South Carolina State head coach Buddy Pough still vividly remembers one particular matchup against longtime rival Bethune-Cookman.
— Read on hbcusports.com/2022/09/07/bethune-cookman-south-carolina-state-preparing-for-annual-early-season-brawl/
Bethune
Week Two All HAILS…..
As we prepare to look ahead at Bethune-Cookman’s Week 3 matchup with FBS opponent Florida Atlantic, let’s first reflect back on a few things that deserve an “All Hail” from the Wildcats’ impressive road win over Southland Conference foe Southeastern Louisiana.
ALL HAIL Larry Brihm and the passing offense! Brihm finished the evening 25/39 for 354 yards and 2 touchdowns through the air. Brihm also added a 1 yard rushing score which proved to be the game winner with 6:04 remaining in the 4th. The performance was good enough to earn the senior quarterback MEAC Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors. Senior wide out Jawill Davis and junior Keavon Mitchell both eclipsed the 100 yard receiving mark. Davis registered 7 receptions for 138 yards and 1 TD while Mitchell recorded 6 grabs for 125 including a 47 yarder on the Wildcats opening drive which set up a Brihm to Anthony Cruz 11 yard hook up for the game’s first score.
ALL HAIL the BCU secondary. Trevor Merritt, Diquan Richardson and Elliott Miller reinforced their “no fly zone” moniker by each picking off a pass in Saturday’s contest. The BCU secondary locked down the SLU receivers and permitted a pedestrian 93 passing yards on the evening.
Defense….Defense- It wasn’t just the secondary who impressed on the defensive side of the ball. The entire squad deserves an ALL HAIL Salute! The Wildcat D only surrendered one touchdown on the evening. The other SLU TD came on a 92 yard kickoff return (#fixthat). Yogi Jones unit came up with several huge stops including the 3 picks by Merritt, Richardson and Miller and by limiting the Lions to a field goal after turning the ball over on its own 9 yard line. The biggest defensive stand came in the final minutes of the contest when the Wildcat D kept the Lions out of the endzone with 1:27 remaining and preserved a 28-23 win. Familiarize yourself with the name Uriah Gilbert. The 6’3”, 325 pound freshman, hailing from Ocala’s Trinity Catholic High School, helped control Southeastern’s inside rushing attack. Gilbert finished the contest with 7 tackles (including 1 for a loss). Gilbert has a lot of the same qualities as did former Wildcat DT Demarcus Womack. Linebacker Alexander Morales paced BCU with 9 tackles.
ALL HAIL the Southeastern Louisiana fan base. Well, almost all of the fan base. There was that one shirtless dude walking around on the visitor’s side showing his drawers and picking fights but he was the outlier. The other SLU fans were amazing. There must have been a dozen SLU fans who congratulated me on the win after the contest. They were extremely complimentary of the guys in maroon and gold and they expressed genuine concerned about the looming arrival of Hurricane Irma in Florida. The Lion fan base wished us well in weathering the storm and in the remaining contests this season. #SouthernHospitality
Speaking of Southern Hospitality. Big ups…check that…ALL HAIL Southern University for allowing Terry Sims and his squad to use their facilities this week because of travel delays associated with Hurricane Irma. Thanks for the HBCU love and hospitality.
No ALL HAILS to the three turnovers committed by the offense or the 14 penalties for 132 yards collected by the squad. If the Wildcats can address the turnover and penalty issues adequately, an upset win over next week’s FBS opponent FAU is not out of the question. The contest gets underway at 6:30pm at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton. You can join us in supporting the Fighting Wildcats by hopping on the HailWildcats.com Fan Bus. Click here for more details.
Top 5 Moments of Terry Sims Era
One, two, three—(one). One, two, three—(two). One, two, three—(three). Oh, don’t mind us! We’re just stretching the muscles and trying to loosen up before the kickoff of the 2017 football season.
There is a ton of anticipation heading into Bethune-Cookman’s Fall camp as Terry Sims and his men prepare to rebound after suffering its first losing season since 2009. Before we begin our look ahead at @BCUGridiron’s 2017 “RESURGE” campaign, let’s take a quick look back at the Wildcat’s Top 5 Moments under now 3rd year head coach Terry Sims.
Starting in reverse order
#5 First Florida Classic victory (2015)
A victory over a one-win team is not normally considered a memorable one, however, when said victory is over your archrival in your first match-up against them as head coach, it definitely gets elevated to the category of memorable.
Quentin Williams passed for three touchdowns and ran for another that November afternoon as BCU thumped the Rattlers 35-14 in the 2015 edition of the Florida Blue Florida Classic.
The win earned BCU its 5th consecutive victory over FAMU and its fourth consecutive MEAC crown.
#4 SCSU Blacked Out (2015)
The Thursday Night “Blackout Contest” televised on ESPNU saw BCU rally late in the 4th quarter to secure a 17-14 victory over MEAC foe South Carolina State.
Quarterback Quentin Williams played a large role in the win hitting Ja-Quan Lumas for a 2 yard touchdown in the third quarter before rushing for the go-ahead score with 5:14 remaining in the contest.
#3 Circle the Wagons (2016)
After a rash of untimely injuries, lackluster performances and a stunning loss to Savannah State, the 2016 Wildcats were 0-5 and fighting for the future of the program by mid-October.
Sims rallied his guys, led them into The Commonwealth and earned a tough 21-14 victory at Norfolk State. The Beach Cats followed up the NSU win with strong performances against Delaware State, Morgan State and Florida A&M winning those contests by an average margin of victory of 27 points.
It was the first time all year BCU looked like the team predicted to compete for a MEAC crown at the beginning of the season. That string of victories breathed life back into the program and Sims will surely look to ride that momentum as his troops attempt to fight their way back to the pinnacle of the MEAC this season.
Frank Brown – 2017 1st Team All-MEAC
#2 BLOCKED (NCCU 2015)
Hurricane Joaquin forced the 2015 matchup with North Carolina Central to be moved up two hours as North Carolina declared a state of emergence ahead of the contest.
BCU lead the game 7-6 at halftime but NCCU stormed out of the locker room and took a commanding 19 point lead into the final minute of the 3rd quarter.
The Wildcats scored 21 unanswered to take a 28-26 lead but this is when the real thunderstorm began.
The Eagles marched 92 yards to the Wildcats 1-yardline in the final minutes of the contests. On 3rd and goal from the 1 yard line, Central thought they scored the go-ahead touchdown but replay officials rained on that thought and ruled the ball never crossed the threshold of the goal line.
No sweat right! All Central had to do was lineup and convert a routine18 yard field goal to secure its 2nd ever victory over BCU. DIDN’T HAPPEN!
Freshman DB Elliott Miller BLOCKED Nigel Macauley’s 18 yard FG attempt and the Wildcats held on for the rain soaked win.
#1 Sims Earns First Ever Win at Grambling State (2015)
Quarterback changes, momentum swings, 109 total points, over 1000 yards of total offense….this game had just about everything.
Larry Brihm and Quentin Williams combined to throw for 463 yards and six touchdowns as Bethune-Cookman scored late and held on for a 56-53 victory over Grambling State at Eddie Robinson Stadium in 2015.
BCU trailed by double digits twice in the matchup and there were 6 lead changes in all. The Wildcats took the final lead at the 3:37 mark in the 4th when Williams hit Jawill Davis, who finished with 199 yards, on a 29-yard scoring strike to claim a 49-46 advantage. Bethune added another score with 1:48 left when Anthony Jordan ran in from 41 yards out. Jordan’s score proved to be the game winner as Grambling quickly marched down the field and Johna Williams hit Chester Rogers with a 12-yard scoring strike with 54 seconds left to round out the final score at 56-53.
The win was the first for Terry Sims.
Jenkins fined by MEAC for Critizing Officials
Bethune-Cookman head football coach Brian Jenkins has received a letter of reprimand and has been fined by the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference for his public comments concerning officiating following the Bethune-Cookman/North Carolina Central football game on Saturday, November 2, Commissioner Dennis Thomas announced today.
Coach Jenkins violated the MEAC’s Bylaw on criticizing officials which states that members of the coaching staffs, student-athletes, or other representatives of participating institutions shall not make public statements critical of officiating in any MEAC contests or events.
“It is unfortunate that Coach Jenkins decided to violate the conference’s policy on criticizing officials,” Thomas said. “I hope that in the future that he will be in compliance with the policy.”
Live Chat – BCU vs. CCU 1st Round FCS Playoffs
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The Live Chat will provide posters with a highly interactive platform in which they can discuss and follow the game as it is happening live. The Live Chat interfaces with Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube.
@BCUAthletics, @BCUExaminer, and @HailWildcats Twitter feeds will interface with the Live Chat. This will allow the posters to interact with the men and women who are dedicated to bringing you the most in-depth coverage of Bethune-Cookman football. The Chat will also allow users to access the most up to date gameday information from one centralized location.
You can participate in the Live Chat by posting your opinions/feedback/questions or by simply following along. All are encouraged to participate.
The Live Chat Link will become active at approximately 1:45 p.m. on gameday.
Homecoming 2011–Photos
Cats fall 26-18 to SCSU–Recap
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
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!!!!
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Interesting Notes
Last 10 contests in the series—
Recent Memorable Matchups —
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DJ Howard named MEAC defensive player of the week
DJ 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.
Coach ’em up
Football Factoid #480—a good assistant coach can be as valuable to a team as an All-American quarterback. After all, the assistant coaches provide the bulk of the daily instruction, technique corrections, real-time feedback, game planning, and in-game adjustments. Coach Brian Jenkins deserves a ton of credit for quietly assembling a staff of outstanding assistants at Bethune.
New Offensive Coordinator Rob Spence
Rob Spence replaces Marc Orlando as the Cats’ new offensive coordinator. Spence has coordinator experience at both the FCS and FBS level. Toledo, Hofstra, and Clemson enjoyed some of their most productive offensive seasons in school history under Spence’s guidance. He inherits the second ranked FCS offense from a year ago, but the Cats still have much room for improvement. The Wildcats averaged just 21 points against the MEAC’s top teams a year ago (14 vs. SCSU, 21 vs. NSU, 23 vs. Hampton, and 27 vs. FAMU). That was 17 points lower than their season average of 38 points per game. The Wildcats hope to increase their scoring output this year, specifically against upper echelon competition, under Spence’s leadership.
Autry Denson and Joe Dailey join Spence as new additions to the offensive coaching staff. Denson, a former standout running back at Notre Dame and in the NFL, will coach the same position for the Wildcats. Dailey, who started at quarterback for Nebraska before transferring to North Carolina, is listed as the new quarterbacks coach. Allen Suber, Lawal McCray, and John Powers return as second year offensive assistants and will coach the wide receivers, tight ends, and offensive line respectively.
Earl Lane - BCU defensive line coach
New coaches on the defensive side of the ball include graduate assistant Buddy Collins and defensive line coach Earl Lane. While Collins is a coaching neophyte, Lane brings with him a wealth of coaching experience and a proven record of accomplishment. Lane served as defensive line coach for LSU during their 2007 BCS Championship season. He helped Glenn Dorsey win the Lombardi, Outland, and Nagurski awards in that same season. The remaining defensive coaches are the same as last year: Yogi Jones—defensive coordinator and linebackers, Terry Sims—special teams’ coordinator and secondary, Terry Williams—defensive backs.
Old and young, sustained success and hot newcomers; the Wildcats’ coaching staff has it all. Brian Jenkins will look to this diverse group of assistants to “coach up” his talented squad and hopefully deliver postseason success.
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