It wasn’t even close.
Both teams exercised their defensive prowess in the first half, but oh, that second half. The South Carolina State Bulldogs showed why they were the preseason favorites for the MEAC football championship, riding a monstrous running game and home field advantage to an impressive 35-13 victory over the Hampton Pirates.
Seriously, 300 rushing yards for the Bulldogs? 431 yards of total offense? Everything we thought that the Pirates were, the Bulldogs tore asunder. Herb Bynes held true to his season-long intro to black college football, passing for 272 yards and two touchdowns, but it couldn’t overshadow the Pirates’ propensity for penalties and giving up third-down conversions.
Coming into the game, the Pirates were dead last in the conference with an average of more than 100 penalty yards per game. Yesterday, the Pirates gave away 154 yards. Normally reliable to minimize third-down conversions, Hampton allowed the Bulldogs 6-15 conversions yesterday. That’s a murderous statistic for a defense facing such a punishing run offense.
It’s not totally over in the race for the MEAC football crown, but the lights are dimming on the Pirates’ chances. The remaining tests for the Bulldogs are in road games against Delaware State and Morgan State. For Hampton, road trips against Morgan State and Florida A&M close out the season.
And with those schedules, it’s safe to wait for the oncoming sunset for the City by the Sea.
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