Month: November 2011
BCU’s Ryan Davis earns MEAC Defensive Player of the Year Honors
2011 MEAC Defensive Player of the Year-Ryan Davis
Associated Press– Bethune-Cookman’s Ryan Davis earned the Defensive Player of the Year honor as voted on by the MEAC head football coaches and sports information directors.
Ryan Davis led the MEAC in sacks (12.0) and tackles for loss (21.5) and ranked in the top 10 nationally in both categories. He ranked third on the team in tackles with 65 this season including 40 solo and 25 assisted. He also recorded 17 quarterback hurries, eight forced fumbles, three pass breakups and two fumble recoveries. He was named the MEAC Defensive Player of the Week once this season and was named the FCS Defensive Player of the Week once by the Sports Network.
Sophomore running back Isidore Jackson joins Davis as a first team All-MEAC selectee. Jackson finished the year as the conference’s second leading rusher gaining 866 yards on 146 carries with 7 rushing touchdowns.
The MEAC’s Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, linebacker Ryan Lewis, was an second team selectee as were fellow linebacker Reggie Sandilands, safety Jean Fanor, offensive lineman Natiel Curry, and offensive lineman Terrance Hackney.
Norfolk State quarterback Chris Walley and North Carolina A&T State running back Mike Mayhew were selected as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference’s (MEAC) Co-Offensive Players of the Year.
Greg McGhee of Howard earned the Rookie of the Year award and Norfolk State’s Blake Matthews was selected as the Offensive Lineman of the Year.
Seven-year head coach Pete Adrian of Norfolk State was named the Coach of the Year. Adrian led the Spartans to its first-ever MEAC football title following a 9-2 overall finish and 7-1 mark in conference play. The Spartans earned the conference title following a 47-14 victory over Morgan State on Saturday, Nov. 12. The No. 19th ranked Spartans rose to its highest-ever ranking in the Sports Network/Fathead.com FCS Top 25 poll and earned the MEAC’s automatic berth with the title.
Senior Mike Mayhew capped off a tremendous four-year collegiate career with yet another conference top honor after receiving Rookie of the Year honors just three years ago. In 11 games Mayhew led the MEAC in rushing with 231 carries for 1,120 yards and nine touchdowns. He also caught 18 passes for 93 yards. Mayhew was named to the All-MEAC Preseason First Team and was MEAC Offensive Player of the Week once this season. He ranks 23rd in the nation in rushing and averaged 101.8 yards per game and 4.8 yards per carry.
Chris Walley led the MEAC in most of the passing categories this season including total yards (2,309), average per game (209.9), efficiency (148.5) and completions (211). He also led the conference in total offense averaging 235 yards in 11 games. The 6-2, senior from Tallahassee, Florida ranks 18th in the nation in pass efficiency and 33rd in total offense. Walley completed 69.2-percent of his passes (211-305) with 17 passing touchdowns and ranked third on the team in rushing with 89 attempts and 276 total yards with five TDs on the ground. He was selected as the MEAC Offensive Player of the Week three times this season.
Greg McGhee led the Bison and was third in the MEAC in total offense averaging 197.5 yards per game. The rookie connected on 56-percent of his passes (182-321-5) with 1,784 total yards and 13 touchdowns in 11 starts. He was second on the team in rushing with 388 yards on 116 carries with four rushing touchdowns. The Pittsburgh, Pa. native was selected as the MEAC Rookie of the Week five times this season.
Blake Matthews aided a powerful Spartan offense that accounted for 4,319 total yards including 1,843 yards on the ground. Behind Matthew’s blocking Norfolk State finished second in the MEAC in total offense and passing offense. He provided protection for four different players to rush for over 200+ yards. He also allowed senior quarterback Chris Walley to throw for 2,309 yards and 17 touchdowns. Matthews was named MEAC Offensive Lineman of the Week once this season and anchored a line that only gave up 13 sacks on the year.
2011 All-MEAC FOOTBALL HONORS
Player of the Year: Chris Walley, Norfolk State and Mike Mayhew, North Carolina A&T
Defensive Player of the Year: Ryan Davis, Bethune-Cookman
Offensive Lineman of the Year: Blake Matthews, Norfolk State
Rookie of the Year: Greg McGhee, Howard
Coach of the Year: Pete Adrian, Norfolk State
2011 All-MEAC FIRST TEAM
Offense
| POS | Name | CL | School | Hometown |
| QB | Chris Walley | r-Sr. | Norfolk State | Tallahassee, Fla. |
| RB | Isidore Jackson | r-So. | Bethune-Cookman | Mossy Head, Fla. |
| RB | Mike Mayhew | Sr. | North Carolina A&T | Charlotte, N.C. |
| TE | Lamont Bryant | Sr. | Morgan State | Newport News, Va. |
| WR | Willie Carter | Sr. | Howard | Denmark, S.C. |
| WR | Xavier Boyce | r-Jr. | Norfolk State | Virginia Beach, Va. |
| OL | Kendall Noble | r-Sr. | Norfolk State | Rocky Mount, N.C. |
| OL | Steven Robinson | r-Sr. | Florida A&M | Tallahassee, Fla. |
| OL | Corey Gwinner | r-Sr. | Howard | Ypsilanti, Mich. |
| OL | Blake Matthews | r-Sr. | Norfolk State | Manassas, Va. |
| C | Shelly Anthony | r-So. | Florida A&M | Atlanta, Ga. |
| Defense | ||||
| DL | Ryan Davis | Sr. | Bethune-Cookman | Tampa, Fla. |
| DL | Sackie Kerkulah | r-Sr. | Howard | Willingboro, NJ |
| DL | Josh Turner | r-Sr. | Norfolk State | Chesterfield, Va. |
| DL | Pat Washington | r-Sr. | South Carolina State | Hollywood, S.C. |
| LB | Keith Pough | r-Jr. | Howard | Orangeburg, S.C. |
| LB | Corwin Hammond | r-Sr. | Norfolk State | Louisville, Ky. |
| LB | Donovan Richard | r-Sr. | South Carolina State | Georgetown, S.C. |
| DB | John Ojo | Jr. | Florida A&M | Tallahassee, Fla. |
| DB | Micah Pellerin | Sr. | Hampton | New Orleans, La. |
| DB | Justin Ferrell | Sr. | North Carolina A&T | Danville, Va. |
| DB | Dominique Ellis | r-Sr. | South Carolina State | Union City, Ga. |
| P | Branden Holdren | Jr. | Florida A&M | Jacksonville, Fla. |
| P/K | Ryan Estep | r-Sr. | Norfolk State | Chesapeake, Va. |
| Ret | Edmond Baker | r-Jr. | Florida A&M | Miami, Fla |
2011 All-MEAC SECOND TEAM
Offense
| POS | Name | CL | School | Hometown |
| QB | Greg McGhee | Fr. | Howard | Pittsburgh, Pa. |
| RB | Asheton Jordan | Jr. | South Carolina State | Summerville, S.C. |
| RB | Travis Davidson | Jr. | Morgan State | Redford, Mich. |
| TE | Joe Hawkins | Jr. | Norfolk State | Chicago, Ill. |
| WR | Wallace Miles | r-Sr. | North Carolina A&T | Atlanta, Ga. |
| WR | Kevin Elliott | r-Sr. | Florida A&M | Orlando, Fla. |
| OL | Alex Harper | r-Sr. | North Carolina A&T | Baltimore, Md. |
| OL | Terrance Hackney | So. | Bethune-Cookman | Chapel Hill, N.C. |
| OL | Lawrence Brewer | Sr. | Morgan State | Fort Washington, Md. |
| OL | Branden Curry | r-Sr. | Florida A&M | Hollywood, Fla. |
| C | Natiel Curry | r-Sr. | Bethune-Cookman | Miami, Fla. |
| Defense | ||||
| DL | Joey Christine | Sr. | Norfolk State | Stephens City, Va. |
| DL | Corey Berry | r-Sr. | Howard | Orangeburg, S.C. |
| DL | Ian Davidson | Sr. | Hampton | Washington, DC |
| DL | Zackary Stewart | Sr. | Morgan State | Upper Marlboro, Md. |
| LB | Reginald Sandilands | Sr. | Bethune-Cookman | Miami, Fla. |
| LB | Delbert Tyler | So. | Hampton | Monroeville, Pa. |
| LB | Ryan Lewis | Sr. | Bethune-Cookman | Pompano Beach, Fla. |
| DB | Jean Fanor | r-Sr. | Bethune-Cookman | Miami, Fla. |
| DB | DeVonte Reynolds | r-Sr. | Norfolk State | Warsaw, Va. |
| DB | Christian Thompson | Sr. | South Carolina State | N. Lauderdale, Fla. |
| DB | Lanny Kelly | Sr. | Howard | Richmond, Calif. |
| P | Jordan Stovall | Jr. | Hampton | Elgin, S.C. |
| P/K | Trevor Scott | r-Sr. | Florida A&M | Jacksonville, Fla. |
| Ret | Geovonie Irvine | r-Jr. | North Carolina Central | Durham, N.C. |
BCU rush to a FL Classic win
ORLANDO, Fla. — Anthony Jordan rushed for two touchdowns to ignite Bethune-Cookman to a 26-16 triumph over Florida A&M on Saturday.
The sixth straight victory by the Wildcats (8-3, 6-2 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference), which ended the regular season for both teams, enabled Bethune-Cookman to share the runner-up spot in the league with South Carolina State. Norfolk State won the conference title.
The Rattlers (7-4, 5-3), who led 3-0 after the first quarter, damaged their chances of winning a fourth straight Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Classic by committing five turnovers and yielding a safety. The Rattlers managed only 58 yards rushing.
Jordan’s second rushing touchdown, which came with 5:33 left in the third quarter, was a 6-yard run that increased Bethune-Cookman’s lead to 24-10. It came after D.J. Howard of the Wildcats intercepted Damien Fleming‘s pass at the Florida A&M 41.
In their final game in a Bethune-Cookman uniform, Seniors Reggie Sandilands, Ryan Davis, and Ryan Lewis combined for 21 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, a sack, 2 forced fumbles, and an interception.
Team Statistics
| Team Totals | FAMU | BCU |
| FIRST DOWNS | 16 | 19 |
| Rushing | 3 | 16 |
| Passing | 11 | 2 |
| Penalty | 2 | 1 |
| NET YARDS RUSHING | 58 | 259 |
| Rushing Attempts | 22 | 53 |
| Average Per Rush | 2.6 | 4.9 |
| Rushing Touchdowns | 0 | 3 |
| Yards Gained Rushing | 81 | 266 |
| Yards Lost Rushing | 23 | 7 |
| NET YARDS PASSING | 287 | 81 |
| Completions-Attempts-Int | 21-38-3 | 13-18-1 |
| Average Per Attempt | 7.6 | 4.5 |
| Average Per Completion | 13.7 | 6.2 |
| Passing Touchdowns | 2 | 0 |
| TOTAL OFFENSE YARDS | 345 | 340 |
| Total offense plays | 60 | 71 |
| Average Gain Per Play | 5.8 | 4.8 |
| Fumbles: Number-Lost | 3-2 | 1-1 |
| Penalties: Number-Yards | 7-85 | 9-75 |
| PUNTS-YARDS | 3-150 | 5-138 |
| Average Yards Per Punt | 50.0 | 27.6 |
| Net Yards Per Punt | 50.0 | 27.6 |
| Inside 20 | 1 | 3 |
| 50+ Yards | 2 | 0 |
| Touchbacks | 0 | 0 |
| Fair catch | 0 | 1 |
| KICKOFFS-YARDS | 4-187 | 5-277 |
| Average Yards Per Kickoff | 46.8 | 55.4 |
| Net Yards Per Kickoff | 24.2 | 46.0 |
| Touchbacks | 0 | 1 |
| Punt returns: Number-Yards-TD | 0-0-0 | 2-0-0 |
| Average Per Return | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Kickoff returns: Number-Yds-TD | 4-27-0 | 4-90-0 |
| Average Per Return | 6.8 | 22.5 |
| Interceptions: Number-Yds-TD | 1-31-0 | 3-0-0 |
| Fumble Returns: Number-Yds-TD | 0-0-0 | 1-10-0 |
| Miscellaneous Yards | 0 | 0 |
| Possession Time | 27:11 | 32:49 |
| 1st Quarter | 7:09 | 7:51 |
| 2nd Quarter | 5:41 | 9:19 |
| 3rd Quarter | 10:24 | 4:36 |
| 4th Quarter | 3:57 | 11:03 |
| Third-Down Conversions | 5 of 12 | 7 of 15 |
| Fourth-Down Conversions | 0 of 0 | 1 of 1 |
| Red-Zone Scores-Chances | 2-3 | 3-3 |
| Touchdowns | 1-3 | 2-3 |
| Field goals | 1-3 | 1-3 |
| Sacks By: Number-Yards | 0-0 | 2-21 |
| PAT Kicks | 1-1 | 3-3 |
| Field Goals | 1-1 | 1-1 |
Related articles
- Bethune-Cookman beats Florida A&M 26-16 (newsok.com)
The (playoff) case for BCU
When Bethune Cookman and Florida A&M faceoff this Saturday at 2:30, the two teams will be playing for more than just in-state bragging rights. The winner of this year’s Florida Classic will be fighting for the right to be considered for this year’s FCS playoffs.
Both the Wildcats and Rattlers boast identical 7-3 records and a victory over Division II Fort Valley State. Saturday’s Florida Classic is essentially a playoff elimination game for the loser since both teams need one more FCS win to qualify for playoff consideration.
The Pros for BCU:
Assuming the Wildcats defeat FAMU, BCU can boast of a 6 game winning streak since their midseason quarterback change and a road victory over playoff bound and Top 25 foe Norfolk State.
Brian Jenkins’ club ranks in the Top 25 Nationally in 6 major categories on both sides of the ball:
· Total Offense- 10th
· Scoring Offense- 13th
· Rushing Offense- 6th
· Total Defense- 12th
· Scoring Defense- 25th
· Passing Defense- 6th.
In the “moral victory” category, the Wildcats gave perennial powerhouse, University of Miami, all they could handle for 3 quarters.
BCU has also performed similarly to playoff bound Towson, Old Dominion, and Appalachian State against common opponents;
- Towson beat Morgan State 42-3; BCU defeated Morgan 49-23;
- Old Dominion beat Hampton 45-42 while the Wildcats defeated HU 35-31;
- Appalachian State defeated Savannah State 41-6; BCU defeated SSU 59-3.
The Cons:
Bethune-Cookman’s loss to North Carolina A&T has not only prevented the Wildcats from competing for the conference’s automatic qualifier, but the loss to the Aggies could also be the difference as to whether or not the Wildcats receive an at-large invite from the FCS playoff committee.
The MEAC’s recent playoff woes (winless since 1999) could also be held against the Wildcats. The MEAC, however, is a respectable 7-9 this year against out of conference FCS competition.
Most FCS pundits believe that there are 4 or 5 at-large playoff spots still on the table. The teams most likely to fill those spots are BCU (MEAC), FAMU (MEAC), Wofford (SoCon), James Madison (CAA), Indiana State (MVC), Youngstown State (MVC), Illinois State (MVC), Eastern Kentucky (OVC), Central Arkansas (Southland), New Hampshire (CAA), and Duquesne (Patriot). Translation and football cliché of the week—“there is still a lot of football left to be played”.
So tell us, assuming BCU wins the Florida Classic, do you believe that the Wildcats are worthy of a playoff spot?
Hail Wildcats
Florida Classic Mood Music
Photo Provided by Dettrick "Designjunkie" Maddox
QB David Blackwell earns national player of the week honors.
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) – Bethune-Cookman quarterback David Blackwell, Cornell quarterback Jeff Mathews, Sacramento State defensive lineman Zach Nash, Murray State kicker Kienan Cullen, Valparaiso quarterback Eric Hoffman and Towson running back Terrance West have been named The Sports Network/Fathead.com FCS National Players of Week 11 for games ending Nov. 12.
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK– David Blackwell, Bethune-Cookman, Sophomore, 6-2, 215, QB, Ft. Lauderdale, FL Blackwell won the weekly battle to be the starter and then torched Savannah State in a 59-3 MEAC victory. The sophomore scored on Bethune-Cookman’s first play from scrimmage, escaping for a 80-yard touchdown run. He also scored twice more on runs of 37 and 59 yards, helping reach an impressive 203 yards on the ground on just six carries. Putting on a display with his arm as well, Blackwell completed 8-of-10 passes for 147 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Wildcats too much for Tigers
For the past two months, coach Brian Jenkins has insisted that the quarterback who practices the best during the week will receive the starting nod on gameday.
Remaining true to his word, Jenkins named David Blackwell as the starting quarterback just minutes before Saturday’s contest against Savannah State. Blackwell responded by ripping off an 80 yard touchdown run on the Wildcats first offensive play from scrimmage. He later added two more first half touchdown runs (of 37 yards and 59 yards) as well as two 3rd quarter touchdown passes (46 yarder to Isidore Jackson and 16 yarder to Johnathan Moment). Blackwell accounted for 350 yards of total offense (203 rushing and 147 passing) in a little over 2 quarters of play.
The Wildcats finished the contest with 625 yards of total offense in route to a 59-3 dismantling of the over-matched Tigers.
Defensively, the Wildcats yielded just 202 yards of total offense and allowed no second half first downs. Defensive tackle, Harold Love III, led the defensive charge with 12 tackles.
| Team Totals |
SSU |
BCU |
| FIRST DOWNS |
9 |
23 |
| Rushing |
4 |
17 |
| Passing |
3 |
6 |
| Penalty |
2 |
0 |
| NET YARDS RUSHING |
149 |
431 |
| Rushing Attempts |
40 |
41 |
| Average Per Rush |
3.7 |
10.5 |
| Rushing Touchdowns |
0 |
5 |
| Yards Gained Rushing |
191 |
461 |
| Yards Lost Rushing |
42 |
30 |
| NET YARDS PASSING |
53 |
194 |
| Completions-Attempts-Int |
6-21-1 |
11-17-0 |
| Average Per Attempt |
2.5 |
11.4 |
| Average Per Completion |
8.8 |
17.6 |
| Passing Touchdowns |
0 |
3 |
| TOTAL OFFENSE YARDS |
202 |
625 |
| Total offense plays |
61 |
58 |
| Average Gain Per Play |
3.3 |
10.8 |
| Fumbles: Number-Lost |
2-0 |
2-1 |
| Penalties: Number-Yards |
5-30 |
10-69 |
| PUNTS-YARDS |
8-302 |
2-78 |
| Average Yards Per Punt |
37.8 |
39.0 |
| Net Yards Per Punt |
30.4 |
39.0 |
| Inside 20 |
2 |
1 |
| 50+ Yards |
1 |
0 |
| Touchbacks |
1 |
0 |
| Fair catch |
2 |
0 |
| KICKOFFS-YARDS |
2-119 |
10-572 |
| Average Yards Per Kickoff |
59.5 |
57.2 |
| Net Yards Per Kickoff |
28.5 |
33.6 |
| Touchbacks |
0 |
0 |
| Punt returns: Number-Yards-TD |
0-0-0 |
5-39-0 |
| Average Per Return |
0.0 |
7.8 |
| Kickoff returns: Number-Yds-TD |
10-236-0 |
2-62-0 |
| Average Per Return |
23.6 |
31.0 |
| Interceptions: Number-Yds-TD |
0-0-0 |
1-20-0 |
| Fumble Returns: Number-Yds-TD |
0-0-0 |
0-0-0 |
| Miscellaneous Yards |
0 |
0 |
| Possession Time |
33:52 |
26:00 |
| 1st Quarter |
10:35 |
4:25 |
| 2nd Quarter |
9:32 |
5:28 |
| 3rd Quarter |
7:49 |
7:03 |
| 4th Quarter |
5:56 |
9:04 |
| Third-Down Conversions |
3 of 16 |
5 of 9 |
| Fourth-Down Conversions |
0 of 2 |
0 of 1 |
| Red-Zone Scores-Chances |
1-3 |
5-6 |
| Touchdowns |
0-3 |
4-6 |
| Field goals |
1-3 |
1-6 |
| Sacks By: Number-Yards |
1-10 |
4-23 |
| PAT Kicks |
0-0 |
8-8 |
| Field Goals |
1-1 |
1-1 |
BCU Thumps Morgan 49-23
Last Saturday’s 49-23 Homecoming thumping of Morgan State was a near perfect microcosm of The Fighting Wildcats 2011 football season.
Much like the first half of this season, the first 2 quarters of Saturday’s contest were filled with both explosive plays –174 yards of total offense and 2 defensive turnovers– and untimely penalties –6 for 54 yards– for the Wildcats. BCU looked vulnerable as a result and clung to a 14-10 halftime lead.
The Wildcats seemed to sure up a few things in the halftime locker room and looked completely dominant and playoff worthy in the second half; outscoring MSU 35-13 in the process.
Isidore Jackson had another solid afternoon rushing for 94 yards (1 TD) on 20 carries and catching 2 passes for 22 yards. Senior fullback Johnathan Moment enjoyed his best statistical game of the season accounting for 106 yards of total offense (78 rushing; 28 receiving) and two touchdowns in the contest.
- Jackie Wilson
Sophomore quarterback Jackie Wilson continues to play well. Wilson completed 67 percent of his passes (10/15 for 186) and rushed for 74 yards and 3 touchdowns on the afternoon. “The game is starting to slow down to me,” Wilson said after the contest.
Although Wilson’s insertion into the starting lineup has seemed to stabilize the Wildcat offense, Coach Brian Jenkins states that there will continue to be an open competition for the starting quarterback spot. Jenkins went on to state that David Blackwell almost received the starting nod this week instead of Wilson.
The Wildcat starting defense held the Morgan State offense to 173 yards of total offense and 10 points through 3 quarters. Senior linebacker Ryan Lewis led the way with 7 tackles including 1.5 tackles for loss. The Bear offense accumulated 137 yards of offense and 13 points in the final quarter mostly against BCU’s second and third teamers. Even still, Coach Jenkins was none-too-happy about how his defense finished the contest; and he was particularly upset about yielding a 44-yard touchdown run to Travis Davidson with 58 seconds remaining in the contest. “No matter the score, I want my guys to execute.” “We had one guy out of position and a few others who didn’t make the play that was to be made” Jenkins stated. Davidson finished the afternoon with 133 yards rushing on 17 carries for the Bears.
Bethune hosts upstart Savannah State next Saturday in Daytona Beach at 4:00 p.m.
Homecoming 2011–Photos
Florida Classic could see Millionth Fan
Orlando, Florida (NOVEMBER 2, 2011) – Game officials are preparing for the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Classic between Florida A&M University and Bethune-Cookman University, and it is possible that a special milestone may be reached at this year’s edition the nation’s top HBCU Classic.
Should the game reach an attendance mark of 63,200, the one-millionth fan of the game since it came to Orlando in 1997 will walk through the gates of Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium. Heading into this year’s 32nd overall edition of the game, 936,800 fans have attended the game in its 14 previous years in Orlando. Game officials expect to hit the 1,000,000 mark this year based on current ticket sales projections combined with an annual attendance average of nearly 67,000.
“Since 1997, FAMU, B-CU and the City of Orlando have truly built something special together,” said Florida Citrus Sports CEO Steve Hogan. “The Classic weekend is one of the great rivalry experiences in college athletics and this year’s game could see fan number 1,000,000 walk through the gates — yet another milestone to celebrate in a series already rich in tradition.
”Should the 1,000,000th fan enter the gates, he/she will receive:· Two free Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Classic tickets in Orlando for life· Instant seat upgrade for two in the Uprights Club for this year’s game· A BCBS Florida Classic merchandise prize pack.
The 2011 BCBSFL Classic – featuring the McDonald’s halftime show — takes place on Saturday, November 19 at 2:30 p.m. Fans interested in purchasing tickets should go to Ticketmaster.com and for game information, log on to www.FloridaClassic.org.
hailwildcats.com 