You are cordially invited to hop onboard the HailWildcats.com ‘Road to the Celebration Bowl’ Fan Busaswe continue to support our 5-1 BCU Football team under the direction of Head Coach Terry Sims. Our Fighting Wildcats will travel to Aggie Stadium in Greensboro, North Carolina for a huge MEAC Showdown on Saturday October 17th, 2015 to take on the North Carolina A & T Aggies, kickoff is at 1:00 p.m.
The low rate of $115.00 will guarantee you transportation to and from the game and a game ticket, if you already have your game ticket, you can secure your transportation to and from North Carolina A&T for just $90.00.
The bus will pick up in three locations, Orlando 12:45 am, Daytona 1:45 am and Jacksonville 3:00 am, and will make a stop for lunch before arriving at Aggie Stadium around 11:00 am. We will depart for Florida approximately 1 hour after the game and will stop for dinner on the return trip.
Seats are available on a first come, first serve basis. No seats are guaranteed until final payment has been received. Refunds will be granted on a case by case basis!
We encourage the use of PayPal for a fast, safe, and convenient method of securing your seat. We have attached the PayPal links/options below for your convenience. You do NOT need a PayPal account to complete your transaction. If you prefer to pay with cash or with Credit/Debit card in person or over the phone, please coordinate with Jerry Bell or Darold Williams at the numbers below. Checks will NOT be accepted.
Only 15 seats remaining and they are filling up quickly, so be sure to lock yours in today.
PICKUP LOCATION:
ORLANDO, FL – Home Depot Lee Rd. – 12:45 AM 5351 Diplomat Cir, Orlando, FL 32810
DAYTONA BEACH, FL –Bethune-Cookman University -1:45 AM Between the Facilities building and the Band Hall
JACKSONVILLE, FL – LaQuinta Inn- 3:00 AM 812 Dunn Ave, Jax, FL 32218
If you have any questions, please call or text Jerry Bell at 407-494-5302 in the Orlando Area or Darold Williams at 904-351-8381 in the Daytona Area.
You are cordially invited to hop onboard the HailWildcats.com ‘Road to the Celebration’ Fan Busaswe support our guys in their quest to have a successful season under the direction of Head Coach Terry Sims. Our Fighting Wildcats will travel to Aggie Stadium in Greensboro, North Carolina on Saturday October 17th, 2015 to take on the North Carolina A & T Aggies, kickoff is at 1:00 p.m.
The low rate of $115.00 will guarantee you transportation to and from the game and a game ticket, if you already have your game ticket, you can secure your transportation to and from North Carolina A&T for just $90.00.
The bus will pick up in three locations, Orlando 12:45 am, Daytona 1:45 am and Jacksonville 3:00 am, and will make a stop for lunch before arriving at Aggie Stadium around 11:00 am. We will depart for Florida approximately 1 hour after the game and will stop for dinner on the return trip.
Seats are available on a first come, first serve basis. No seats are guaranteed until final payment has been received. Refunds will be granted on a case by case basis!
We encourage the use of PayPal for a fast, safe, and convenient method of securing your seat. We have attached the PayPal links/options below for your convenience. You do NOT need a PayPal account to complete your transaction. If you prefer to pay with cash or with Credit/Debit card in person or over the phone, please coordinate with Jerry Bell or Darold Williams at the numbers below. Checks will NOT be accepted.
Seats are filling up quickly, so be sure to lock yours in today.
PICKUP LOCATION:
ORLANDO, FL – Home Depot Lee Rd. – 12:45 AM 5351 Diplomat Cir, Orlando, FL 32810
DAYTONA BEACH, FL –Bethune-Cookman University -1:45 AM Between the Facilities building and the Band Hall
JACKSONVILLE, FL – LaQuinta Inn- 3:00 AM 812 Dunn Ave, Jax, FL 32218
If you have any questions, please call or text Jerry Bell at 407-494-5302 in the Orlando Area or Darold Williams at 904-351-8381 in the Daytona Area.
Home field advantage is as much a part of college football as marching bands and drunken co-eds. LSU’s Tiger Stadium, University of Florida’s “Swamp”, Clemson’s “Death Valley” and Ohio State’s “Horseshoe” provide some of the more well-known home field advantages in all of sports. But you don’t have to play in an 80,000 seat arena to enjoy the benefits of a home field.
There are a host of smaller venues, including some HBCU home sites, that have proven themselves very tough on opposing teams. Granted, playing in front of your home crowd does not guarantee victory, but you have to like your chances if you play your home games in these friendly confines.
Here’s a look at the best home field advantages in the world of HBCU football.
Honorable Mention:
*** O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium is a charming, picturesque venue nestled on the grounds of North Carolina Central University. But don’t get it twisted. Playing in O’Kelly-Riddick is no walk in the park for the opposition. In fact, the CIAA contingent that contributed to this poll thought so much of O’Kelly-Riddick that they lobbied vehemently for Central to be included in the Top 5 home field advantage ranking and not just an honorable mention selectee.
O’Kelly-Riddick’s greatest advantage comes from the closeness of the fans. “They’re right on top of you and in your ear the whole game” one former CIAA player told me. He went on to describe how one of his young teammates was harassed by a particular NCCU fan from pre-game warmups until the final whistle. No wonder that “young buck” had his worse collegiate game that day.
*** Grambling State’shome games may not be as well attended as some of the other schools on this list, but the folks that congregate at Eddie Robinson Stadium on Saturday’s sure make their presence known. Robinson Stadium is one of the largest FCS on-campus stadium in the country. The Tigers have enjoyed 13 undefeated home seasons and a .758 winning percentage at Robinson Stadium since it opened in 1983.
The stadium is in the middle of nowhere which in itself creates a sense of isolationism for visiting squads. Couple that with the lore of Grambling State football, the passion of their fans, and the quality of football the G-Men play and it’s pretty simple to see why playing at Robinson Stadium has proven to be such a difficult task for opponents.
*** If there were no extra weight given for recent success, North Carolina A&T’s Aggie Stadium would have made our Top 5.
A&T fans are amongst the most passionate and rabid in all of FCS athletics. The Blue Death Valley, Aggie Pride and of course the GHOE (Greatest Homecoming on Earth {sorry Howard}) all take up residence in Aggie Stadium. Visiting teams can expect the unpredictable at Aggie Stadium. Just a season ago, a very good Bethune-Cookman team suffered a horrible defeat at the hands of NCA&T and were held to a putrid 5 yards of rushing offense during the process. It’s no coincidence that game was played in Aggie Stadium.
The Top 5
SU vs JSU at Mumford Stadium
#5—Southern University’s A. W. Mumford Stadium
Yeah I know SWACOs. One could argue that Mumford is deserving of the #1 ranking. But like A&T, Southern’s recent hard times resulted in Mumford falling a little lower in the rankings.
SU routinely ranks in the Top 25 in FCS home attendance and unlike some HBCU fans; Jaguar fans are active and loud from the zero quarter to the fifth quarter. The Human Jukebox, the Dancing Dolls, 20,000 plus screaming Louisianans all make Mumford a special place to call home.
SCSU’s Oliver C. Dawson
#4—South Carolina State’s Oliver C. Dawson Stadium
South Carolina State’s Dawson Stadium is one of the best places to catch an HBCU football contest. The fun starts outside of the stadium at the MEAC’s best tailgate party. Inside the stadium, you will find one of the most knowledgeable and loyal group of fans in the HBCU world.
Bulldog fans know when to inject life into the stadium; and when they do Dawson produces a “roar” that is as good as any in FCS football. Oh by the way, the Bulldogs are 19-3 at Dawson over the last 5 years.Pretty good huh?
#3—Florida A&M’s Bragg Memorial Stadium
If you call a Rattler fan arrogant or obnoxious, you’re more likely to receive a thank you than a rebuttal. They are a deeply loyal and passionate bunch who don’t seem to have an issue reminding us all of the rich history of FAMU athletics.On game day they’re extremely boisterous and fully engaged.
The fans alone provide enough of a boost to give FAMU a great home field advantage. When you add in the Florida humidity and a 400+ piece band that has its own cult following into the equation, Bragg Stadium becomes all the more difficult to tame.
Mississippi’s Veterans Memorial Stadium
In 1997, Jackson State set an NCAA FCS attendance record when they averaged 38,873 fans at home games. JSU fans don’t show up just to be seen either. They are loud, rowdy, and very much a part of the game.
The Sonic Boom is a high intensity, “aggressive” band that amplifies the already hostile environment of Mississippi’s Veterans Memorial.
Between the lines, Jackson State owns a .780 winning percentage at Veterans Memorial. Many teams cannot sustain that type of excellence for a 5 year period. JSU has been doing it since they began playing their home games at Veterans Memorial in October of 1967.
The combination of diehard fans, an “in your face” band, and a football history that is steeped in tradition makes Veterans Memorial worthy of receiving the #2 spot in our ranking.
The Dust Bowl
#1—Tuskegee’s Abbott Stadium
Tuskegee’s Abbott Stadium -affectionately known as “The Dust Bowl”- is one of the most unique places to play football in the country. Abbott (originally called Alumni Stadium) was constructed in 1924 and was the first of its kind to be erected on an HBCU campus. To give you some perspective regarding just how much history Abbott Stadium has seen, many of the Tuskegee Airmen were still running around in diapers when the Golden Tigers played their first game at Abbott against Atlanta University. But age isn’t Abbot’s only unique characteristic.
Abbott is one of the only stadiums in the country in which the tailgate occurs inside the stadium (on the hillside). There is also a seemingly out of place barn roof (referred to as “The Shed”) standing over the home-side stands. But when you consider the stadium has no lights and that all home games kickoff at 1:00 in the afternoon, it makes sense to offer fans some sort of protection from the Alabama sun. Players on the field are afforded no such luxury. Not only is the playing surface hot, but the stadium’s design inhibits air from circulating freely, hence the term “The Dust Bowl”.
Tuskegee has been an absolute beast on the field. The Golden Tigers own 8 Black College Football National Championships, 28 SIAC Championships, as well as the title of “The Winningest Team in HBCU History” with 630 victories. More recently, Head Coach Willie Slater boasts a 25-3 home record at Abbot Stadium.
Now that you know how we feel, tell us what you think.Choose your Top 3 HBCU home field advantages.The poll closes the week of July 4th.
It has been more than 48 hours since the debacle at Aggie Stadium and it is still difficult to accept the fact that North Carolina A&T did not just win against Bethune-Cookman, but they dominated the Wildcats in the process.
Any analysis of this game has to begin with a tip of the cap to Coach Rod Broadway, his coaching staff, and the NCA&T football team.In the words of Brian Jenkins: “it was a good old-fashion butt-whooping”.
The Aggies dominated BCU in every facet of the game.Despite having half the number of scholarship players (33 for NCA&T compared to 60+ for BCU), riding a 7 game losing streak against BCU, and losing 67-17 to the Wildcats a year ago on national TV; NCA&T was the better team on Saturday afternoon.The gameplan was simple for the Aggies; run the ball on offense and take away the run on defense. The result was a 22-3 woodshed beating in which NCA&T accumulated 224 yards rushing on 50 attempts; while BCU limped its way to 5 yards rushing on 25 attempts.
The Wildcats entered the contest as the conference’s top ranked offensive unit; however, NCA&T limited the Wildcats to just 108 yards of Total Offense outgaining the Cats by a 3:1 margin in the process (330 yards of Total Offense for NCA&T).
Earlier this season, NCA&T was dismantled 58-6 by Appalachian State and beaten handily by Coastal Carolina 31-14.However, Rod Broadway’s bunch is gaining confidence and improving weekly.The Aggies have won their last two games by a combined score of 46-6.
Troubling Trends
Brian Jenkins’ team has amassed at least 10 penalties for 100 yards in each contest this season.The Wildcats accumulated 15 penalties for 112 yards in Saturday’s contest against NCA&T.In fact, BCU actually had more penalty yards than offensive yards in the game.The timing and nature of the penalties are even more troubling then the excessive number of penalties.
Take the Aggies second possession of the second half as an example.The Wildcat defense held the Aggies for what should have been a second straight “3 and out”.However, on 4th down and 3 on the Aggie side of the field, the Wildcats’ punt return unit was flagged for a ‘neutral zone’ infraction.The penalty gave the Aggies a 1st and 10, allowed them to take over 6 minutes off of the clock, and ultimately led to an Aggie 24 yard FG and 15-3 advantage with little over 2 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. These sorts of careless, mental lapses have plagued the Wildcats all season and proved to be too much to overcome against a determined A&T squad.
But it was not just the penalties that doomed the Wildcats.The offensive line did not block well, the receivers dropped too many passes including a certain touchdown, the quarterbacks did not deliver the ball to open receivers, the defense did not consistently get off blocks, and there were a few critical game management decisions by the coaching staff that were cause for curiosity.It was an all around apathetic and underwhelming performance by the BCU football team and coaching staff.
One team was fully prepared and ready for a 60-minute war, the other was going through the motions and hoping for something good to happen. Only this time it never did.
Brian Jenkins’ ball club produced a similarly lackluster effort last year against Howard University.In that contest, the undermanned Bison outgained BCU on offense 389 yards to 196 yards but 2 defensive scores and a special teams touchdown proved to be the difference for BCU.The Wildcats were unable to produce any defensive touchdowns against the Aggies; however, BCU’s lone points of the afternoon were set-up by a DJ Howard 27 yard interception return.
Part of the maturation process
Coach Jenkins stated that North Carolina A&T was better prepared and more determined than his squad.A quick review of the game stats seems to support this assertion.Most teams seem to have one or two bad games throughout the course of a football season, but you cannot simply give the Wildcats a mulligan for their performance against the Aggies.
The coaching staff must assume responsibility for the team’s unpreparedness.Brian Jenkins regularly emphasizes attention to detail and ball security; yet his team’s continual struggles in these areas were prominently on display in Aggie Stadium this weekend (15 penalties for 112 yards and 4 turnovers including 3 in the 4th quarter).
Perhaps the most head scratching coaching moment of the afternoon came on BCU’s first possession of the second half.Trailing by 9 points (12-3) with slightly more than 10 minutes left in the 3rd quarter, BCU found themselves facing a 4th down and 5 from the Aggie 22 yard line.Instead of kicking an intermediate-range field goal and making it a one-possession contest, coach Jenkins elected to go for the first down.Wide Receiver Maurice Francois was stopped a yard short of the marker and the Wildcats failed to convert.The Aggies seemed to seize full control of the contest from that point forward.
The Wildcats (2-3) return home this week and will look to break their current 2-game losing streak when they faceoff against struggling DII opponent Fort Valley State (1-5) in the first annual Biker Classic.Kickoff is scheduled for 4:00.Game attendees can receive a free (visitor’s side) game ticket with the purchase of a $10 band t-shirt.Click the picture below for more details.
Click the photo to redirect to BCU Athletic website
$90.00
$115.00
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