The S.C. State Bulldogs have more resembled traveling greyhounds in September. The Sept. 29 contest at Williams-Brice Stadium against the University of South Carolina was moved up two days due to Hurricane Ian. The defending Black College Football national champions received a $500,000 payout for the game from USC in a 50-10 loss.

It marked the Bulldogs’ fourth consecutive road game to open the season. Yet for 19 players on the active roster who attended Midlands high schools, the matchup with the Gamecocks had somewhat of a homecoming feeling.

“I’m sure a lot of guys here who are excited about to be going to play in that place,” head coach Oliver Pough said. “It’s always a little bit of a great experience for guys to have a chance to play in their state’s major university’s home field. We play at Clemson. We play at South Carolina. We play over at Coastal [Carolina] and some of the other places around the state. So, it’s always neat that way.”

“I can tell you that all our guys wanted to play at these places, and they use it as kind of a big reference or sorts that they should have been allowed to do so. But at the same time, I think the big issue for them is the face that every guy on a college team, especially the top-notch guys, feel like they have a chance to show that they can play big-time ball. I think that’s the big issue. So, they want to make sure they don’t put any bad film out there in the game because they know everybody will see him.”

Running back Kendrell Flowers of Irmo saw the most action, finishing with 28 yards on 14 carries. He saw limited action a week earlier against North Carolina A&T a week after earning Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors.

Key starters on the offensive line were Cam Johnson (Dutch Fork) and Nick Taiste (White Knoll), an all-MEAC second-team selection last season.

Previously a South Carolina running backs coach, Pough was the second former assistant coach to return to Williams-Brice Stadium this season. Former offensive line coach Shawn Elliott brought Georgia State to Columbia for the season opener.

The Bulldogs dropped to 0-3 all-time against the Gamecocks. Their last meeting was in 2008.