Brian Jenkins developing winners on and off the field

August 14, 2012August 18, 2012 / J Bell / Leave a comment

Brian Jenkins

In the two short years that Brian Jenkins has been at the helm of the Bethune-Cookman football team, he has proven two things beyond question:

1. He is an excellent football coach.
2. He is an extremely passionate individual.

The third year head coach’s passion was on clear display at Sunday’s Media Day Event when discussing two specific topics: (a) his commitment to develop his players into responsible, productive men; and (b) how much he hates losing.

The Wildcats are 18-5 under coach Jenkins’ leadership and they enter the season ranked as high as 14^th nationally in one pre-season publication. However, Coach Jenkins repeatedly and emphatically stated that “our program is about more than winning football games”.

“I love my guys and I will shout it from the mountain top”. “We have a program that’s dedicated to building men. It makes you feel good to know that your program is looked upon nationally for not just your football accomplishments, but for building young people also”.

The Wildcat football program received the FCS ADA Academic Progress Rate (APR) Award for being the Most Improved Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) school after improving to an APR score of 935 during the 2010-11 school year.

Several members of the squad have even already graduated and are enrolled in graduate school.

Coach Jenkins’ fatherly influence extends far beyond the playing field and classrooms of his players; it also reaches into their family lives.

“I’ve got a lot of young father’s on this team. We often counsel with them and tell them that there is no reason that you should not be there for your child. You don’t let a team meeting or anything else affect that. You got a lot of fathers that bring their kids to study hall and team meetings. We have some ladies that work in our front office who offer babysitting to our guys so they can study and stay on topic”.

True freshmen Ray Martin of Sanford Seminole High School chose BCU over several BCS schools including Ole Miss and West Virginia. Martin cited the pro-family environment established by Coach Jenkins as one of the primary appeals in his decision to sign with BCU.

“We try to provide a strong family for our team” Coach Jenkins stated. “Our wives are heavily involved and they try to teach some of our players parenting skills”.

At least two of BCU’s football players are single fathers who have sole custody of their children.

Coach Jenkins said “I am very proud of my guys for taking on their responsibility of being a (single) father in spite of playing a college sport and for maintaining a high level of both. So in my book I’m a grandfather and I couldn’t be more proud of them”.

“I love this team and my players so much. They are not all angels. They make mistakes but they don’t make excuses. They give me all that I ask of them in every aspect”.

Coach Jenkins’ affinity for his players extends to his former players as well. When asked about the team’s newest graduate assistant, (former BCU QB) Matt Johnson, Coach Jenkins liken him to “a friend that you bring home and feed once but then you can’t get rid of them”. He went on to praise Matt Johnson’s accomplishments on and off the field namely being named as BCU’s first Jake Gaither award winner in 2010 for his on the field production as well as being recognized by the University as “Business Student of the Year” for his work in the classroom that same year. He went on to state that Matt Johnson has “walked in the direction that they are trying to get the (current) players to walk in. He is living what he has learned (as a BCU football player) and he’s done a tremendous job in life and with our quarterbacks”.

—“I hate to lose and hate is a strong word”— Brian Jenkins

The fatherly passion and care that was evident when speaking about his players quickly gave way to the intense and poignant side of BCU’s head ball coach when asked what would define a successful season for his squad. “Win a national championship!!! Anything less is unacceptable”.

“Everybody is jumping around saying 8-3–you did good last year. To hell with that. Those 3 (losses) bother me a lot more than those 8 (wins). The numbers look good but a national championship would feel a whole lot better. I didn’t just take this job as a stepping stone or to build stats. We want to win a national championship and that’s what we work towards every day in every way! I let them (the players) know from day one. We want to win a national championship. It’s a dirty, grueling, ugly, hard process and you have to be willing to go through it. I tell my guys that if you’re not willing (to go through the process of becoming a national champion) then leave, go somewhere else. This might not be the place for you. There are no bones, no mistakes, no false statements about it; our goal is to win the national championship”.

When asked if the Wildcats needed to upgrade their schedule to assist in reaching the goal of winning a national championship since the MEAC has gone so long without winning a playoff game the coach responded: “we do need to do a better job of winning in the playoffs but when you upgrade your schedule and then you have the record that you’re supposed to have, then they find a way to overlook you, is that the MEAC’s fault? Let’s call it what it is. People want to talk around it. There are some teams that have been placed in the playoffs whose schedule is not ‘King Kong’. Of course you want to schedule (FCS) playoff teams (during the regular season), but do they want to do that. (Sometimes we) make a phone call and they say that they will get back to you, but they never call you back. What do you do in those situations? I tell my guys to win them all and you won’t have to worry about it”.

The Wildcats will get their chance to win the first one of the 2012 season when they face off against Alabama State in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge in Orlando on Sunday, September 2^ndat 12:00.

5 Questions heading into Bethune-Cookman football camp

August 4, 2012August 29, 2012 / J Bell / Leave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

God’s Speed Tank Johnson

May 22, 2012May 22, 2012 / J Bell / Leave a comment

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Former Bethune-Cookman University Athletic Director Lloyd “Tank” Johnson,” recognized by many as the father of what is today’s Florida Classic, passed away Sunday. He was 77.

A 1958 graduate, Johnson served as athletic director from 1972 to 1991, His visionary leadership oversaw the Wildcats’ ascent to Division I and partnership with Florida A&M’s Hansel Tookes in laying the groundwork for the Florida Classic, which made its debut in Tampa in 1978. The archrivals had met to capacity crowds at Florida State University, Daytona International Speedway and Orlando, the current site, prior to that.

Johnson also served as a defensive coordinator for the Wildcat football team from 1961-78 in addition to coaching track and field in the days where coaches would oversee multiple sports.

He was named to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Hall Of Fame in 1995 and is also included in several addition halls of fame, including the 100-percent Wrong Club of Atlanta.

As a student, Johnson was on the Wildcat football, basketball, track and golf teams in 1952-54. After a two-year stint in the army he returned to B-CC in the fall of 1956 and competed in football, golf and track for the next two school years before graduating with a bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1958.

Johnson also served on the City of Daytona Beach Planning Board.

He is survived by his wife, Gwendolyn, and was preceded in death by his daughter, Crystal Lynn.

Funeral arrangements have yet to be announced. Please visit www.b-cuathletics.com for updates and continued coverage of the passing of a Wildcat legend.

Wildcats too much for Tigers

November 13, 2011 / 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 3^rd 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

November 7, 2011 / 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.

Jackie Wilson earns MEAC POTW honors

October 31, 2011 / J Bell / Leave a comment

A Wildcat football player has earned MEAC Offensive Player of the Week honors for the second consecutive week. Quarterback Jackie Wilson was selected as this week’s MEAC Offensive Player of the Week. Also honored this week was Corwin Hammond of Norfolk State (Defensive Player of the Week).

D’Vonte Grant of North Carolina A&T and Tracy Martin of Morgan State was selected as the Co-Rookie’s of the Week while Lawrence Brewer, also of Morgan State, was named the Offensive Lineman of the Week. Blake Erickson of South Carolina State was selected as the Special Teams Player of the Week, respectively.

Wilson (QB, 6-0, 210, So., Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) completed 12 of 15 passes for 183 yards with one touchdown in the Wildcats’ 34-6 win over North Carolina Central. He also carried the ball nine times for 113 yards with another touchdown on the ground.

Hammond (LB, 6-1, 220, r-Sr., Louisville, Ky.) recorded a season-high 12 tackles, nine solo, in the Spartans’ 14-10 win over North Carolina A&T to remain in first place of the conference standings. He registered five tackles for a loss of 17 yards including one sack for a nine-yard loss. He also forced a fumble and broke up a pass in the win.

Grant (LB, 5-11, r-Fr., Charlotte, NC) collected a career-high 17 tackles, 15 solo, in the Aggies loss to Norfolk State. He tallied 3.5 tackles for a loss of 14 yards and recorded a broken up pass.

Martin (RB, 5-9, 190, r-Fr., Beltsville, Md.) ran for 154 yards on 38 carries with two touchdowns in the Bears’ (12-0) shutout victory over Delaware State.
Brewer (OL, 6-5, 290, Sr., Ft. Washington, Md.) graded out at 98-percent on his assignments as he paved the way for the Bears to record 314 offensive yards in the win over Delaware State. He helped the team post 289 yards on the ground and racked up five pancake blocks.

Erickson (PK/P, 5-10, 165, Sr., Cantonment, Fla.) finished a perfect 4-of-4 on PATs and connected on a 22-yard field goal in South Carolina State’s 31-0 win over Howard. He averaged 38.8 yards on six punts, including a long of 66 yards. He also handled the kickoff responsibilities, averaging 58.7 yards on six attempts.

Other Top Performer

Jean Fanor (B-CU) posted six tackles, two solo, with one interception and one forced fumble in the Wildcats’ win over North Carolina Central.

Last week’s Contest

The Bethune-Cookman offense racked up 525 yards of Total Offense spoiling the homecoming of 12,516 North Carolina Central fans. Isidore Jackson and Jackie Wilson both eclipsed the 100 yard rushing mark in Saturday’s contest.

On the opposite side of the ball, the Wildcat defense held the Eagles scoreless until the 13:17 mark in the 4^th quarter. DJ Howard led the Cats with 8 tackles.

The Wildcats are currently playing as well as anyone in the MEAC and will look to continue their impressive late season push in a homecoming matchup against the surprising Morgan State Bears. Morgan State and Norfolk State are the only remaining 1-loss conference teams.

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

October 21, 2011October 21, 2011 / 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 24^th 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 3^rdquarter. 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

Beatdown in Aggie-Town

October 10, 2011October 11, 2011 / J Bell / Leave a comment

Photo provided by Blue Death Valley.com

It has been more than 48 hours since the debacle at Aggie Stadium and it is still difficult to accept the fact that North Carolina A&T did not just win against Bethune-Cookman, but they dominated the Wildcats in the process.

Any analysis of this game has to begin with a tip of the cap to Coach Rod Broadway, his coaching staff, and the NCA&T football team. In the words of Brian Jenkins: “it was a good old-fashion butt-whooping”.

The Aggies dominated BCU in every facet of the game. Despite having half the number of scholarship players (33 for NCA&T compared to 60+ for BCU), riding a 7 game losing streak against BCU, and losing 67-17 to the Wildcats a year ago on national TV; NCA&T was the better team on Saturday afternoon. The gameplan was simple for the Aggies; run the ball on offense and take away the run on defense. The result was a 22-3 woodshed beating in which NCA&T accumulated 224 yards rushing on 50 attempts; while BCU limped its way to 5 yards rushing on 25 attempts.

The Wildcats entered the contest as the conference’s top ranked offensive unit; however, NCA&T limited the Wildcats to just 108 yards of Total Offense outgaining the Cats by a 3:1 margin in the process (330 yards of Total Offense for NCA&T).

Earlier this season, NCA&T was dismantled 58-6 by Appalachian State and beaten handily by Coastal Carolina 31-14. However, Rod Broadway’s bunch is gaining confidence and improving weekly. The Aggies have won their last two games by a combined score of 46-6.

Troubling Trends

Brian Jenkins’ team has amassed at least 10 penalties for 100 yards in each contest this season. The Wildcats accumulated 15 penalties for 112 yards in Saturday’s contest against NCA&T. In fact, BCU actually had more penalty yards than offensive yards in the game. The timing and nature of the penalties are even more troubling then the excessive number of penalties.

Take the Aggies second possession of the second half as an example. The Wildcat defense held the Aggies for what should have been a second straight “3 and out”. However, on 4^th down and 3 on the Aggie side of the field, the Wildcats’ punt return unit was flagged for a ‘neutral zone’ infraction. The penalty gave the Aggies a 1^st and 10, allowed them to take over 6 minutes off of the clock, and ultimately led to an Aggie 24 yard FG and 15-3 advantage with little over 2 minutes left in the 3^rd quarter. These sorts of careless, mental lapses have plagued the Wildcats all season and proved to be too much to overcome against a determined A&T squad.

But it was not just the penalties that doomed the Wildcats. The offensive line did not block well, the receivers dropped too many passes including a certain touchdown, the quarterbacks did not deliver the ball to open receivers, the defense did not consistently get off blocks, and there were a few critical game management decisions by the coaching staff that were cause for curiosity. It was an all around apathetic and underwhelming performance by the BCU football team and coaching staff.

One team was fully prepared and ready for a 60-minute war, the other was going through the motions and hoping for something good to happen. Only this time it never did.

Brian Jenkins’ ball club produced a similarly lackluster effort last year against Howard University. In that contest, the undermanned Bison outgained BCU on offense 389 yards to 196 yards but 2 defensive scores and a special teams touchdown proved to be the difference for BCU. The Wildcats were unable to produce any defensive touchdowns against the Aggies; however, BCU’s lone points of the afternoon were set-up by a DJ Howard 27 yard interception return.

Part of the maturation process

Coach Jenkins stated that North Carolina A&T was better prepared and more determined than his squad. A quick review of the game stats seems to support this assertion. Most teams seem to have one or two bad games throughout the course of a football season, but you cannot simply give the Wildcats a mulligan for their performance against the Aggies.

The coaching staff must assume responsibility for the team’s unpreparedness. Brian Jenkins regularly emphasizes attention to detail and ball security; yet his team’s continual struggles in these areas were prominently on display in Aggie Stadium this weekend (15 penalties for 112 yards and 4 turnovers including 3 in the 4^th quarter).

Perhaps the most head scratching coaching moment of the afternoon came on BCU’s first possession of the second half. Trailing by 9 points (12-3) with slightly more than 10 minutes left in the 3^rd quarter, BCU found themselves facing a 4^th down and 5 from the Aggie 22 yard line. Instead of kicking an intermediate-range field goal and making it a one-possession contest, coach Jenkins elected to go for the first down. Wide Receiver Maurice Francois was stopped a yard short of the marker and the Wildcats failed to convert. The Aggies seemed to seize full control of the contest from that point forward.

The Wildcats (2-3) return home this week and will look to break their current 2-game losing streak when they faceoff against struggling DII opponent Fort Valley State (1-5) in the first annual Biker Classic. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:00. Game attendees can receive a free (visitor’s side) game ticket with the purchase of a $10 band t-shirt. Click the picture below for more details.

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