NCAAF

North Carolina Central Eagles at South Carolina State Bulldogs

Oct 31, 2024, 11:30 PM · NCAA - Football
Final
21 - 24

Eric Phoenix runs for TD, throws 2 TD passes to Caden High; SC State beats NC Central 24-21

NC Central (6-3, 2-1 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference), No. 21 in the FCS coaches poll, had won five games in a row since back-to-back losses to Elon and at North Carolina — by a combined score of 86-29.

South Carolina State (6-2, 2-0) took more than 6 minutes off the clock on the opening possession when it went 85 yards in 10 plays but had to settle for a 20-yard field goal by Kyle Gallegos. NC Central went three-and-out and Phoenix threw and 8-yard touchdown pass to High to cap an 11-play, 81-yard drive that gave the Bulldogs a 10-0 lead with 1:40 left in the first quarter.

Phoenix added an 11-yard touchdown run with 32 seconds left in the second quarter that made it 17-0 at halftime.

Walker Harris connected with Markell Quick on a 51-yard throw-and-catch for a touchdown for the Eagles with 12:31 to play and hit Chauncey Spikes at the SC State 45, who raced the rest of the way for a 66-yard touchdown that made it 24-21 just 86 seconds later.

NC Central moved to the Bulldogs’ 34 before Ashaad Hall’s strip-sack of Harris was recovered by Josh Barker with about 6 1/2 minutes to play. Phoenix scrambled for a 20-yard gain on a third-and-21 and then Tyler Smith nudged forward to convert on fourth-and-1 with about 2 minutes left to seal it.

The Eagles went three-and-out on each of their first four possessions and didn’t get a first down until the closing seconds of the first half.

Max U’Ren picked off a pass from Phoenix at the Eagles 11 and returned it beyond midfield to the 42. Three plays later, J'Mari Davis ripped off a 36-yard touchdown run to cut NC Central's deficit to 17-7 with 10:02 left in the third quarter.

On SC State's next offensive possession, U'Ren stopped Phoenix for no gain on a fourth-and-2 from the 3 — the Bulldogs' second consecutive trip into the red zone without any points.

Michael Brunson intercepted a pass near midfield and two plays later Phoenix hit High for a 42-yard catch-and-run for a TD that gave the Bulldogs a 24-7 lead with 20 seconds left in the third quarter.

How To Watch

How can I watch North Carolina Central Eagles vs. South Carolina State Bulldogs?
  • TV Channel: Eagles at Bulldogs 2021 College Football, week 10, is broadcasted on ESPN2.
  • Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.

Scoring Summary

FG 1st Period 8:47 Kyle Gallegos 20 Yd Field Goal
TD 1st Period 1:40 Caden High 8 Yd pass from Eric Phoenix (Kyle Gallegos Kick)
TD 2nd Period 0:32 Eric Phoenix 11 Yd Run (Kyle Gallegos Kick)
TD 3rd Period 10:02 J'Mari Taylor 36 Yd Run (Juan Velarde Kick)
TD 3rd Period 0:20 Caden High 42 Yd pass from Eric Phoenix (Kyle Gallegos Kick)
TD 4th Period 12:31 Markell Quick 51 Yd pass from Walker Harris (Juan Velarde Kick)
TD 4th Period 11:05 Chauncey Spikes 66 Yd pass from Walker Harris (Juan Velarde Kick)

Statistics

NCCU SCST
11 1st Downs 29
3-11 3rd down efficiency 7-16
1-1 4th down efficiency 2-3
268 Total Yards 467
210 Passing 321
14/24 Comp/Att 26/36
8.8 Yards per pass 8.9
58 Rushing 146
19 Rushing Attempts 45
3.1 Yards per rush 3.2
6-63 Penalties 5-41
2 Turnovers 2
1 Fumbles lost 1
1 Interceptions thrown 1
18:26 Possession 41:34

Game Information

Venue: Oliver C. Dawson Stadium
11:30 PM, Thu, Oct 31, 2024
Location: Orangeburg, SC
Attendance: 11,169 · Capacity:
Full Standings

College Football News

Joe Fusco, 4-time NAIA national champ at Westminster, dies at 87

Joe Fusco, who coached Westminster College to four NAIA Division II national titles and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, has died at the age of 87.

College football 2025 returning production for all 136 FBS teams

What teams have the most (and least) coming back, and what will it all mean next season?

Could the Raiders move up and draft Shedeur Sanders?

Bart Scott and Tim Hasselbeck discuss whether it would be a smart move for the Raiders to trade up to draft Shedeur Sanders.

CFP buzz: What we're hearing ahead of this week's meeting

As conference commissioners meet in Dallas on the heels of the big SEC-Big Ten meeting, here's what to expect.

2025 NFL draft class: Strengths, weaknesses, big questions

With only a handful of high-end prospects, the 2025 draft class has been criticized and questioned. But scouts are actually intrigued by the group's depth.