S.C. State 24, Bethune-Cookman 3

Wyatt-Bone dry: B-CU TD-less again

DAYTONA BEACH -- South Carolina State coach Buddy Pough hates to line up against Bethune-Cookman's triple-option offense. "That offense always give us problems," Pough said. But on Saturday, B-CU repeatedly struck out on all three options and the 15th-ranked Bulldogs rolled to a 24-3 victory over the Wildcats in front of 5,745 fans at Municipal Stadium. The 'Cats (0-2, 0-1 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) gained just 14 yards on the ground and finished with less than 100 yards of offense.

"We've got to get the offense right. It's no one particular area," B-CU coach Alvin Wyatt said. "When you don't score points, it can't be just one area. We have to take our time and re-evaluate our kids." Even without much offense, the Wildcats were able to stay close until two third-quarter mistakes took the wind out of their sails. "We got a break or two and we got it done," said Pough, whose squad improved to 2-0, 1-0 in the MEAC. "But it was nip-and-tuck for a long time. It was a little closer game than the score indicated."

Erby Leads Bulldog Defense To 24-3 Win Over BC-U

The South Carolina State Bulldogs once again proved why they are the defending Mid-Eastern Athletic Champions Saturday cruising to a 24-3 victory over Bethune-Cookman at Municipal Stadium in Daytona Beach, Florida. This is the first 2-0 start since 2005 for Coach Pough and the Bulldogs. SCSU the top-ranked team in Black College Football and ranked #15 nationally in three FCS major polls redeemed themselves from last week giving up 426 total yards against Grambling, while the Bulldog defense allowed just 97 yards on the day to BC-U offense.

Junior linebacker David Erby led all defensive leaders with 11 tackles and a sack, with the Bulldog defense picking off three passes on the day from sophomore quarterback Maurice Francois. SC State jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first-half on a 1-yard scoring run from Senior Travil Jamison and a 23 yard pass from Long to Will Ford at the 12:02 mark. Bethune-Cookman got on the board on a 31-yard field goal by freshman Kory Kowalski with a 1:50 left in the third quarter to make the score 14-3.

The Bulldogs sealed the deal on the next possession when senior Tre' Oliver scored on an 86-yard kickoff return to go ahead 21-3 closing out the third quarter. The final points of the day came on a career long 40-yard field goal by sophomore kicker Black Erickson. South Carolina State improved to 2-0, 1-0 in the MEAC with the victory, while Bethune-Cookman falls to 0-2, 0-1 in the MEAC on the season.

Other, Bulldogs making noise was junior quarterback Malcolm Long connecting 14-22 for 148 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Senior Tre' Oliver had five catches for 55 yards, while All-MEAC running back Will Ford finished with 40 yards on 12 carries. SC State will be idle next week and will return to action on September 26, when they host Winston-Salem State in a 6 p.m. contest. Courtesy: SC State Athletics

Lewis' hustle play sparks SC State

"Superman" came to the rescue on a Saturday afternoon at Municipal Stadium. With South Carolina State holding a 14-3 lead in the third quarter, Bethune-Cookman linebacker Ryan Lewis intercepted quarterback Malcolm Long at the 45-yard line. As Lewis raced down the sidelines followed by Wildcats teammates to the end zone, he appeared headed for a game-changing touchdown. Sprinting in pursuit was Bulldogs redshirt freshman receiver Lennel Elmore, known to teammates as "Superman." He lived up to his Man of Steel moniker by chasing down Lewis at the 1-yard line.

Instead of a touchdown- saving tackle, Elmore managed to force the football free from Lewis and out of the end zone. The play was ruled a touchback, denying the Wildcats their best chance at a touchdown. S.C. State added an 86-yard kickoff return from Charleston native Tre Young and a career-high 39-yard field goal from Blake Erickson to pull away for a 24-3 victory. "I just had to hustle," Elmore said. "He had the ball out, so I just knocked it out. He wanted to show off, so I just hit the ball out of his hands."

"That play Lennel Elmore made was an unbelievable daggone play," S.C. State coach Buddy Pough said. "He runs his butt down there and strips that ball out of there and saves us seven points." It was the 12th straight win in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play for the Bulldogs (2-0, 1-0).

Black College football trends beginning to develop

Week three of the Black College football season is in the books and there are some interesting trends that are starting to develop. It appears that South Carolina State and Florida A&M are the class of the MEAC. The Bulldogs followed their win over Grambling last week with a 24-3 thumping of Bethune-Cookman. The Rattlers improved to 2-0 with a 24-point win at Winston-Salem State.

In the SWAC, Grambling bounced back from its loss to S.C. State by defeating Northwestern State 38-17 while Alabama A&M, which won at Tennessee State in its opener, added another win by defeating Hampton 31-24.

CONTINUE READING, CLICK EACH BLOG TITLE.