act that added the 1994 national title. Between Jeffries' stints, Bill Davis won the 1981 national championship and took the Bulldogs to back-to-back Division I-AA playoff runs.
The pipeline from Orangeburg to Canton is one of the great stories in football. Harry Carson — the two-time MEAC Defensive Player of the Year who never missed a game in four seasons — anchored the Giants' defense for 13 years and entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006. Donnie Shell won four Super Bowls with the Steelers' Steel Curtain. Deacon Jones, the man who coined the term "sack," played his one season of college ball at SC State before his scholarship was revoked over his participation in a civil rights protest. Marion Motley began at SC State before starring for the Browns. Darius Leonard carried the torch into the modern era as the 2018 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Buddy Pough — Jeffries' former player — coached from 2002 to 2023 and retired as the winningest coach in school history at 146-87, delivering the 2021 Celebration Bowl title, a 31-10 win over Jackson State. His hand-picked successor Chennis Berry needed one season to win the MEAC and two to win it all: the 2025 Bulldogs went 10-3 and beat Prairie View A&M 40-38 in four overtimes in an instant-classic Celebration Bowl, the program's seventh Black college national championship. Twenty MEAC titles — the most in conference history — hang over Oliver C. Dawson Stadium. Bulldog tenacity isn't a slogan here. It's the curriculum.
Past Coaches
All-Time Team
Harry Carson
Two-time MEAC Defensive Player of the Year; school records 117 tackles and 17 sacks as a senior; Hall of Famer, nine Pro Bowls with the Giants.
Donnie Shell
Hall of Famer; four Super Bowls with the Steelers, 51 career interceptions.
Deacon Jones
The man who coined the 'sack'; Hall of Famer whose SC State scholarship was revoked after he joined a civil rights protest.
Marion Motley
Hall of Famer; began his college career at SC State before starring for the champion Browns.
Robert Porcher
First-round pick; the Lions' all-time sacks leader (95.5) over a 13-year career.
Darius Leonard
2018 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year; three-time All-Pro with the Colts.
Javon Hargrave
Pro Bowl defensive tackle; Super Bowl champion with the Eagles.
Charlie Brown
Pro Bowl receiver for Washington in the 1980s.
Orlando Brown Sr.
"Zeus" — mountainous tackle for the Browns and Ravens.
John Gilliam
Pro Bowl return man and receiver in the late '60s and '70s.
Names to Know
Keely Watson
10-of-17 for 168 yards vs. FAMU; led the road win at Furman.
Mason Pickett-Hicks
"M.P.H." — 58- and 32-yard TD runs in the Orange Blossom Classic; Berry: 'He's a bad man on the football field.'
Josh Shaw
Two rushing touchdowns in the Orange Blossom Classic; 55 yards and a score at Furman.
Jordan Smith
Touchdown catch in the 2025 MEAC-clinching win over Delaware State.
Johnny Jones
Touchdown catch in the 2025 MEAC-clinching win over Delaware State.
Jalen Levine
33-yard pick-six in the 2025 MEAC-clinching win over Delaware State.
MaxCeon Cobb
Averaged 44.4 yards on seven punts at Furman.
Past Seasons
Season Stats
| Season | Record | Conference | Finish | Head coach | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 10–3 | 5–0 MEAC | 1st | Chennis Berry | Won Celebration Bowl 40–38 (4OT) |
| 2024 | 9–3 | 5–0 MEAC | 1st | Chennis Berry | Lost Celebration Bowl 7–28 |
| 2023 | 5–6 | MEAC | 3rd | Buddy Pough |
Schedule
Team News
HBCU football champion survives ranked FCS road test
The Bulldogs grind out a 20-17 win at Furman — defense, special teams and fourth-quarter composure.
Read the story →Inside the Orange Blossom Classic: SC State rolls
'This is a program built to finish games' — 292 rushing yards and five sacks in the 31-13 win over FAMU.
Read the story →No. 21/22 South Carolina State downs Florida A&M in Orange Blossom Classic
MEAC's Week 1 wrap: Pickett-Hicks' 58-yard TD and two Josh Shaw scores in the 31-13 win.
Read the story →SC State extends perfect MEAC record to 10-0
Back-to-back undefeated conference seasons and the 2025 MEAC title — 'the MEAC now officially belongs to Orangeburg.'
Read the story →