Bethune-Cookman

What we learned after the 1st two games

/ J Bell / Leave a comment

Stay in the Moment is more than just coach talk.  If you have followed Bethune-Cookman football with any degree of regularity over the past three seasons then surely you have heard Coach Brian Jenkins repeat the phrase ‘stay in the moment’.   This may appear on the surface to be just more sports jargon, but the resiliency of the 2012 Fighting Wildcats suggests they fully believe in the mantra.

The Wildcats registered impressive victories in Week 1 and Week 2 of the season after trailing by 21 and 14 points respectively.  But it is not just overcoming the slow starts that is adding credence to the ‘stay in the moment’ philosophy.  BCU has endured a rash of untimely penalties while in scoring position as well as turnovers setting up great field position for their opponents.  Yet the Wildcats have been able to keep their focus, not panic and persevere; or more plainly stated, ‘STAY IN THE MOMENT’.

The kickoff and punt return units still needs some tweaking. In this past Saturday’s contest against South Carolina State, the Cats used a fumble recovery touchdown on special teams to turn the momentum of game.  Unfortunately for Bethune-Cookman, they are still having trouble producing any kind of spark with other aspects of their special teams units, kickoff returns and punt returns being chief among them.  The Wildcats are averaging just 4.8 yards per punt return (19 yards total through 2 games) and rank last in the conference in kickoff return average at just 12.4 yards per return.  BCU has not registered a kickoff or punt return TD since the 2010 season.

The new defensive regulars are filling in nicely.  We expected solid production from DJ Howard, Harold Love, Jarkevis Fields and other returning defensive starters/regulars.  But one of the off-season question marks was how productive the host of new defensive regulars would be; and how long would it take them to make a positive impact.  As a unit, the defense has held opponents to just 7 total points after the 1st quarter.  First year starting safety Nick Addison is tied for the team lead in tackles (14) and UCF transfer LeBrandon Richardson leads the team in sacks (4).   Linebackers Nesly Marcellon and Dawud Lane and defensive end Markeil Floyd have also been very productive through the first two contests.

This team has an opportunity to be exceptionally good.  We are not yet a quarter of the way through the season and BCU has not come close to playing a complete game on either side of the ball thus far.  Even still the Beach Cats scored convincing victories over two very good football teams in Alabama State and South Carolina State respectively.  Offensively the rushing attack is as good as it has been in the Brian Jenkins era;  both Jackie Wilson and Brock Waters seem capable at the quarterback position; the offensive line is experienced and huge; and Eddie Poole, KJ Stroud, and David Blackwell make up as good of a trio of wide-receivers as you’ll find in the conference.  Defensively the Wildcats have been phenomenal after the first quarter of games allowing just 7 total points in the 2nd quarter and 0 points after halftime.  If the Cats can find a way to get off to better starts and eliminate some of the penalties, this team can not only win a MEAC title but also a few playoff games.  But I suppose that I should not look that far ahead and just “Stay in the Moment”.

Next up for Bethune-Cookman is a Saturday match-up against perennial power the University of Miami .  Kickoff is scheduled for noon.

5 Questions heading into Bethune-Cookman football camp

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BCU’s 2012 football season officially kicked off on Thursday morning with the opening of Fall camp at the New Smyrna Sports Complex.  The new season brings with it a ton of excitement, high expectations, and the challenges of the unknown.

Here are 5 of our most pressing questions heading into camp.

1. Who will be the Wildcat’s primary signal caller this year?

Coming out of Spring practice, Jackie Wilson was tops on the Wildcats’ depth chart at quarterback.  Wilson completed over 66% of his pass attempts last year and was undefeated as a starter against FCS competition. The 6’0”, 215 pound Junior from Ft Lauderdale is expected to be pushed for the starting nod by Louisiana Tech transfer, Brock Waters (Sr.) and redshirt Freshman and 2010 Florida Mr. Football, Quentin Williams. 

Waters seems to be the best of the three with his legs, Williams with his arm, and Wilson the best dual threat.

2. Which newcomer will have the greatest impact on the squad?

Many HBCU pundits rated Bethune-Cookman’s 2012 signing class as the best in all of black college football.  Several of the 2012 signees will have a chance to step in and contribute right away.  Here are a few of the new faces that we’ll be watching closely. 

–Brandon Bryant, UCF transfer, has tremendous ability and could step in and fill one of the vacated defensive end slots right away.

–Brock Waters, La Tech transfer, is a versatile athlete who can play any of the three offensive skill positions (QB, RB, and WR).  

–Ray Martin is an explosive WR/return specialist from Sanford Seminole high school.  Martin was a bona fide playmaker at the high school level and a threat to “break one” at any time.

3. Will the Wildcats be able to compensate for the loss of six defensive starters from a year ago?

This year’s defensive unit may be more athletic, faster, and deeper than last year’s defensive group. The problem is this year’s defensive unit is far less experienced.

Gone are six starters from a year ago, three of whom are currently on NFL rosters (Ryan Davis-Jaguars, Jean Fanor-Chiefs, and Ryan Lewis-Dolphins). 

Defensive lineman Harold Love III, linebacker Jarkevis Fields, and safety DJ Howard are all 2012 Preseason All-MEAC selectees.  Love, Fields and Howard are proven playmakers at all three levels of the defense (line, linebackers, and secondary).  The trio will need to provide leadership and stability to those around them and help facilitate the growth of players like Brandon Bryant, Tavarus Dantzler, and Nick Addison. 

4. Will the Cats win their first ever FCS playoff game?

Bethune-Cookman is 0’fer in FCS playoff games and the MEAC is 0 for its last 12 in the FCS playoffs.  This year seems as good as any to finally break those dubious streaks.  But before the Wildcats can hope to win a playoff game, they must first navigate an arduous schedule and win the conference’s automatic qualifier.

The Cats first four conference matchups are against powerhouse South Carolina State (09/08), Hampton (09/29), North Carolina A&T (10/06), and Norfolk State (10/20).  BCU fell to SCSU and NCA&T last season, they narrowly escaped Hampton thanks to a replay decision after regulation time expired, and NSU is the defending conference champion.  YIKES!

5. Will the institution and the City of Daytona Beach resolve the issue surrounding the $3 surcharge added to game tickets before the season begins?

The City of Daytona, in hopes to offset the cost of installing the synthetic playing surface at Municipal Stadium, has once again proposed that a $3 surcharge be added to each BCU game ticket.   The school has offered a counter-proposal which the City is said to be reviewing. 

Neither side can afford to have this issue linger very long.  An unused stadium (and consequently unsold hotel rooms and fewer dollars spent at local restaurants, retail outfits, and gas stations) serves no benefit to the City of Daytona Beach. And changing venues this close to the start of the season would be a logistical nightmare for BCU. 

Let’s hope that an amicable solution can be reached in the coming days.

Stadium issue still unresolved

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DAYTONA BEACH — Although practices start in a month and tickets are already on sale, Bethune-Cookman University’s football team still doesn’t have an agreement with the city to use Municipal Stadium this fall for games.

“We’re having frank discussions,” said Lynn Thompson, Bethune-Cookman’s athletic director. “At this point we’ve had a couple of meetings. We want to put this behind us.”

The city proposed a $3 per ticket surcharge, the same proposal that was rejected last year, and Bethune-Cookman said no again.

“We’re waiting for a response,” Thompson said. “We want a figure and a process that works for everybody.”

The city is going through the college’s counter proposal, which includes some creative ideas such as Bethune-Cookman officials and athletes volunteering at the new Midtown Cultural and Educational Center and putting on free football camps for kids. The city should have a reply soon and then another meeting should be held soon after that, Percy Williamson, the city’s leisure services director, said this week.

Click here for the full story.  http://www.news-journalonline.com/sports/college/2012/06/29/bethune-cookman-university-daytona-beach-at-odds-over-fees-for-municipal-stadium-games.html

What to watch for at the Wildcats’ Spring Game

/ J Bell / 1 Comment

The 2012 Spring Game will be played on April 21st at 4:00 p.m. at Municipal Stadium

In less than 72 hours, the maroon and gold faithful will receive their first glimpse at the 2012 version of the Fighting Wildcats.

I must admit that the actual Spring Game means very little in the grand scheme of things.  Coaches only install a fraction of their offensive and defensive systems during Spring drills, the starters receive fewer reps than they normally would during the regular season, and half of this year’s recruiting class have yet to even graduate from high school.   However, the Spring game is the best and only real football-like barometer that we can use to measure our favorite football squads in late April.

So with that disclaimer, here are some of the players and positions that I will be paying keen attention to during Saturday’s glorified scrimmage.

Anthony Jordan (Running Back) —  The 230 pound bruiser from North Atlanta High School led the squad with 9 rushing touchdowns last season.  He has been one of the most raved about players in Spring drills this year.  Jordan, who  has an exceptional work ethic, is trying to prove to the coaching staff that he can be more than just a short yardage back.

Lavon McCoy (Offensive Guard) —   BIG Lavon McCoy; and by BIG I mean almost 400 pounds BIG, was a highly touted prospect with offers from USC, Oregon, and the University of Washington coming out of high school.  He is one of those players that Coach Jenkins has mentioned that we’re very fortunate to have.  Last year, McCoy played exclusively on the defensive side of the ball.  He demonstrated very good foot work and quickness at defensive tackle.  This year he is moving to the offensive side of the ball and is expected to play offensive guard.  His Junior College highlight film shows him playing both defensive tackle and offensive guard.  McCoy looks great as a defensive tackle prospect but even better as an offensive guard.  It will be interesting to see how productive McCoy can be against FCS competition.

Tavarus Dantzler (Linebacker) — Tavarus Dantzler has been penciled in as the next big thing at linebacker for the Wildcats.  He has good size at 6’3″, 230 lbs, but his game is built on speed.  Dantzler can flat out fly.  Defensive Coordinator Yogi Jones has stated that he believes Dantzler can be a very special player and an all conference performer.  Let’s hope that Dantzler rises to the occasion and fulfill his potential.

Defensive Line — Ryan Davis was simply the best defensive player in HBCU football last year.  I am not quite sure that one player will be able to fill the void left by Davis’ departure.  Instead, the Wildcat defensive front may look to maintain last year’s productivity levels by committee.  Harold Love, Anthony Woodard, and Tevin Toney all had very good campaigns last year.  Erik Williams rejoins Coach Earl Lane’s defensive unit after being sidelined with an injury a season ago.  Brandon Bryant and LeBranden Richardson are UCF transfers who will look to have an impact on the defensive line as well.

Jim Pry (Offensive Coordinator) — Okay, so we will not be able to make any legitimate or rational assessments about new offensive coordinator, Jim Pry’s, play calling after Saturday’s contest.  But what I hope to see is Pry’s influence on the passing game; and how the quarterbacks and receivers are understanding the principles of Pry’s passing attack.  Pry is a disciple of the vertical passing game.  His route combinations are not stagnant or predefined.  Instead, receivers have options on each route (think Mike Leach and the Air Coryell offenses).

Quarterback —  Jackie Wilson ended last season with a 66% completion rate and showed tremendous growth as the Wildcats primary signal caller.  But Wilson is not a shoe-in to be the starting quarterback in 2012.  Former Florida Mr. Football, Quentin Williams, is competing with Wilson and Broadrick Waters (La Tech transfer) to be Brian Jenkins’ trigger-man come September.

Jekyll-and-Hyde Eagles are a mystery, even to their coach, Henry Frazier

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Associated Press

NCCU QB Michael Johnson

DURHAM — Sounding ominous just days before Halloween, N.C. Central coach

Henry Frazier III said he’s never sure whether the Eagles he sees all week at practice will be the same ones who will show up on game day.

“We’ve been Jekyll-and-Hyde all season. I really don’t know which team is going to show up,” Frazier said.

It’s as if the Eagles looked at the schedule and circled the contests they believed required their “A” games, Frazier said.

If that’s the case, it would seem Saturday’s game against Bethune-Cookman (2 p.m., nccueaglepride.com) is highlighted, because it’s homecoming, and there’s something about putting on a good show for the alums.

The Eagles better come ready to play, because Bethune-Cookman is no joke, Frazier said. The Wildcats can run it, pass it and sure enough will hit, he said.

“That 49 on defense is something else. He’s a grown man out there,” Frazier said about Bethune-Cookman defensive end Ryan Davis. “Their defense is a bunch of grown men running around.”

Last week against Norfolk State, Davis had 3.5 sacks, 11 tackles, forced a fumble and recovered another and was credited with a quarterback hurry, all of which made him not only the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week but also brought in Bethune-Cookman’s first National Football Championship Subdivsion Defensive Player of the Week award from The Sports Network/Fathead.com, given weekly to the top defender in the nation.

It’s not just Bethune-Cookman’s defense that furrows Frazier’s brow.

“Everything is of concern,” Frazier said.

NCCU’s defensive backs will have to make sure Wildcat wide receiver Eddie Poole is accounted for, and Bethune-Cookman doesn’t have just one or two running backs but a stable of them who all see time in the backfield and know what to do when they get their hands on the ball, Frazier said.

“They break tackles,” Frazier said. “We’re talking gang tackling.”

Bethune-Cookman running back Isidore Jackson last week was the MEAC Offensive Player of the Week after averaging 6.5 yards per carry and finishing with 206 yards.

“All of our running backs are capable of doing what Ike did,” Bethune-Cookman coach Brian Jenkins said.

The Wildcats (4-3) have at least five solid running backs, but if one of them particularly is doing his thing out there on the field, then that guy might get most of the carries, Jenkins said.

NCCU (1-6) has yet to win a game in the conference since returning this season as a full MEAC member.

“North Carolina Central is probably the best one-win team that I’ve seen, and I don’t mean that with any disrespect,” Jenkins said. “They’re no slouch, now.”

Jenkins said NCCU probably should have beaten South Carolina. State, a team that for years has set the standard in the MEAC.

“They had South Carolina State on the ropes,” Jenkins said.

He was referring to S.C. State’s 49-38 over the Eagles earlier this season. NCCU has lost five straight, including last week’s 30-27 overtime defeat at Hampton.

“We’re not looking at them lightly or overlooking them,” Jenkins said of the Eagles. “They’re very disciplined and sound.”

Frazier wouldn’t agree about that discipline part. The Eagles committed 133 yards of penalties in each of their last two games. Those flags have been real thorns, Frazier said.

Still, eliminate NCCU’s record and what the Eagles are is a good football team, Jenkins insisted.

“Offensively, their quarterback gets rid of the football pretty fast, and they throw the ball up and down the field on people,” Jenkins said.

NCCU’s offense is efficient and can score, the Eagles play swarming defense and overall that team just plain plays hard, Jenkins said.

Thing is, there’s no telling which NCCU ball club will show up for the game, according to Frazier.

http://heraldsun.com/pages/sports_nccu

After Further Review

/ J Bell / Leave a comment

BCU Fans looking for a short-term investment opportunity this week may want to consider the following: 7-3-6. According to the Florida Lottery’s website, Cash 3 players short-term investors using these numbers have a 1:1000 chance of winning the daily grand prize. For those that receive no return on their investment, consider yours 1 of the more than $22 billion donated to education; or perhaps you should consider your investment an honorarium on behalf of NCAA Approving Rule (A.R.) 7-3-6, that is to say NCAA football Rule 7, Section 3, Article 6, subsections IX, XII, XIII.

A.R. 7-3-6 is the Rule that was cited and allowed replay officials to overturn Hampton receiver Isiah Thomas’ apparent game-winning touchdown catch as time expired. BCU survived with a 35-31 victory over Hampton. Wildcat fans can take consolation in the fact that the game officials got the call right. The rule (specifically subsections IX, XII, and XIII) states that an airborne receiver must maintain control of the ball while going to the ground, when he hits the ground, and after hitting the ground. http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/FR12.pdf (page 164). Here’s an excerpt:

IX. “Airborne receiver A85 grasps a forward pass and in the process of going to the ground, first contacts the ground with his left foot as he falls to the ground inbounds. Immediately upon A85 hitting the ground, the ball comes loose and touches the ground. RULING: Incomplete pass. An airborne receiver must maintain control of the ball while going to the ground in the process of completing a catch”.

XII. “Receiver A85 stretches out at the Team B two-yard line and grasps a forward pass and is going to the ground on his own as he is attempting to complete the catch. As A85 falls to the ground in the end zone, the ball immediately comes loose and falls to the ground. RULING: Incomplete pass. Any receiver going to the ground on his own in the process of making a catch must maintain control of the ball when he hits the ground”.

XIII. “Receiver A85 is airborne in the end zone and grasps a forward pass, but while airborne he is hit by a defender, which causes A85 to fall to the ground. Immediately upon A85 hitting the ground, the ball comes loose and strikes the ground. RULING: Incomplete pass. An airborne receiver contacted before completing all the requirements of a catch must still maintain control of the ball after hitting the ground”.

The video evidence clearly shows that the Hampton receiver was airborne and that he did not maintain possession after hitting the ground. The ruling of incomplete pass was absolutely correct. It is a tough way to lose if you are a Pirate fan, but kudos to the officials for getting the call right.

Sweet Relief

Jackie Wilson replaced Jamarr Robinson at quarterback with just over 3:00 remaining in the 3rd quarter. He ended the night completing 5 of his 6 pass attempts with 2 touchdowns. Eddie Poole –who muscled the ball away from Hampton corner back Kambrell McGee in the corner of the endzone- was the recipient of Wilson’s 2nd td toss. The play capped an 80-yard touchdown drive that proved to be the game winner. The Wildcat offense outscored Hampton’s offense 21-0 in the second half.

Rodney Scott had his best statistical game as a BCU football player. Scott racked up 176 yards of total offense (126 rushing and 30 receiving) including a spectacular 33 yard td catch and run in which he broke three tackles in route to the endzone.

Other Memorable finishes at Municipal Stadium

  • 1998- BCU set an NCAA record defeating Virginia State (VSU) 63-57 in the 8th overtime session. The most memorable moment in that game occurred in the 7th overtime when Wildcat defensive tackle Damion Cook returned a blocked field goal attempt 60 plus yards for a certain game winning touchdown. However, Cook’s attempted celebratory dive in to the endzone fell just short. Cook landed at the VSU 1 yard line and earned the nickname “Big-Dive” as a result of the play. Cook went on to enjoy 5 seasons as an NFL player.
  • 2001- A controversial clipping call on a Rashean Mathis 4th quarter punt return  touchdown negated a Wildcat go ahead score against eventual MEAC champion NC A&T. The homecoming jubilation of 16,725 Wildcat fans was spoiled as the Aggies went on to win the contest 16-14.

Team Stat Comparison

  Hampton Bethune-Cook.
1st Downs

19

21
3rd down efficiency

7-18

6-12
4th down efficiency

2-3

1-2
Total Yards

417

414
Passing

225

154
Comp-Att

14-29

13-21
Yards per pass

7.8

7.3
Rushing

192

260
Rushing Attempts

46

48
Yards per rush

4.2

5.4
Penalties

12-107

10-69
Turnovers

0

3
Fumbles lost

0

2
Interceptions thrown

0

1
Possession

28:36

31:24

 

Scoring Summary

FIRST QUARTER

HAMP

COOK
  TD 09:27 David Allen 8 Yd Run (Sven Hurd Kick)

0

7
 p FG 05:38 Taurean Durham 20 Yd

3

7
  TD 04:59 David Allen 1 Yd Run (Sven Hurd Kick)

3

14
 p TD 01:50 Isaiah Thomas 50 Yd Pass From David Legree (Taurean Durham Kick)

10

14
SECOND QUARTER

HAMP

COOK
 p TD 03:47 David Legree 3 Yd Run (Taurean Durham Kick)

17

14
 p TD 01:26 David Legree 37 Yd Run (Taurean Durham Kick)

24

14
THIRD QUARTER

HAMP

COOK
  TD 11:28 Eddie Poole 6 Yd Pass From David Allen (Sven Hurd Kick)

24

21
  TD 00:37 Rodney Scott 33 Yd Pass From Jackie Wilson (Sven Hurd Kick)

24

28
FOURTH QUARTER

HAMP

COOK
 p TD 09:15 Jeremy Jermin 20 Yd Interception Return (Taurean Durham Kick)

31

28
  TD 02:50 Eddie Poole 13 Yd Pass From Jackie Wilson (Sven Hurd Kick)

31

35

 

 

 

 

Cats fall 26-18 to SCSU–Recap

/ J Bell / Leave a comment

SC State QB Derrick Wiley

Chances are you won’t notice Darius Dummond’s 45 and 33 yard punt returns if you’re reviewing the game’s box score.  But a frustrated Brian Jenkins revealed in his post-game press conference that the “two plays that won (South Carolina State) the game were (Drummond’s) two punt returns”. 

The Bulldogs scored their first touchdown of the season three plays after Drummond’s 45 yard punt return midway through the 3rd quarter.  Tyler McDonald caught an 8 yard touchdown pass from Richard Cue who replaced Derrick Wiley on the drive.  It was Cue’s first completion as a college quarterback.  Drummond’s final punt return of the day (for 33 yards) gave the Bulldogs 1st and goal from the Wildcat’s 5 yard line. SCSU capitalized on the outstanding field position and scored the go-ahead touchdown on a Derrick Wiley QB keeper with 4:46 remaining in the 4th quarter.

Dominique Ellis padded South Carolina State’s lead 46 seconds later when he returned Jamarr Robinson’s third interception of the contest 55 yards for a touchdown.  Bethune drove the ball 48 yards to the Bulldog 5 yard line but the possession stalled on downs.

Missed Opportunites

  • QB Jamarr Robinson threw 4 interceptions in the contest, 2 of which occurred in the redzone.  The Wildcats were 1 of 4 in redzone opportunites on the afternoon.  BCU turned the ball over 7 times in total (4 ints, 1 loss fumble, twice on downs).  The Cats also racked up 10 penalties for 100 yards. 
  •  BCU safety DJ Howard dropped a certain interception midway through the 3rd quarter.  A wall of blockers were setup in front of Howard, but what could have been a BCU pick 6 ended as a SCSU score.  Howard’s pass deflection bounced into the hands of Tyler McDonald resulting in a Bulldog touchdown.
  • Sven Hurd, who was 9-9 in extra point attempts coming into the contest, missed his first extra point attempt of the afternoon. 
  • BCU could not capitalize on a great showing by its defense.  The Wildcat defense held the Bulldogs to 54 yards passing, 211 total yards, and produced 5 turnovers.  Thanks to their Special Teams, SCSU’s offense scored 2 touchdowns covering 11 yards and 5 yards respectively.  The Bulldog defense accounted for an additional touchdown (Dominique Ellis’ 55 yard interception return) as well as a defensive safety. 

Click the following link to watch a replay of the game: http://espn.go.com/espn3/index?id=312532065

Team Stat Comparison

 
 

S Carolina St
 

Bethune-Cook.
1st Downs 12 24
Total Yards 211 397
Passing 54 245
Rushing 157 152
Penalties 10-103 10-100
3rd Down Conversions 6-15 5-15
4th Down Conversions 1-1 0-2
Turnovers 5 5
Possession 24:14 35:46
 

Passing Leaders

 
South Carolina State C/ATT YDS AVG TD INT
Wiley 7/19 46 2.4 0 2
 
Bethune-Cookman C/ATT YDS AVG TD INT
Robinson 25/45 245 5.4 2 4
 

Rushing Leaders

 
South Carolina State CAR YDS AVG TD LG
Wiley 19 121 6.4 1 45
Jordan 12 38 3.2 0 11
 
Bethune-Cookman CAR YDS AVG TD LG
Jackson 17 92 5.4 0 25
Scott 9 38 4.2 0 15
 

Receiving Leaders

 
South Carolina State REC YDS AVG TD LG
McDonald 2 23 11.5 1 15
Williams 2 14 7.0 0 10
 
Bethune-Cookman REC YDS AVG TD LG
Francois 7 121 17.3 0 40
Poole 9 74 8.2 1 44
 

Scoring Summary

FIRST QUARTER SCST COOK
  SF 11:50 Isidore Jackson Tackled By Ronell Ferguson In End Zone 2 0
  FG 10:12 Blake Erickson 48 Yd 5 0
  TD 07:53 Eddie Poole 44 Yd Pass From Jamarr Robinson (Pat Failed) 5 6
SECOND QUARTER SCST COOK
  SF 13:39 – Team Tackled By Eddie Poole In End Zone 5 8
THIRD QUARTER SCST COOK
  TD 07:20 Tyler McDonald 8 Yd Pass From Richard Cue (Blake Erickson Kick) 12 8
  TD 02:46 Jordan Murphy 12 Yd Pass From Jamarr Robinson (Sven Hurd Kick) 12 15
FOURTH QUARTER SCST COOK
  FG 10:51 Sven Hurd 41 Yd 12 18
  TD 04:46 Derrick Wiley 3 Yd Run (Blake Erickson Kick) 19 18
  TD 04:00 Dominique Ellis 55 Yd Interception Return (Blake Erickson Kick) 26 18
 

Cats and Dogs

/ J Bell / 2 Comments

Frazier versus Ali; that’s the way Coach Brian Jenkins described this weekend’s conference showdown with powerhouse South Carolina State. The two squads enter the contest as the #1 and #2 ranked teams in the Sheridan Broadcasting Network’s Black College Football Poll. The winner of this heavyweight matchup will emerge as the clear frontrunner to this year’s MEAC crown. The loser will find themselves “scoreboard watching” and wishing for help over the weeks to come.

Brian Jenkins’ club ended SCSU’s 21-game conference win streak last year and was the first MEAC squad to blank the Bulldogs at home in over 30 years.

Previewing the Dogs

Buddy Pough’s Bulldogs have grown unaccustomed with losing over recent years. Take last week’s defeat against Central Michigan (CMU) as an example. SCSU lost by 15 points, on the road against an FBS opponent. Most FCS schools would consider that a good showing; but not Bulldog fans. Many members of the “Dog pound” believe South Carolina State was good enough to win that game and Brian Jenkins tends to agree. In his weekly teleconference, Coach Jenkins stated that SCSU was three makeable plays away from pulling off the upset against CMU.

SCSU boasts one of the best defenses in FCS football (2nd in total defense in 2010). The Bulldog defense held CMU to 256 yards of total offense and 21 points last week. By comparison, BCU’s offense produced nearly double the yardage output (500 yards) and triple the points scored (63) against Prairie View in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge. South Carolina State has at least one all-conference performer at all three levels of their defense (Patrick Washington-DL, Donovan Richard-LB, Dominique Ellis-DB). Washington is an extremely athletic, havoc causing defensive lineman. His style of play is very similar to that of BCU defensive end, Ryan Davis. The Wildcat offense must account for Washington in both the running and passing game. Donovan Richard is an above average linebacker who possess great range and speed. He recorded 10 tackles (1 tackle for a loss) in last week’s defeat at CMU.

SCSU QB Derrick Wiley

On the offensive side of the ball, Derrick Wiley is a mobile quarterback who struggled with his accuracy a week ago. Wiley and the Bulldogs are without the services of wide receiver Lennel Elmore who is ineligible due to grades. Elmore led the Bulldogs in receiving and was an All-MEAC performer a year ago. The Dogs will depend upon Asheton Jordan (RB) and the running game to carry the load until the passing game gets on track. Jordan is a physical runner with decent speed. He’ll lineup behind an offensive line that featured four new starters and struggled to establish the line of scrimmage last week against CMU.

Blake Erickson is the place kicker and he gives the Bulldogs a decided advantage in the kicking game.

A Closer Look at the Wildcats

In spite BCU’s 49 point victory to open the season, there is still much room for improvement. QB, Jamarr Robinson racked up 281 yards of offense (251 passing and 30 rushing) and earned MVP honors at last week’s MEAC/SWAC Challenge. However, Robinson appeared to miss on a few reads in the passing game and was errant on several throws. The Wildcats also committed far too many penalties last week (12 penalties for 132 yards).

On a positive note, BCU’s offensive and defensive fronts dominated the line of scrimmage. Particularly impressive was the play of defensive tackles Harold Love, Jameil Farrington, and Lavon McCoy. Another impressive sight from last week’s contest was the quality of depth displayed by the Wildcats. Coach Jenkins seemingly rotated 3 or 4 players on every play, yet there was no noticeable drop off in talent.

Fighting like Cats and Dogs

Bethune’s offense versus South Carolina State’s defense is strength against strength. The outcome of this game will likely depend upon the play of the other units. Can the Bulldog offense effectively run the ball and limit the possessions of BCU’s high-powered offense? Will the Wildcat’s opportunistic defense force turnovers (6 takeaways last week) and short field situations? Which squad will ascend as the top team in black college football? We’ll have our answers to these questions when this highly anticipated matchup kickoff at 4:00, Saturday, September 10th at Municipal Stadium.

Can’t Wait!!!!

___________________________________________________________

 Interesting Notes

  • BCU ranked 1st in Total Offense and Scoring Offense in the MEAC last year.
  • SCSU ranked 1st in Total Defense and Scoring Defense in the conference.

Last 10 contests in the series—

  • BCU and SCSU are 5-5 in their last 10 meetings.

Recent Memorable Matchups —

  • 2005—SCSU QB Cleveland McCoy led the Bulldogs on a game winning 17 play, 80 yard 4th quarter touchdown drive to defeat the Wildcats 27-24 in Jacksonville.
  • 2006—After trailing by 14 points, Coach Alvin Wyatt scrapped the Wyatt-Bone offense in favor of a 4 wide receiver set. BCU scored 45 unanswered points and defeated the Bulldogs 45-21. BCU QB, Jarrod Rucker threw 5 touchdowns in that contest.
  • 2010—BCU defeated 14-0 in Orangeburg ending the Bulldog’s 21-game conference winning streak.

DJ Howard named MEAC defensive player of the week

/ J Bell / Leave a comment

MEAC ANNOUNCES WEEKLY FOOTBALL HONORS – MEACsports.com – The Official Site of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

bDJ Howard (S, 6-0, 185, r-So., Daytona Beach, Fla.) made five tackles in the secondary, three solo, as the Wildcats defeated Prairie View A&M 63-14 in the annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Disney.  He scooped up a fumble early in the second quarter and returned it 31 yards for a touchdown.  Howard also halted a time expiring score in the second quarter for PVAMU by capturing his first interception on the season. 

Norfolk State QB Chris Walley was named offensive player of the week.  Other top performers includes BCU’s:

Nick Addison–blocked a punt and collected three tackles, two solo, in his collegiate debut against Prairie View A&M.  

Corey Mason–anchored the Wildcats offensive line that accounted for 500 yards of total offense against Prairie View A&M.

Jamarr Robinson–accounted for 281 total offensive yards with three touchdowns in the Wildcats’ 63-14 rout of Prairie View A&M in the annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Disney.

Click the above link to read the full story.