Karsceal Turner – I Got NEXT!
Anthony Jordan was good for a season-best 102 yards rushing and two touchdowns as No. 17 Bethune-Cookman handled their business with a 49-12 victory over Howard before 10,247 at Municipal Stadium.
Wildcat Nation loves that. Clearly B-CU returned with a renewed vigor by bashing its two Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) foes in Delaware State last week and Howard on Saturday.
Bethune-Cookman (5-1 overall, 2-0 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) scored on its first three possessions and four of their first five – the only “stop” came when time ran out in the first half – to remain unbeaten (5-0) on Homecoming in the Brian Jenkins era.
The Wildcats parlayed a balanced offensive attack and a bend-but-don’t break defense and established themselves early, taking the opening kickoff and driving 75 yards on 11 plays as Jordan capped it off with a three-yard run. Jordan also caught three passes for 45 yards for the Wildcats, who amassed a season-high 440 total yards.
In the first, the Bison mounted a drive on its own, but it stalled and John Fleck nailed a 46-yard field to tie his career best.
Bethune Cookman answered when Cary White finished off a 75-yard drive with a 19-yard scamper to make it 14-3 at the 3:25 mark of the first quarter. Howard was able to counter, but again the Wildcats shut them down and held the Bison to a Fleck 31-yard field goal to narrow the deficit to 14-6 early in the second quarter.
The Wildcats wasted little time in putting the pressure on Howard when Quentin Williams finished off a short drive with a one-yard plunge to take a 21-6 lead to the locker room.
The Bethune Cookman defense limited Howard to a season-low 58 yards on the ground while forcing two fumbles. The Wildcats rolled up 440 yards of total offense and converted on 8 of 12 third down conversions.
Cary White and Quentin Williams scored first half rushing touchdowns for the Wildcats. Williams was good for six-of-nine passes for 114 yards before yielding to Larry Brihm, who threw a 24-yard touchdown to Jhomo Gordon, and scored on a 2-yard keeper in the fourth quarter.
Jamaruz Thompkins (eight carries for 54 yards) closed out the scoring on a 2-yard run with nine seconds left. It was his first scoring play in his career. What else could one want from a homecoming game?
Bethune-Cookman travels to Savannah State next Saturday for an MEAC showdown. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m., inside Ted A. Wright Stadium. One thing I can say is that B-CU has completed part of the mission where alumni such as myself are concerned. They won Homecoming but there are four more games against formidable opponents before that meeting in Orlando on November 22nd. Perhaps the football players can’t loot past their remaining schedule but, I sure as shiggity can get away with it because the name of the column is I Got NEXT!
