As the college football season draws to a close, arguably the biggest game on the MEAC schedule is upon us: South Carolina State versus North Carolina Central. For years, the path to the conference title and the Celebration Bowl berth has run squarely through Orangeburg and Durham, with these two teams winning the MEAC championship and clinching the Celebration Bowl in three of the last four seasons. This year is no different, but the championship picture has become far more complicated.
The matchup between the Eagles and the Bulldogs historically determines the conference's final outcome. Last year's contest delivered, with Chennis Berry's Bulldogs pulling off a resounding wire-to-wire victory to hand NCCU its only conference loss and ultimately claim the MEAC title.
However, this year's championship race was thrown into scramble mode when DeSean Jackson and his insurgent Delaware State Hornets pulled off a massive upset over NCCU during their homecoming, winning 35-26. That loss has forced the Eagles to go perfect in the rest of their games just to keep pace. It certainly is possible for such a talented team, although their predicament was made even harder last Friday when Delaware State survived a scare against Morgan State, keeping the Hornets undefeated in conference play.
North Carolina Central’s goal is now simple but arduous: beat South Carolina State and hope that either the Bulldogs or Howard can manage to defeat Delaware State down the line. If that happens, the Eagles will once again find themselves in the Celebration Bowl conversation.
The Bulldogs, in Chennis Berry's second season, look different from last year's championship squad, having lost key players like quarterback Eric Phoenix. The offense looked out of sync early on, leading many to question if this would be a down year. However, since heading into conference play, the Bulldogs have been dominant, decisively beating Howard 42-14 and routing Michael Vick's Norfolk State 51-20. They looked great against Morgan State in the early moments of that matchup and ultimately survived Morgan State's comeback attempt to win 36-30.
South Carolina State is once again defined by its defense and its high-powered passing attack. True to the philosophy Berry honed at Benedict College, the Bulldogs employ a ferocious defense, holding opponents to only 116 rushing yards per game and giving up only nine rushing touchdowns all season. Their secondary is just as disruptive, leading the conference in pass defense and notching 10 interceptions while holding teams to 192 passing yards per game. On offense, they rank second in the MEAC in passing, averaging 286.3 yards per game with 17 total touchdowns.
North Carolina Central is also potent, ranking second in passing offense with 278 yards per game and 21 passing touchdowns, courtesy of Walker Harris’s pure passing ability. They also rank third in rushing offense, averaging 160 yards per game. The return of running back Chris Moseley, a known game-changer who suffered an injury against Howard and missed Norfolk State, would be a critical factor for the Eagles. Their narrow escape against Norfolk State last weekend—where they nearly succumbed to a backup quarterback, Vincent Berry, after Otto Khuns was injured—shows that the Eagles are vulnerable.
This game will undoubtedly live up to the hype as both coaches understand the assignment. However, at this juncture of the season, Chennis Berry’s South Carolina State team is firing on all cylinders and remains the most complete team in the conference.
Prediction: While an NCCU win would be huge for the title race, the Bulldogs have clicked at the right time and are looking like the cream of the crop in the conference. I don't believe anyone can truly beat South Carolina State right now. I anticipate the final result will keep the course set: South Carolina State and Delaware State Hornets will ultimately face off in a highly anticipated game to determine the MEAC's champion.
