Michael T Jones celebrates after scoring against FIU
Bethune-Cookman, fresh off a 14-12 victory against FBS foe Florida International, moved up 4 spots in the SportsNetwork media poll and 5 spots in the FCS coaches’ poll this week. BCU is now ranked 18th in both polls.
14 ranked FCS schools faced off against FBS competition in college football’s opening weekend. Only Bethune-Cookman and three time defending national champs North Dakota State exited the weekend with victories over FBS opponents.
North Dakota State trounced Iowa State of the Big 12 34-14 and is now ranked 1st in both polls. It was the fifth consecutive win over a FBS opponent for NDSU. #16 Tennessee State joins BCU as ranked HBCUs.
What a great time to be in the World’s Most Famous Beach. The days are sunny, the nights are pleasant, and there is a tangible sensation of excitement permeating the air. It is homecoming week at Bethune-Cookman University and the Wildcats are preparing to take on perennial MEAC power South Carolina State.
This matchup is special any time it’s played. Adding the pageantry, expectations, and atmosphere of a homecoming event to it as well as the stakes of first place in the league standings makes it epic.
Non-Traditional Rivalry
The BCU vs. SCSU annual showdown has become one of the best on-the-field rivalries (albeit a non-traditional one) in all of HBCU football. There is no disdain for or hatred of the opposing team’s fan base. There are no geographical wars over disputed lands of which to speak. To the best of our knowledge, no grandkids have been written out of the Will for choosing the wrong side and no giant oak trees have been poisoned (sorry Auburn fans). Instead, this rivalry evolved from intense, hard-hitting action on the field and the primal desire of 2 clans of alpha males slugging it out to prove that they are the MEAC’s top dog (or top cat if you prefer).
SCSU standout defensive lineman Javon Hargrave stated he thinks about Bethune-Cookman a lot. “The coaches keep saying how they’ve got us set up for homecoming,” Hargrave said. “We just don’t get along with Bethune-Cookman very well. South Carolina State and Bethune-Cookman is a rivalry.”
Tradional HBCU rivalries like Jackson State vs. Tennessee State; Alabama State vs. Alabama A&M; and FAMU vs. Southern all draw much larger crowds, but when BCU and SCSU tangle the outcomes have an impact on the college football landscape.
The winner of this game has gone on to win 4 of the last 5 MEAC championships. They share 5 playoff appearances between themselves since 2008 and they have won 2 Black College National Championships in that same timeframe. BCU and SCSU were predicted to finish 1st and 2nd respectively by the league’s coaches and sports information directors at this year’s MEAC Media Luncheon. They rank first and second in the league in Scoring Offense, Total Offense, Scoring Defense, and Total Defense.
SCSU head coach Buddy Pough has won four MEAC crowns in 11 seasons and guided the Bulldogs to an all-time MEAC best 21 consecutive game conference win streak from 2007-2010. In a twist of irony, BCU can match that mark this season if they win out and it was the Jenkins-led Wildcats who ended the Bulldogs win streak in Oliver Dawson Stadium in October of 2010.
The Wildcats have won 2 MEAC titles in Brian Jenkins’ first 3 seasons. Jenkins owns a 2-1 head-to-head advantage over Pough and BCU has won 9 of the past 15 matchups with SCSU. The Wildcats are the only MEAC school to boast a winning record in Orangeburg during Pough’s tenure (3-1). However, this game isn’t being played in South Cackalacky and the homefield has proven to be somewhat of a disadvantage in this matchup as of late. The road team has inexplicably won 6 of the last 8 meetings in this contest. In SCSU’s last visit to Municipal Stadium two years ago, they left with a 26-18 victory.
The 2011 loss suffered at the hands of the Bulldogs is the only MEAC home defeat on Jenkins’ record and it is all that separates coach Jenkins from earning 3 MEAC crowns in 3 years. Saturday’s winner will earn sole possession of 1st place in the conference and gain a stronghold on the league’s automatic qualifier bid for postseason play.
It’s Buddy vs. Brian; the 101 vs. the Pride; the old guard vs. the new; Big Dogs vs. Big Cats; South Carolina State vs. Bethune-Cookman. It’s HBCU football at its best.
So tell us what you think. Has the BCU vs. SCSU matchup become the best non-traditionalrivalry in HBCU football?
Bethune-Cookman head into its bye-week losing one spot in both the FCS Coaches and SportsNetwork media polls. The Wildcats currently sit 18th and 20th respectively in the each poll.
BCU registered an impressive 3-1 mark in the month of September with out-of-conference victories over Tennessee State of the Ohio Valley Conference and Florida International from FBS’ Conference USA. The #8 ranked Florida State Seminoles handed BCU their lone defeat.
The Wildcats have won 14 straight MEAC contests and begin conference play after the bye-week when they head to Dover to take on Delaware State on October 5th.
Coaches Poll
TEAM
SCHOOL (FIRST-PLACE VOTES)
RECORD
POINTS
PREV- IOUS
1.
North Dakota State (26)
3-0
650
1
2.
Towson
4-0
616
3
3.
Eastern Washington
2-1
598
4
4.
Sam Houston State
3-1
573
5
5.
Northern Iowa
3-0
531
7
6.
South Dakota State
3-1
465
6
T-7.
New Hampshire
2-1
460
9
T-7.
Montana
3-0
460
11
9.
McNeese State
4-0
409
13
10.
Montana State
2-2
402
2
11.
Coastal Carolina
4-0
372
15
12.
Eastern Illinois
3-1
354
10
13.
Central Arkansas
2-2
326
14
14.
James Madison
3-1
283
16
15.
Wofford
2-2
278
8
16.
Fordham
4-0
217
21
17.
Lehigh
3-0
214
18
18.
Bethune-Cookman
3-1
179
17
19.
Cal Poly
1-2
169
19
20.
Richmond
2-2
156
20
21.
Villanova
1-2
155
23
22.
Northern Arizona
2-1
117
22
23.
Stony Brook
1-2
107
12
24.
Illinois State
1-2
80
24
25.
Youngstown State
3-1
47
NR
Dropped out: No. 25 Maine.
Others receiving votes: Maine 46, Tennessee-Martin 44, Gardner-Webb 35, William & Mary 27, Jacksonville State 21, Portland State 15, Southern Utah 8, Delaware 7, Tennessee State 6, Harvard 5, Chattanooga 4, Stephen F. Austin 4, Indiana State 2, North Carolina A&T 1, Sacred Heart 1.
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Previously unranked Bethune-Cookman (No.24) entered this week’s Top 25 Coaches Poll after picking up a win over North Carolina Central on Saturday.
Georgia Southern moved to No. 1 this week after claiming a 39-31 triple-overtime win at Chattanooga Saturday. The Eagles received 17 first-place votes and tallied 635 total points.
Georgia Southern forced overtime with a fourth-quarter field goal and the Eagles’ defense came up with a stop on fourth-down in the third overtime to hold off Chattanooga.
North Dakota State received five first-place votes (619 points) and rose one spot to No.2 after defeating Southern Illinois, 23-17. Montana State and Sam Houston State each climbed one spot to No.3 and No.4, respectively, as well. Sam Houston State also received two first-place votes. Old Dominion moved up two spots to No.5, while Lehigh, which was idle last week, received one first-place vote and maintained their No.6 ranking.
Wofford rose one spot to No.7 after defeating The Citadel (24-21). Last week’s No.1, Eastern Washington, dropped to No.8 after falling to unranked Southern Utah. Stony Brook (No.9) and James Madison (No.10) maintain their rankings from last week and round out the top ten.
Eleven conferences are represented in the poll. The Colonial Athletic Association has the most teams in the top-25 with five. The Big Sky and Missouri Valley are represented by four teams each, while the Southern Conference has three teams in this week’s poll. The Ohio Valley and Southland conferences are represented by two teams, and the Big South, Ivy League, Mid-Eastern Athletic, Northeast, and Patriot League have one team in the top-25.
The FCS Coaches Poll is based exclusively on a voting panel of head coaches in the FCS under the cooperation of the Collegiate Commissioners Association (CCA) and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and is administered by the Southern Conference.
Week Nine Poll – October 29, 2012
Team (No. 1 Votes)
2012 Record
Points
Previous Ranking
1. Georgia Southern (17)
7-1
635
2
2. North Dakota State (5)
7-1
619
3
3. Montana State
7-1
586
4
4. Sam Houston State (2)
6-2
561
5
5. Old Dominion
7-1
528
7
6. Lehigh (1)
8-0
517
6
7. Wofford
7-1
486
8
8. Eastern Washington (1)
6-2
471
1
9. Stony Brook
8-1
450
9
10. James Madison
6-2
429
10
11. New Hampshire
7-2
396
12
12. Northern Arizona
7-1
363
13
13. Central Arkansas
7-2
326
14
14. Appalachian State
6-3
275
15
15. Illinois State
7-2
264
17
16. Cal Poly
7-1
256
11
17. Indiana State
7-2
249
T-18
18. Albany
7-1
188
20
19. Tennessee State
8-1
173
T-21
20. Delaware
5-3
122
16
21. Harvard
6-1
96
24
22. Towson
4-4
87
25
23. Eastern Kentucky
6-3
68
T-18
24. Bethune-Cookman
6-2
54
NR
25. South Dakota State
6-2
51
NR
Others Receiving Votes: Sacramento State (44), Richmond (27), Villanova (27), UT Martin (26), McNeese State (23), Jacksonville State (16), Youngstown State (10), Eastern Illinois (8), The Citadel (5), Samford (5), Southern Illinois (4), Northern Iowa (4), Alabama A&M (1).
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