ORANGEBURG, S.C. — Eric Phoenix showcased his talent by throwing two touchdown passes to Caden High and contributing a touchdown run of his own, leading South Carolina State to a thrilling 24-21 victory over North Carolina Central on Thursday night.
North Carolina Central entered the game with a strong record of 6-3 and was ranked No. 21 in the FCS coaches poll. They were on a winning streak of five games, narrowly overcoming earlier defeats against Elon and North Carolina, where they were outscored by a total of 86-29.
The Bulldogs, boasting a record of 6-2, began the game with a formidable 10-play drive that spanned 85 yards and took over six minutes off the clock. However, they settled for a 20-yard field goal from Kyle Gallegos. NC Central struggled on their first possession, going three-and-out, leading to Phoenix’s first touchdown connection with High. This 8-yard pass capped off an 81-yard drive, stretching South Carolina State’s lead to 10-0 just before the end of the first quarter.
Phoenix further extended the lead with an 11-yard touchdown run with only 32 seconds remaining in the second quarter, bringing the halftime score to 17-0.
In the second half, Walker Harris delivered a strike to Markell Quick for a 51-yard touchdown for the Eagles, closing the gap with 12:31 remaining. Shortly after, he connected again, this time with Chauncey Spikes, who sprinted 66 yards to the end zone, making the score 24-21 just 86 seconds later.
The Eagles advanced the ball to the Bulldogs’ 34-yard line before disaster struck: Ashaad Hall forced a strip-sack on Harris, which was recovered by Josh Barker with approximately 6.5 minutes left. Phoenix made a crucial scramble, gaining 20 yards on a third-and-21, followed by Tyler Smith securing a fourth-and-1 conversion with two minutes left, which helped in sealing the victory for SC State.
NC Central’s offense had a rough start, failing to gain a single first down in their first four possessions and only managing one right before halftime.
Defensively, Max U’Ren intercepted a pass at the Eagles’ 11-yard line and returned it to the 42. On the following series, J’Mari Davis dashed into the end zone with a 36-yard touchdown run, cutting the Bulldogs’ lead to 17-7 with 10:02 left in the third quarter.
During SC State’s next offensive series, U’Ren again proved his worth by stopping Phoenix on a fourth-and-2 attempt from the 3-yard line, marking the Bulldogs’ second trip to the red zone without scoring. Nonetheless, Michael Brunson snagged a crucial interception near midfield, setting the stage for Phoenix to link up with High for a long 42-yard touchdown catch-and-run, pushing the lead to 24-7 with just 20 seconds left in the third quarter.