Author: bgillens

South Carolina State outlasts Prairie View 40-38 in a four OT Celebration Bowl instant classic

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In what can only be explained as an instant classic, South Carolina State overcame a 21-0 halftime deficit to outscore the Prairie View Panthers 40-17 in the second half and four overtime periods to win the thrilling 2025 Cricket Celebration Bowl 40-38 in front of a crowd of 26,708.

The Bulldogs (10-3) were led to victory by reserve quarterback Ryan Stubblefield who was inserted after starting quarterback William “Billy” Atkins, IV sustained a shoulder injury late in the second quarter that would sideline him for the duration of the game. Stubblefield immediately came in and engineered five scoring drives including the game winning two point conversion to running back Tyler Smith en route to Celebration Bowl MVP honors. The graduate quarterback from Houston, TX finished the game 15-29 for 234 yards with two touchdown passes and an interception. The moment was full circle for the signal caller as he was one of the few returning players from last year’s Celebration Bowl defeat to Jackson State.

Not to be outdone, Prairie View (10-4) was paced by quarterback Cameron Peters, who accounted for 447 yards of total offense (412 passing, 35 rushing) and five touchdowns to keep the SWAC Champions in the game until the very last play. The Panthers outgained the Bulldogs 491 to 357, but in the end, it was the assertiveness and championship experience of Stubblefield that proved to be the difference.

Quick Hits

The Controversial Call Heard Round the World

In a call that is sure to be talked about and debated for the foreseeable future, in the fourth overtime period Stubblefield threw a pass to Tyler Smith that was ruled a successful two-point conversion as the running back stretched his arms over the pylon. The side judge standing right where the play was happening ruled the conversion successful, however upon instant replay, it appeared Smith never crossed the goal line and/or pylon with the football. After review, the call was upheld and gave SC State a 40-38 advantage, much to the chagrin of the Prairie View fans and supporters. On the ensuing two point try, Peters was tackled by a host of Bulldogs attempting a quarterback keeper that secured the victory for SC State. Almost immediately, fans and supporters took to social media to express their views on whether the play was a successful try or not, even having former FAMU and current FIU head football coach Willie Simmons chiming in and offering his thoughts. In a game where the margins were razor thin, the Bulldogs were again able to rise to the challenge and secure the victory.

Cameron Peters Shines on the biggest stage

Although Prairie View suffered a heartbreaking loss, quarterback Cam Peters put on an offensive masterclass. The senior signal caller from Missouri City, TX was 24-36 for 412 yards and four touchdown passes along with nine carries for 35 yards and a score en route to shattering a Celebration Bowl record for most passing yards in a game. For the season Peters finished his season with 2,798 yards and 23 touchdown passes with seven interceptions.

Stubblefield’s Redemption

Graduate quarterback Ryan Stubblefield was thrust into action late in the second quarter and delivered an amazing performance en route to Celebration Bowl MVP honors going 15-29 for 234 yards with two touchdowns as well as a rushing touchdown on 28 yards. The Houston, TX native, who ironically grew up in the backyard of Prairie View’s campus, proved to be the difference maker in the game for the Bulldogs. 

Mr. Reliable delivers again

Every time the Bulldogs needed an offensive spark, it seemed that the ball kept going to Jordan Smith. The senior wideout from Clover, SC finished his game as a Bulldog with nine catches for 152 yards and two touchdown receptions along with 28 yards rushing and a touchdown. Smith is also the only active player on the SCSU roster that was a member of the 2021 Celebration Bowl team which means he will be the only Bulldog with two Celebration Bowl rings in his coffers.

All in all, this was arguably the best Celebration Bowl since inception to include the pageantry, ebbs and flows of the game, as well as the greatest comeback in the bowl’s history. If you were one of the many outside of the 26,708 fans and supporters that attended, you truly missed a game for the ages. 

Final Thoughts

To the fans and supporters of the SWAC and MEAC; come out and support your respective institutions! These teams have come out to represent their respective conferences and whether your team is there or not, the Celebration Bowl is more than just a game. It’s an opportunity for all of our respective schools to come together in the “Black Mecca” to celebrate the accomplishments of our schools, fanbases and bands, respectively. 

B-CU Outclasses Edward Waters 35-9

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL–In a game that was set to be billed as the winless Wildcats of Bethune-Cookman hosting the undefeated Tigers of Edward Waters, the game proved anticlimactic as the B-CU Wildcats jumped out to an early 14-0 lead and never looked back en route to a dominating 35-9 victory Saturday.

The game was one in which both the offensive and defensive lines dominated on both sides of the ball, with the offense amassing over 4 total yards (220 on the ground) while the defense sacked EWU four times and forced four turnovers.

Quarterback Cam’Ron Ramsom turned in another efficient performance completing 10 of his 20 passes for three touchdowns. His go to receiver Maleek Huggins, had a monster day hauling in nine passes for 177 yards and two scores.

Pacing the Wildcats defensively was Jaylen Brown, tallying 10 total tackes (2.0 for loss) and two sacks. Johnny Harris, III with his first interception of the season thwarts the Tigers drive giving the Wildcats the ball to start their first drive at their own seven yard line with 12:44 remaining in the first quarter.

A botched 13 yard punt by Edward Waters’ Ryan Gagne gave the Wildcats the ball at the Tiger 25 yard line. Five plays later, facing a third and goal from the EWU 20, Ransom scrambled right and found Maleek Huggins in the back of the end zone who toe tapped before falling out of the end zone. A Juan Dominguez extra point gave BCU a 7-0 lead with 3:07 remaining in the first.

The Wildcats scored their second touchdown late in the second quarter after capping a three play, 45 yard drive with a nine yard pass from Ransom to Alihaja Scott to increase their lead to 14-0 with 3:29 remaining in the first half.

On the ensuing drive, Edward Waters would hit paydirt as Noah Bodden found Makai Lovett for a 23 yard touchdown to cap an eight play, 75 yard drive over 2:00 to cut the Wildcat lead to 14-6 with 1:13 remaining in the half following the failed PAT by Gagne.

Midway through the third quarter, the Wildcat ground game got going with a 75 yard touchdown run for Khamani Robinson, his first of the season to extend the lead for B-CU to 21-6 with 9:27 remaining.

The quick strike Cats found the endzone again with 4:44 remaining in the 3rd as Ransom found Huggins for an 82 yard catch and score to give B-CU a commanding 28-6 advantage as the Marching Pride fired up their rendition of Cameo’s classic “Neck.”

On the very next drive and 1:30 later, self-inflicted penalties would rear its ugly head again for EWU as an errant throw by Bodden fell into the hands of Naim Lassiter at the Tiger 40 yard line and he raced untouched into the end zone to push the B-CU lead to 35-6 with 3:14 remaining in the third ensuring the rout was on in Daytona Beach.

Edward Waters would add a 41 yard field goal by Gagne with 6:04 remaining in the game to cut the BCU lead to 35-9 with 6:04 remaining to close out the scoring.

With the win, the Wildcats improve to 1-3 overall, while Edward Waters suffers their first defeat of the 2025 football campaign

Prime vs. Shine: A Spectacle in HBCU Sports History

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  • Photo credits: Bleacher Report
  • Photo Credits: Sports Illustrated

On the eve of Bethune-Cookman University hosting Jackson State at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, FL for a Southwestern Athletic Conference East divisional showdown, I sat down and thought about what a dream scenario could’ve potentially been.

You know the generational conversations; the ones discussed in barbershops, sports bars, and on podcasts. The ones where you debate how things might have turned out if the events could’ve taken place:

  • 1987 Lakers vs 2001 Lakers
  • 1996 Bulls vs. 2016 Warriors
  • 1985 Bears vs. 2007 Patriots
  • 1999 FAMU Rattlers vs. 2002 B-CU Wildcats

As long as I can remember, these conversations have dominated the sports lexicon among fans. If we were to examine this through an HBCU lens, what could this game have been if a few things were different?

Yes folks, I’m talking about the “Brawl for it all in Duval.”

Or more eloquently stated, “Prime vs. Shine.”

For longtime fans and supporters of the university located in “The World’s Most Famous Beach,” the attention, swag, flash, and flair Jackson State head coach Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders has brought to the SWAC is nothing new to the Wildcat faithful. They’ve seen this movie before. In fact, some would argue that B-CU and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Hall of Famer Alvin “Shine” Wyatt is the architect of HBCU flamboyant coaches. Long before it was popular, and quite frankly considered off-putting by his coaching peers, “Shine” as he is affectionately called, traded coach’s polos and khakis for leisure suits and alligator boots. And while he was definitely the epitome of style, there was plenty of substance there as well.

In his 13 years as head coach of Bethune-Cookman, Wyatt became the all-time winningest coach in school history, amassing a record of 90-54, earning wins against legendary coaches such as Joe Taylor, Bill Hayes, Oliver “Buddy” Pough, and his school’s interstate rival Florida A&M and coach William “Billy” Joe. He also captured two MEAC Titles (2002, 2003), one conference coach of the year award (1998), one Heritage Bowl appearance (1998) and two NCAA FCS Playoff appearances (2002, 2003).

He also placed several players in the NFL such as Rashean Mathis, Nick Collins, and Eric Weems. Wyatt would depart the Wildcat program in 2009 as arguably the greatest coach in school history.

11 years later, it appeared HBCU football had found a reincarnation of Wyatt when Jackson State announced it was hiring Deion Sanders as its 21st head coach of their football program. Known for his flashy style both on and off the field as a player, “Prime Time” as he was affectionately called, is widely considered the best defensive back in the history of the NFL and was enshrined into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2011.

In just one calendar year, Coach Prime guided the Tigers to their first SWAC championship since 2007, received the Eddie Robinson Award as the season’s top FCS head coach and currently has his Tigers at a perfect 5-0 and a Top 10 ranking in FCS standings. In the process, he also managed to flip the 2022 #1 high school recruit in Travis Hunter away from his alma mater Florida State to Jackson State, much to the chagrin of several college coaches across the country and watch his son, Shedeur Sanders, win the Jerry Rice Award, given to the best freshman player in FCS football.

So, in a perfect world, what would a matchup between Shine and Prime look like? Well first, aside from the game being played on the field, the pre-game press conferences would be must-see TV. I can only imagine the witty banter between the coaches prior to the game. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of witnessing either of them during a media scrum, the quotes that would have been given would have forever been etched in history. Never one to miss a marketing opportunity, Sanders would certainly have his camera crew following him around all week (courtesy of his relationship with Barstool Sports) documenting each step of preparation before the game.

Not to be outdone, Shine would have had the CatEye Network chronicling everything from his team running wind sprints on the beach before dawn to him grabbing some wings from the legendary Bethune Grill near campus (if you know you know).

On gameday, while Prime would likely opt for a JSU hoodie and sweats, you better believe, no matter the weather, Shine would come out of the tunnel donning a mink coat, accompanied by a white leisure suit with oversized gold belt buckle, or an officially licensed B-CU branded one piece jumpsuit. There’s no doubt the following Monday they both would have been featured on ESPN’s Get Up, First Take, Around the Horn and Pardon the Interruption amongst other shows on competing networks.

While it is tough to predict the outcome of the game, as Jackson State boasts a potent offense vs the always formidable Wildcat defense during Wyatt’s tenure, the true winners would’ve been the fans and supporters of both schools and HBCU’s in general. The game itself would have been one of those “you had to be there” affairs, where, as the years go by, the legend of the story grows larger and larger.

While that certainly will not be the case on Saturday as current Wildcat head coach Terry Sims is the complete antithesis of Wyatt in more ways than one, sometimes it’s nice to sit back, smile and think about what could have possibly been.

After all, a guy can dream.

Wildcats fall to defending SWAC champions Alabama A&M, 30-27

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DAYTONA, FL—Head coach Terry Sims and the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats opened their inaugural season in the Southwestern Athletic Conference against the defending champion Alabama A&M University Bulldogs in search of their first win of the season. Unfortunately, untimely penalties and a failure to get stops on the defensive end in key moments of the game caused the Wildcats to suffer their third loss of the season in as many games 30-27 at Daytona Stadium at Larry Kelly Field.

Sims was particularly perturbed by the number of penalties the Wildcats amassed in the game (14-144), many of which allowed Alabama A&M to sustain scoring drives.

“Way too many penalties in the first half, Sims said. It was something we talked about all week that couldn’t happen. I think we had over 100 yards of penalties in the first half (12-124) and you’re not going to win football games that way.”

Coming into the game, both teams had a healthy respect for each other’s offenses and those units did not disappoint. Preseason SWAC Offensive Player of the Year Aqeel Glass paced the Bulldogs with 243 yards of total offense (234 passing) and two touchdown passes, while Wildcat senior quarterback Shannon Patrick went 17-31 for 221 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.

Leading the ground game for the Wildcats was Que’Shaun Byrd rushing for 132 yards and two scores on 21 carries, while AAMU’s Gary Quarles broke the century mark with 101 yards on 27 carries and a score.

Bulldogs treated to Pre-Game Florida Monsoon

The beginning of the game was marred by classic Florida inclement weather. A torrential downpour less than a half hour before kickoff and the presence of lightning strikes in the area forced the game to be delayed by 30 minutes. Once the game was underway, the “electric” play of both Glass and the Bulldog offense was immediately on display.

Alabama A&M got on the board first after a Wildcat miscue. Following a Patrick interception by AAMU safety Trenell Troutman, six plays later, Glass found receiver Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim on a quarterback rollout for an eight-yard touchdown pass to give the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead over the Wildcats with 8:34 remaining in the first quarter.

The Bulldogs would then add two additional field goals (one in the first and another in the second) by Spencer Corey after scoring drives of 65 yards and 59 yards respectively to increase the AAMU lead to 13-0 with 12:18 remaining in the first half.

On the ensuing kickoff, the Wildcats would finally get on the board as sophomore defensive back Darnell Deas caught the ball at the BCU 11-yard line and took the kickoff 89 yards for the first Wildcat touchdown of the evening. The successful PAT attempt cut the Bulldog deficit to 13-7 with 12:04 remaining in the first half.

AAMU immediately came back and engineered a nine play, 64-yard drive, capped by a three-yard touchdown scamper by Quarles to extend the Wildcat deficit to 20-7 with 8:20 remaining in the first half.

The Cats were able to find paydirt again via Byrd as he took a delayed handoff and rushed 14 yards for the second Wildcat score of the half, capping a seven play, 52-yard drive to cut the deficit to 20-13 with 3:04 remaining before halftime after a failed PAT attempt by Dylan Moghaddam.

AAMU head coach Connell Maynor and the Bulldogs would then employ their two-minute offense, largely behind the arm of Glass and finished a 10 play, 65-yard drive with a 12 yard touchdown strike to Ibrahim in the back of the end zone where he was able to toe-tap his way to his second score of the game to give the Bulldogs a commanding 27-13 lead heading into the locker room.

In the third quarter, Byrd would get his second touchdown of the game on a one-yard rush to bring the Cats to within 27-21 after a successful two-point conversion by Patrick and in the fourth both teams traded scores, with Corey notching his third FG of the night to extend the Bulldog lead to 30-21.

Late in the fourth quarter the Cats were finally treated to a Kemari Averett sighting. The senior tight end was largely responsible for BCU’s final touchdown, snagging a 42 yard pass up the seam and capping the six play, 60-yard drive with a seven-yard reception from Patrick to bring the Cats within 30-27 with 8:50 remaining. For the game, Averett led all Wildcat receivers with 64 yards on three receptions and a score.

The Atlanta, GA native, after impressive showings at UTEP and Central Florida, notched his third great outing of the season (11 receptions, 169 yards 2TD’s) something not lost on his head coach as Sims was effusive with praise of his 6’6 tight end, regarding the fact that his size and speed presents huge matchup problems for opposing defenses.

“He means so much to our team. We have two tight ends that are matchup problems for a lot of people. And we have to use him more and that’ll open things up for Byrd and some of our other receivers, so we have to get back to the drawing board get some more things done to get him targeted more.”

Head Scratching PAT Attempt

On the PAT attempt, the Cats failed an attempted two-point conversion, much to the surprise of the fans and supporters of B-CU as well as the AAMU special teams unit considering they were only down three points with a chance to inch closer to a deficit of two, something Sims said was simply a miscommunication.

“I’m never one to blame anything on players, but we were supposed to kick the ball, Sims said. The holder and the kicker got the signals mixed up and they thought we were going for it, but we were supposed to line up and kick the extra point at that time. It was simply a miscommunication.”

What’s Up Next?

With the win, the Bulldogs improve to 2-0 overall (1-0 SWAC East) and will host Division II in-state rival Tuskegee in the friendly confines of Lewis Crews Stadium next weekend. Game time is set for 5pm CST.

With the loss, the Wildcats fall to 0-3 overall (0-1 SWAC East) and will travel to Montgomery, AL to take on Alabama State on September 25th at ASU Stadium. Game time is set for 6pm EST.