One purpose, one goal: Faith, fortitude help SC State quarterback lead Bulldogs to thrilling Celebration Bowl win
Video: Amauri Allen sits down with South Carolina State quarterback Ryan Stubblefield, the Offensive MVP of the Celebration Bowl.
Thrown into the spotlight late, Ryan Stubblefield delivered when State needed him most.
The backup quarterback entered the game against Prairie View A&M University late in the second quarter for injured starter William Atkins IV and threw for 234 yards and three total touchdowns.
Stubblefield sealed SC State’s win after connecting with Tyler Smith on a two-point pass in the fourth overtime, with the Bulldogs defeating Prairie View A&M 40-38 in the 10th annual Celebration Bowl.
The matchup between the champions of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, SC State, and the Southwestern Athletic Conference, Prairie View A&M, was played Dec. 13 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
A two-time MEAC champion, Stubblefield earned his first Celebration Bowl win and was named the game’s Offensive Most Valuable Player.
He said the victory still seems unreal and credited God for the moment.
“We all had one purpose and one goal in mind, and that was to bring this trophy back,” he said, referencing SC State’s loss to Jackson State University in last year’s contest.
“It’s hard enough to even make it to the national championship, and then go down there and lose it — that holds a heavy burden on your heart,” he said. “So we had in our mind that we were going to go up there and come out with a different outcome.”
The Houston native said trusting God’s timing was one of the biggest lessons he learned this season.
“That’s exactly how I feel about the season. You can’t rush God’s timing,” Stubblefield said. “Anytime you think that something’s not going your way, or if somebody is against you, you’ve just got to have faith and wait your turn, because the story is already written for you.”
He said he and his teammates did not treat the Celebration Bowl any differently than other games.
“Coach and our team just bought into the fact that we were going up there this year to come back with this trophy,” Stubblefield said.
“It was just about the mission,” he said. “He told us at the beginning of the year that we were going to go there and come out 1-0. So, we prepared mentally, physically and spiritually, and we went out there and capitalized on our moment.”
Momentum builds as belief spreads from sideline to stands
Stubblefield said the team had ample time to prepare in a supportive environment.
“Like Coach (Berry) says, he’s demanding of us, but never demeaning,” he said. “Whether it’s being in the training room three or four times a day to make sure your body is right so you can be the best you can be — that’s exactly what we did.”
He recalled his emotions in the second quarter when he was called upon to replace Atkins.
“As soon as I went into the game, I was like, ‘Well, hey, it’s that time. You’ve got to go do it. It’s time to go put the team back in a winning spot,’” Stubblefield said.
At halftime, he said he grabbed Gatorade, ate pickles, stretched and checked his phone — where a text from his mother waited.
“My momma texted me, ‘Love you. I got my popcorn ready,’” he said. “Once I saw that, it was all fun, and it was time to go play football.”
“Ever since I’ve been playing little league, she would always bring popcorn to the games and say, ‘I’m here for a show,’” he said. “So, once she told me she had that, the only thing on my mind was to give my mama a show.”
And put on a show he did — after praying first.
“I prayed literally for my opportunity to come, just to let me do what I do,” Stubblefield said. “It came, and we started rolling, and then that energy started — the momentum.”
“I saw the fans start yelling and getting out of their seats. The band started playing ‘Pass the Peas.’ It was just full-blown energy, and we had to keep it rolling,” he said.
“We scored 40 points in the half. We scored 21 points in five minutes in the third quarter,” Stubblefield said, adding that he realized the victory could no longer be denied.
He credited the team’s preparation throughout the season, noting head coach Chennis Berry’s emphasis on readiness.
“We do overtime in practice. We do sudden change. We do two-point plays,” Stubblefield said. “There is no such thing as overpreparation.”
Playing for legacy, the Bulldogs leave their mark
“He’s not just building football players — he’s building men,” he said of Berry. “Everybody is treated the same and held to the same standards.”
That mindset, he said, was evident throughout the Celebration Bowl, whether it was Jordan Smith carrying injured wide receiver Johnny Jones off the field or an SC State player comforting a Prairie View A&M player on the sideline.
A member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., Stubblefield said his time at SC State has been defined by relationships.
“From the staff to the support staff to the janitors, it’s nothing but love,” he said.
Stubblefield said the team often talked about how they wanted to be remembered.
“Forty years later, we’re going to come back at homecoming, and they’re going to announce the 2025 Celebration Bowl,” he said. “How do you want to be remembered? That’s exactly what we thought about.”