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To a man, South Carolina State players went to the locker of quarterback Cleveland McCoy to console him.

A week earlier, the senior quarterback was riding high after carrying the Bulldogs to a first-ever victory at Hampton University. It was a performance head football coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough praised as one of the best of his career.

Fast forward to late Saturday afternoon at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium and McCoy found himself in a different emotional state.

"This is the worst day of my life," McCoy told a cameraperson following the 17-16 loss to 12th-ranked Delaware State.

Nearly 10 minutes earlier, McCoy made another big play which appeared put the Bulldogs in position of avenging last year’s 10-9 loss to the Hornets. On fourth down, McCoy showed the presence of mind by completing a 20-yard pass to Phillip Morris to keep the clock moving with less than four minutes remaining.

The jubilation from the play was quickly replaced by despair. While running on first and 20 following a holding penalty, McCoy had the football stripped away from him by free safety Ryan Robinson. In the ensuing scramble to make the recovery, defensive tackle Ron Spinner made the recovery at the SCSU 44.

Seven plays later, Gaertner booted a 38-yard field just inside the left goalpost with 2.6 seconds left to hand the Bulldogs a 17-16 Homecoming loss. Needless to say, a near teary-eyed McCoy was beyond consoling and left pondering about the latest lost opportunity to lead SCSU into the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

"That’s the wrong time to turn the football over," he said. "I’m supposed to make plays and not fumble the football. It’s rough."

McCoy’s football career has been a testament in resiliency in the face of setbacks. As a senior at Baptist Hill, he led the Bobcats to an undefeated regular season in 2002 only to get upset 14-13 by Estill in the opening round of the Class A playoffs.

Despite a 21-11 record over his four seasons in a starting role, McCoy has become more defined by the losses rather than the victories and the 110 percent effort he’s given on every play during his Bulldog career. Although numerous other factors went into those crushing losses to Coastal Carolina and Hampton in 2005, Delaware State last year and Norfolk State and the Hornets again this year, it still makes it hard for McCoy to accept his team coming up short for the outright championship again.

"We had the weapons this year," he said. "It’s always one play. Last year, we lost it by one point (to Delaware State). This year, we lost it by one point. Maybe the answer is one point. It’s just rough. It’s rough."

The fact that this was McCoy’s last chance to lead SCSU into the postseason for the first time in a quarter of a century made the loss even harder to swallow.

"It’s a hurtful feeling and that’s the sad thing," he said. "This is my last year. I can’t say we’ll get it again next year. We’ll always remember this. In high school, we lost by one point and it seems like it’s just something I can’t shake. I don’t know."

He especially felt bad for his head coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough, who has remained totally committed to him the past three seasons.

"Coach Pough put everything into me and you know ..." said McCoy before going silent.

The challenge now for McCoy and the seniors is to finish another November undefeated and create optimism for another season.

"The next game, I’m going to play," he said. "I’m going to finish the season out. We’ll go 7-4 and I’ll wish those guys the best next year."

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