South Carolina State continues to win the big games.
The Bulldogs forced two early Delaware State turnovers and turned the clock forward to midnight on the Hornets’ Cinderella story with a 28-17 win.
The victory gives South Carolina State (9-3, 5-0 MEAC) its third Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship and third trip to the Cricket Celebration Bowl in the last five seasons.
It is also the 20th conference football championship in program history, the most of any MEAC school.
SCSU (9-3, 5-0 MEAC) took the lead for good on a 35-yard pick-six by defensive back Jalen Levine in the first quarter. The Bulldog rushed and forced Kaiden Bennett to throw a desperation pass that Levine hauled in and scooted into the DSU end zone untouched.
The Hornets’ lone first-half score came on a 43-yard field goal by Patrick Fisher-Butler late in the first quarter.
The second quarter was silent until Billy Atkins and Jordan Smith connected on a 10-yard catch and run for the Bulldogs’ second touchdown of the first half and a 14-3 halftime lead.
Delaware State (8-4, 4-1 MEAC) kept inching closer in the second half. Grad student running back Marquis Gillis bolted through the Bulldog defense for a 68-yard touchdown to make it 14-10.
After a DSU possession ended with no points, Atkins struck again, this time connecting with Edward Waters transfer Johnny Jones for a 52-yard touchdown to make it 21-10 S.C. State going into the fourth quarter.
James Jones pulled the Hornets back within four points on a nine-yard touchdown run, but South Carolina State always had an answer.
The Bulldogs turned to the running back duo of Tyler Smith and Josh Shaw to chew up clock and yards and reserve quarterback Ryan Stubblefield salted the game away with a five-yard touchdown run with five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
.@SCState_Fb head coach @coachberry77 talks about what it took to win the MEAC for another year. pic.twitter.com/kP57OLMRy1
— Chris, a writer with random thoughts. (@CJWritesNThangs) November 22, 2025
Atkins completed 14 of 24 pass attempts for 249 yards and two touchdowns while Shaw and Smith combined for 148 yards rushing.
Delaware State ran for 430 yards total, led by 159 from Gillis, 131 from Bennett and 121 from Jones.