BC-U 'Cats eye elusive MEAC win

By SEAN KERNAN, Daytona Beach News Journal

DAYTONA BEACH -- When the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats opened the 2007 football season, winning the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference was the team's goal.

Today, heading into the fifth game of the season and third in the MEAC, the Wildcats are still in search of their first conference victory.

Conference wins also eluded the Wildcats last season, when B-CU went 3-5 in league play and dropped its last three MEAC encounters. In fact, the Wildcats have lost seven of the eight MEAC games they've played since the end of September 2006. The slide began with a 28-14 setback to Morgan State, today's homecoming opponent.

That's right -- homecoming -- in September. Today's 4 p.m. kickoff at Municipal Stadium marks one of the earliest homecomings in B-CU's history. And the Wildcats (2-2 overall, 0-2 in MEAC) could use all the help they can from a partisan crowd expected to top 12,000 because things just haven't gone well of late.

But the way for the Wildcats to turn things around is rather simple, according to head coach Alvin Wyatt.

"Big plays (against your team) and fumbles -- those things you can't have," Wyatt said this week. "You have those things, you're going to lose football games. I'll tell you, if we eliminated our turnovers, we're undefeated. I can't get out there and catch the football. That's something that we're going to have to make up in our minds that we're going to do. We have to stay on track and catch those pitches."

BC-U QB Jimmie Russell

The Wildcats have lost just four fumbles and thrown one interception this season, but their turnovers have resulted in outright or easy touchdowns in narrow losses to South Carolina State and Norfolk State.

The costly fumbles have come on pitches from quarterback Jimmie Russell, but Wyatt says the problem is the A-backs have not remained on the proper track for the blind pitches from the senior quarterback. Wyatt has had the A-backs review older game films showing past performers at that position run the proper track for the pitch.

When it comes to stopping the big play today, the Wildcats might have their hands full containing Morgan State running back Chad Simpson, who is third in the nation and first in conference with an average of 175 rushing yards per game.

"I know how quick he is," Wyatt said. "I know how he can hurt you."

But Wyatt, who has seen his defense play too soft against the run in conference games to date, doesn't care if Simpson gets his yardage just as long as the Wildcats keep the Bears out of the end zone.

"I don't care if they run for a thousand yards as long as they don't get into the end zone," Wyatt said.

B-CU gets a defensive boost today with the return of senior linebacker Rodney Hughes, who has been sidelined while he recovers from a hand injury.

"We got our leader back. We have our impact player in our defense," Wyatt said in reference to Hughes' return. "He's the guy. It does allow us to be able to do different things with him back."

Morgan State, although it is No. 1 in the conference in rushing offense and rushing defense, has problems of its own. The Bears have been doing a quarterback shuffle between Mario Melton and Byron Selby because of their inconsistent play.

"It's been like a rock 'n' roll concert," said Morgan State coach Donald Hill-Eley. "It's been tough getting them to have any consistency. You bring one of them out to sing the lead and later you have to bring in the backup singer to sing the lead."

Morgan State at Bethune-Cookman

WHAT: Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game

WHERE: Municipal Stadium

KICKOFF: 4 p.m.

RADIO: WELE 1380-AM

RECORDS: Morgan State 1-3 (0-1 in MEAC); B-CU 2-2 (0-2)

SERIES: B-CU leads 16-5 PLAYMAKERS: Morgan State: RB Chad Simpson (first in the MEAC and third nationally in FCS Division with average of 175 rushing yards per game), QB Mario Melton, QB Byron Selby, LB Jerrell Guyton (second in MEAC with average of 10 tackles per game). B-CU: QB Jimmie Russell (seventh in MEAC rushing at 84 yards per game); MLB Ronnie McCullough (9.7 tackles per game, fourth best in conference), FS Bobbie Williams (averages 8 tackles per game, 10th in conference), KR Corey Council (averages 30.1 yards per return, second in conference).

STORYLINE: B-CU has lost its last five Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference games dating back to last season and seven of its last eight conference games. The Wildcats have quietly gone from a MEAC power to a team struggling for an identity in a conference that for the most part has a lot of parity. Morgan State was on the verge of a huge win last week before succumbing 24-17 in overtime to three-time defending MEAC champion Hampton. The Bears have dropped four of their last five conference games. The reality is both teams are looking for something that hasn't come easily of late for them -- a conference victory.

DID YOU KNOW?: Before transferring from South Florida to Morgan State, running back Chad Simpson considered joining the Wildcats.