The upcoming clash between DeSean Jackson’s Delaware State Hornets and Chennis Berry’s South Carolina State Bulldogs is far more than just the final game on the schedule; it is the de facto MEAC Championship.
While the MEAC, with only six teams, does not officially host a title game, the champion has always been determined by whoever stands at the top after winning the key head-to-head matchups. With both teams undefeated in conference play and showcasing themselves as two of the best teams in HBCU football, this showdown in Dover will decide the 2025 champion and, crucially, who earns the bid to the Celebration Bowl. This game is a battle for the future of the conference, pitting two divergent philosophies against one another.
First, you have Chennis Berry, who is quickly becoming synonymous with sustained excellence in the MEAC, much like the legendary Buddy Pough before him. Berry’s success is unprecedented: he came to the MEAC two years ago after back-to-back undefeated SIAC runs and two top seeds in the Division II playoffs. He took over South Carolina State and immediately continued his winning ways, running the gamut in the MEAC. His success has been consistent, establishing him as the perfect successor to Pough.
Then you look at DeSean Jackson at Delaware State. When he arrived, the thought was that this celebrity coach would take a couple of years to build the program, get some good recruits, and eventually contend. Instead, he promised a championship and the Celebration Bowl in his introductory press conference, and now he is one win away from delivering. He took a team that had won only two games in two years and, in his first season, transformed them into winners.
The game ultimately comes down to a fundamental strategic war. Delaware State's success is predicated entirely on its dominant run game, featuring the prolific stable of running backs like Marquis Gillis and James Jones, coupled with the running ability of quarterback Kaiden Bennett. They are one of the top rushing teams in the FCS.
However, their challenge is immense: South Carolina State leads the MEAC in rushing defense. The Bulldogs’ physical defense proved its capabilities against another elite rushing attack, holding North Carolina Central and its prolific running back Chris Mosley to only 88 yards on the ground during Friday's primetime matchup broadcast on ESPN2.
South Carolina State has the physicality and the defensive line to be the one team that can truly disrupt Delaware State's engine. While Gillis and Jones are big-play backs who force defenses to respect the pass game, Delaware State's RPO and play-action schemes have been very successful, and the goal for the Bulldogs is clear: stop the run game and force Bennett to beat them with his arm.
Perhaps the Bulldogs can look to Morgan State for the book to disrupt the Hornets' defensive attack. Damon Wilson's Bears held Delaware State's running back room to uncharacteristic numbers in their November 7th matchup, recording only 93 rushing yards on 31 attempts through the midway point of the fourth quarter. Their stifling performance knocked the Hornets completely off their feet, holding them to a paltry 3.1 yards per rush attempt—a far cry from their season average of 6.8.
The Hornets ultimately finished with 114 rushing yards, with James Jones having 115 yards but being hampered by Bennett and the rest of the running back room, who finished the game with -1 rushing yard. You read that correctly. If you take out Bennet's -14 rushing yardage total and Sean Weston's -1 rushing yard, as well as Jones's stellar numbers, the run game for Delaware State only yielded 14 yards. South Carolina State has the personnel on defense to duplicate that effort.
Prediction: I believe South Carolina State will successfully disrupt Delaware State’s running attack, just as they did against North Carolina Central. This defensive dominance will ultimately power them to a victory. South Carolina State beats Delaware State, and they head to the Celebration Bowl, securing Berry’s legacy as the heir apparent of MEAC excellence.
