Tuesday, September 11, 2007

B-CU looks to get it done


By KEN WILLIS, Sports Columnist

DAYTONA BEACH -- One final question was posed to South Carolina State coach Buddy Pough, who was ready to pack his things for the bus ride back to Orangeburg, S.C.

Considering how disjointed Bethune-Cookman's offense looked in a 24-13 loss to Pough's Bulldogs, does it look like Alvin Wyatt and the Wildcats are in for another year of struggles?

Maybe he just didn't want to throw salt in the wounds, but most likely, Pough has seen B-CU do so much with so little for so long, he simply found the question a little silly.

"They'll be OK," Pough said. "You know, Wyatt has always found a way to get it done."

One way would be to shore up gaping holes in the special-teams play. S.C. State averaged 43 yards on four kickoff returns Saturday. B-CU kicker Lucas Esquivel, a first-year starter, hit two field goals but also saw two sail wide right. The worst special-teams episode came early in the fourth quarter when the B-CU return team watched a Bulldog kick land softly and flop around, near the Wildcat 30, where it was eventually recovered by S.C. State.

"Special teams . . . we really have to work on that," Wyatt said. "We were in situations where they could've scored 50 points on us."

On the upside, the 'Cats cleanly blocked two field goals and deflected a third. And Corey Council, a junior return specialist, provided the day's biggest highlight with a 98-yard touchdown return in the third quarter.

"It feels good to break a run," Council said of his first collegiate touchdown.

Council also gained 19 yards on a second-quarter toss-sweep, and appeared to be just one block away from breaking a couple of other runs during the game, which makes you wonder if they should make a conscious effort to put the ball in his hands more.

"No," Wyatt said, "the defense dictates who gets the ball in our offense. If they make a mistake, it could be the B-back or the quarterback or the A-back. It all depends on what the defense is giving."

B-CU goes on the road to Savannah State this week, and should find an opposing defense that's in a more giving mood. After that, though, it's back to league play with three straight games within the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. None of the preseason MEAC polls tabbed B-CU as a favorite, and as of now, those polls look to be correct.

But the Wildcats consider two games into a season far too early to be writing off any goals or expectations. Especially when the Game 2 measuring stick was an S.C. State team considered one of the preseason MEAC favorites.

"They're a good football team, we're a good football team," Wyatt said. "We just couldn't answer the things they were putting out there on us. But we'll get better as we go along.

"I'm optimistic about our team, you know. We need to iron some things out offensively as well as on special teams. We may have our difficulties, but I think we can get it together and it'll be a great year for us."

Asked to define "great," Wyatt ignored numbers and focused on effort.

"As long as they compete," he said, "then I'm satisfied."

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