Bethune-Cookman pounded North Carolina Central into submission with a relentless running game Saturday as the Wildcats posted a 34-20 come-from-behind home victory. The victory keeps the Wildcats (7-2, 4-1 MEAC) in the middle of a logjam with four other teams for the top spot in the conference. South Carolina State, North Carolina A&T, Morgan State and Norfolk State each has only one conference loss also.
Bethune-Cookman rushed for 334 yards as running back Michael D. Jones (117) and quarterback Larry Brihm (109) each topped the 100-yard mark. Jones had 43-yard touchdown run and Brihm scored on a six-yard run. However, Anthony Jordan was the hero for the Wildcats. Jordan scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter after North Carolina Central (4-5, 3-2 MEAC) led 20-13 after three periods. Jordan ran for 61 yards.
Quarterback Quentin Williams gave the Wildcats a fourth runner with at least 50 rushing yards. Williams ran the ball for 57 yards. Andre Clark scored on a four-yard run with 7:32 left in the third quarter to put the Eagles ahead 20-13.
The touchdown, Clark’s second of the game, was set up by Adrian Wilkins’ 91-yard kickoff return. Jordan scored the first of his three touchdowns on a one-yard run with 13:50 left in the game to tie the game at 20-all. Jordan scored on another one-yard run at the 3:09 mark, capping an 11-play, 77-yard drive, for a 27-20 Wildcat lead. Jordan iced the game with a 30-yard touchdown run with 1:13 after Bethune-Cookman forced the Eagles to turn the ball over on downs.
Bethune-Cookman’s defense, No. 2 in the FCS in fewest total yards allowed, was the catalyst for the fourth-quarter comeback. The Wildcats held North Carolina Central to just eight yards in the final period. The Eagles only had 200 total yards for the game, about half their average for the season.
“They are a big-play offense,” Bethune-Cookman coach Brian Jenkins said. “We wanted to take the big plays away. (Wilkins) is one of the most explosive players in the country on any level, and their running backs run through tackles. We wanted to make sure we didn’t give them any second efforts or additional yards.”
Key Results:
Southern 28, Alabama State 21 – Quarterback Austin Howard passed for 291 yards and two touchdowns as the Jaguars rallied for a home victory. The defeat eliminated the Hornets from the SWAC East Division race. Austin had an 18-yard touchdown pass to Willie Quinn and a 23-yard strike to Reggie Travis. He also had a nine-yard touchdown run for the Jaguars (6-3, 5-1 SWAC), who are second to Grambling State in the SWAC West Division race. Alabama State (4-5, 4-4 SWAC) suffered its fourth consecutive loss despite a 185-yard rushing effort by Malcolm Cyrus, who has run for 100 or more yards in seven games this season. The Hornets rushed for 297 yards, but they were guilty of four turnovers including three fumbles.
Tuskegee 28, Central State 25 – The Golden Tigers extended their winning streak to six consecutive games with an SIAC road victory. The Golden Tigers (7-2, 6-0 SIAC) ran the ball at will against the Marauders as they piled up 329 rushing yards. Running back Michael J. Thornton led the Golden Tigers with 198 yards on 16 rushing attempts, and he scored three touchdowns. Sophomore running back Hoderick Lowe added 89 yards on 13 carries. The victory sets up a winner-take-all showdown with Miles for the SIAC West Division title Saturday in Fairfield, Ala.
Miles 26, Stillman 22 – The Golden Bears came up with an interception in the final minute to pull out a road victory and set up a showdown with Tuskegee for the SIAC West Division championship. The lead seesawed back and forth as both teams had no trouble running the ball. Jonathan Clark rushed 25 times for 208 yards and Xavier Bacon had 14 carries for 89 yards for Miles (6-3, 5-1 SIAC), which gained 375 yards on the ground. Stillman (4-5, 3-3) had 237 yards on the ground. Jovontae Thurmon had 119 yards on 12 carries for the Tigers, and Dondre Purnell gained 89 yards on 13 rushing attempts. Stillman took a 22-19 lead early in the fourth quarter on quarterback Josh Straughan’s 16-yard touchdown pass to Devon Mackey. Miles (6-3, 5-1 SIAC) responded with a 29-yard scoring pass from Demetric Price to Darren Fife with 7:29 left if in the game. Stillman got the ball with less than three minute to play and mounted the potential winning drive. However, Miles turned back the Tigers when Travis Lee intercepted Straughan’s throw in the end zone with 38 seconds remaining.
Norfolk State 12, Florida A&M 10 – The Spartans made a goal-line stand in the closing seconds and spoiled the Rattlers’ homecoming and interim Coach Corey Fuller’s debut. Fuller replaced Earl Holmes, Hall of Fame linebacker as player for the Rattlers, who was fired Tuesday after posting a 6-16 record since replacing Joe Taylor, who retired with two games remaining in the 2013 season. The Rattlers (2-7, 2-3 MEAC) were 2-6 this season under Holmes after starting the season 0-5. His firing didn’t sit well with the team and some alumni. Team members marched from the field house to Athletic Director Kellen Winslow’s office to protest the move, and there was talk of a boycott. Former Florida Senator Al Lawson, who played basketball for he Rattlers, said Winslow was wrong for firing Holmes four days before homecoming and should be fired. Meanwhile, the Rattlers suffered their second straight loss following a two-game winning streak Norfolk State defensive lineman George Riddick stopped quarterback Damien Fleming for no gain on third-and-goal from the one-yard with the clock winding down and Florida A&M couldn’t run another play before time expired.
Other Results:
MEAC:
Howard 17, Delaware State 10
Morgan State 38, Hampton 35
South Carolina State 59, Savannah State 7
SWAC:
Alabama A&M 25, Jackson State 14 Arkansas-Pine Bluff 24, Mississippi Valley State 14 Grambling 35, Texas Southern 7
CIAA:
Bowie State 28, Lincoln (Pa.) 7
Fayetteville State 31, Livingstone 28
Johnson C. Smith 14, Saint Augustine’s 10
Virginia State 40, Chowan 7
Virginia Union 14, Elizabeth City State 7
Winston-Salem State 61, Shaw 10
SIAC:
Albany State 40, Benedict 14
Clark Atlanta 34, Paine 0
Kentucky State 47, Lane 14
Miles 26, Stillman 22
Morehouse 24, Fort Valley State 21
Others:
Alderson Broadsus 62, Virginia-Lynchburg 21
Ave Maria 30, Edward Waters 7
Langston 38, Oklahoma Panhandle State 17
Eastern Kentucky 56, Tennessee State 42
Notre Dame (Ohio) 41, West Va. State 10
Samford 55, Concordia-Selma 0
Wayland Baptist 34, Texas College 8
Westchester 55, Cheyney 0
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