Morgan State scored 27 unanswered points to run away from Bethune-Cookman, 33-9 on Saturday on a Wildcats Homecoming weekend at Municipal Stadium/Larry Kelly Field in Daytona Beach, Fla.
For just the second time in five years, Bethune-Cookman (2-3, 0-3 MEAC) dropped a Homecoming contest. The last, a tough loss at the hands of North Carolina A&T back in 2003. The culprit this year turned out to be the Morgan State Bears from Baltimore, Md.
B-CU opened up the game’s scoring with a blocked punt return for a touchdown by senior defensive back James Monds. Monds scooped up the Thomas Beese blocked punt at the MSU 24-yard line?following the block from B-CU’s Nick Mayant, and raced in for the score. Lucas Esquivel’s extra-point game the Wildcats a 7-0 lead as the first quarter came to an end.
With rain in and out of the forecast all day long, the Bears of Morgan State (2-3, 1-1 MEAC) decided to stick with what has been most powerful to them all year ... the ground game.
Once again it was a blocked punt that led to a score as redshirt freshman Justin Keable’s attempt was blocked by MSU’s Rupert Gill. That set-up the Bears with short field to work with, thus leading to a Byron Selby to Roderick Wolfe six-yard pass for touchdown.
The extra-point attempt by MSU was blocked by Brendan Odom of B-CU and in return scooped up and scored on for a two-point conversion by teammate Ben Ballard.
That, however, would be the last score of the afternoon for the Fighting Wildcats in front of a Homecoming crowd of 10,121 in beautiful Daytona Beach.
With the score tied 9-9 at the half, a third quarter defensive struggle was broken open by MSU’s Byron Selby when he orchestrated a 12-play, 55-yard drive that was capped off when he called his own number for a three-yard quarterback draw up the middle to break the tie at 16-9.
Following a heavy double-threat dose of Chad Simpson and Devan James, MSU scored once more just before the end of the quarter as Selby connected with receiver Robert Surratt from 18-yard out for another touchdown to give the Bears a 23-9 advantage.
James Meade contributed once more in the fourth quarter following an interception by linebacker Kofi Nkrumah on B-CU quarterback Matthew Johnson and returned it down to the B-CU 18-yard line. In fact, for Johnson it was his first-ever collegiate play under center after sitting out the 2006 campaign.
Meade’s 21-yard field goal was preceded by four consecutive rushing attempts by Simpson, as well as one from quarterback Selby.
With the Bears on top 26-9 late in the fourth quarter, MSU struck once again as Devan James broke through the powerful B-CU linebacker core and eluded the secondary to scamper 65-yards for a touchdown to give the crowd the final score of 33-6.
In the loss, B-CU registered a season-low 146 yards of total offense, including just 47 on the ground out of the traditionally-powerful “Wyattbone” formation. In return, the defense gave up 180 yards rushing?with 186 of those yards coming from the tandem of Simpson (98 yds.) and James (88 yds./1 TD).
Brian Sumlar and Corey Council led the Wildcats in rushing with 12 yards each.
Selby finished the day with 69 yards passing on 7-for-16 through the air and two (2) touchdowns. He also ran for zero (0) yards on five attempts with one touchdown.
Jimmie Russell finished as the leading passer for the Wildcats as he connected on 6-for-19 passing for 53 yards, as well as two interceptions. McKinson Souverain finished 4-for-8 on the afternoon for 46 yards with one interception.
The Bears were led defensively by Lamar West with a team-high eight tackles (five solo) and one interception. Bryan Wilson and Nkrumah each chipped in with two tackles-for-loss in the contest.
The B-CU defense was anchored by Ronnie McCullough with a career-high 20 tackles ... including six solo stops. McCullough also had a game-high tying 2.5 tackles-for-loss. Rodney Hughes, playing in his first game of the season following an injury to his hand in the preseason, contributed very nicely right off the bat with 11 tackles of his own. Both Josh Balloon and Ben Ballard added eight tackles apiece for the Wildcats.
Unfortunately for the Wildcats, their losing skid has reached six games in league play dating back to the last three games of the 2006 campaign.
Today’s loss was also the most lopsided defeat on Homecoming for the Wildcats since a 24-point setback at the hands of Florida A&M back in 1966. It becomes the first time since 1968 that B-CU has not posted an offensive touchdown on Homecoming.
B-CU will have a short week to prepare for their next game which is set to be televised on ESPNU next Thursday night with they take on Delaware State in Dover, Del. at 7:30. The Wildcats have lost the last two games to the Hornets, as well as dropping three of their last four games on the ESPN family of networks.