Ryan Stubblefield connected with Jordan Smith on a decisive two-point conversion in the fourth overtime, lifting South Carolina State to a dramatic 40–38 victory over Prairie View A&M on Saturday in the 10th Celebration Bowl, the annual clash between the MEAC and SWAC champions.
The marathon finish began with both teams trading field goals in the first overtime. In the second extra period, South Carolina State’s Cornelius Davis picked off a Stubblefield pass on the opening possession. Prairie View had a golden opportunity to win, but Diego Alfaro missed a 31-yard field goal attempt. Neither side managed to score during the two-point attempts in the third overtime, pushing the contest deeper into stressful chaos.
In the fourth overtime, Bulldogs running back Tyler Smith hauled in a short pass from Stubblefield, was hit by Prairie View defensive back Kamren Amao, and stretched the ball just past the pylon for a successful conversion. The ruling immediately sparked debate, as replays from multiple angles appeared just as inconclusive as the live call. The ruling on the field was eventually upheld. Prairie View’s response fell short when quarterback Cameron Peters’ pass attempt on the Panthers’ try came up incomplete.
“Last year I stood right by our locker room outside, still in the stadium, and I watched confetti drop on another team, and that fueled me,” South Carolina State Head Coach Chennis Berry said. “And I said, ‘If the good Lord gives me another opportunity, that confetti will not drop on another team – that confetti is going to drop on us.’ … We knew we would be here, but we wanted to walk away this time with a trophy in hand. As I stand here today, we did just that.”
Read the entire story by Itoro Umontuen, the Sports and Entertainment writer for BlackPressUSA, here.
