South Carolina State has done it again, winning the MEAC Championship and clinching another Celebration Bowl bid with a 28-17 victory over DeSean Jackson and Delaware State. The game was a showcase of the strengths of both teams: South Carolina State's playmaking defense and Delaware State's historic rushing attack that no one was fully able to solve all season.
South Carolina State’s opportunistic defense struck first and quickly. With only nine minutes left in the first quarter, quarterback Kaiden Bennett was pressured out of his own end zone. Instead of throwing the ball away, he attempted a downfield pass, and the Bulldogs’ defense—always keen for a turnover—snagged the interception. Jalen Levine returned it 33 yards for a pick-six, immediately putting the Bulldogs up 7-0.
Jackson’s staff immediately brought in backup quarterback Jaden Sauray, who quickly redeemed the offense with a huge 61-yard run by James Jones, placing Delaware State deep in field goal range. But the momentum was stifled once again by the Bulldogs' dominant defensive front. Sauray, pressured by the defensive line, forced a pass into the end zone, resulting in a second interception in as many drives.
The Bulldogs’ defensive line consistently pushed around Delaware State's offensive line, forcing both quarterbacks into poor decisions and bad situations. The key for South Carolina State was not just their ability to make stops, but also their speed and strength, which prevented the Hornets from gaining the momentum for sustained drives, even when they broke off big chunks of yardage.
Despite the two interceptions from two different quarterbacks in the first quarter, the Hornets' run game proved they were a historically great unit. Marquis Gillis and James Jones continued their phenomenal performance throughout the day. Gillis connected for a long 68-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit, and early in the fourth quarter, the run game sustained a drive that ended in a 10-yard touchdown run by Jones. By the end of the game, Delaware State had amassed an astonishing 439 rushing yards on the ground, with Gillis, Jones, and Bennett all eclipsing the century mark.
However, the Bulldogs’ offense, led by William Atkins IV, found just enough balance to capitalize on the turnovers. Atkins delivered several critical throws, including a 34-yard touchdown pass to Nicholas Sowell and a 52-yard touchdown bomb to Johnny Jones in the third quarter. Atkins finished the day with 249 yards and two touchdowns.
South Carolina State ultimately took control, maintaining a narrow 21-17 lead and forcing Delaware State to play against the clock. The Bulldogs extended their lead to 28-17 with a rushing touchdown by Ryan Stubblefield, putting the pressure squarely back on the Hornets.
The game concluded exactly as the defensive dominance dictated. On a crucial fourth-and-14 play, with the game hanging in the balance, Kaiden Bennett was forced to throw. The Bulldogs secured their third interception of the game, courtesy of Jaiden Kimble, effectively ending the contest.
Delaware State finished the day with 526 total yards—but only 87 passing yards and four interceptions from their quarterbacks. That staggering lack of a consistent aerial threat was the cost of the championship. South Carolina State has now won the MEAC for the second season in a row and is heading back to the Celebration Bowl, proving that its tough, physical defense remains the conference’s ultimate determinant of success.
They now await their opponent, likely Jackson State, in a trilogy that will certainly be an epic game that will electrify the HBCU football fandom.
