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The South Carolina State Bulldogs football team represents South Carolina State University in college football. The Bulldogs play in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).
| South Carolina State Bulldogs football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| First season | 1907[a] | ||
| Head coach | Chennis Berry 1st season, 9–3 (.750) | ||
| Stadium | Oliver C. Dawson Stadium (capacity: 22,000) | ||
| Field surface | Fieldturf | ||
| Location | Orangeburg, South Carolina | ||
| Conference | MEAC | ||
| All-time record | 567–361–27 [1] (.608) | ||
| Bowl record | 7–8 (.467) | ||
| Playoff record | 2–6 | ||
| Claimed national titles | 0 (FCS/I-AA) 6 (Black College): 1976, 1977, 1981, 1994, 2009, 2021 | ||
| Unclaimed national titles | 2 (Black College): 1982, 2008 | ||
| Conference titles | 19 (MEAC) 1974*, 1975*, 1976*, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1994, 2004*, 2008, 2009, 2010*, 2013*, 2014*, 2019*, 2021, 2024 *denotes co-champions | ||
| Colors | Garnet and blue[2] | ||
| Marching band | The Marching 101 | ||
| Website | scsuathletics.com | ||
A historically dominant football program, the Bulldogs lead the MEAC in conference championships. The school has produced four players enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame including Harry Carson, Deacon Jones, Marion Motley, and Donnie Shell. Other legendary Bulldog players include Robert Porcher, Shaquille Leonard, Barney Chavous, Charlie Brown and Orlando Brown Sr., Javon Hargrave, Decobie Durant, among others.
Former SC State Coach Willie Jeffries became the first African American Head Coach of a predominantly white Division I-A football program, when he was hired to coach the Wichita State football program in 1979.[3] Jeffries is enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame.
List of South Carolina State Bulldogs football seasons
Classifications
- 1956–1972: NCAA College Division
- 1967–1969: NAIA
- 1970–1978: NAIA Division I
- 1973–1977: NCAA Division II
- 1978–present: NCAA Division I–AA/FCS
Conference memberships
- 1907–1928: Independent
- 1929–1934: Southeastern Athletic Conference
- 1935–1970: Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
- 1971–present: Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
| School | Record | Percentage | Streak | First Meeting | Last Meeting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston Southern | 7–0 | 1.000 | Won 7 | 1991 | 1999 |
| Clemson | 0–5 | .000 | Lost 5 | 2008 | 2021 |
| Coastal Carolina | 0–5 | .000 | Lost 5 | 2005 | 2015 |
| Furman | 5–12 | .294 | Lost 1 | 1982 | 2015 |
| Presbyterian | 2–0 | 1.000 | Won 2 | 1989 | 1990 |
| South Carolina | 0–2 | .000 | Lost 2 | 2007 | 2009 |
| The Citadel | 3–4 | .428 | Won 2 | 1989 | 2024 |
| Wofford | 3–6 | .333 | Won 1 | 1974 | 2019 |
| South Carolina State 19 – in-state NCAA Division I Schools 33 | |||||
National championships
The Bulldogs have been awarded an NCAA-recognized black college football national championship six times in program history.[4]
| Year | Coach | Selector | Record | Bowl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Willie Jeffries | ADW, Jet, MBN, NPC | 10–1 | W Bicentennial Bowl |
| 1977 | Willie Jeffries | NPC | 9–1–1 | W Gold Bowl |
| 1981 | Bill Davis | ADW, SBN | 10–3 | |
| 1994 | Willie Jeffries | ADW, BCSP, Heritage Bowl | 10–2 | W Heritage Bowl |
| 2009 | Oliver Pough | ADW, AURN, B-CP, B-MP, BCSP, PCWDC | 10–2 | |
| 2021 | B-CP, Celebration Bowl, DCCC-M, HBCUS-UP | 7–5 | W Celebration Bowl |
Conference championships
South Carolina State has won nineteen Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference titles, eleven outright and eight shared. Asterisk denotes shared title.
| Year | Coach | Overall record | Conference record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974* | Willie Jeffries | 8–4 | 5–1 |
| 1975* | Willie Jeffries | 8–2–1 | 5–1 |
| 1976* | Willie Jeffries | 10–1 | 5–1 |
| 1977 | Willie Jeffries | 9–1–1 | 6–0 |
| 1978 | Willie Jeffries | 8–2–1 | 5–0–1 |
| 1980 | Bill Davis | 10–1 | 5–0 |
| 1981 | Bill Davis | 10–3 | 5–0 |
| 1982 | Bill Davis | 9–3 | 4–1 |
| 1983 | Bill Davis | 7–3 | 4–0 |
| 1994 | Willie Jeffries | 10–2 | 6–0 |
| 2004* | Oliver Pough | 9–2 | 6–1 |
| 2008 | Oliver Pough | 10–3 | 8–0 |
| 2009 | Oliver Pough | 10–2 | 8–0 |
| 2010* | Oliver Pough | 9–3 | 7–1 |
| 2013* | Oliver Pough | 9–4 | 7–1 |
| 2014* | Oliver Pough | 8–4 | 6–2 |
| 2019* | Oliver Pough | 8–3 | 6–2 |
| 2021 | Oliver Pough | 7–5 | 5–0 |
| 2024 | Chennis Berry | 9–3 | 5–0 |
The Bulldogs have appeared in the I-AA/FCS playoffs six times with a record of 2–6.
| Season | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Quarterfinals | Tennessee State | W 26–25 OT |
| Semifinals | Idaho State | L 12–41 | |
| 1982 | First round | Furman | W 17–0 |
| Quarterfinals | Louisiana Tech | L 3–38 | |
| 2008 | First round | Appalachian State | L 21–37 |
| 2009 | First round | Appalachian State | L 13–20 |
| 2010 | First round | Georgia Southern | L 16–41 |
| 2013 | First Round | Furman | L 20–30 |
The Bulldogs have appeared in 15 bowl games, with a record of 7–8.[5]
| Year | Bowl | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | Pecan Bowl | Johnson C. Smith | W 13–6 |
| 1947 | Pecan Bowl | Allen (SC) | W 7–0 |
| 1950 | Peninsula Bowl | Allen | L 13–47 |
| 1973 | Orange Blossom Classic | Florida A&M | L 12–23 |
| 1974 | Textile Bowl | Wofford | L 0–20 |
| 1974 | Pelican Bowl | Grambling State | L 7–28 |
| 1975 | Pelican Bowl | Southern | L 12–15 |
| 1976 | Bicentennial Bowl | Norfolk State | W 26–10 |
| 1977 | Gold Bowl | Winston-Salem State | W 10–7 |
| 1979 | Gold Bowl | Norfolk State | W 39–7 |
| 1994 | Heritage Bowl | Southern | L 0–11 |
| 1994 | Heritage Bowl | Grambling State | W 31–27 |
| 1997 | Heritage Bowl | Southern | L 28–34 |
| 2021 | Celebration Bowl | Jackson State | W 31–10 |
| 2024 | Celebration Bowl | Jackson State | L 7–28 |
| Pro Football Hall of Fame members | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Pos. | Years at SCSU | Year inducted | Ref. |
| Harry Carson | LB | 1972–1975 | 2006 | [6] |
| Deacon Jones | DE | 1958 | 1980 | [7] |
| Marion Motley | FB | 1939–1940 | 1968 | [7] |
| Donnie Shell | S | 1970–1973 | 2020 | [8] |
| College Football Hall of Fame members | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Pos. | Years at SCSU | Year inducted |
| Harry Carson | DE | 1972–1975 | 2002 |
| Willie Jeffries | HC | 1973–1978, 1989–2001 | 2010 |
| Donnie Shell | S | 1970–1973 | 1998 |
Over 40 South Carolina State alumni have played in the NFL,[9] including:
- Phillip Adams
- Charlie Brown
- Orlando Brown Sr.
- Rafael Bush
- Barney Bussey
- Harry Carson
- Barney Chavous
- Anthony Cook
- Cobie Durant
- John Gilliam
- Javon Hargrave
- Dwayne Harper
- Antonio Hamilton
- Temarrick Hemingway
- Michael Hicks
- Willie Holman
- Deacon Jones
- William Judson
- Angelo King
- James Lee
- Shaquille Leonard
- Marshall McFadden
- Kimario McFadden
- Ervin Parker
- Robert Porcher
- Joe Thomas[10]
- Christian Thompson
- Chuck Darby
SC State has maintained heated rivalries with the North Carolina A&T Aggies, Florida A&M Rattlers, and Bethune-Cookman Wildcats.
On November 19, 2016, Joe Thomas Sr., father of Green Bay Packers linebacker Joe Thomas, became the oldest player to play in an NCAA Division I game. At 55 years of age, Thomas Sr. had one carry for three yards as a running back in a contest versus Savannah State.[11][12]
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