Karsceal Turner – I Got NEXT!
The season is officially a success if you happen to be an alum of historic Bethune-Cookman University. Your Wildcats won their Homecoming against South Carolina State and recently beat the stuffing out of arch nemesis Florida A&M 29-10 in the season culminating Florida Classic.
B-CU (10-2 overall, 7-1 MEAC) handily beat the Rattlers (3-9, 2-6) for the third consecutive time and clinched an automatic berth to the FCS playoffs next week. It will be the Wildcats’ third appearance in the playoffs in the past four years.
Just like the GEICO commercial, everyone knows all records go out the window come Classic time. Saturday was no different. BTW, with the win, B-CU earned a share of the conference championship for the third time in four years. Just wanted to get that in there for you!
The atmosphere
Yours truly has attended this game since 1994, also since it was in Tampa. The 2013 edition yielded a great row of vendors along Tampa Avenue who were hawking all the great grub such as, sausage and onions, fried fish, jerk chicken, barbecue ribs, and other cholesterol filled foods. Also available were various t-shirts and apparel for each university along with sculptures and artwork.
Let us not forget the regulars who were scalping tickets to the classic, and those dudes trying to “getcha” with the card games. On more than one occasion I had to waive off some dudes trying to get me in involved.
Lorna Doone Park was definitely the place you wanted to be for food, friends, and fun. Lester Ernest, my line brother within Kappa already had his Escalade backed in and almost had the crab boil ready. Liquor was on standby because I refused to be on the field in that hot sun inebriated. I was witness to at least three FAMU fans passing out in the sun. I’m uncertain if it was the heat from the sun or the heat the Wildcats laid on the Rattlers.
We had some great laughs in the Press box area where I, and fellow colleagues Bakari Savage of Central Florida News 13, Orlando, Andreas Butler of the Orlando Sentinel, and other media folks enjoyed some barbecue set aside for working press. Writing stuff has its privileges folks (although we had to wait until an hour before kickoff to eat. Hey it was free grub, you know I crushed it.
The atmosphere was electric, as it always is. Attendance was an announced 45, 321 compared to last year’s count of 32,317 without the Marching 100 on the field.
Battle of the Bands
Speaking of the “100” there were nearly 200 performing Saturday, according to the announcer. Yours truly fought through consecutive yawns in anticipation of the TRUE “Baddest band in the land!” To be fair, I must state here that the Marching 100 did not disappoint in their return to the Citrus Bowl. Even up to the finale which had most of us choking from that Orange and Green smoke they used. Hey, for 19 years, I’ve attended this event, for 19 years, I’ve waited for the 100 to get off the field.
Oh yeah, comedian Kevin Hart was also in the house and addressed the fans. Sorry, I couldn’t get past all the “thirsty” females trying to get at him.
Oh well. Moving right along…The Marching Pride indeed gave B-CU fans what they wanted which was precise marching and a blaring sound. Personally, I was drawn on by the short verse of Bethune-Cookman’s alma mater “All Hail to Thee dear B-CC, all hail to Thee all hail”, (at which time, all Wildcats stood and raised their right arm). It was truly a time of bonding amongst all B-CU alum. In the end, after the half-time show all fans of both institutions felt love for one another at the same time wishing to bash each other’s brains out on the field.
The action on the field
Quentin Williams and Isidore Jackson each rushed for two touchdowns. Williams rushed for 70 yards and completed 7-of-10 passes for 95 yards, while Jackson gained 96 yards on 29 carries as the Wildcats held the ball for 36:48 and outgained the Rattlers 289-to-89.
Jackson led B-CU’s ground attack as he rushed for 96 yards on 29 carries with two TDs.
Eddie Poole had two catches for 18 yards as he extended his school record pass-catching streak to 47 games.
Junior quarterback Quentin Williams was named MVP for the Florida Blue Florida Classic.
The Rattler defense forced a B-CU fumble as Shaun Ward recovered the fumble on the B-CU 37-yard line. Eight plays later, Chase Varnadore connected from 41-yards out, giving the Rattlers a 3-0 lead with 9:58 to go in the first.
The Wildcats would regain the lead on their next possession as they used a 43-yard reception by Jontavious Carter from Quentin Williams and rushes of six, eight and one yard by Isidore Jackson, capped off with a 10-yard TD run by Williams, giving the Wildcats a 7-3 lead with 6:12 to go in the first. . Carter led all B-CU receivers with 2 catches good for 54 yards.
B-CU went up 13-3 as Williams scored his second TD of the day on a 17-yard run with four seconds left in the quarter.
A FAMU Lemond Buice fumble would set up B-CU’s final TD of the half on a Jackson three-yard run with 4:41 left to go in the half, capping a five-play, 16-yard drive by the Wildcats. B-CU secured a 21-3 lead at the break.
The Rattlers’ lone touchdown was a Jonathan Pillow 45-yard fumble recovery and return in the third quarter. Florida A&M’s offense managed just eight (8) first downs, converted only 2-of-12 on third downs, and never got inside the Bethune-Cookman 30-yard line.
The Bethune-Cookman defense limited the Rattlers to just 89 yards of total offense. That’s a season low allowed by the B-CU defense this season. The defense also registered another turnover in the game via interception. That gives the Wildcats an interception in 29 of the last 32 games.
B-CU was hoping for a home game, but after hosting two FCS playoff games in the past three seasons, the Wildcats will hit the road this time. The game is a rematch of last season’s first-round playoff game against Coastal Carolina in which the Chanticleers defeated B-CU 24-14 at Daytona Beach.
