Karsceal Turner
I Got Next!
Special to West Orlando News Online
The $400,000 paycheck B-CU received for the “money-game” against the ‘U’ won’t become evident to Head Coach Brian Jenkins and his Wildcats likely until the conclusion of this football season.
The final of 45-14, truly was not representative of what the game entailed. The ESPNU highlights showed the Canes making key plays and showing up the undermanned and supposedly less talented Cats.
In real-time, and on the statistic sheet, the Wildcats won the game despite the final. The truth of the matter is that the Hurricanes (2-1 overall) barely escaped. This are my thoughts. Hurricane fans who were looking forward to an easy win against the Wildcats were left disappointed Saturday evening.
Final score not indicative of B-CU dominance
Nevermind the fact the Cats amassed 422 offensive yards to UM’s 335, and nevermind B-CU’s 219 rushing yards to the Canes’ 126. Sure, B-CU owned the clock and time of possession.
However, remember this fact. The game didn’t get away until the third quarter. Above all, remember the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats put a real scare into one of the nation’s premier football programs. Yes, I said scare. Before the end of this column, you will read the word ‘scare’ three more times at least.
Damn what you heard, The Wildcats didn’t travel to Miami simply for the paycheck, this team expected to win. Take all that talk about a moral victory and shove it where the sun doesn’t shine.
It wasn’t enough to save face, it wasn’t enough to fend off the dogs for four quarters. B-CU was trying to whip Miami.
Preposterous you say? Head Coach Brian Jenkins, who grew up in Fort Lauderdale as Hurricanes fan was fit to be tied after the loss. “If you’re looking for me to say it was a moral victory you’re not going to get that out of me because I don’t even know what that is. We lost the football game, I’m not happy about that. I’m not in a good mood.”
B-CU scores first
Clearly, the mood and tempo of the game was controlled by B-CU for a long time (try 38:59), who came into this game as a 42-point underdog. The Wildcats drew first blood (as they usually do),; when Eddie Poole’s touchdown catch from Jackie Wilson gave the Wildcats (2-2) an early 7-0 lead they carried midway through the second quarter.
The Hurricanes came to life and shifted momentum with a 56-yard Tommy Streeter pass from Jacory Harris followed by a 3-yard run from Lamar Miller, which set up by a 44-yard Travis Benjamin punt return. All this went down within a two-minute span, which ultimately changed the face of the game.
B-CU closed to 21-14 on Wilson’s 1-yard keeper with 5:20 remaining in the third quarter, that is when the Hurricanes truly came to life by scoring the final 24 points. My friends, B-CU simply didn’t hold their own, these guys played to win. “”The main goal was to win the game. I still think we could have done it, you win or you lose,” said Jenkins.
Jackie “Lonely Teardrops” Wilson validated himself in his first B-CU start for an injured Jamarr Robinson. Wilson was 21 of 31 for 180 yards. Then, David Blackwell registered a late march that moved B-CU to the Hurricane 6-yard before time expired. A few more minutes on the clock, and the Cats would’ve scored again. Instead, Cane faithful breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Andronicus Lovette led B-CU rushers with 65 yards on seven carries, followed by Blackwell (5-53) and Jordan (7-49). Poole’s six catches for 44 yards led all B-CU receivers but at least 10 wide outs were good for a catch.
No trash-talk necessary
I loved the attitude of B-CU’s Defensive led by Jarkevis Field’s eight tackles, followed by Jean Fanor with six. Ryan Davis and Reggie Sandilands each had one sack.
“Miami knew how close it was for three quarters,” Davis said. “If you looked in their eyes, they were a little timid for a little bit. They got a couple of big plays and they started relaxing; but hats off to them.”
Davis is known for making big plays and not for his trash-talk. He was good for three sacks Saturday.
However, I shall talk noise in his behalf. Miami was scared, scared, scared. I said earlier, the efforts and effects of this game would be realized later in the season. It was the fourth televised game on the season and the first against a top-tier FCS opponent. Dig it, a lot of folks around the nation are taking notice. B-CU plays Miami again next season and takes on Central Florida in 2013. I’d say after this game, recruiting prospects just got a nice boost. These are dividends not reflected in the final score.
This wasn’t the “David vs. Goliath” matchup many of you were looking for. It was more like a fight between two cousins.
B-CU came away from this “cash cow” not upset because they didn’t complete an upset. They were upset because the better team didn’t win. Allow me to remind the reader, at least no one hung a basketball score on the Wildcats as was done with a certain Tallahassee institution. I won’t say any names.
The bitterness will be worked out this week in practice as the Cats prepare to return to conference action on the road Saturday at North Carolina A&T with a 1:30 p.m. kickoff.
The Aggies are coming off a 24-3 win over Morgan State and are 1-0 in conference play. Remember, the Cats thrashed A&T 67-17 last year. The Aggies will want some get-back on their home turf. Check in with me for more trash-talk as B-CU continues its bid for back-to-back conference titles. I got next!
