The South Carolina State University Bulldogs narrowly lost to the defending Celebration Bowl champion Florida A&M Rattlers last Saturday.
In his debut game as head coach, Chennis Berry expressed pride in his team’s performance during the MEAC coaches conference on Monday. “I was very, very proud of my football team; they were resilient through it all,” Berry said. “We got a chance to find out what kind of football team we have.”
Berry also praised his transfer running back, Deondra Duehart, for his on-field performance. “I thought Deondra Duehart, our running back who transferred from Benedict College, showed us he belongs. He’s a Division I running back.”
Berry succeeded Coach Oliver “Buddy” Pough, who retired after 22 seasons with the Bulldogs. Pough, the winningest head football coach in SC State history with 151 wins, left big shoes to fill.
In the game, three former Benedict Tigers made notable contributions for South Carolina State. Duehart, a 5-foot-11, 220-pound running back from Macon, Georgia, recorded 77 yards on 10 touches. During his two seasons at Benedict, he accumulated 674 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, along with 48 receiving yards on 10 catches.
Diego Addison, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound defensive back from Columbia, South Carolina, had six tackles, two pass breakups, and an interception. At Benedict, he totaled 52 tackles and one interception over three seasons.
Graduate transfer Eric Phoenix completed 12 of 25 passes for 132 yards and one touchdown. He previously played for Benedict and Murray State, where he passed for 427 yards and nine touchdowns over the past two seasons.
“Eric Phoenix did a good job managing the offense and showing why he is a dual-threat quarterback,” Berry said. “The stats don’t show it, but it’s really not because of him.”
Looking ahead, Berry expressed enthusiasm about the transition of his Division II transfers to South Carolina State. “It’s football, man! Like I told the guys this morning, ‘You belong.’ The last time I checked, Cover 2 is Cover 2, Borders is Borders, 2 Read is 2 Read, Inside Zone is Inside Zone, and Power is Power.”
With the first game of the season behind them, the Bulldogs will turn their attention to their next non-conference opponent. the Bulldogs will travel to Charleston, South Carolina, to face The Citadel this Saturday. The game is scheduled to kick off at noon and will be available for streaming on ESPN+.
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