David Blackwell

NFL Draft Zone Spotlight: David Blackwell

/ J Bell / Leave a comment

David BlackwellDraft Zone Spotlight: David Blackwell, QB/WR, Bethune-Cookman University

When you think of complete football players, if you don’t have David Blackwell in that list then you missed a player.  Blackwell originally signed with Iowa out of school, but would eventually play for Iowa Western a JUCO school.  He was a triple threat for the school and would play WR, QB and LB.  David rushed 33 times for 188 yards and one TD while throwing for 132 yards and one score for Iowa Western which would eventually land him on Bethune Cookman’s roster in Daytona Beach. David played a couple games last year at QB for Bethune and he was a beast at the helm. He threw for a total of 409 yards with three touchdowns on 22-of-38 passing, with only one interception on the year. Last year David played wide out as well.  Keep an eye on this athlete, because he could be a huge asset to some team looking for a dual threat player.

How many teams were recruiting you coming out of high school and how did you make your decision?

I had about 20 offers like LSU, Syracuse, Iowa, UCF, Arkansas, Ole Miss

Who was your favorite NFL team growing up, and did you have a player you rooted for?

It was St. Louis Rams. Player: Torry Holt

At your position, how do you break down film, please inform our readers what you look for when breaking down film?

I peak at pre-snap and post-snap coverage and also look for different techniques and tendencies to determine play.

Continue Reading: http://nfldraftzone.com/?s=david+blackwell

Missed Opportunities cost BCU chance to secure 1st playoff victory

/ J Bell / Leave a comment

You can use two words to sum up Bethune-Cookman’s 24-14 first round playoff defeat to Coastal Carolina: MISSED OPPORTUNITIES. 

On BCU’s first two (2) possessions of Saturday’s matchup against the Chanticleers, quarterback Quentin Williams overshot passes to Jhomo Gordon, KJ Stroud, and Eddie Poole that would have been surefire touchdowns.  

Daytona Beach native DJ Howard had an opportunity to return a pick six from inside the CCU 15 yard line on the Chants opening offensive possession, however, the Spruce Creek product was unable to hold on to the interception.  So instead of the Wildcats leading by 2 or 3 scores early in the contest, they found themselves trailing 17-0 heading into halftime.

“In the playoffs you’ve got to seize opportunities.  If you don’t, the opportunity will go right pass you” quarterback Quentin Williams stated.  He went on to state “in the playoffs it’s not about who’s better or who’s worse, it is about who takes advantage of the opportunities”.

While BCU missed on its chances, CCU took full advantage of the Wildcats’ miscues and scored 10 points off of 2 BCU turnovers in the second quarter.

Coastal Carolina opened the game’s scoring on a 6 play 75 yard drive with 13:50 seconds remaining in the 2nd quarter.  The drive was capped by a 14 yard option run by Marcus Whitener.  The Wildcats initially defended the play well but senior quarterback Aramis Hillary pitched the ball late allowing Whitener to run untouched for the opening score.

The Chants doubled their lead when All Big South 1st team receiver Matt Hazel outleaped Tim Burke in the left corner of the endzone to cap a 9 play 58 yard drive with 7:23 left in the 2nd quarter.

“I told coach to call that play” Hazel stated.  (They were) “in man coverage across the board.  Aramis threw a great ball and I saw it at the last minute and just went and got it”.

Controversy struck on BCU’s next possession.  Trailing 14-0 midway through the second quarter, Williams hit tight end Jordan Murphy for a short gain.  Murphy was originally ruled down on the play but a booth review overturned the call. 

Coach Brian Jenkins went ballistic when the game’s head official announced the decision to overturn the call. 

“(Jordan) did fumble.  We had a couple of players in the area but (when the official blew the play dead) they stopped.  Their player recovered the ball but if you blow the play dead, I don’t understand how you go back and review it.  My argument was you blew the play dead so it negates anything else” Jenkins stated.

Quentin Williams echoed his coach’s sentiments: “when Murph (Jordan Murphy) caught the ball, I heard the official blow the whistle.  That’s why I stopped.”

Coastal took over possession at the BCU 43 yard line as a result of the play.  5 plays later, Apopka High School product, Alex Catron, pushed CCU’s lead to 17-0 on a 35 yard FG conversion.  The score remained unchanged heading into intermission.

Early in the 3rd quarter, redshirt freshmen Nick Addison picked off an Aramis Hillary pass in the endzone to help breathe life into the Wildcats.  But the Chanticleer defense kept BCU off the scoreboard on the ensuing possession.

Brodrick Waters entered the contest for an ineffective Quentin Williams on the Wildcats second possession in the 3rd quarter.  Waters broke on a 57 yard run on his first drive under center.  BCU got the ball as deep as the CCU 4 yard line on the drive but a false start penalty pushed the ball back to the CCU 11 yard line. 

Coach Jenkins suffered his second visible meltdown of the game and had to be physically restrained by BCU administrators and coaches after the false start penalty was called against his squad.

“We had our guys go from a 2 point stand to a 3 point stand and they called us for a false start.  None of our guys jumped.  Two officials called offsides and one called illegal shift.  When I asked for an explanation I got three different answers”. 

Jenkins’ was given an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for his reaction to the call and cost his team an opportunity for a chip shot field goal.  The result of the play put the ball on the 26 yard line but instead of attempting a 43 yard FG, Jenkins decided to go for it on 4th and 26.

Waters found KJ Stroud in the back of the endzone on the 4th and 26 play and BCU seemed to be back in business. But it wasn’t meant to be.  The television replay showed Stroud’s hand landed out of bounds before his foot landed in the endzone.  The overturned touchdown call embodied BCU’s afternoon of missed opportunities.

Coastal Carolina safety, Johnnie Houston put the game out of reach when he returned a Brodrick Waters’ interception 68 yards to put Coastal ahead 24-0.  Houston’s return was the 2nd longest interception return in school history.

A 74 yard touchdown pass from Quentin Williams to David Blackwell with 6:44 left in the game gave Bethune its first points of the afternoon.   Williams connected with KJ Stroud in the back of the endzone on the 2 point conversion attempt to cut the lead into a two possession contest (24-8).

Isidore Jackson’s 10 yard touchdown run capped off the game’s scoring.  Jackson, who needed just 8 yards rushing to reach 1,000 on the season, finished the contest with 77 yards on the ground and 1,069 on the year.  Jackson’s 1,069 yards represents the 3rd best rushing season in BCU history.

Quentin Williams threw for 215 yards and 1 touchdown.  It was the first time he surpassed the 200 yard passing mark in his career.

Jarkevis Fields led the Wildcats defense with 15 tackles.  Nick Addison pitched in with 10 tackles, 1 fumble recovery and an interception.

The MEAC is now 0 for its last 17 as a conference in the FCS playoffs. 

Redshirt freshmen, Nick Addison and Quentin Williams, vowed to take this bad feeling and get better in the offseason.  Both players stated that Bethune-Cookman will win a playoff game before their eligibility expires in three years.

The Wildcats are now 0-4 in the FCS playoffs. 

The win secured Coastal Carolina’s first ever playoff victory.  The Chanticleers will travel to Norfolk, Virgina next week to take on #4 ranked Old Dominion.

BCU 2012 MEAC Champs

/ J Bell / Leave a comment

SAVANNAH, Ga. — Quentin Williams threw two touchdown passes and ran for 121 of Bethune-Cookman’s 377 rushing yards as the Wildcats beat Savannah State 49-7 Saturday in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game.

BCU’s win coupled with North Carolina Central’s 22-21 loss to Florida A&M sealed the 2012 MEAC Championship for the Wildcats. Congratulations to the 2012 Wildcats for securing Bethune-Cookman’s 2nd MEAC title in 3 years and the Cat’s first outright title since 2002. 

Williams completed 9 of 12 passes for 103 yards and threw touchdown passes of 11 and 36 yards. His second touchdown, a strike to David Blackwell, gave Bethune-Cookman a 35-0 halftime lead.

Isidore Jackson finished with 100 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries for Bethune-Cookman (8-2, 7-0).  Jackson is needs just 82 yards to reach 1,000 rushing on the season.  Rodney Scott posted 51 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries and Brodrick Waters tallied 47 yards on six carries.

Savannah State (1-9, 0-7) got on the board midway through the third quarter when Cornel Weston recovered a fumble in the end zone. But Waters scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns to create the final margin.

Bethune-Cookman smothered Savannah State quarterback Antonio Bostick all game, forcing three interceptions and recording four sacks.

BCU tops Hampton 38-26

/ J Bell / 1 Comment

Associated Press

HAMPTON, Va. — Bethune-Cookman forced seven turnovers — including a pair of interceptions by Nick Addison — to take a 38-26 decision from Hampton Saturday night in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference action.

The Wildcats (3-2, 2-0) picked off four Hampton (0-4, 0-2) passes and recovered three more forced fumbles. Of the Pirates’ final 10 possessions, six ended in turnovers, and another finished with a turnover on downs.

At one point, Hampton tossed interceptions on three consecutive drives, with Bethune-Cookman using those picks to rack up 17 consecutive points and take a 31-10 lead. Among those scores was a 90-yard interception return by Addison, the fourth longest in school history and the team’s first interception return for a score since 2010. On top of his two picks, Addison led the Wildcats with 11 tackles.

Jeremi Schwartz gained a sizable chunk of Hampton’s total offense, amassing 205 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries.

Quentin Williams got the start at quarterback for the Wildcats and took all of the snaps under center until midway through the 4th quarter.  Williams finished the contest with 1 rushing touchdown and 1 passing touchdown going 9-for-12 for 96 yards in the process. 

Safety Nick Addison led the defense with 11 total tackles, 1 forced fumble, and 2 interceptions, including one he returned 90 yards for a BCU touchdown.

The win snapped a two game losing skid for BCU.

Team Stat Comparison

 
 

COOK
 

HAMP
1st Downs 21 30
Total Yards 320 536
Passing 118 279
Rushing 202 257
Penalties 20-181 17-152
3rd Down Conversions 4-12 6-14
4th Down Conversions 0-1 1-2
Turnovers 0 7
Possession 28:52 30:28
 

Passing Leaders

 
Bethune-Cookman C/ATT YDS AVG TD INT
Williams 9/12 96 8.0 1 0
 
Hampton C/ATT YDS AVG TD INT
Champion 20/33 208 6.3 1 3
 

Rushing Leaders

 
Bethune-Cookman CAR YDS AVG TD LG
Scott 12 82 6.8 1 46
Jackson 16 79 4.9 0 15
 
Hampton CAR YDS AVG TD LG
Schwartz 25 201 8.0 1 51
McCloude 5 56 11.2 0 26
 

Receiving Leaders

 
Bethune-Cookman REC YDS AVG TD LG
Harris 1 28 28.0 0 28
Jackson 2 23 11.5 1 13
 
Hampton REC YDS AVG TD LG
Griffin 6 99 16.5 1 28
Riddick 5 66 13.2 0 28

Scoring Summary FIRST QUARTER COOK HAMP

 TD 10:46 Quentin Williams 5 Yd Run (Sven Hurd Kick)  7 0

 FG 08:12 Taurean Durham 30 Yd  7 3

 TD 00:19 Rodney Scott 1 Yd Run (Sven Hurd Kick)  14 3

SECOND QUARTER COOK HAMP

 TD 12:38 Andre Griffin 11 Yd Pass From Travis Champion (Taurean Durham Kick)  14 10

 FG 04:36 Sven Hurd 42 Yd  17 10

THIRD QUARTER COOK HAMP

 TD 11:40 Nick Addison 90 Yd Interception Return (Sven Hurd Kick)  24 10

 TD 07:22 Isidore Jackson 13 Yd Pass From Quentin Williams (Sven Hurd Kick)  31 10

FOURTH QUARTER COOK HAMP

 TD 08:16 Javaris Brown 25 Yd Pass From Jaylian Williamson (Taurean Durham Kick)  31 17

 TD 05:37 David Blackwell 20 Yd Pass From Brodrick Waters (Sven Hurd Kick)  38 17

 SF 04:03 Ball Through End Zone  38 19

 TD 01:09 Jeremiah Schwartz 1 Yd Run (Taurean Durham Kick)  38 26

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.

Wildcats too much for Tigers

/ J Bell / Leave a comment

For the past two months, coach Brian Jenkins has insisted that the quarterback who practices the best during the week will receive the starting nod on gameday.

Remaining true to his word, Jenkins named David Blackwell as the starting quarterback just minutes before Saturday’s contest against Savannah State.  Blackwell responded by ripping off an 80 yard touchdown run on the Wildcats first offensive play from scrimmage.  He later added two more first half touchdown runs (of 37 yards and 59 yards) as well as two 3rd quarter touchdown passes (46 yarder to Isidore Jackson and 16 yarder to Johnathan Moment).  Blackwell accounted for 350 yards of total offense (203 rushing and 147 passing) in a little over 2 quarters of play.

The Wildcats finished the contest with 625 yards of total offense in route to a 59-3 dismantling of the over-matched Tigers.

Defensively, the Wildcats yielded just 202 yards of total offense and allowed no second half first downs.  Defensive tackle, Harold Love III, led the defensive charge with 12 tackles.

 Team Totals 

SSU 

BCU 
FIRST DOWNS 

9 

23 
   Rushing 

4 

17 
   Passing 

3 

6 
   Penalty 

2 

0 
NET YARDS RUSHING 

149 

431 
   Rushing Attempts 

40 

41 
   Average Per Rush 

3.7 

10.5 
   Rushing Touchdowns 

0 

5 
   Yards Gained Rushing 

191 

461 
   Yards Lost Rushing 

42 

30 
NET YARDS PASSING 

53 

194 
   Completions-Attempts-Int 

6-21-1 

11-17-0 
   Average Per Attempt 

2.5 

11.4 
   Average Per Completion 

8.8 

17.6 
   Passing Touchdowns 

0 

3 
TOTAL OFFENSE YARDS 

202 

625 
   Total offense plays 

61 

58 
   Average Gain Per Play 

3.3 

10.8 
Fumbles: Number-Lost 

2-0 

2-1 
Penalties: Number-Yards 

5-30 

10-69 
PUNTS-YARDS 

8-302 

2-78 
   Average Yards Per Punt 

37.8 

39.0 
   Net Yards Per Punt 

30.4 

39.0 
   Inside 20 

2 

1 
   50+ Yards 

1 

0 
   Touchbacks 

1 

0 
   Fair catch 

2 

0 
KICKOFFS-YARDS 

2-119 

10-572 
   Average Yards Per Kickoff 

59.5 

57.2 
   Net Yards Per Kickoff 

28.5 

33.6 
   Touchbacks 

0 

0 
Punt returns: Number-Yards-TD 

0-0-0 

5-39-0 
   Average Per Return 

0.0 

7.8 
Kickoff returns: Number-Yds-TD 

10-236-0 

2-62-0 
   Average Per Return 

23.6 

31.0 
Interceptions: Number-Yds-TD 

0-0-0 

1-20-0 
Fumble Returns: Number-Yds-TD 

0-0-0 

0-0-0 
Miscellaneous Yards 

0 

0 
Possession Time 

33:52 

26:00 
   1st Quarter 

10:35 

4:25 
   2nd Quarter 

9:32 

5:28 
   3rd Quarter 

7:49 

7:03 
   4th Quarter 

5:56 

9:04 
Third-Down Conversions 

3 of 16 

5 of 9 
Fourth-Down Conversions 

0 of 2 

0 of 1 
Red-Zone Scores-Chances 

1-3 

5-6 
   Touchdowns 

0-3 

4-6 
   Field goals 

1-3 

1-6 
Sacks By: Number-Yards 

1-10 

4-23 
PAT Kicks 

0-0 

8-8 
Field Goals 

1-1 

1-1

 

 

BCU Thumps Morgan 49-23

/ J Bell / 12 Comments

Last Saturday’s 49-23 Homecoming thumping of Morgan State was a near perfect microcosm of The Fighting Wildcats 2011 football season. 

 Much like the first half of this season, the first 2 quarters of Saturday’s contest were filled with both explosive plays –174 yards of total offense and 2 defensive turnovers– and untimely penalties –6 for 54 yards– for the Wildcats.  BCU looked vulnerable as a result and clung to a 14-10 halftime lead.

 The Wildcats seemed to sure up a few things in the halftime locker room and looked completely dominant and playoff worthy in the second half; outscoring MSU 35-13 in the process.

Isidore Jackson had another solid afternoon rushing for 94 yards (1 TD) on 20 carries and catching 2 passes for 22 yards. Senior fullback Johnathan Moment enjoyed his best statistical game of the season accounting for 106 yards of total offense (78 rushing; 28 receiving) and two touchdowns in the contest. 

Jackie Wilson

Sophomore quarterback Jackie Wilson continues to play well.  Wilson completed 67 percent of his passes (10/15 for 186) and rushed for 74 yards and 3 touchdowns on the afternoon.  “The game is starting to slow down to me,” Wilson said after the contest. 

 Although Wilson’s insertion into the starting lineup has seemed to stabilize the Wildcat offense, Coach Brian Jenkins states that there will continue to be an open competition for the starting quarterback spot.  Jenkins went on to state that David Blackwell almost received the starting nod this week instead of Wilson.

 The Wildcat starting defense held the Morgan State offense to 173 yards of total offense and 10 points through 3 quarters.  Senior linebacker Ryan Lewis led the way with 7 tackles including 1.5 tackles for loss.  The Bear offense accumulated 137 yards of offense and 13 points in the final quarter mostly against BCU’s second and third teamers.  Even still, Coach Jenkins was none-too-happy about how his defense finished the contest; and he was particularly upset about yielding a 44-yard touchdown run to Travis Davidson with 58 seconds remaining in the contest.  “No matter the score, I want my guys to execute.”  “We had one guy out of position and a few others who didn’t make the play that was to be made” Jenkins stated.  Davidson finished the afternoon with 133 yards rushing on 17 carries for the Bears.

Bethune hosts upstart Savannah State next Saturday in Daytona Beach at 4:00 p.m.

Wildcats keep MEAC hopes alive in 14-6 defeat of #24 Norfolk State

/ J Bell / Leave a comment

Eddie Poole extends his consecutive games reception streak to 19 against Norfolk State--Photo Courtesy of The Virginian Pilot

The 24th ranked and conference unbeaten Norfolk State Spartans entered Thursday night’s nationally televised contest  boasting the conference’s top offense, number 1 scoring defense, and the conference’s best offensive player through the midpoint of the season in QB Chris Walley. But it was the Wildcats who dominated both sides of the ball and exited Dick Price Stadium with a convincing 14-6 victory.

For the second consecutive week, Junior running back Isidore Jackson set a single game career high with 206 yards rushing on 34 carries.  Jackson’s determined running along with a dominant performance by the Bethune Cookman offensive line helped the Wildcats outgained  Norfolk State on the ground 245 yards to 97.

Jackie Wilson got the start at quarterback for the Wildcats.  Wilson passed for a modest 88 yards on 8 of 16 attempts including a 7 yard touchdown completion to KJ Stroud with 11:56 remaining in the 3rd quarter.  It was the Rutger’s transfer first td reception in a BCU uniform.  Wilson played the entire game with his throwing hand heavily wrapped.  The nature and severity of Wilson’s injury is unknown but is a reason for concern.  Last week’s starter, David Blackwell, dislocated the thumb on his throwing hand in the contest against Fort Valley State and it is believed that Jamarr Robinson has an undisclosed leg injury which has limited his play and/or availability.

Brian Jenkins and the coaching staff deserve a ton of praise for developing a winning gameplan that protected the Wildcat quarterback given the current injury situation at the position.

The Wildcat’s two touchdowns on the evening came on their opening possession of the game and the opening possession of the second half.  It was all of the scoring the Cats needed on the evening as the Wildcat defense prevented the Spartans from getting into the endzone only yielding two long field goals in the contest.

The Wildcat defensive front-7 dominated the Spartans offense all night.  Defensive End Ryan Davis was quite simply the best player on the field and registered as good of a defensive performance as you will ever witness.  Davis accounted for 3.5 sacks, 11 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery on the evening.  Davis and the Wildcats limited NSU to less than 250 yards of total offense and produced 3 turnovers.  The last of which was a game sealing Dion Hanks interception in the endzone with :50 seconds remaining in the contest.

With the victory on Thursday night, the Wildcats keep their slim hopes alive of winning a share of the 2011 MEAC crown.  BCU will take the field again next Saturday in Durham, NC against upstart North Carolina Central. 

 

Scoring Summary

FIRST QUARTER

COOK

NORF
  TD 04:08 Anthony Jordan 2 Yd Run (Sven Hurd Kick)

7

0
SECOND QUARTER

COOK

NORF
  FG 02:18 Everett Goldberg 50 Yd

7

3
THIRD QUARTER

COOK

NORF
  TD 11:56 Keith Stroud 7 Yd Pass From Jackie Wilson (Sven Hurd Kick)

14

3
  FG 07:27 Everett Goldberg 47 Yd

14

6

Team Stat Comparison

  Bethune-Cook. Norfolk St
1st Downs

19

16
3rd down efficiency

6-15

5-15
4th down efficiency

0-0

0-0
Total Yards

333

249
Passing

88

152
Comp-Att

8-16

17-28
Yards per pass

5.5

5.4
Rushing

245

97
Rushing Attempts

54

36
Yards per rush

4.5

2.7
Penalties

8-59

6-31
Turnovers

2

3
Fumbles lost

0

2
Interceptions thrown

2

1
Possession

31:40

28:20
Bethune-Cookman Passing
 

C/ATT

YDS

AVG

TD

INT
J. Wilson

8/16

88

5.5

1

2
Team

8/16

88

5.5

1

2
                 

 

Norfolk State Passing
 

C/ATT

YDS

AVG

TD

INT
C. Walley

14/24

88

3.7

0

1
N. Flores

3/4

64

16.0

0

0
Team

17/28

152

5.4

0

1
Bethune-Cookman Rushing
 

CAR

YDS

AVG

TD

LG
I. Jackson

34

206

6.1

0

49
R. Scott

8

34

4.3

0

15
J. Wilson

7

14

2.0

0

15
A. Jordan

2

1

0.5

1

2
-. Team

3

-10

-3.3

0

0
Team

54

245

4.5

1

49
                     

 

Norfolk State Rushing
 

CAR

YDS

AVG

TD

LG
T. Hedgeman

16

54

3.4

0

13
K. Lewis

4

44

11.0

0

17
N. Flores

7

16

2.3

0

4
R. Maynes

1

-1

-1.0

0

0
C. Walley

8

-16

-2.0

0

3
Team

36

97

2.7

0

17
Bethune-Cookman Receiving
 

REC

YDS

AVG

TD

LG
M. Francois

3

56

18.7

0

29
E. Poole

2

20

10.0

0

14
K. Stroud

1

7

7.0

1

7
P. Harris

1

7

7.0

0

7
R. Scott

1

-2

-2.0

0

0
Team

8

88

11.0

1

29
                     

 

Norfolk State Receiving
 

REC

YDS

AVG

TD

LG
X. Boyce

6

76

12.7

0

45
R. Garrett

4

36

9.0

0

14
V. Hairston

4

35

8.8

0

14
K. Johnson

1

3

3.0

0

3
K. Lewis

2

2

1.0

0

2
Team

17

152

8.9

0

45
Bethune-Cookman Interceptions
 

INT

YDS

TD
D. Hanks

1

12

0
Team

1

12

0
                 

 

Norfolk State Interceptions
 

INT

YDS

TD
R. Volcin

1

0

0
D. Reynolds

1

0

0
Team

2

0

0
Bethune-Cookman Kick Returns
 

NO

YDS

AVG

LG
C. Keith

2

39

19.5

26
J. Moss

1

4

4.0

4
Team

3

43

14.3

26
               

 

Norfolk State Kick Returns
 

NO

YDS

AVG

LG
V. Hairston

2

41

20.5

23
M. Cooperwood

1

19

19.0

19
Team

3

60

20.0

23
Bethune-Cookman Punt Returns
 

NO

YDS

AVG

LG
P. Cleckley

1

14

14.0

14
C. Wilson

1

0

0.0

0
Team

2

14

7.0

14

 

Norfolk State Punt Returns
 

NO

YDS

AVG

LG
M. Cooperwood

2

14

7.0

7
V. Hairston

1

6

6.0

6
Team

3

20

6.7

7
Bethune-Cookman Kicking
 

FG

PCT

LONG

XP

PTS
S. Hurd

0/1

0.0

—

2/2

2
Team

0/1

0.0

—

2/2

2
                   

 

Norfolk State Kicking
 

FG

PCT

LONG

XP

PTS
E. Goldberg

2/2

100.0

50

0/0

6
Team

2/2

100.0

50

0/0

6
Bethune-Cookman Punting
 

TOT

YDS

AVG

TB

-20

LG
K. Kowalski

7

256

36.6

0

3

58
Team

7

256

36.6

0

3

58
                       

 

Norfolk State Punting
 

TOT

YDS

AVG

TB

-20

LG
T. Muenzer

7

260

37.1

0

2

51
Team

7

260

37.1

0

2

51

 

Quarterback, Running Back and Wide Receiver preview

/ J Bell / Leave a comment

There is an old adage in sports that states “defense wins championships”.  Perhaps that’s true, but the last I checked the team that scores the most points wins the game.  In this article we take a look at the units responsible for scoring touchdowns; the quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers.

Eddie Poole (pictured) scored 9 TDs in 2010.

Wide Receiver

Eddie Poole (Glades Central High School/Rutgers) is the most polished of BCU’s talented wide receivers.  He has good size at 6-3, 190 pounds, he runs good routes, but most importantly, he consistently wins in one-on-one situations.  Poole caught 33 passes for 550 yards and scored 9 touchdowns a year ago.  Poole’s former Rutgers teammate, Keith Stroud, is a welcomed addition to the receiving unit.  Stroud, a 4 star recruit (Fork Union Virginia Military Academy/Rutgers)  provides the Cats with another big, athletic target (6-4, 206 pounds) on the outside. http://rivals.yahoo.com/footballrecruiting/football/recruiting/player-Keith-Stroud-72410

Maurice Francois and Courtney Keith are former Option quarterbacks who transitioned to wide receiver last season.  Keith and Francois’ athleticism and football instincts allow them to make up for their inexperience at the position.  They are dynamic playmakers who are electric with the ball in their hands.  Both players should progress in their 2nd year as wide receivers.  Randy James and speedster Preston Cleckly are also expected to see playing time at the position. Sophomore Jordan Murphy provides the Cats with a sure-handed target at the tight end position.

The depth and versatility of the receiving corp makes it the highest rated unit on the offensive side of the ball.  Grade: B

Running Backs

Isidore Jackson scores in the 2nd Quarter of the FL Classic

Despite being a backup last year, Isidore Jackson led the squad with 11 touchdowns and only Matt Johnson rushed for more yards.  The offseason signing of Ole Miss transfer, Rodney Scott, means Jackson will likely have to share carries again this season. 

Rodney Scott is an agile runner who possesses the type of speed and vision that makes him a scoring threat from anywhere on the field.  Andronicus Lovette and Jonathan Moment provide good depth at the position combining for 524 yards and 9 tds last year (Lovette 264 yards and 6 touchdowns, Moment 260 yards and 3 touchdowns).  Last year’s unit was a servicable bunch but the Cats will need to get better production and more explosion from the running back position if they wish to duplicate last year’s success.  Grade: C- 

Quarterbacks

Jr. QB Jackie Wilson (#5)

The success of Brian Jenkins’ second season as a head coach will depend heavily on his team’s quarterback play.  Gone is the reigning MEAC Offensive Player of the Year Matt Johnson.  Jackie Wilson, David Blackwell, and Quentin Williams will look to replace Johnson as the primary signal caller.

Jackie Wilson is the only one of the three that has taken a snap from center against FCS competition.  Last year Wilson completed just 47 percent of his passes throwing 3 TDs and 2 INTs in the process.  Blackwell played quarterback for Iowa Western Junior College in 2009 before redshirting at BCU in 2010.  Although Blackwell and Wilson both took snaps with the first team during spring drills, Coach Jenkins has yet to reveal which player enters fall camp atop the depth chart. 

True Freshman Quentin Williams, the 2010 Florida “Mr. Football” award recipient is already the most popular quarterback on campus.  Williams is the state of Florida’s all-time leader in TD passes (109) and passing yards (10,384).  Yet “major” FBS schools were slow to offer him a scholarship because of his height (6-0).  Williams is extremely poised, he has a very strong and accurate arm and he is a threat in the running game.  A source close to the Wildcat program has stated “Williams will have a chance to play quarterback on Sundays when his college career ends”.  Quentin Williams is certainly the future of Wildcat football but the immediate question is ‘is he ready to contribute right away’?  The Wildcat Quarterbacks are a talented but unproven bunch.   Our preseason grade is a D+.