Heading into the 2024 season, there was uncertainty about how South Carolina State football would look without longtime coach Buddy Pough after a two-decade stint in Orangeburg.
While there was much hope and great anticipation that Chennis Berry, who was hired to replace the retired Pough, could eventually replicate the success he cultivated at Division II Benedict College, the Bulldogs didn’t appear — at least right away — ready to chase championships coming off a 5-6 record in 2023.
But that was before the Bulldogs built a fourth-quarter two-score lead against defending HBCU national champion Florida A&M in the Aug. 31 opener. South Carolina State — with significant contributions from several Benedict transfers who joined Berry — had dominated the Rattlers on both sides of the ball through the first three quarters and jumped out to an 18-7 lead.
FAMU eventually rallied to win, however. Berry and the Bulldogs had learned something very valuable in defeat: that they had the potential to compete and helped springboard them.
“We had to do a good job of bridging the gap between potential and performance,” Berry said on Sunday. “Coming in, we knew we had great potential, but as coaches, we had to find a way to get the performance to match. We went to (FAMU) and had chances to win but didn’t get it done. I believe that loss brought our team closer together.”
After a 42-14 loss to FBS Georgia Southern two weeks later sandwiched between a win at The Citadel, the Bulldogs reeled off eight consecutive victories, including a signature 24-21 triumph over North Carolina Central on Halloween night that essentially clinched the MEAC regular season championship.
Along the way, quarterback Eric Phoenix blossomed en route to a season in which he led the MEAC with 2,460 passing yards and 20 touchdowns, earning him MEAC Offensive Player of the Year and HBCU+ National Player of the Year.
Phoenix was not the only one who led the Bulldogs. SC State dominated the conference postseason award honors with 17 selections, including HBCU All-Americans Jayden Broughton, Asaad Hall, Eric Brown Jr., and Jarod Washington.
South Carolina State (9-2) now finds itself one win away from the program’s second HBCU national title in four years, all because they bonded through early season setbacks.
“It’s all about the journey,” Berry said about watching his team develop throughout the regular season. “Along that journey, you surround yourself with the right people, and I truly believe the staff I have put together and the young men who have bought into our process have made us successful.”
