Wildcats ground Eagles 42-17 in Breezy Battle of Unbeatens

I Got Next!

Special to West Orlando News Online

By Karsceal Turner

Say it with me, five wins and zero losses. A Breezy atmosphere at Municipal stadium greeted 3,200 fans including the “Marching Sound Machine” and witnessed the elite altercation between Bethune-Cookman University and North Carolina Central University. After all was said and done (including band performances), there was only one unbeaten left atop the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). B-CU convincingly whipped the Eagles 42-17 in front of 5,738 fans in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. With the win the Wildcats (6-2, 5-0) took sole possession for first place in the MEAC. NCCU fell to 5-3 overall and 4-1 in the MEAC.

The same thing that’ll make you laugh will make you cry

The visitors had an air of confidence about themselves, (I can say this because I get to see and hear ALL the good, GOOD stuff. What’s football without some trash talk? I am privy to errant cursing expressions in the heat of battles for games I cover. You know, “inside” stuff). It’s all part of the game.

There was a lot of Rah rah after the Eagles traveled 568 miles down I-95 South even as Hurricane Sanday made its approach towards the upper eastern seaboard. I’m telling you, they were really yapping it up. The Eagles had an air about themselves, and why not? They came into this game as the top MEAC defense team against the run (which B-CU uses extensively), and likely were used to their stifling defense handling business for them. Instead B-CU’s defensive prowess shut all that up.

Quentin Williams handled signal-calling duties Saturday. He was 6-of-15 for 126 yards for B-CU, while B-CU’s other QB Brodrick Waters rushed for 53 yards and threw for another 43. Your boy Isidore Jackson rushed for 154 yards and two touchdowns to lead B-CU. He finished the evening with 158 rushing yards to help the Wildcats gross 443 yards of total offense, including 274 yards on the ground. Alternatively, Rodney Scott had 13 carries for 49 yards and a lone TD. B-CU receivers were solid with KJ Stroud and Eddie Poole each hauling in three catches apiece.

I remember the pre-game scuttlebutt about NCCU’s stifling defense against B-CU’s high-powered running game. The Cats’ scored first on a one yard romp by Andronicus Lovette in the first with the clock reading 4:49. Meanwhile the Marching Pride filed into their section of Municipal Stadium.

NCCU quarterback Jordan Reid threw touchdown passes to Detwan Robinson and Decona Roberts in the first half. Both two teams were toe-to-toe at intermission and knotted 14 tight. NCCU went up 17-14 on a 23-yard Oleg Parent field goal to start the third quarter but the Eagles did not score one more point after that.

“Cashing out”

After defensively demoralizing , B-CU was good for spreading the scoring around to compliment Lovette’s TD. The rest of the third and beginning of the fourth quarter saw the Wildcats “cash-out” by registering 28 unanswered points to put the game away.

B-CU’s other stars get into the scoring act

After NCCU’s FG in the third, the Cats answered with an eight-yard Rodney Scott romp that gave the Wildcats a 21-17 lead. On their next possession, Ike Jackson found a hole and raced 93 yards on the fourth-longest touchdown run in school history to put the Wildcats up for good heading into the final stanza. But wait, it wasn’t over yet. Angelo Cabrera wrapped up the scoring with a one-yarder with under a minute remaining to insure the Wildcats the number 1 spot in the MEAC. You like that don’t you?

The better defense wins

Dawud Lane led all B-CU defenders with 13 stops on the afternoon. Your boy Harold Love III was good for a sack and the Wildcat defense only gave up 108 total yards rushing and 154 passing yards. All of a sudden, the NCCU defense wasn’t that Bad “A” anymore.

Gotta admit I saw home team get burnt deep a few times. The stat sheet read that B-CU gave up receptions of 28, 55, 20, and 22. It seems they compensated for it beginning with game-changing interceptions. D.J. Howard and Rashad Payne were good for a pick apiece. Each pick turned into points for B-CU and were crucial to the final score and the MEAC driving seat. As a cherry on top, B-CU extended its streak of games with an interception to 15. You have to love that unless you’re a Rattlers fan.

Beware the NCCU Marching Sound Machine…but not really

I was minding my own business in the press box eating grapes and sipping Gatorade when I looked across the field and saw the bus unloading the NCCU marching band. Man oh man! Outstanding! Right then and there, I knew we were really in for an exciting game and half time show and I was not disappointed.

However, I must ask a simple question. Why oh why did NCCU have to open up the battle of the stands with their paltry rendition of Cameo’s Talking out the side of your neck? I remember saying asking fellow photographer John Reeves the same question.  He shrugged his shoulders like Kanye’ and we both laughed!

(Some of you Jitterbugs don’t even know this song but you know the latest ignorant hook by a man wearing skinny jeans. SMH, But I digress, back to the battle).

B-CU “band heads” know this is a staple song for the “Marching Pride”. It is basically a trash talking song bordering on taunting amongst bands. NCCU started it. That is only a good idea if you have a large band able to compete with the blaring sounds from B-CU’s horns and Tubas.

The Sound Machine was simply out-gunned. I have heard B-CU’s band since 1994 as a frosh when it was B-CC, I’ll hand it to NCCU; they were not at all daunted by being in Daytona Beach and looking across the field at the sheer size of The Pride. A quick look at the song on Youtube revealed that every HBCU believes their band does it best. I’ll say it was cool to see some N.C. flavor. I dug their routines and I also dug their dancers, “The ladies of Eclipse”.

Really, I spent most of my time Saturday on the visitor’s side within camera shot of those sisters. Didn’t I tell you K.T. loves the dancers? I also dug their show presentation. It was on some stuff like you see at a school like Yale or Princeton (no offense). But I’m saying, who brings a sound system with concert speakers and four xylophones? Have you EVER seen a xylophone up close? They are a blast! So was the Michael Jackson routine Eclipse performed. Yeh man, NCCU brought a nice show with them but they were either out-gunned or simply blown-out. See it on Youtube and judge for yourself, it’s your choice.

The win topped-off Senior Day for the Wildcats and advanced their climb towards a second outright championship with NO sharing.

Next up is a road-trip. B-CU travels to Baltimore for a 1 p.m. meeting with Morgan State next Saturday.