South Carolina State coach Chennis Berry has done a remarkable job in his first season with the Bulldogs. Berry had the tough task of following legendary head coach Buddy Pough, who retired after 22 seasons at the helm. Pough won eight Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference titles and produced numerous players who went onto the NFL, more recently Javon Hargrave, Shaq Leonard and Cobe Durant.
Success this early for Berry shouldn’t be a surprise; he’s been outstanding everywhere he’s been. From his playing career at Savannah State, to coaching and developing some of the best offensive lines and linemen in HBCU football. He instantly made Benedict winners over his three seasons there, compiling a 27-7 record with two Division II playoff appearances.
Last Thursday night in a national spotlight game vs. ranked North Carolina Central, the Bulldogs not only showed up, but showed out and dominated. QB Eric Phoenix, who was Coach Berry’s QB at Benedict, threw for over 300 yards and finished as the leading rusher with 60 yards, including a breathtaking 19-yard scamper on third-and-20 and a fourth-and-short run play to ice the game and kill the comeback attempt by the Eagles.
Berry is looking to continue to build on the foundation built by Pough, and he is off to an impressive start. That has landed them firmly in our Week 11 FCS Top 25 Power Rankings
Get the full rundown of Week 11’s top games with Fanatics. On to the rankings …