Bethune-Cookman opened up the 2007 football season with a tough 31-17 win over Jacksonville on Saturday as they used two 100-yard rushing performances to defeat the Dolphins at Municipal Stadium/Larry Kelly Field in Daytona Beach, Fla.
With B-CU (1-0) on top 17-10 late in the third quarter, Wildcats defensive end Dennis King sprinted left and dropped back to intercept a Chris Horton pass and race 15 yards into the end zone to put the ?Cats on top by an 24-10 advantage with 1:58 remaining in the third stanza.
Wildcat senior quarterback Jimmie Russell extended the lead at 31-10 when he scampered in from eight yards out on the quarterback keeper for his third rushing score of the evening. For Russell, he tied his entire rushing TD performance of last season with three, and finished with multiple rushing scores for the first time since he had four against Morgan State on a Bethune-Cookman homecoming victory in 2005.
For the Dolphins, they were not to be pushed over so lightly as Jeremy Brown rushed in for a score that cut the lead at 31-17 with 2:10 left in the game, but an onside kick attempt was foiled and the Wildcats held on for the win.
JU, utilizing 195 yards through the air from Horton, got their first-year head coach Kerwin Bell on the board first when the Dolphins used a nine-play, 76-yard drive that spanned 4:33 off the clock. The drive was capped-off when Tommie Rogers hauled in a Horton pass wide-open along the sideline as he raced in to put the visitor’s from the beach along the upper coast of Florida, 7-0.
The Wildcats put some points on the board just before the end of the first quarter when Russell ran in for one of his three rushing TDs from 13 yards out to put B-CU at a deadlock following the point-after from senior kicker Lucas Esquivel.
JU went back on top in the second quarter as Michael Zacco connected on a 30-yard field goal to allow the Dolphins to swim back on top, 10-7. B-CU’s Russell put the Wildcats on top 14-10 when he orchestrated a seven-play, 74-yard drive that he topped-off with a 33-yard run for the go-ahead score.
Esquivel added a field goal at the end of the half to scratch the Wildcats lead back out to 17-10 at the break.
Bethune-Cookman used 114 yards rushing from Russell and 103 yards on the ground from senior running back Justin Brannon to collect most of B-CU’s 283 yards on the ground out of the patented “Wyattbone” offense. Meanwhile, Russell completed 7-of-19 passes for 103 yards through the air, including four passes to senior wide receiver Paul Neufville. Neufville was cleared to play, following a medical red shirt last season, just the other day by the NCAA.
Jacksonville collected just 69 yards total via the ground game, becoming the first opponent B-CU has held under 100 yards rushing since Winston-Salem State on Homecoming in Daytona Beach last season. The Dolphins did pick up 195 yards through the air?all but 18 from Horton, while Michael Jenner had four catches (26 yards) and Rogers had two (60 yards).
Defensively, JU was led by linebacker/defensive back Robson Noel with 11 tackles (five solo) and James Mills with eight stops of his own.
B-CU was anchored defensively by Brendan Odom with double-digit stops at 10 (five solo) and senior All-America candidate Bobbie Williams. Williams, becoming a Buchanan award watch list member, picked off his 14th career pass in the fourth quarter when he made a spectacular falling catch against Horton. Williams also had nine tackles (seven assists).
Newcomer defensive back Antwane Cox collected a team-high three pass deflections, and King and fellow defensive end/linebacker Josh Balloon both shared six tackles each?including King’s second career interception return for touchdown. He had a nine-yard INT touchdown against Elizabeth City State in the 2005 season-opener in Daytona Beach?his first game after transferring from UCF.
Bethune-Cookman will set their sights on conference opponent South Carolina State now as the two teams prepare for battle next weekend, Sept. 8 at Municipal Stadium/Larry Kelly Field beginning at 4 p.m.