Saturday, October 3
Orangeburg, S.C. / Oliver C. Dawson Stadium
2:00 PM
The Citadel
at
South Carolina State
The Citadel Hits the Road Saturday for Rivalry Battle at No. 15/12 SC State
10/2/2026 11:17:00 AM | Football
ORANGEBURG, S.C. -- The Citadel treks north for a regional rivalry clash against No. 15/12 South Carolina State on Saturday, Oct. 3, squaring off with the Bulldogs for a 2 p.m. kickoff at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium. For full coverage, tune in live via the MEAC Network or follow along via social media -- @CitadelFootball.
GAMEDAY CENTRAL
THE CITADEL (1-3, 0-2 SoCon) at No. 15/12 South Carolina State (5-0, 0-0 MEAC)
Saturday, Oct. 3 | 2 p.m.
Oliver C. Dawson Stadium | Orangeburg, S.C.
Game Notes: The Citadel | South Carolina State | Southern Conference
Follow Live: Live Stats | Watch | Listen | Tickets
WEEKLY SOCIAL SYNC
SERIES INFO
Series Results: 4-2, The Citadel
Last Time: L, 20-23 (9/7/2024)
Last at Dawson Stadium: L, 10-31 (9/2/2023)
Streak: L2
KEY GAME NOTES
HOMEGROWN TALENT
Highlighted by multiple offseason additions on the recruiting trail, the Bulldogs continue to showcase the strong football tradition of the greater Charleston area on the roster, including:
- LB Chase Anderson, LS Tommy DiLiegro, DL Andrew Jackson, OL Frank Schmidt, TE Whit Hobgood, LB Robert Mallard III & TE Jude Claborn, Charleston, S.C.
- RB Dorvensky Reichley, Moncks Corner, S.C.
- DB Jammall Fludd, North Charleston, S.C.
- DB Ryland Mitchell, OL Andrew Tumbleston & LB Tim Miller Jr., Summerville, S.C.
- P Jack Weil & LB Jameson Bell, Mount Pleasant, S.C.
POUND THE ROCK
Fueled by six 200-yard-plus rushing performances over the course of the past eight games, including 2025 vs. VMI (329), vs. Wofford (201) and at ETSU (218) plus 2026 at Wofford (227), at Charlotte (268) and vs. Charleston Southern (235), the Bulldogs' ground game has evolved into one of the offense's most reliable weapons under third-year OC Lamar Owens. From the national perspective, The Citadel slots in as one of the top rushing attacks in the FCS, currently ranking sixth nationwide and first in the SoCon behind a 225.5 yards per game mark. Individually, Gavin Garcia paces the pack behind a 87.3 yards per game average, good for 19th nationally and third league-wide, with four touchdowns off 74 total carries. Quentin Hayes slots in second on the squad with 192 yards on 59 attempts for the year while Sebastien Boyle owns 94 yards with three scores via 14 attempts, including a team-long 56-yard TD burst.
THE SHARK HUNTER (YES, LITERALLY)
The offseason addition of RB Gavin Garcia has created additional avenues of opportunity for The Citadel offense, as the Kent State transfer brings a wealth of experience from four years of #MACtion. A multi-year contributor in the backfield for the Golden Flashes, Garcia logged 146 rushes for 647 yards and three touchdowns in 2025, good for 4.4 yards per carry. All-in-all, when the Pennsylvania product entered the portal, The Citadel proved an attractive option for more than just football -- Charleston, and even more specifically, Charleston beaches. A longtime gamesman and fisherman, Garcia has recently turned his focus to shark hunting, working the reel directly off the shore or from a chartered vessel. Unsurprisingly, he has transformed the pursuit into a burgeoning social media presence via his @gghooksnhorns handle, and currently runs his own shark fishing charters in the spare time between graduate school and football commitments.
MILITARY DISCIPLINE
In spite of the mascot, The Citadel managed to avoid the doghouse often during the 2025 season, ranking ninth FCS-wide with 4.42 penalties per game while sitting 19th nationally with just 42.42 penalty yards per game. Three games deep into the 2026 campaign, the Bulldogs continue their displined approach, ranking second nationally and first in the SoCon with just 3.00 penalties per game as well as first in the FCS and first league-wide (naturally) with 27.00 penalty yards per game.
WORLD WAR Z
A lead-by-example centerpiece for The Citadel defense, Dartmouth transfer Zyion Brown has made his presence felt throughout the 2026 campaign, registering a team-best 36.0 total tackles thus far, good for 33rd in the FCS and third in SoCon, with 21.0 logged as solo takedowns, slotted as 13th nationally and first league-wide. The Ohio native also serves as the team's second-best backfield disrupters behind 3.5 tackles-for-loss.
POSSESSION IS NINE-TENTHS OF THE LAW
After dominating the time-of-possession in three of the opening four contests, The Citadel offense has managed to average a daunting 33:28 minutes of possession on the year, good for 14th nationally and second within the Southern Conference behind newcomer Tennessee Tech (35:28). Coincidentally, the Bulldogs dropped every contest in which they owned the time-of-possession edge, topping Wofford via a 35:05-to-24:55 margin
(L, 14-42), CSU on a 34:10-to-25:10 mark (L, 20-26 2OT) and Chattanooga behind a 32:46-to-27:14 differential (L, 8-27).
CONVERSION KINGS
Across four games thus far, The Citadel offense has demonstrated a consistent ability to find the first-down marker, ranking 25th nationally for third-down conversion percentage (.433; 26-of-60) as well as 36th in the FCS for fourth-down conversion percentage (.625; 5-of-8), both good for fourth within the Southern Conference. As for how the Bulldogs manage their first down conversions, the ground game continues to act as the primary workhorse, accounting for 47-of-72 new sets of downs.
DAVID VERSUS GOLIATH | THE REPRISE
Since the 1978 decision to reclassify DI football into I-A (FBS) and I-AA (FCS), The Citadel leads the SoCon in victories over FBS opponents behind 10 wins, notably knocking off Georgia Tech (2019), South Carolina (2015 & 1990) and Arkansas (1992). The Bulldogs' latest FBS triumph over Charlotte also extended a unique historical quirk against the 49ers, as The Citadel owns a perfect 2-0 all-time mark against UNCC with both victories coming beyond regulation -- a 63-56 double-overtime victory in 2014 and this year's 43-41 triple-overtime barn burner.
#DISRUPTORS
In spite of the rivalry loss to Charleston Southern, the Bulldogs' defense logged a season-best 6.0 sacks during the contest, setting the Buccaneers back a combined 60 yards total. Notably, the 6.0-sack performance serves as the most for the program since 2022 against Virginia-Lynchburg (6.0) as well as the top mark against a Division I opponent since a 2019 victory over Western Carolina (6.0). Additionally, The Citadel compiled 13.0 tackles-for-loss against Charleston Southern as well, a first since Virginia-Lynchburg in 2022 (15.0) and the best showing against a Division I adversary since, coincidentally, a 2018 win over Charleston Southern (13.0). As a unit, the defensive front has proven difficult for opposing offenses to properly deal with in terms of penetration, racking up 2.25 sacks per game en route to the No. 32 position on the FCS leaderboard as well as fifth conference-wide. Individually, Maurice Bonneau Jr. (4.0 TFLs; 2.0 sack), Zyion Brown (3.5 TFLs; 2.0 sacks) and D'Angelo Sheppard (2.0 TFLs; 2.0 sacks) have served as the defensive triple threat for The Citadel on the season, combing for 9.5 TFLs thus far.
SECONDARY SWAGGER
Defensively, the Bulldogs have proven a difficult unit for opposing offenses to crack thus far into the season, notably ranking 19th nationally in passing yards allowed, good for second in the Southern Conference, via a 165.3 yards per game average. Further, four of the team's five takeaways were generated off interceptions, including a pair each in the opening two games courtesy of J'hari Mosley, Temarcus Elam, Zyion Brown & Zeb Stroup.
DEGREES OF DISTINCTION
Amongst the multitude of offseason additions for The Citadel, head coach Maurice Drayton managed to sign a number of college graduates to the program, adding considerable depth and experience for the Bulldogs. Within the group, though, four standouts hail from prestigious academic institutions ranked inside the Top 40 colleges & universities via U.S. News & World Report, including LB Zyion Brown (Dartmouth, t-No. 13), WR Derek Kee (Vanderbilt, t-No. 17), QB Nick Billoups (UCLA, t-No. 17) and WR Ismael Zamor (Boston College, t-No. 36).
(NORTH) AMERICAN MADE
The Citadel 2026 roster hails from across the United States and even into Canada, spanning 19 states coast-to-coast and one Canadian province:
- South Carolina: 49
- Georgia: 16
- Florida: 8
- North Carolina: 7
- Alabama: 4
-California: 3
- Ohio: 3
- Tennessee: 3
- Texas: 2
- Connecticut: 1
- Illinois: 1
- Kentucky: 1
- Louisiana: 1
- Maryland: 1
- Massachusetts: 1
- Mississippi: 1
- Nebraska: 1
- New Jersey: 1
- Pennsylvania: 1
- Quebec: 1
GAMEDAY CENTRAL
THE CITADEL (1-3, 0-2 SoCon) at No. 15/12 South Carolina State (5-0, 0-0 MEAC)
Saturday, Oct. 3 | 2 p.m.
Oliver C. Dawson Stadium | Orangeburg, S.C.
Game Notes: The Citadel | South Carolina State | Southern Conference
Follow Live: Live Stats | Watch | Listen | Tickets
WEEKLY SOCIAL SYNC
🎥 ICYMI: Started off today's game with some high-flying vibes courtesy of the U.S. Army Golden Knights! 🪂🇺🇸
— The Citadel Football (@CitadelFootball) September 27, 2026
Thank you for a very special delivery of today's game ball! 🫡#FireThoseCannons pic.twitter.com/sjMmNxhcuc
The Citadel HC @KoachDrayton caught up with the local CHS media ahead of the Bulldogs' road matchup at No. 15/12 South Carolina State...check out the complete recording right here 🎙️
— The Citadel Football (@CitadelFootball) September 28, 2026
Full presser ⤵️
🎥: https://t.co/fy82Afv87E#FireThoseCannons pic.twitter.com/JYS85CLcFq
𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞 📈💼#FireThoseCannons pic.twitter.com/CZaHdWo43n
— The Citadel Football (@CitadelFootball) September 28, 2026
COMING UP: Our regular slate of Monday activities continues with Beyond the Barracks, featuring @KoachDrayton, DC Raleigh Jackson & more!
— The Citadel Football (@CitadelFootball) September 28, 2026
Beyond the Barracks ⤵️
📌: @BWWings of Mount Pleasant, S.C.
⏰: 6-7 pm
🎙️: 102.1 FM / https://t.co/z21BNXJMes#FireThoseCannons pic.twitter.com/IUQaNtGEmD
🎥 We caught up with linebacker Jalen Wright following another strong defensive performance on Saturday! 🗣️⬇️#FireThoseCannons pic.twitter.com/C3cg3UjtB3
— The Citadel Football (@CitadelFootball) September 29, 2026
𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐩 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐎𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐠! 👔🚌🥶#FireThoseCannons pic.twitter.com/8ot2k9rS11
— The Citadel Football (@CitadelFootball) September 30, 2026
ICYMI: We checked in with military captain & 2026 @SoConSports baseball champion Rhyder Poppell for an inside look at his dual-sport exploits, the spring title run and more 🏈⚾️🫡
— The Citadel Football (@CitadelFootball) September 30, 2026
Full interview ⤵️
🎥: https://t.co/AvWoY7W72L#FireThoseCannons pic.twitter.com/itsK107Ny3
𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞, 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐚𝐯𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐠 🔵⚪️🍊#FireThoseCannons pic.twitter.com/bcTrIQIua2
— The Citadel Football (@CitadelFootball) September 30, 2026
SERIES INFO
Series Results: 4-2, The Citadel
Last Time: L, 20-23 (9/7/2024)
Last at Dawson Stadium: L, 10-31 (9/2/2023)
Streak: L2
KEY GAME NOTES
HOMEGROWN TALENT
Highlighted by multiple offseason additions on the recruiting trail, the Bulldogs continue to showcase the strong football tradition of the greater Charleston area on the roster, including:
- LB Chase Anderson, LS Tommy DiLiegro, DL Andrew Jackson, OL Frank Schmidt, TE Whit Hobgood, LB Robert Mallard III & TE Jude Claborn, Charleston, S.C.
- RB Dorvensky Reichley, Moncks Corner, S.C.
- DB Jammall Fludd, North Charleston, S.C.
- DB Ryland Mitchell, OL Andrew Tumbleston & LB Tim Miller Jr., Summerville, S.C.
- P Jack Weil & LB Jameson Bell, Mount Pleasant, S.C.
POUND THE ROCK
Fueled by six 200-yard-plus rushing performances over the course of the past eight games, including 2025 vs. VMI (329), vs. Wofford (201) and at ETSU (218) plus 2026 at Wofford (227), at Charlotte (268) and vs. Charleston Southern (235), the Bulldogs' ground game has evolved into one of the offense's most reliable weapons under third-year OC Lamar Owens. From the national perspective, The Citadel slots in as one of the top rushing attacks in the FCS, currently ranking sixth nationwide and first in the SoCon behind a 225.5 yards per game mark. Individually, Gavin Garcia paces the pack behind a 87.3 yards per game average, good for 19th nationally and third league-wide, with four touchdowns off 74 total carries. Quentin Hayes slots in second on the squad with 192 yards on 59 attempts for the year while Sebastien Boyle owns 94 yards with three scores via 14 attempts, including a team-long 56-yard TD burst.
THE SHARK HUNTER (YES, LITERALLY)
The offseason addition of RB Gavin Garcia has created additional avenues of opportunity for The Citadel offense, as the Kent State transfer brings a wealth of experience from four years of #MACtion. A multi-year contributor in the backfield for the Golden Flashes, Garcia logged 146 rushes for 647 yards and three touchdowns in 2025, good for 4.4 yards per carry. All-in-all, when the Pennsylvania product entered the portal, The Citadel proved an attractive option for more than just football -- Charleston, and even more specifically, Charleston beaches. A longtime gamesman and fisherman, Garcia has recently turned his focus to shark hunting, working the reel directly off the shore or from a chartered vessel. Unsurprisingly, he has transformed the pursuit into a burgeoning social media presence via his @gghooksnhorns handle, and currently runs his own shark fishing charters in the spare time between graduate school and football commitments.
MILITARY DISCIPLINE
In spite of the mascot, The Citadel managed to avoid the doghouse often during the 2025 season, ranking ninth FCS-wide with 4.42 penalties per game while sitting 19th nationally with just 42.42 penalty yards per game. Three games deep into the 2026 campaign, the Bulldogs continue their displined approach, ranking second nationally and first in the SoCon with just 3.00 penalties per game as well as first in the FCS and first league-wide (naturally) with 27.00 penalty yards per game.
WORLD WAR Z
A lead-by-example centerpiece for The Citadel defense, Dartmouth transfer Zyion Brown has made his presence felt throughout the 2026 campaign, registering a team-best 36.0 total tackles thus far, good for 33rd in the FCS and third in SoCon, with 21.0 logged as solo takedowns, slotted as 13th nationally and first league-wide. The Ohio native also serves as the team's second-best backfield disrupters behind 3.5 tackles-for-loss.
POSSESSION IS NINE-TENTHS OF THE LAW
After dominating the time-of-possession in three of the opening four contests, The Citadel offense has managed to average a daunting 33:28 minutes of possession on the year, good for 14th nationally and second within the Southern Conference behind newcomer Tennessee Tech (35:28). Coincidentally, the Bulldogs dropped every contest in which they owned the time-of-possession edge, topping Wofford via a 35:05-to-24:55 margin
(L, 14-42), CSU on a 34:10-to-25:10 mark (L, 20-26 2OT) and Chattanooga behind a 32:46-to-27:14 differential (L, 8-27).
CONVERSION KINGS
Across four games thus far, The Citadel offense has demonstrated a consistent ability to find the first-down marker, ranking 25th nationally for third-down conversion percentage (.433; 26-of-60) as well as 36th in the FCS for fourth-down conversion percentage (.625; 5-of-8), both good for fourth within the Southern Conference. As for how the Bulldogs manage their first down conversions, the ground game continues to act as the primary workhorse, accounting for 47-of-72 new sets of downs.
DAVID VERSUS GOLIATH | THE REPRISE
Since the 1978 decision to reclassify DI football into I-A (FBS) and I-AA (FCS), The Citadel leads the SoCon in victories over FBS opponents behind 10 wins, notably knocking off Georgia Tech (2019), South Carolina (2015 & 1990) and Arkansas (1992). The Bulldogs' latest FBS triumph over Charlotte also extended a unique historical quirk against the 49ers, as The Citadel owns a perfect 2-0 all-time mark against UNCC with both victories coming beyond regulation -- a 63-56 double-overtime victory in 2014 and this year's 43-41 triple-overtime barn burner.
#DISRUPTORS
In spite of the rivalry loss to Charleston Southern, the Bulldogs' defense logged a season-best 6.0 sacks during the contest, setting the Buccaneers back a combined 60 yards total. Notably, the 6.0-sack performance serves as the most for the program since 2022 against Virginia-Lynchburg (6.0) as well as the top mark against a Division I opponent since a 2019 victory over Western Carolina (6.0). Additionally, The Citadel compiled 13.0 tackles-for-loss against Charleston Southern as well, a first since Virginia-Lynchburg in 2022 (15.0) and the best showing against a Division I adversary since, coincidentally, a 2018 win over Charleston Southern (13.0). As a unit, the defensive front has proven difficult for opposing offenses to properly deal with in terms of penetration, racking up 2.25 sacks per game en route to the No. 32 position on the FCS leaderboard as well as fifth conference-wide. Individually, Maurice Bonneau Jr. (4.0 TFLs; 2.0 sack), Zyion Brown (3.5 TFLs; 2.0 sacks) and D'Angelo Sheppard (2.0 TFLs; 2.0 sacks) have served as the defensive triple threat for The Citadel on the season, combing for 9.5 TFLs thus far.
SECONDARY SWAGGER
Defensively, the Bulldogs have proven a difficult unit for opposing offenses to crack thus far into the season, notably ranking 19th nationally in passing yards allowed, good for second in the Southern Conference, via a 165.3 yards per game average. Further, four of the team's five takeaways were generated off interceptions, including a pair each in the opening two games courtesy of J'hari Mosley, Temarcus Elam, Zyion Brown & Zeb Stroup.
DEGREES OF DISTINCTION
Amongst the multitude of offseason additions for The Citadel, head coach Maurice Drayton managed to sign a number of college graduates to the program, adding considerable depth and experience for the Bulldogs. Within the group, though, four standouts hail from prestigious academic institutions ranked inside the Top 40 colleges & universities via U.S. News & World Report, including LB Zyion Brown (Dartmouth, t-No. 13), WR Derek Kee (Vanderbilt, t-No. 17), QB Nick Billoups (UCLA, t-No. 17) and WR Ismael Zamor (Boston College, t-No. 36).
(NORTH) AMERICAN MADE
The Citadel 2026 roster hails from across the United States and even into Canada, spanning 19 states coast-to-coast and one Canadian province:
- South Carolina: 49
- Georgia: 16
- Florida: 8
- North Carolina: 7
- Alabama: 4
-California: 3
- Ohio: 3
- Tennessee: 3
- Texas: 2
- Connecticut: 1
- Illinois: 1
- Kentucky: 1
- Louisiana: 1
- Maryland: 1
- Massachusetts: 1
- Mississippi: 1
- Nebraska: 1
- New Jersey: 1
- Pennsylvania: 1
- Quebec: 1
-- #FireThoseCannons --
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