# Pylon Drama Decides Celebration Bowl as South Carolina State Outlasts Prairie View A&M in Four Overtimes

- Link: https://exclusiveaccess.net/pylon-drama-decides-celebration-bowl-as-south-carolina-state-outlasts-prairie-view-am-in-four-overtimes/
- Published: 2025-12-14T14:01:40-05:00
- Author: Zorae Tomlin

 

After a furious three-touchdown comeback and four overtime periods, the Celebration
Bowl still had one final twist left Saturday night.

South Carolina State sealed a dramatic 40–38 victory over Prairie View A&M when 
Tyler Smith hauled in a pass and, according to officials, barely extended the football
over the pylon on a decisive two-point conversion in the fourth overtime at Mercedes-
Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

The ruling stood after video review, giving the Bulldogs the lead in the final overtime.
In football, the pylons mark the goal line and sideline, meaning a ball breaking
the vertical plane of the pylon constitutes a score. Replays suggested Smith’s extension
may have been only millimeters, but officials ruled the ball crossed the plane.

Prairie View had one last chance to force a fifth overtime, but quarterback Cameron
Peters fumbled while being tackled at the 5-yard line, ending the Panthers’ hopes.

College football overtime rules differ from the NFL’s. In the first overtime, each
team receives a possession from the opponent’s 25-yard line. Beginning with the 
second overtime, teams must attempt a two-point conversion following a touchdown.
From the third overtime on, possessions start at the 3-yard line with only a single
two-point play attempted.

The dramatic finish capped a game filled with momentum swings. Prairie View surged
to a 21–0 first-half lead behind two touchdown passes and a scoring run from Peters.
South Carolina State responded with three touchdowns in the opening 10 minutes of
the third quarter to tie the game at 21.

Late in regulation, Bulldogs quarterback Ryan Stubblefield found Jordan Smith on
a 10-yard touchdown pass with 1:54 remaining to make it 35–35. The drive was kept
alive earlier by a clutch 23-yard completion to Smith on fourth-and-16.

The Celebration Bowl serves as the de facto HBCU national championship game, matching
the champions of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and the Southwestern Athletic
Conference on college football’s biggest HBCU stage.