Repost of “THE BELT”

November 21, 2013 / J Bell / Leave a comment

At the conclusion of the 2012 Florida Blue Florida Classic, coach Brian Jenkins was seen hugging players, celebrating with the Marching Wildcats, and very conspicuously wearing a 2012 MEAC Champions Belt that was large enough and elaborate enough to make Hulk Hogan envy.

Some fifteen (15) or so minutes after first being spotted with his new ornate accessory, coach Jenkins met with members of the media for his normal postgame recap. There it was again; this time prominently displayed on the conference room table almost touching the fiery coach’s left elbow. There was no attempt at modesty. No attempt to conceal it. It was as if coach Jenkins was silently screaming for someone to ask about THE BELT…and so I did.

The third year coach rather foxily revealed that THE BELT was an inside thing between him and his team. “I have been telling (our football team) about the belt. You want to be the one to put on the belt in the end” Jenkins exclaimed.

At this past Saturday’s 2012 Championship Team Banquet inside the North Tower Ballroom at the Hilton Hotel located directly on Daytona Beach, coach Jenkins revealed to the 350 Wildcat supporters in attendance the inside story behind THE BELT.

The story goes as follows:

Shortly after being named as the fifteenth (15) head football coach at Bethune-Cookman, Brian Jenkins had a chance encounter with a Florida A&M football fan. The FAMU fan approached the newly appointed coach and said let me show you something. He reached into his back pocket and unfolded a piece of paper. Listed on the paper were the results of all of the Florida Classics including the previous two (2); both of which FAMU won.

The FAMU fan was undoubtedly sending a clear message to the precocious new coach of what he should expect when facing the mighty Rattlers.

As fate would have it, coach Jenkins bumped into the same Rattler fan nearly a year later. The FAMU fan, feeling emboldened by his Rattlers’ upset victor over the Wildcats in the 2010 Florida Classic, even more vigorously than the year before flagged down coach Jenkins and again pulled out a folded piece of paper from his back pocket. It was an up-to-date history of the Florida Classic results. The FAMU fan proudly and boastfully pointed to his team’s upset win in 2010. It was shortly after that encounter that the idea of THE BELT was conceived in Brian Jenkins’ mind. Jenkins decided if his team could win the MEAC crown and win the Florida Classic, he would supply every graduating senior with his very own Championship Belt.

Senior Class awarded Championship Belts

What better way to memorialize the hardwork, sacrifice, and dedication that’s required to become MEAC and Florida Classic champs than to provide the senior class with Championship Belts. And besides, a Heavyweight caliber Championship Belt trumps a folded piece of paper any day.

Coach Jenkins’ statement to the media after the 2012 Florida Blue Florida Classic now makes so much more sense: “…in the end, you want to be the one to put on the belt.”

THE BELT is brilliant in everything that it represents. It is the proverbial gauntlet slap in the face, a one-upper, a ‘step ya game up’ if you will. It is a unique memento, it epitomizes excellence, symbolizes hardwork and sacrifice, and it is meant to draw a line in the sand. If you want THE BELT, come and take it. If you want to keep THE BELT, then be prepared to defend it. So keep your folded piece of paper and I will raise you a Championship Belt.

Interestingly, coach Jenkins stated that the last time he spotted the FAMU fan who flagged him down and showed off his folded piece of paper was shortly after the 2010 season. Coincidence? Maybe but not likely!

A source within the BCU Athletic department could not confirm whether THE BELT is a one year phenomenon or a new tradition for each senior class who wins both a MEAC and Florida Classic championship in the same season. Personally, I hope this becomes a new tradition. A new goal of sorts for each class of seniors. I think coach Jenkins said it best: “in the end, you want to be the one to put on the belt”.

Congratulations to all the guys who earned the right to wear THE BELT!!!

Jenkins fined by MEAC for Critizing Officials

November 6, 2013 / J Bell / Leave a comment

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.”

BCU signs 24 high school and junior college players

February 6, 2013July 27, 2013 / J Bell / Leave a comment

Bethune-Cookman football coach Brian Jenkins announced the signing of 24 student-athletes on National Signing Day.

Jenkins stated the goal of this recruiting class was to “build a new team” and “create depth and competition at every position”.

The 2013 class includes: 9 offensive and defensive linemen; 6 wide receivers; 4 running backs, 2 quarterbacks, 1 athlete, and 1 linebacker.

Defensive Lineman Jamal Cooper (Coahoma Community College), Punter/Place Kicker, Johnathan Cagle (Pensacola Pine Forest HS), and running backs Nate Pryor (Sebastian River HS) and Jamaruz Thompkins (Tampa Bay Tech HS) were among those whom Coach Jenkins mentioned as having the potential to make immediate impacts.

Quarterback Larry Brihm (Delray Beach Village Academy) and wide receiver Frank Brown (Palm Beach Gardens) were the top performers at their positions in talent rich Palm Beach County in 2012. In addition to Brihm and Brown, BCU also landed speedy and athletic Werley Placide (linebacker) from Boca Raton Olympic HS. The Palm Beach Post referenced BCU’s nabbing of the trio as a bit of a coup d’état for Brian Jenkins and his staff.

The Wildcats landed two local high school standouts in former Mainland High School quarterback Shelton Willis and reigning 8A State Champions Apopka High’s Dazzie Morris.

Four players from Jacksonville Raines signed with BCU all of whom are listed as wide receivers.

This is a deep class of signees who possess a great mix of size, speed, and athleticism. Several of the signees selected the Daytona Beach institution over larger FBS programs which is a true testament to the growth of the BCU football program.

2013 Bethune-Cookman Football Signees

Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown/High School

Darian Baker WR 5-10 174 Jacksonville, Fla./Raines HS

Larry Brihm QB 6-0 210 Delray Beach, Fla./Village Academy

Frank Brown WR 5-11 176 Palm Beach Gardens, Fla./Palm Beach Gardens HS

Johnathan Cagle P/K 6-3 175 Pensacola, Fla./Pine Forest HS

Jamal Cooper DL 6-4 280 Memphis, Tenn./Kirby HS/Coahoma CC

Jawill Davis WR 6-0 170 Miami, Fla./American HS

Terique Debois OL 6-3 310 Bensalem, Pa./Bensalem HS/Lackawanna CC

Jamal Dozier WR 6-1 160 Jacksonville, Fla./Raines HS

Andrew Edouard OL 6-0 290 Philadelphia, Pa./Overbrook HS/Lackawanna CC

Atreyu Farrior ATH 6-1 180 Lakeland, Fla./Kathleen HS

Anthony Green DT 6-1 245 Lakeland, Fla./Lake Gibson HS

Uriah Horne OG 6-3 260 McDonough, Ga./Eagles Landing HS

William Koen III OL 6-4 250 Lawrenceville, Ga./Mountain View HS

Dazzie Morris OG 6-2 260 Apopka, Fla./Apopka HS

Dre’Sean Nelson RB 5-8 160 Ft. Lauderdale, Fla./Dillard HS

Phillip Norman OG 6-4 280 Sebastian, Fla./Sebastian River HS

Larry Overstreet RB 6-0 200 Lehigh Acres, Fla./Lehigh HS/Fresno City College

Nathaniel Pryor RB 5-9 180 Sebastian, Fla./Sebastian River HS

Dishawn Ray DT 6-4 305 Jesup, Ga./Wayne County HS

Bruce Seymore WR 6-2 171 Jacksonville, Fla./Raines HS

Jamaruz Thompkins RB 5-10 185 Tampa, Fla./Tampa Bay Tech

Devonte Washington WR 6-2 178 Jacksonville, Fla./Raines HS

Shelton Willis QB 6-0 165 Daytona Beach, Fla./Mainland HS

THE BELT

January 25, 2013July 27, 2013 / J Bell / 2 Comments

At the conclusion of this past season’s Florida Blue Florida Classic, coach Brian Jenkins was seen hugging players, celebrating with the Marching Wildcats, and very conspicuously wearing a 2012 MEAC Champions Belt that was large enough and elaborate enough to make Hulk Hogan envy.

The story goes as follows:

The FAMU fan was undoubtedly sending a clear message to the precocious new coach of what he should expect when facing the mighty Rattlers.

Senior Class awarded Championship Belts

Coach Jenkins’ statement to the media after the 2012 Florida Blue Florida Classic now makes so much more sense: “…in the end, you want to be the one to put on the belt.”

THE BELT is brilliant in everything that it represents. It is the proverbial gauntlet slap in the face, a one-upper, a ‘step ya game up’ if you will. It is a unique memento, it epitomizes excellence, symbolizes hardwork and manhood, and it is meant to draw a line in the sand. If you want THE BELT, come and take it. If you want to keep THE BELT, then be prepared to defend it. So keep your folded piece of paper and I will raise you a Championship Belt.

Congratulations to all the guys who earned the right to wear THE BELT!!!

Top 12 Moments of 2012

December 31, 2012July 27, 2013 / J Bell / Leave a comment

Before 2012 takes its final curtain call and 2013 takes center stage, here is a look back at the Top 12 highlights of the 2012 football season.

(In no particular order)

Isidore Jackson joins 1,000 yard club:

Junior running back Isidore Jackson became just the 7^th player in BCU history to rush for 1,000 in a season. It was the first time that a BCU player reach the 1,000 yard milestone since Allen Suber reached the magical mark in 2002. Jackson finished the year with 1,069 yards on the ground. He now has 2,449 yards rushing for his career which is good enough for 3^rd all-time.

Steady Eddie:

Eddie Poole has played in every game of Brian Jenkins’ head coaching career. All Poole has done in that 35 game span is catch a pass in every contest and move into sixth (6^th) place all-time on BCU’s touchdown receptions list with seventeen (17). No sweat; just another day at the office for Steady Eddie.

Preston Cleckley’s one hander:

The final score in the BCU/Tennessee State game did not favor the good guys; however, Preston Cleckley’s one handed grab in the back of the end zone against the Tigers may have been the single most spectacular play of the season.

The 9 yard TD strike to Cleckley was quarterback Quentin Williams’ first collegiate TD pass. The two hooked up again in the North Carolina Central game when Cleckley ran under a 76 yard Williams’ TD pass. The 76 yarder was the longest pass play of the season for the Wildcats.

Brock Waters

Comeback kids:

17 minutes into the 2012 season, BCU fans were frozen in disbelief. The Wildcat faithful watched Alabama State seize all the momentum and a 21-0 lead early in the 2^nd quarter. But help arrived in the form of Louisiana Tech transfer Brodrick Waters. Waters replaced Jackie Wilson at quarterback midway through the 2^nd quarter and BCU scored 38 unanswered points. BCU went on to win the contest 38-28.

The comeback theme was repeated the following week when BCU scored 27 unanswered points after South Carolina State jumped out to a 14-0 lead.

Courtesy of BCU Athletics

Defense plays lights out in the 3^rd and 4^th quarters:

7, 0, 0, 16, 3, 3, 3, 7, 6, 7; no those aren’t the winning Powerball numbers. Those numbers represent the total number of points the Wildcat defense surrendered to FCS competition in the second half of contests this season. That averages out to a measly 5.2 points per game in the 3^rd and 4^th quarters.

The Wildcat D surrendered no 2^nd half touchdowns in the entire month of October. Hopefully the defense will figure out a way to extend their 2^nd half achievements over 4 quarters of football and elevate themselves to a dominant defensive team in 2013.

Nick Addison’s coming out party

Redshirt freshman Nick Addison put on a display against Hampton that caused the Maroon and Gold faithful to reminisce of the days of Mathis, Collins, Williams, and Wyatt. Addison intercepted 2 passes against the Pirates including 1 he returned 90 yards for a touchdown, he recorded 11 tackles (9 solo, .5 tfl) in that contest, and he forced a fumble. That makes for one heck of a coming out party.

Henry Frazier none-to-happy….Is there a rivalry brewing???

NCCU head coach Henry Frazier disapproved of coach Jenkins’ decision to throw a pass while leading 35-17 late in the 4th quarter. A visibly upset Frazier stated after the contest that he would have elected to simply run the ball if he was in the same position and not attempt to “run up the score”. Frazier went on to state that he would remember Jenkins’ actions and have his team ready when the two schools meet again.

Could this evolve into another Bill Hayes/Alvin Wyatt type rivalry……we shall see!

8-0

For the first time in school history, the Bethune-Cookman football team finished the season with a perfect 8-0 record in MEAC play. The last time BCU finished undefeated in conference play was 1984 when quarterback Bernard Hawk led the Cats to a 4-0 mark. BCU has now won 14 straight MEAC contests dating back to 2011 and can tie South Carolina State’s all-time consecutive MEAC win mark of 22 if they finish undefeated in conference play in 2013.

Offensive line play

The BCU offensive line paved the way for the league’s leading scoring offense (29.4 points per game), rushing offense (244 yards per contest) and total offense (388.75 yards per contest). Ole Miss transfer, Terrence Hackney led the big men upfront. Hackney was named to several postseason All-American squads including the Beyond Sports College Network, The Sports Network, and Box-To-Row All-American teams. The best news for BCU fans is that Hackney has 2 years of eligibility remaining.

Lavon McCoy and Eugene Solomon were also noteworthy performers in the trenches in 2012.

He’s staying:

After entertaining offers from other colleges, namely Southern University, and at least one NFL team, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Brian Jenkins decided to sign a new deal and remain the leader of the BCU football team.

Jenkins has amassed a 27-8 record, 2 conference crowns, and 2 playoff berths during his brief time at Bethune.

Run Ike Run:

Isidore Jackson’s 93 yard touchdown scamper against NCCU displayed many of the attributes that make a running back great. Jackson broke 2 tackles (power), made a couple of guys miss (vision), and outran the rest of the field (speed) on his way to the endzone.

It was the 4^th longest touchdown run in school history and good enough to make the Top 12 in 2012 countdown.

Larry R. Handfield Athletic Training Center/Photo Courtesy of Daytona Beach News Journal – David Massey

State of the Art

BCU Football Operations moved into the 16,378 square foot Larry Hanfield Athletic Training Center in September. The facility features a state of the art strength and conditioning center, hydrotherapy, x-ray and treatment rooms, technology equipped meeting rooms, a Hall of Fame lobby as well as other amenities.

The Training Center adds a huge boost to BCU’s recruiting, athletic facilities and footprint along the International Speedway corridor.

Brian Jenkins to remain as BCU’s head coach

December 13, 2012July 27, 2013 / J Bell / 1 Comment

Daytona Beach – Bethune-Cookman interim president, Dr. Edison Jackson, athletic director Lynn Thompson, and head coach Brian Jenkins announced to an assembly of media and Wildcat supporters that Brian Jenkins will remain as the head football coach at BCU.

“Mr. Jenkins has given me an early Christmas gift by remaining with (the Bethune-Cookman) family” Dr. Jackson stated.

Less than 24 hours ago, coach Jenkins was scheduled to spend all day Thursday completing a comprehensive interview for the same position at Southern University in Louisiana. But in an 11th hour change of heart, Jenkins cancelled his interview with Southern on Wednesday night and inked a contract extension to remain at the Daytona Beach institution.

Jenkins stated “it’s not all about finances and it’s not all about football”. “It all boils down to family and wanting to be with family”. He went on to state: “if I were to end my career at Bethune-Cookman I would be okay with that”.

The Wildcats are 27-8 under the fiery third year head coach. Jenkins led BCU to their first ever 10-0 start in 2010, their first ever 8-0 mark in MEAC play in 2012, and two (2) of the last three (3) MEAC titles.

Check back to read more details on today’s press conference including quotes from the head coach and administration.

Coach Jenkins continues to rack up the accolades

December 3, 2012July 27, 2013 / J Bell / Leave a comment

Photo Credits: Jerrime Bell

WACO, Texas – Bethune-Cookman football head coach Brian Jenkins has been named as this year’s American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Football Championship Subdivision Region Two Coach of the Year announced Monday morning by the AFCA office.

Recently completing his third year at the helm in Daytona Beach, Jenkins shares this year’s award with Stony Brook’s Chuck Piore who led his team to the second round of the FCS Playoffs. For Jenkins, this is the second time in the last three years he has won the award for Region Two, also picking up the honor in 2010.

Jenkins, the 2012 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Coach of the Year, led the Wildcats to an MEAC title and the first undefeated conference season for the Maroon and Gold since 1984. This past season, the Wildcats went 9-3 (8-0 MEAC) and played host to Coastal Carolina in the opening round of the FCS Playoffs at Municipal Stadium in Daytona Beach. It was the second MEAC title for the Cats under Jenkins – the fifth of its kind in school history – and they played host to an FCS Playoff competition for the third time in the past 10 years.

Since his arrival in Daytona Beach, Jenkins has compiled an overall record of 27-8, and an unprecedented 21-3 mark in league play. He has helped the Wildcats to two MEAC titles, two FCS Playoff appearances and been named the MEAC Coach of the Year twice.

Read on: http://www.bcuathletics.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=23910&ATCLID=205819638

Missed Opportunities cost BCU chance to secure 1st playoff victory

November 24, 2012July 27, 2013 / 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 2^nd 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 1^st 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 2^nd 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 3^rd 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 4^th and 26.

Waters found KJ Stroud in the back of the endzone on the 4^th 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 2^nd 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 3^rd 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.

Final Florida Classic Rant

November 19, 2012July 27, 2013 / J Bell / 1 Comment

Undisputed and outright champs

At the conclusion of this past Saturday’s Florida Classic, coach Brian Jenkins was seen hugging players, celebrating with the Marching Wildcats, and wearing a 2012 MEAC Champions Belt around his waist. Yeah you heard me, coach Jenkins was rocking a Championship belt around his waist that Dusty Rhodes would have been proud to don.

“I have been telling (our football team) about the belt. You want to be the one to put on the belt in the end. Right now this phase of our season is done. We have won this belt and hopefully we can put things together and be able to put on another (belt)” coach Jenkins stated.

Look Good Play Good

BCU White Helmet

The Bethune-Cookman football team wore all white uniforms (helmets included) for the first time in school history on Saturday. The new white headgear is the fourth helmet the Wildcats have competed in during the Brian Jenkins era. When asked about the abundance of helmets and uniform combinations, coach Jenkins stated: “the young men deserve it. We are so hard on our young men throughout the year about doing things right. I believe in rewarding them for the effort that they put in for this university. So it’s things like that I do to show them appreciation for their effort, dedication, commitment and passion to each other, for each other, and also for this university”.

He went on to state: “the guys did not know when the white helmets were coming. When they came into the locker room before the game, they saw the maroon helmets. They put them on (and went out for pregame). When they came back in (the locker room) they saw the white helmets. The helmets gave our guys a charge and some excitement to our fans”. “I don’t know you might see a different helmet next week” (in the playoff matchup).

BCU is 4-0 in helmet reveal games during the Brian Jenkins era.

Eddie Robinson Award Finalist

Coach Brian Jenkins, who has led his Bethune-Cookman Wildcats to their second FCS playoff appearance in three years, has been named a 2012 Eddie Robinson Award Finalist. The award is presented annually to the national coach of the year in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) by The Sports Network.

“Obviously, this is an extreme honor to be named a finalist for an award of this magnitude,” expressed Brian Jenkins on Monday afternoon. “This award not only shows the hard work of a head coach, his staff and players throughout the year, but also the hard work and dedication of a man for whom the award is named. “Not only was Eddie Robinson an inspiration to me, but he paved the way for African-American coaches like myself and many more to reach new heights in the college football coaching ranks. Again, it’s such an honor to be named a finalist for this award.”

Coach Jenkins led BCU to their first ever 10-0 start when he arrived on campus in 2010. Saturday’s win earned the Wildcats their first ever 8-0 season in league play.

The Wildcats, who earned the league’s automatic bid to the FCS playoffs, will host Big South champion Coastal Carolina on Saturday, Nov. 24 at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchsed from the Bethune-Cookman Box Office or from Ticketmaster.com.

What we learned from BCU’s Week 9 victory over NCCU

October 30, 2012November 12, 2012 / J Bell / Leave a comment

Courtesy of BCU Athletics

1. BCU can run the ball

This past Saturday’s matchup pitted Bethune-Cookman’s #1 ranked rushing offense, against North Carolina Central’s #1 ranked rushing defense. In the end, the Wildcats simply overwhelmed the Eagles on the ground rushing for 274 yards and 5 touchdowns.

On BCU’s 1^st drive of the second half, the Wildcats drove the ball 63 yards on 5 plays to pull ahead 21-17. All 5 plays were runs. That drive shifted momentum and highlighted BCU’s physicality advantage over the Eagles. The Cats seized control of the game at that point and never looked back. Junior running back Isidore Jackson carried the ball 14 times for 158 yards and 2 touchdowns in the contest. The performance was good enough to earn Jackson College Football Performance Awards National Running Back of the Week recognition. Speaking of Jackson, we learned that …

2. Ike is fast enough

During BCU’s preseason media day event, Jackson stated that he had decent but not great speed. However, Jackson’s speed was good enough to help him record the 4^th longest touchdown run in BCU history. Jackson took a pitch off the left side of the line, broke a tackle, made a few guys miss, and raced 93 yards to give BCU a 28-17 lead.

3. Marching Wildcats do yo’ thang

In the last three home games, The Pride’s halftime ballads were: ‘In my Bed’ – Dru Hill; ‘If I Had My Way’ – Chrisette Michelle; and ‘Stairway to Heaven’ – The O’Jays. All three pieces were simply amazing. The band could have scrambled on to the field, played those ballads and walked off and I would have been perfectly fine with their performance. They really did sound that good. Hail Wildcats and Hail Pride!

(Okay, now back to football.)

4. Coach Jenkins really does have a rotating quarterback system

Heading into last week’s game, it seemed that Quentin Williams had gained sole ownership of the starting quarterback position. Williams started the three prior games during which he threw 4 touchdowns, 0 interceptions and completed nearly 70% of his passes.

Coach Jenkins stated that Quentin did not take care of some of his responsibilities off the field and that Brodrick Waters had a better week of practice on the field. As a result, it was Waters who started the contest for BCU. Waters led BCU on their first scoring drive and rushed for 53 yards on the afternoon.

Although not the starter, Williams saw significant action during Saturday’s game. Included in Williams’ highlights was a 76 yard touchdown pass thrown to Preston Cleckley in the 2^nd quarter.

Courtesy of BCU Athletics

5. De-fense, De-fense

Here is a number for you; “9”. That’s the number of snaps, NCCU took inside the BCU 10 yard line on their first possession of the second half. The Eagles got the ball as close as the 1 yard line, but an illegal procedure penalty backed NCCU up to the 6 yard line.

A Bethune-Cookman player said ‘Hut,’ and that’s why we jumped offside,” Frazier said. “It wasn’t our quarterback, I’ll just say that”. BCU safety, D.J. Howard, and linebacker, Dawud Lane, claimed ignorance to the coaches claim during postgame interviews.

The Wildcats limited the Eagles to a field goal on that possession and those would be Central’s last points of the contest. BCU’s defense has now surrendered 7, 0, 0, 16, 3, 0, and 3 points in the second half of games against FCS opponents this season. That equates to 4.1 points per game in the second half. Not bad…not bad at all!