South Carolina State's offense projected to pull away at Charleston Southern

Versus projects South Carolina State to win 31-19 in this non-conference matchup, a 12-point margin that lines up with how lopsided the two profiles look on paper. The Bulldogs carry an A+ power grade and rank 9th in FCS, while Charleston Southern checks in at 51st with a B power grade, a gap of 76 spots in the overall FCS order.

South Carolina State's 5-1 start is its best through six games since 2009, and the Bulldogs climbed as high as No. 11 in the Versus FCS rankings this season, their highest mark on record. An A offense and an A defense back that up, though the schedule behind it has been soft, with a strength of schedule rank of 117th in FCS.

Charleston Southern enters at 2-3 with a power rating that has slipped in each of the last three weeks, and the team is coming off its first home loss of the season after opening 1-0 at home. Its defense still grades out well at B+, and the Buccaneers already own a win over The Citadel this year, a team South Carolina State lost to by three points. That split result is the clearest sign this non-conference projection leaves room for an upset, even with the Bulldogs heavily favored.