SC State rolls to Celebration Bowl victory over Jackson State
Add another trophy to the rich legacy of South Carolina State and head football coach Oliver “Buddy” Pough.
Pough’s Bulldogs defeated Deion Sanders’ Jackson State Tigers 31-10 Saturday in the Cricket Celebration Bowl, held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
In a game where most of the hype and headlines were about Sanders and his team from the Southwestern Athletic Conference, it was the Bulldogs who found motivation in being 10.5-point underdogs.
“We had a little free time to go around Atlanta. I was in the mall, me and my teammates, and a lot of people who were like, ‘So, y’all are the team Jackson State is playing,’ ” S.C. State grad senior defensive back Decobie Durant told reporters after the win. “They had never heard of South Carolina State. We already knew were the underdog.”
The S.C. State defense forced three turnovers, including two interceptions of Jackson State quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Durant recorded a sack and a pass breakup. Bulldogs QB Corey Fields Jr. threw four touchdowns, three of them to wide receiver Shaq Davis.
S.C. State led 10-7 at halftime Saturday, extended their lead to 24-10 through three quarters and scored the game’s final touchdown with 6:19 to go.
“It was a wonderful win for us,” Pough said. “It was a lot of fun. To have won the game earlier in the game and be able to stand there for the last maybe 10 or so minutes of the game and not be stressed ... was awfully special. I got a chance to look and see the stands, that kind of stuff. It was fun watching as the game was winding down.”
The annual Celebration Bowl — often referred to as the HBCU national championship — began in 2015 and features the champs of the SWAC against the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference winners.
S.C. State finishes the season 7-5 overall, including a perfect 5-0 in the MEAC. Jackson State finishes 11-2.
“We were overconfident and overlooked them as if they were going to hand us the game,” Deion Sanders said in his postgame interview. “My hats to everyone involved with South Carolina State, especially the secondary. ... I know we didn’t play our best game because they played better. They kicked our butts.”
Pough has been coaching at South Carolina State for 20 years, winning a school-best 143 games and eight MEAC titles.
He called the bowl win gratifying, “as big as any I can remember here recently.” So what’s next for the Bulldogs coaching legend?
“I want to coach until they run me off,” he quipped. “I would like to coach for at least another year.”
Celebration Bowl history
The MEAC leads the series 5-1
- 2021: S.C. State 31, Jackson State 10
- 2020: No game
- 2019: N.C. A&T 64, Alcorn State 44
- 2018: N.C. A&T 24, Alcorn State 22
- 2017: N.C. A&T 21, Grambling State 14
- 2016: Grambling State 10, N.C. Central 9
- 2015: N.C. A&T 41, Alcorn State 34
This story was originally published December 18, 2021 at 3:48 PM.