The all-out sprint for the MEAC championship is on deep into October and once again, a familiar face is atop the standings.
South Carolina State — described by Morgan State coach Damon Wilson as “the staple of the MEAC” — is setting the pace after a hard-fought 26-24 win over North Carolina Central on Saturday to re-establish itself as the team to still beat in the six-team lead.
SC State — which started the season 1-4 after being battered, humbled, and in need of confidence amid a brutal non-conference schedule — is in the middle of a MEAC race that includes the Bulldogs and Howard on top, each at 1-0. Delaware State and Norfolk State are 1-1, while Morgan State is at 0-2.
“It puts us in a good position to fight for our conference championship,” SC State coach Buddy Pough said of the strong conference start. “But we have to keep winning when we don’t have the option to go out and lose a game. Anytime you win a game, it gives you the confidence that you can play with anyone in the league. But it also shows anyone in the conference has the ability to beat us.”
The win over North Carolina Central ran the Bulldogs’ MEAC winning streak to 11-straight dating back to 2021, when the team went unbeaten in the conference en route to a league title and Celebration Bowl victory over Jackson State.
Despite starting the 2022 season a bit wobbly and unsteady on their feet, the MEAC is still SC State’s to lose, and the rest of the league knows it.
“This program has been the staple of the MEAC,” Wilson, the first-year Bears coach, said Monday ahead of a matchup with the Bulldogs on Saturday. “Even when I was at Bowie State, I always watched what Coach Pough was doing.”
Said Delaware State head coach Rod Milstead about the standard SC State has set over the years:
“Every team in this league is using South Carolina as the measuring stick.”
During the Bulldogs’ run, they’ve found a way to win, especially the close battles like the one against NC Central a week ago. Even in a league with great parity, SC State has come out on top more often than not because of the consistency they’ve established, said NC Central coach Trei Oliver.
“They’re a confident group. They do an outstanding job of recruiting; they’re a very physical football team,” he said. … “When you have a championship football team, the guys are going to be very confident. They’re not going to beat themselves. They overcome adversity and are talented.”
