1986 South Carolina State Bulldogs football team

1986 South Carolina State Bulldogs football
Conference	Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Record	5–6 (3–2 MEAC)
Head coach	Dennis Thomas (1st season)
Home stadium	Oliver C. Dawson Stadium

1986 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 20 North Carolina A&T $^	4	–	1	–	0			9	–	3	–	0
Howard	3	–	2	–	0			8	–	3	–	0
Delaware State	3	–	2	–	0			7	–	4	–	0
South Carolina State	3	–	2	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
Bethune–Cookman	2	–	3	–	0			3	–	8	–	0
Morgan State	0	–	5	–	0			1	–	9	–	0
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll

The 1986 South Carolina State Bulldogs football team represented South Carolina State College (now known as South Carolina State University) as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) during the 1986 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by first-year head coach Dennis Thomas, the Bulldogs compiled an overall record of 5–6, with a mark of 3–2 in conference play, and finished tied for second in the MEAC.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 6	at No. 9 Furman*	Paladin Stadium Greenville, SC	L 7–34	15,085	[1]
September 13	Elizabeth City State*	Oliver C. Dawson Stadium Orangeburg, SC	W 31–6	7,124	[2]
September 20	at North Carolina A&T	Aggie Stadium Greensboro, NC (rivalry)	L 11–34	15,500	[3]
September 27	Howard	Oliver C. Dawson Stadium Orangeburg, SC	W 44–23	7,415	[4]
October 4	Alcorn State*	Oliver C. Dawson Stadium Orangeburg, SC	W 20–10	7,012	[5]
October 11	Morgan State	Oliver C. Dawson Stadium Orangeburg, SC	W 35–0	14,185	[6]
October 25	at Bethune–Cookman	Memorial Stadium Daytona Beach, FL	W 28–14	10,800	[7]
November 1	at No. 16 Delaware State	Alumni Stadium Dover, DE	L 21–34	6,000	[8]
November 8	at Florida A&M*	Bragg Memorial Stadium Tallahassee, FL	L 3–26	7,295	[9]
November 15	Grambling State*	Oliver C. Dawson Stadium Orangeburg, SC	L 16–20	7,413	[10]
November 22	at No. 5 Georgia Southern*	Paulson Stadium Statesboro, GA	L 7–28	12,585	[11]
*Non-conference game Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee Poll released prior to the game

References

1. "Gardner leads Furman past Bulldogs, 34–7". The Times and Democrat. September 7, 1986. Retrieved September 8, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
2. "State presents Thomas first victory". The Greenville News. September 14, 1986. Retrieved September 8, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Aggies hammer S.C. State 34–11". The State. September 21, 1986. Retrieved September 8, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "S.C. State cuts down Howard". The Herald. September 28, 1986. Retrieved September 8, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Bulldogs give Thomas special win over Alcorn". The Times and Democrat. October 5, 1986. Retrieved September 8, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Miller leads S.C. State past Morgan State". The Index-Journal. October 12, 1986. Retrieved September 8, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Bethune–Cookman falls to South Carolina State". Florida Today. October 26, 1986. Retrieved September 8, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Dogs lose hopes of MEAC title after loss to Delaware State". The Index-Journal. November 2, 1986. Retrieved September 8, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Florida A&M shellacks punchless Bulldogs 26–3". The State. November 9, 1986. Retrieved September 8, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Grambling's late surge topples Bulldogs 20–16". The State. November 16, 1986. Retrieved September 8, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Southern's defense beats S.C. State 28–7". The Macon Telegraph & News. November 23, 1986. Retrieved September 8, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.