DURHAM – Josh Shaw's 30-yard touchdown run with 1:51 remaining lifted South Carolina State to a 34-27 victory over North Carolina Central on Friday night at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium, extending the Bulldogs' winning streak to eight games and keeping their MEAC championship hopes alive.
The victory improved South Carolina State to 8-3 overall and a perfect 4-0 in conference play, while N.C. Central dropped to 7-4 and 2-2 in the MEAC.
Shaw finished with 83 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, capping a pivotal fourth quarter in which South Carolina State outgained the Eagles 161-52 in total offense. His game-winning score came on the first play after a two-minute warning timeout, as the Bulldogs needed just six plays to cover 52 yards in 3:16 following a punt from the N.C. Central 5-yard line.
"We just kept grinding," could have been the motto for South Carolina State, which controlled possession for more than 36 minutes and converted 10 of 17 third-down attempts while building a decisive advantage in total offense, 454-306.
Quarterback William Atkins IV completed 24 of 36 passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns for the Bulldogs, though he was sacked five times and threw one interception. His connection with Jordan Smith proved particularly effective, as Smith hauled in seven catches for 72 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets.
The game featured five lead changes and one tie, with neither team leading by more than 14 points at any stage.
South Carolina State struck first on its second possession, driving 27 yards in 10 plays before Nico Cavanillas Alti connected on a 50-yard field goal at the 6:34 mark of the first quarter. N.C. Central answered quickly, with Kaleb Robison matching from 41 yards out to tie the game at 3-3 after a six-play, 51-yard drive.
The Bulldogs then seized momentum with a stunning 14-point burst in the final 10 seconds of the opening quarter. Atkins found Deyandre Ruffin for a 28-yard touchdown to cap a nine-play, 75-yard march, putting South Carolina State ahead 10-3 with 10 seconds remaining. On the ensuing kickoff, the Bulldogs successfully recovered an onside kick at their own 49-yard line, and Atkins immediately launched deep to Nigel Johnson for a 51-yard scoring strike as time expired in the quarter.
The 17-3 deficit proved temporary for the Eagles, who responded with 17 unanswered points in the second quarter.
Robison's second field goal, from 31 yards, cut the margin to 17-6 at the 10:44 mark. Less than a minute later, defensive back Eric Adams intercepted Atkins and returned it 33 yards for a touchdown, his second pick-six of the season and fourth interception overall, pulling N.C. Central within 17-13.
The Eagles completed their comeback on their next possession, a methodical 10-play, 98-yard drive that consumed 4:37 and ended with Chris Mosley plunging in from 9 yards out. The touchdown and Robison's extra point gave N.C. Central its first lead of the night, 20-17, with 2:58 left in the half.
Mosley finished with 105 yards on 21 carries, recording his fifth 100-yard rushing performance of the season. He also caught one pass for no yards.
South Carolina State tied the game at 20-20 early in the third quarter when Alti converted a 28-yard field goal following a fumble recovery on the opening kickoff of the second half. The seven-play, 35-yard drive took 3:13 off the clock.
N.C. Central reclaimed the lead just three minutes later when Walker Harris found Mehki Wall streaking down the middle for a 35-yard touchdown, Wall's fourth receiving score of the season. The seven-play, 66-yard drive put the Eagles ahead 27-20 with 8:33 remaining in the third quarter.
Wall led all receivers with 88 yards on five catches. Harris completed 13 of 31 passes for 218 yards and one touchdown but was sacked three times and struggled to maintain consistency in the passing game.
South Carolina State answered with its own lengthy scoring drive to open the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs marched 80 yards in 13 plays, converting three third downs along the way before Atkins hit Smith for a 24-yard touchdown with 13:25 left in regulation. The extra point tied the game at 27-27.
N.C. Central's ensuing possession stalled at its own 30-yard line after a three-and-out, and the Eagles punted to the South Carolina State 20 with 11:05 remaining.
That set up a critical 10-play drive that reached the N.C. Central 1-yard line before the Bulldogs turned the ball over on downs with 6:03 to play. Shaw carried four straight times on goal-line attempts but was stopped short on fourth down by Donquarius Parker and Wisdom Simms.
The Eagles failed to capitalize, going three-and-out from their own 1-yard line before punting back to South Carolina State with 5:07 remaining. The Bulldogs took over at their own 48 and needed just six plays to find the end zone, with Shaw breaking off the decisive 30-yard scoring run.
N.C. Central had one final chance, starting at its own 8-yard line with 1:43 left. Harris completed passes to Wall for 19 yards and Chauncey Spikes for 20 yards to move the Eagles across midfield, but the drive stalled at the South Carolina State 49. Harris's fourth-down pass intended for Mosley fell incomplete with 12 seconds remaining, sealing the Bulldogs' victory.
South Carolina State dominated time of possession in the first quarter, holding the ball for 11:21 compared to just 3:39 for the Eagles. The Bulldogs finished with 39 rushing attempts for 140 yards, while N.C. Central managed just 88 yards on 28 carries.
Defensively, Jelani Vassell paced N.C. Central with a career-high 12 tackles. For South Carolina State, Roderick Kelly recorded eight tackles, including one tackle for loss.
The Bulldogs converted both of their field goal attempts and all four extra points, while the Eagles also went 2-for-2 on field goals and 3-for-3 on PATs. South Carolina State was penalized four times for 49 yards, while N.C. Central committed four penalties for 43 yards.
N.C. Central will close its regular season on Nov. 22 at Morgan State, while South Carolina State remains in contention for the MEAC title with its unblemished conference record.
Key Performers
South Carolina State:
- William Atkins IV: 24-36, 314 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
- Josh Shaw: 10 carries, 83 yards, 1 TD
- Jordan Smith: 7 receptions, 72 yards, 1 TD
N.C. Central:
- Chris Mosley: 21 carries, 105 yards, 1 TD
- Mehki Wall: 5 receptions, 88 yards, 1 TD
- Walker Harris: 13-31, 218 yards, 1 TD
.png)
