Citadel Upsets No. 15 South Carolina State 34-31

Rachel Meyers · 2026-10-04T16:20:17.402Z

Garcia's three touchdowns and that 44-yard burst made the difference in a tough road win.

5 sourcesUpdated Oct 4, 2026

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Citadel Upsets No. 15 South Carolina State 34-31 — © IJR

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Evan Kiely kicked a 31-yard field goal as time expired, lifting The Citadel to a 34-31 victory over No. 15 South Carolina State. With the score tied, The Citadel faced third-and-1 from its own 11-yard line. Gavin Garcia broke a 44-yard run and Nick Billoups connected with Michael Lorino for 34 yards, setting up Kiely's walk-off kick three plays later. Garcia rushed for 167 yards and two touchdowns. Quentin Hayes completed 7 of 12 passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns, while Billoups completed 2 of 3 for 56 yards. Keely Watson threw for 245 yards and two touchdowns on 20-of-31 passing for South Carolina State, and Mason Pickett-Hicks rushed for 90 yards. The Citadel moved to 2-3. South Carolina State dropped to 5-1 after a fourth-quarter comeback that tied the game before the final drive. No contested claims found.

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In this story:South Carolina State UniversityThe Citadel

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South Carolina State University

The Citadel

2026 college football season results and rankingsstory 2 of 5 · since Oct 4, 2026

Oct 4, 2026Oct 4, 2026

Oct 4, 2026Ashton Daniels set the FSU single-game record with five rushing touchdowns in a 38-7 win.
Oct 4, 2026The Citadel upset No. 15 South Carolina State 34-31 on a last-second field goal.
Oct 4, 2026LSU rose to No. 10 after a 63-14 win; UCLA hit No. 22 and Oregon No. 13.

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How it spread

Broke The Post and Courier · Oct 3, 5:45 PM ETCenter within the hourLeft within the hourRight +17h5 sources +17h on

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How each side headlines it

Left· 1 source

“Evan Kiely kicks winning field goal on final play as The Citadel tops South Carolina State 34-31”

Las Vegas Sun · Oct 3, 2026

Center· 1 source

“The Citadel upsets 15th-ranked South Carolina State”

The Post and Courier · Oct 3, 2026

Right· 1 source

“Citadel emerges victorious 34-31 in battle of the bulldogs versus SC State”

WCIV - Charleston News · Oct 4, 2026

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Jared Kim⚡67h
South Carolina State had no answer for the late drive that snapped their long streak.
Rachel Meyers⚡137h
Garcia's three touchdowns and that 44-yard burst made the difference in a tough road win.

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