South Carolina State’s journey back to the Celebration Bowl was not a straight line. It was a season built on legacy, tested by turnover, pushed by new challengers in the MEAC, and ultimately defined by a comeback that turned tension into triumph on the biggest stage HBCU football has to offer.
In this MTMV Sports conversation, Ernest Ricks sits down with longtime South Carolina State beat writer Bradford Gillens, who has covered the Bulldogs since 2002, to walk through how this team navigated a major coaching transition, reloaded a roster that lost elite production, managed a quarterback tug of war, and survived a Celebration Bowl game that demanded every ounce of belief the program is known for.
Below is the story of that run, in a Question and Answer format, with grammar cleaned up for clarity while staying true to what was said.
The Interview
Ernest Ricks: You’ve been covering South Carolina State for a long time. How has it been covering them recently?
Bradford Gillens: Recently it’s been a whirlwind, a rejuvenation of sorts. Coach Pugh passing the baton to Coach Berry, and Coach Berry continuing the sustained excellence South Carolina State is synonymous with, it has been impressive. He came in, hit the ground running, and Bulldog fans are spoiled. We are championship or bust. He understood the assignment, and so far, he’s doing a fantastic job.
Ernest Ricks: That transition from Buddy Pugh to Chennis Berry needs to be studied. What was it like from your perspective?
Bradford Gillens: The last year under Coach Pugh did not end the way he would have liked. He did not finish with a championship, even though he had one in 2021. It was bittersweet because Bulldog fans were saying goodbye to a legend and stepping into the unknown.
Even though Coach Berry was a known commodity because of what he accomplished at Benedict College, moving from Division II to an FCS program can be daunting. But he came in, embraced the culture, reinvigorated the fan base with his vision, and he did not try to reinvent everything. If it is not broken, do not fix it.
He also had the luxury of having Coach Pugh right down the hall, and in my opinion, the dean of HBCU coaching, Willie Jeffries, available to lean on. That support system made the transition smoother.
Ernest Ricks: He came in with success from Division II, but he’s also humble and constantly gives credit to Coach Pugh. What does that mean to fans and media?
Bradford Gillens: It’s refreshing because he understands the legacy. At South Carolina State, success is not optional, it is expected. He knew he was stepping into a place where excellence has been sustained over decades.
I tell people all the time, South Carolina State is one of the HBCU blue bloods. We may not have the biggest town or the loudest bragging, but we carry ourselves with that “speak softly and carry a big stick” mentality. Coach Berry is fiery, so I do not know about speaking softly, but the proof is in the pudding. We are overjoyed to have him leading the program into 2026 and beyond.
Ernest Ricks: Give me markers of his coaching style. What stands out about how he leads?
Bradford Gillens: First, he’s an offensive line guy. He will tell you that any chance he gets. He understands skilled players might sell tickets, but games are won in the trenches, on offense and defense. He came in wanting a strong foundation up front.
Second, he’s easy to play for. He makes you want to run through a brick wall for him. He invests in kids as student athletes, but also as people. The team is out in the community, doing giveaways, serving staff meals, showing appreciation to the people behind the scenes. He truly values everyone connected to the program.
And if you ask him what his greatest accomplishment is, he’ll point to academics. He talked about the team GPA being around 3.2, with many students at 3.0 or higher, and several at 4.0. It is not only football, it is development.
Ernest Ricks: Coming off that Celebration Bowl loss the year before, what changed heading into this season?
Bradford Gillens: There were a lot of question marks. South Carolina State lost its top three receivers to the transfer portal, Inosh Carter, Caden High, and Justin Smith Brown, who had been first, second, and third in the MEAC in receiving.
When expectations are high, you do not have time to rebuild, you have to reload. That meant being intentional in the transfer portal and bringing in freshmen who could make an immediate impact. They were going to be well coached, but with so many newcomers, including around a dozen high school players, it was going to take time to gel before that stretch run toward conference play and the Celebration Bowl path.
Ernest Ricks: How do coaches get transfers to buy in that fast?
Bradford Gillens: It helps when you can bring kids in and show them the championships displayed at the stadium, including the 2021 Celebration Bowl title. They know they are joining a program built on winning. If they buy in, there’s a real chance they’re playing for a championship in December.
And then there’s Coach Berry’s approach to building men. Parents see that. They feel comfortable sending their kids somewhere new because Orangeburg is close knit, family oriented, and the program sells that culture. That is part of the secret sauce.
Ernest Ricks: Let’s talk quarterbacks. Why was Willie Atkins the starter for much of the season over Ryan Stubblefield?
Bradford Gillens: Early in the season, there were close games and some hiccups. It was not that Coach Berry was down on Ryan, he just felt the team needed a different voice in the huddle.
For part of the season, they rotated. Ryan would play for a stretch, then Atkins would play. That was essentially an auditioning phase. Willie Atkins was a transfer from James Madison, so he was still learning nuances of the offense. Ryan had been in the program longer and had played in the Celebration Bowl against Jackson State previously, so he came in as the incumbent.
As the season moved forward, it became clear that Atkins gave them the best chance at that time. Once Coach Berry committed to him, the Bulldogs went on a run.
But Ryan stayed ready. He said they stayed encouraged and supported each other. He knew he was one play away, and in the biggest game of the season, Atkins got hurt. Ryan stepped in, played marvelously, won Celebration Bowl MVP honors, and helped bring the trophy back to Orangeburg.
Ernest Ricks: How does a player lose his job and still keep chemistry like that?
Bradford Gillens: Ryan had been through it before. The year prior, Eric Phoenix was the starter, and Ryan had to come in at times and spark the offense. So it wasn’t foreign.
The staff kept reinforcing that it was not personal, it was about what gave them the best chance right then, and that he was still one play away. Mentally, that takes fortitude. Many people say the right things publicly, but Ryan was supportive the whole way.
Ernest Ricks: This year we saw new threats, especially Delaware State, plus the steady presence of North Carolina Central. How real was that danger?
Bradford Gillens: Delaware State was real. Coach Deshaun Jackson did a marvelous job turning that program around, and in my opinion he had a strong case for MEAC Coach of the Year. He recruited his roots, brought talent from California to the East Coast, hired smart coaches, and their rushing success was a big part of it. He also helped create buzz with a major event atmosphere, including a huge crowd for their game at Lincoln Financial Field.
North Carolina Central, under Trey Oliver, is stable and consistently a contender. At the start of the season, most people expected South Carolina State and North Carolina Central to be the game for the title. Delaware State changed that by stacking wins and staying under the radar.
Ernest Ricks: You said Coach Jackson had a Coach of the Year case. Why?
Bradford Gillens: The previous two seasons, Delaware State won a combined total of two games. Turning that into an eight win season, after being picked last in the MEAC and finishing second, that’s an institutional change. That is why I felt he deserved it, or it could have been co coaches of the year.
Coach Berry was undefeated in conference and overcame roster turnover, so I understand why he won. It’s like Phil Jackson in the NBA, sometimes voters reward the biggest leap, not the expected winner.
Ernest Ricks: When Prairie View upset Jackson State and took the SWAC spot, what was the first reaction from South Carolina State fans?
Bradford Gillens: Honestly, probably letdown, because many fans wanted revenge against Jackson State for the way the prior year ended. People expected a rubber match in Atlanta, there was buzz everywhere, hotels were moving, and it felt like it was set up.
But Prairie View crashed the party, and kudos to them for doing it. Once South Carolina State knew it was Prairie View, attention shifted. The team had been watching tape on both possible opponents anyway.
From the fan perspective, it was also unfamiliar because South Carolina State and Prairie View had never played each other before. That adds uncertainty. But South Carolina State felt its experience in the Celebration Bowl environment mattered. For Prairie View, it was a business trip, but also a first time moment, and that bowl week can overwhelm you if you are not used to it.
Ernest Ricks: At halftime, Prairie View had South Carolina State in trouble. What was the mood?
Bradford Gillens: Bulldog fans were hopeful because they had seen adversity earlier in the year. They knew the team could respond.
What confused many fans was the quarterback situation, because they did not realize Willie Atkins was injured. They saw Ryan come in and assumed it was a benching. But once the comeback started, the confidence returned quickly.
Gillens also pointed to an eerie parallel. In 2021, South Carolina State forced a pivotal fumble against Jackson State near the goal line. In this game, Prairie View had a fumble in a similar area, and after the Bulldogs scored early in the third quarter, everything changed. Down two scores, with a half left, fans believed it was possible. Then it was tied, and once it was tied, confidence flipped to expectation.
Ernest Ricks: Who made the championship moments happen in that comeback?
Bradford Gillens: Ryan Stubblefield had two key veteran targets. Nigel Johnson was one, and Jordan Smith was huge. Smith became the reliable guy. If you needed five, he got six. If you needed twelve, he got fifteen.
Ryan calls him “J Two,” and their connection was obvious. When a big play was needed, it felt like it would come through Smith.
Ernest Ricks: What does winning that championship mean for Coach Berry’s legacy?
Bradford Gillens: It’s massive. It puts him among the most successful coaches early in his South Carolina State tenure.
He was emotional because it was more than winning. It was getting the monkey off his back. At Benedict, he won SIAC titles but did not get a playoff win. Then he comes to South Carolina State, wins the MEAC, reaches the Celebration Bowl, but loses it. When you are down 21 to 0, the murmurs start, can he get over the hump?
Winning in the postseason matters if you want to be respected, not just in HBCU football, but in college football. And to do it in four overtimes, with that kind of pressure, it solidified him as one of the top coaches in FCS.
Ernest Ricks: Was it a touchdown on that decisive moment?
Bradford Gillens: The ruling on the field was a successful two point conversion, and there was not conclusive video evidence to overturn it. Also, Prairie View still had a possession afterward. If the call ended the game immediately, maybe it gets scrutinized harder, but because Prairie View could answer, the call stood.
Gillens said he understood why Prairie View fans were upset, but the trophy is in Orangeburg.
Ernest Ricks: What’s next? Is dynasty talk real?
Bradford Gillens: The field is getting tougher. It’s an arms race. Programs are investing in facilities, coaches, assistant pools, and infrastructure in ways that are different from 20 years ago. When you win, you become the hunted.
Gillens expects Coach Berry and staff to keep doing what they’ve done, identify the right kids, reload, and sustain excellence the way South Carolina State has enjoyed since the early 1970s.
Ernest Ricks: Does NIL and the transfer era threaten what HBCUs are trying to do?
Bradford Gillens: It impacts everyone. You will lose some kids to programs with more resources. But for every kid you lose, you can bring in someone else who deserves a chance.
It becomes about understanding where you are, recruiting smart, pulling from FCS, Division II, and other places, and still making good scholarship decisions with high school recruiting so players can contribute quickly.
Closing
South Carolina State’s road back to the Celebration Bowl was not just about repeating history, it was about proving that the standard in Orangeburg can survive change, portal turnover, new conference threats, and even the pressure of being down big on the biggest stage. As Gillens made clear, the Bulldogs did not simply win a trophy, they confirmed what the program believes about itself: when it is time to respond, they respond.
