Nathaniel Biggs’ red-zone interception with just over a minute to play in the fourth quarter sealed the Rams victory on Saturday afternoon as Winston-Salem State earned a hard-fought 14-9 victory over the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats at Municipal Stadium in Daytona Beach, Florida.
The Rams jumped out to a 14-3 lead over the span of three quarters of play and were able to hold on for an impressive 14-9 victory to even the all-time series with their new MEAC rival (1-1).
After a scoreless first quarter, the Wildcats struck first as they capped a 13-play drive that took 5:53 off the clock with a 47-yard Lucas Esquival field goal.
The field goal would give the Wildcats their only lead of the day as WSSU wasted no time in answering back only 1:34 later when Roderick Fluellen powered his way into the end zone from seven yards out for his second touchdown of the season, giving WSSU a 7-3 lead that they would never relinquish.
The Rams, who used a power running game for nearly the entire first half wasted no time in exploiting a Wildcat defense that was stacked against the rush in the third quarter as Monte Purvis hit Omar Kizzie for a 53-yard reception that would set up the second, and ultimately game-winning, score with 6:22 to play in the third period.
Following the Kizzie reception and a pair of running plays, Purvis went to the air as he found Bryant Bayne on an out route for a touchdown as WSSU went ahead 14-3.
Kizzie not only set the drive in motion with his 53-yard grab but tacked on the extra point following the touchdown.
The Wildcats refused to wilt in the heat as they mounted a pair of long drives that nearly helped them sneak out the win as Justin Brannon scored from one yard out with 7:33 to play in the fourth quarter to cut the WSSU lead to 14-9 (the B-CU two-point conversion failed) on the first of the two consecutive long B-CU drives.
B-CU got the ball back in prime territory after a stalled Ram drive and proceeded to drive down field looking to steal the win from the clutches of defeat as they pounded into the WSSU red zone with just under two minutes to play needing a touchdown for victory.
However, the Rams would not be denied as defensive back Nate Biggs intercepted a McKinson Souverain pass and WSSU ran out the clock to earn the win.
With the win, the Rams improve to 4-3 overall while the Wildcats fall to 2-5 overall with the loss. The all-time series between the two teams draws even at 1-1 with the win.
WSSU quarterback Monte Purvis turned in another stellar game-managing performance as he threw for 96 yards and a score and rushed for 72 yards en route to leading his team to their fourth win of the 2007 season.