The Citadel beat No. 15 South Carolina State 34-31 on Saturday in Orangeburg when Evan Kiely kicked a 31-yard field goal as time expired at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.
Gavin Garcia rushed for 167 yards and two touchdowns for The Citadel, which improved to 2-3. Quentin Hayes threw for two scores, including a 55-yard touchdown to Damir Abdullah that helped build a 31-17 lead late in the third quarter.
South Carolina State, ranked No. 15 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25, fell to 5-1 after erasing a 14-point deficit. Keely Watson completed 20 of 31 passes for 245 yards and two touchdowns. Josh Shaw’s 6-yard run tied the game at 31 with 8:16 left before The Citadel’s final drive set up Kiely’s winner.
The Citadel next hosts East Tennessee State. South Carolina State visits Charleston Southern next Saturday.
