# 2019 South Carolina State Bulldogs football team

The 2019 South Carolina State Bulldogs football team represented South Carolina State University in the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by 18th-year head coach Oliver Pough who became the program's all-time winningest coach during the season, surpassing former head coach Willie Jeffries. The Bulldogs played their home games at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium. They are a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).
S.C. State was awarded the MEAC Co-Championship together with the North Carolina A&T Aggies.
Both teams finished with 8–3 overall records and 6–2 within the MEAC, however due to Florida A&M being ineligible for postseason play, and by virtue of North Carolina A&T's victory over South Carolina State, the Aggies received the MEAC's bid to the Celebration Bowl. As a “bubble team” in consideration for the 2019 FCS Playoffs S.C. State was not chosen, thus ending their season.

## Preseason
### MEAC poll

In the MEAC preseason poll released on July 26, 2019, the Bulldogs were predicted to finish in sixth place.
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | North Carolina A&T | 304 (12) |
| 2 | Bethune–Cookman | 237 (1) |
| 3 | Florida A&M | 204 (2) |
| 4 | Howard | 166 |
| 5 | North Carolina Central | 161 (1) |
| 6 | South Carolina State | 152 |
| 7 | Norfolk State | 119 (1) |
| 8 | Morgan State | 87 (1) |
| 9 | Delaware State | 46 |

### Preseason All–MEAC teams

The Bulldogs had two players selected to the preseason all-MEAC teams.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 31 | 6:00 p.m. | No. 9 Wofford* | Oliver C. Dawson StadiumOrangeburg, SC | ESPN3 | W 28–13 | 8,187 |
| September 7 | 4:00 p.m. | Lane* | Oliver C. Dawson StadiumOrangeburg, SC | MEAC All Access | W 34–0 | 6,237 |
| September 14 | 6:00 p.m. | at South Florida* | Raymond James StadiumTampa, FL | ESPN3 | L 16–55 | 31,368 |
| October 5 | 7:00 p.m. | at Delaware State | Alumni StadiumDover, DE | ESPN3 | W 38–24 | 985 |
| October 12 | 2:00 p.m. | Florida A&M | Oliver C. Dawson StadiumOrangeburg, SC | ESPN3 | L 38–42 | 15,792 |
| October 19 | 1:30 p.m. | Morgan State | Oliver C. Dawson StadiumOrangeburg, SC | ESPN3 | W 24–10 | 12,121 |
| October 26 | 4:00 p.m. | at Bethune–Cookman | Daytona StadiumDaytona Beach, FL | ESPN3 | W 27–19 | 12,204 |
| November 2 | 1:30 p.m. | No. 16 North Carolina A&T | Oliver C. Dawson StadiumOrangeburg, SC (rivalry) | ESPN3 | L 20–22 | 11,183 |
| November 9 | 1:30 p.m. | Howard | Oliver C. Dawson stadiumOrangeburg, SC | ESPN3 | W 62–21 | 8,515 |
| November 16 | 2:00 p.m. | at North Carolina Central | O'Kelly–Riddick StadiumDurham, NC | ESPN3 | W 24–0 | 3,043 |
| November 23 | 1:00 p.m. | at Norfolk State | William "Dick" Price StadiumNorfolk, VA | ESPN3 | W 20–17 $^{OT}$ | 1,453 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from STATS Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time |||||||

## Game summaries
### No. 9 Wofford

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 9 Terriers | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 13 |
| Bulldogs | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |

### Lane

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Dragons | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bulldogs | 14 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 34 |

### At South Florida

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulldogs | 3 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 16 |
| Bulls | 7 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 55 |

### At Delaware State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulldogs | 10 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 38 |
| Hornets | 0 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 24 |

### Florida A&M

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rattlers | 7 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 42 |
| Bulldogs | 0 | 14 | 3 | 21 | 38 |

### Morgan State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Bulldogs | 0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 24 |

### At Bethune–Cookman

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulldogs | 7 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 27 |
| Wildcats | 0 | 13 | 6 | 0 | 19 |

### North Carolina A&T

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 17 Aggies | 0 | 16 | 6 | 0 | 22 |
| Bulldogs | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 20 |

### Howard

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bison | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| Bulldogs | 20 | 14 | 21 | 7 | 62 |

### At North Carolina Central

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulldogs | 7 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 24 |
| Eagles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

### At Norfolk State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Bulldogs | 7 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 20 |
| Spartans | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 17 |