Credits: BCU
I don’t intend to scream at you and I don’t mean to be an alarmist but SATURDAY’S 24-21 HOMECOMING WIN AGAINST HAMPTON WAS HUGGGEEEEE! It was bigger than huge. It was HUMUNGOUS…GINORMOUS …GARGANTUAN. Okay you get the point.
The big conference win raised the Wildcats from the doldrums of a losing record pulling them to 4-4 on the season. It allowed the 10,951 fans in attendance to enjoy the remainder of homecoming weekend savoring the sweet nectar of victory. It kept BCU alive, if only mathematically, in the Celebration Bowl race. Like I said, it was a HUGE WIN but big wins need signature moments and none was as significant for the Wildcats as Hampton’s Adam Brown’s 29 yard field goal sailing wide left as time expired. It occurred on the same side of the field and in almost the exact same spot as the Delwaun Beard’s blocked field goal against South Carolina State earlier this season.
Bad for them; great for us. Exciting finish; but I prefer cupcake U for homecoming next season.
BCU opened the game’s scoring with 12:01 in the 1st. Senior quarterback Larry Brihm led Bethune on a 5 play, 75 yard drive which culminated with a connection with Frank Brown on a beautiful corner route in the back of the endzone from 15 yards out. The drive was aided 2 plays earlier by a 56 yard pitch and catch from Brihm to freshman wideout Johnathan Thomas.
The Cats forced a 3 and out on Hampton’s first possession. BCU marched 68 yards on 10 plays on their next offensive possession and took a 14-0 lead. The drive was extended on a 16 yard hook up between Arkevious Williams and Steffon Francis on 4th down. Tupac Isme ended the drive a play later by rushing in from 16 yards out.
Connell Maynor’s team answered with their own 5 play 85 yard drive on the ensuing possession. Delmon Williams found Ronald Bell in the endzone to cut BCU’s lead in half (14-7).
Cookman scored the final points of the half when Uriel Hernandez connected on a 32 yard field goal to push the lead to 17-7 with 8:56 remaining in the 2nd quarter. The key play of that drive was a 66 yard screen pass from Brihm to Tupac Isme which advanced the ball to the HU 6 yardline.
The Wildcats racked up nearly 300 yards of offense in the first half outgaining the Pirates 271-172.
It seemed as if Terry SIMS MEN would run away with the homecoming contest but they saw their first half dominance disappear when Hampton scored 14 unanswered points in just over 2 minutes.
The first Hampton score was setup by an Arkevious Williams interception which was returned to the BCU 12 yardline. The second was aided by a muffed kickoff deep in Wildcat territory.
The Wildcat crowd seemed stunned, flabbergasted and in disbelief. It got so bad that stadium hype man, Rod Z, found himself having trouble keeping the crowd engaged. So what did Rod Z do, he got on the public address system and invoked the name of Jesus. “If you love Jesus stand up on your feet and make some noise” the former BCU drummer exclaimed. What else would you expect from an alumnus of a school built on $1.50 and faith in God.
Apparently calling on Jesus worked. The Wildcats took the lead for good shortly after Rod Z’s hysterics driving 12 plays and 68 yards for the game’s final score. Arkevious Williams found Jawill Davis in the back of the endzone on 4th and 7 conversion with 3:10 remaining. Williams scrambled on the busted play before finding Davis waving his hands in the left corner of the endzone for the game winning points.
Aided by multiple BCU penalties on the game’s final drive, Hampton moved the ball the length of the field and set up for a game tying 29 yard field goal but the attempt sailed wide left. BCU secured the 24-21 victory in dramatic, walk off fashion.
The Wildcats return to Municipal Stadium next week to take on Morgan State at 4:00pm.
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