Shannon Sharpe turned an episode of Nightcap into an HBCU football intervention after South Carolina State demolished his alma mater, Savannah State, 87-0.
Sharpe and Nightcap co-host Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson could hardly believe the final score. Johnson initially joked that the teams must have played basketball rather than football.
“I know that ain’t the Savannah State that you went to,” Johnson said. “They got the number two jersey retired. That’s them?”
Sharpe confirmed that it was, in fact, the school where he became a college football legend.
“That’s a basketball number,” Sharpe said. “I don’t even think they were playing football.”
The jokes wrote themselves after South Carolina State led 52-0 at halftime. The defending HBCU national champions eventually finished with 627 yards of offense. That included 423 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 46 attempts.
Savannah State produced only 117 total yards while committing three turnovers. The Tigers never reached the red zone.
“When I saw the box score, Joe, I thought it was a glitch,” Sharpe said. “I was like, ‘No, wait, it’s not basketball season.’ Then I tapped on my phone screen and said, ‘Oh, that’s real.’”
Co-host Joe Johnson tried to offer a little sympathy to his Nightcap co-host. But Sharpe would have none of it.
“They were 13 points from 100,” Johnson said. “How the hell am I supposed to be positive on that?”
Nightcap star ready to call Savannah State president
Shannon Sharpe played at Savannah State from 1986 through 1989. The future Pro Football Hall of Famer finished his career with 192 catches, 3,744 yards and 40 touchdowns. Savannah State retired his No. 2 jersey in 2009.
That connection meant Sharpe could not distance himself from the HBCU program’s embarrassing night.
“I’m going to have to put a call into the president, like, ‘What are we doing?’” Sharpe said.
When Johnson suggested calling the athletics director instead, Sharpe immediately rejected that approach.
“Oh hell no, I’m bypassing the AD,” he said. “I’m calling the president. Eighty-seven is bad. That’s embarrassing.”
Johnson reminded Sharpe that alumni must accept the painful moments along with the victories.
“You got to take that L with them, though,” Johnson said. “That’s your alma mater.”
The discussion eventually shifted toward South Carolina State’s next opponent. The Bulldogs will face Florida A&M in the Orange Blossom Classic on Sept. 6 in Miami Gardens.
Johnson, a vocal FAMU supporter, predicted a much different result against the reigning HBCU champions. Sharpe was not convinced.
“South Carolina State got a stick,” Sharpe said. “They’re going to beat FAMU by 14 at least. I’m saying probably by 21.”
For one night, however, the Nightcap stage belonged to Sharpe’s stunned reaction.
“Y’all make it seem like I was playing,” he said. “I wasn’t playing. Ain’t nothing I can do about that.”