South Carolina State Claims MEAC Title

South Carolina State claimed its third straight MEAC championship on Saturday, Nov. 14, by defeating North Carolina Central 38-24 at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium, as reported by meacsports.com.

The victory punched the Bulldogs’ ticket directly to the Cricket Celebration Bowl.

Both teams entered halftime tied at 24 before South Carolina State pulled away with 14 unanswered points in the third quarter.

Keely Watson completed 15-of-25 passes for 169 yards and three touchdowns to lead the South Carolina State offense.

Defensively, Marquis Lane-Owens paced the Bulldogs with seven tackles, an interception, and 1.5 sacks.

The win brings South Carolina State’s record to 9-2 overall and 4-0 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

North Carolina Central finished its conference slate at 3-1, moving to 5-6 overall.

Howard erased a 14-point deficit to defeat Delaware State 30-24 on Saturday at Greene Stadium.

The win leaves Howard at 5-6 overall and 2-2 in conference play, matching Delaware State’s identical 6-5 and 2-2 standing.

Morgan State closed its home schedule with a 17-7 victory over Norfolk State on Saturday at Hughes Stadium.

Keith Jenkins Jr. led the ground game with 159 rushing yards and a touchdown on 17 carries.

Jenkins broke open the game with a 57-yard scoring run in the third quarter.

Morgan State’s defense shut down the Spartans by logging five interceptions and recovering three fumbles.

The victory brings Morgan State to 6-5 overall and 1-3 in the MEAC, while Norfolk State drops to 4-7 overall and 0-4 in league play.

The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference is currently in its 56th year of intercollegiate competition for the 2026–27 academic year.