South Carolina State loses heartbreaker to The Citadel

Nairavoice | Oct 4, 2026 1h ago 221 0 2 min read

56e8824f454232b824b0869921be7ec8 South Carolina State loses heartbreaker to The Citadel

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After riding high to start the season, South Carolina State suffered its first loss in a back-and-forth affair. The Bulldogs fell to The Citadel, 34-31, for their first loss of the season. Evan Kiely’s 31-yard field goal at the end of the fourth quarter sealed the upset.

South Carolina State entered the game having found a way to control every game they’re a part of, but The Citadel ultimately put together drives that put them out front. After Jett Jackson hit a 47-yard field goal to put South Carolina State up 3-0 early in the first quarter, Gavin Garcia finished a five-play, 65-yard drive with a one-yard run to ultimately put The Citadel up 7-3. Keely Watson found DJ Maltsby for a 41-yard touchdown to put South Carolina State back on the board, 10-7.

But The Citadel dominated the second quarter. Evan Kiely kicked a 30-yard field goal to tie it 10-10 before Quentin Hayes found Gavin Garcia for an 8-yard pass to put The Citadel up 17-10. The Citadel went up 31-17 late in the third quarter after Gavin Garcia pulled off a 19-yard run.

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But South Carolina State was undeterred. Mason Pickett-Hicks caught a pass from Keely Watson for a 21-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 7, 31-24. Then South Carolina State went on a 12-play, 80-yard drive that ended with Josh Shaw running in a 6-yard touchdown to tie the game at 31-31. The fourth quarter was tightly contested, with Kiely ultimately kicking the game-winning field goal.

South Carolina State’s Keely Watson had his best outing of the season, finishing with 245 yards and two touchdowns on 20 of 31 attempts. Mason Pickett-Hicks finished the game with 129 all-purpose yards. He had 90 yards on the ground and one touchdown on 15 carries, plus 39 yards and one touchdown in the passing game on three receptions.