MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — South Carolina State delivered a statement performance on one of HBCU football's biggest stages Sunday, using an explosive rushing attack and a dominant defensive effort to defeat Florida A&M 31-13 in the Orange Blossom Classic at Hard Rock Stadium.
The Bulldogs improved to
2-0 on the season after controlling the line of scrimmage on both sides of the football. SC State rolled up
479 yards of total offense, including
292 yards rushing, while its defense held the Rattlers to just
161 total yards and minus-1 yard rushing.
Running back
Mason Pickett-Hicks powered the Bulldogs' offense with a career-type performance, rushing 17 times for
210 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 12.4 yards per carry. His longest run covered 58 yards.
Josh Shaw added two rushing touchdowns as SC State scored all four of its touchdowns on the ground.
Florida A&M (1-1) struck first with Emilio Bacardi's 30-yard field goal, but the Bulldogs needed only 28 seconds to answer.
Pickett-Hicks broke free for a
58-yard touchdown run with 7:17 remaining in the opening quarter to give SC State a 7-3 advantage. The Bulldogs' defense immediately created another opportunity when
Sharmari Reed recovered an Isaiah Knowles fumble and returned it 8 yards to the FAMU 6. Five seconds later, Shaw powered into the end zone from 6 yards out, extending the lead to 14-3.
SC State continued to dictate the game in the second quarter. After FAMU cut the margin to 14-6 on Bacardi's 31-yard field goal, the Bulldogs responded with a seven-play, 75-yard scoring drive.
Shaw capped the march with a 1-yard touchdown run with 3:31 remaining, sending SC State into halftime with a
21-6 advantage.
The Bulldogs wasted little time adding to their lead after intermission.
SC State marched 75 yards in just four plays on its opening possession of the third quarter, with Pickett-Hicks breaking loose for a
32-yard touchdown run to push the advantage to 28-6.
Florida A&M's only touchdown came defensively when Justin Bostic returned an interception 80 yards for a score with 6:07 remaining in the third quarter. The SC State defense did not allow an offensive touchdown in the contest.
The Bulldogs put the finishing touches on the victory when Jett Jackson connected on a
39-yard field goal with 1:09 remaining for the final 31-13 margin. Jackson was also perfect on all four extra-point attempts.
SC State's defense was relentless throughout the afternoon. The Bulldogs recorded
five sacks for 30 yards and 15 tackles for loss totaling 50 yards, while forcing FAMU into negative rushing yardage.
Jordan Dollard was a major factor up front, finishing with six tackles,
1.5 sacks, 4.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble. Josh Barker added two sacks for 14 yards, while
Ka'Von Chisolm recorded a sack and 2.5 tackles for loss.
The defensive performance was particularly impressive against the run. Florida A&M managed only
60 positive rushing yards but lost 61, finishing with minus-1 yard on 30 attempts. The Rattlers also went just
4-for-17 on third down and were 0-for-1 on fourth down.
SC State quarterback Keely Watson completed
10 of 17 passes for 168 yards, while
Ronnie Robinson went 2 of 3 for 19 yards. Malaqhi Jones led the receiving corps with six catches for 72 yards, while Troy Hillman added two receptions for 58 yards, including a 37-yard grab.
The numbers underscored the Bulldogs' dominance. SC State held a
479-161 advantage in total offense, a
292 to minus-1 advantage on the ground and a 19-10 edge in first downs. The Bulldogs averaged
8.3 yards per offensive play and 7.7 yards per rushing attempt.
Despite committing three turnovers and being penalized 13 times for 112 yards, SC State consistently answered adversity with explosive plays and a defense that prevented FAMU's offense from reaching the end zone.
The victory moved the Bulldogs to
2-0, while Florida A&M fell to
1-1, and gave SC State an impressive Orange Blossom Classic triumph before
23,188 fans at Hard Rock Stadium.
