1997 South Carolina State Bulldogs football team
| 1997 South Carolina State Bulldogs football | |
|---|---|
Heritage Bowl, L 28–34 vs. Southern | |
| Conference | Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference |
| Ranking | |
| Sports Network | No. 22 |
| Record | 9–3 (5–2 MEAC) |
| Head coach |
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| Home stadium | Oliver C. Dawson Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 9 Hampton $^ | 7 | – | 0 | 10 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 22 | 5 | – | 2 | 9 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 10 Florida A&M ^ | 5 | – | 2 | 9 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Howard | 4 | – | 3 | 7 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| North Carolina A&T | 3 | – | 4 | 7 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Morgan State | 2 | – | 5 | 3 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bethune–Cookman | 1 | – | 6 | 4 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Delaware State | 1 | – | 6 | 3 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Norfolk State | 0 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1997 South Carolina State Bulldogs football team represented South Carolina State University as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) during the 1997 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by 15th-year head coach Willie Jeffries, the Bulldogs compiled an overall record of 9–3, with a mark of 5–2 in conference play, and finished tied for second in the MEAC. In the postseason, the Bulldogs lost to Southern in the Heritage Bowl.
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 6 | Charleston Southern* | W 13–12 | 13,626 | [1] | ||
| September 13 | No. 10 Furman* |
| W 17–6 | 6,626 | [2] | |
| September 27 | vs. Tennessee State* | W 34–28 | 41,292 | [3] | ||
| October 4 | at Morgan State | W 34–27 OT | 3,750 | [4] | ||
| October 11 | Norfolk State* |
| W 28–25 | 22,789 | [5] | |
| October 18 | at Bethune–Cookman | No. 23 | W 17–10 | 11,212 | [6] | |
| October 25 | at No. 15 Hampton | No. 18 | L 14–20 | 5,979 | [7] | |
| November 1 | Delaware State | No. 22 |
| W 37–17 | 4,366 | [8] |
| November 8 | at Howard | No. 19 | W 27–18 | 6,397 | [9] | |
| November 15 | No. 10 Florida A&M | No. 17 |
| L 20–22 | 12,784 | [10] |
| November 22 | vs. North Carolina A&T | No. 22 |
| W 33–18 | 22,642 | [11] |
| December 27 | vs. No. 12 Southern* | No. 22 |
| L 28–34 | 32,629 | [12] |
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References
- ^ "State rallies for win". The Greenville News. September 7, 1997. Retrieved August 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "SCSU stuns Paladins". The Times and Democrat. September 14, 1997. Retrieved August 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "S.C. State's Derricott steals the show". The Atlanta Constitution. September 28, 1997. Retrieved August 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Bulldogs remain undefeated with OT win". The State. October 5, 1997. Retrieved August 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "SCSU improves to 5–0". The Times and Democrat. October 12, 1997. Retrieved August 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Bulldogs protect perfect mark". The Greenville News. October 19, 1997. Retrieved August 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "S.C. State runs out of late magic in loss to Hampton". The State. October 26, 1997. Retrieved August 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "SCSU pounds Hornets". The Times and Democrat. November 2, 1997. Retrieved August 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "S.C. State stops Howard". The Greenville News. November 9, 1997. Retrieved August 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "FAMU rallies past South Carolina St". Florida Today. November 16, 1997. Retrieved August 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "S.C. State keeps grip on Classic". The Charlotte Observer. November 22, 1997. Retrieved August 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Southern: Dome 'is our house'". The Atlanta Journal & Constitution. December 28, 1997. Retrieved August 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.