Photo: BCU Jimmie Russell had an All-MEAC performance rushing for 175 yards against the DSU defense.By MIKE FINNEY, Special to The News-Journal
Attendance: 3,239, TV: ESPNU
DOVER, Del. -- Delaware State was the perfect target for a letdown following its huge victory over three-time defending Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champion Hampton last weekend.
It was almost as if Bethune-Cookman's football team had the Hornets right where it wanted, looking back instead of directly at the task at hand.
However, Delaware State quarterback Vashon Winton connected with Shaheer McBride for a pair of touchdowns in the second half and the Hornets survived for a 24-10 victory at Alumni Stadium on Thursday night.
It was the Wildcats' third consecutive defeat to the Hornets and dropped them to 2-4, 0-4 in the MEAC. The last time B-CU started conference play winless in its first four games was Alvin Wyatt's first year as coachin 1997.
Wyatt was still pleased with his team's performance at Delaware State.
"Our guys played good, I thought they played a gallant game out there," Wyatt said. "I thought it was a great effort on our part. We just need to play for four quarters."
Wildcats quarterback Jimmie Russell led the option attack by gaining 175 yards on 27 carries. He also completed seven of 16 passes for 102 yards.
He was disappointed that it was Delaware State (4-1, 3-0) that made the big plays at the end.
"Sometimes that's just the way the ball rolls," Russell said. "We had our opportunities to make plays, we just came up a little bit short."
In fact, B-CU outgained the Hornets 278-255 in total yards. But it was McBride, who caught five passes for 111 yards, who proved to be the Wildcats' undoing.
McBride raced past Antwane Cox for a 37-yard TD down the right sideline with 12 seconds left in the third quarter as the Hornets took a 17-10 lead.
The speedy receiver struck again when he brought down a 24-yard scoring pass from Winton in the end zone with 5:57 remaining to produce the final.
The last time Bethune-Cookman played at Delaware State's Alumni Stadium, the Wildcats were held scoreless in a 17-0 defeat back in 2005.
It appeared as if Thursday night's game was also going to be a low-scoring affair.
Russell was finally able to get the Wildcats moving on their first possession of the second quarter.
It took 7 1/2 minutes for B-CU to drive 80 yards on 16 plays before Russell scored on a 3-yard keeper with 8:51 left in the first half.
But then B-CU shot itself in the foot just before halftime.
Following a Hornets punt that pinned B-CU on its own 5-yard line, Justin Brannon fumbled a handoff on the first play of the drive and Delaware State's Jackie Watkins recovered.
It took three plays for Winton to reach the football over the goal line from 1 yard out to tie the score at 7 with 1:17 left until the half.
The Wildcats got rolling on its first series of the second half, pushing the ball to the Hornets 13 on eight plays. But the drive stalled and Lucas Esquivel connected on a 39-yard field goal for a 10-7 Wildcat lead with 9:53 left in the third quarter.
Delaware State tied it on its ensuing series. After the Wildcats defense held the Hornets out of the end zone for five plays from within the B-CU 5, Peter Gaertner kicked a 28-yard field goal to tie it at 10 with 5:27 left in the third quarter.
Take five
Rise of the Hornets
Delaware State rose to 20th in the FCS Sports Network Top 25 poll following last Saturday's 24-17 victory over three-time defending MEAC champion Hampton (Va.).
However, coach Al Lavan said without pulling off a 33-31 win over Bethune-Cookman with a rally in the closing minutes last year, his team might not have improved so much, so quickly. That win brought the Hornets closer on the long road trip.
The Hornets have gone 8-1 in the MEAC since.
Broken 'Wyattbone'
Head coach Alvin B. Wyatt's heralded "Wyattbone" triple-option offensive attack has been misfiring during B-CU's home games at Municipal Stadium/Larry Kelly Field so far this season.
The Wildcats have not scored a single offensive touchdown at home since Jimmie Russell rushed for a TD in the fourth quarter against Jacksonville in the season-opener.
However, B-CU has scored 76 points in its first two games on the road.
Williams' Stock Rises
Wildcats senior defensive back/safety Bobbie Williams was recently added to the Buchanan Award watch list with his impressive performances over the opening weeks of the season. He came within inches of pulling off a pair of interceptions three weeks ago against Savannah State, but he did deflect three passes to improve his stock.
Hughes Back on Track
Wildcats defensive end/linebacker Rodney Hughes returned to the lineup against Morgan State last week after sitting out the first four games of the year with an arm injury. He didn't seem to miss a beat, as he collected 11 tackles in his first game since the 2006 Florida Classic.
TV Makes it OK
Wyatt was none too happy when he looked at his schedule and saw he would have to make the long road trip to Delaware State University's Alumni Stadium for a Thursday night game.
"This was one game that I did not want to play on Thursday night," Wyatt said. "We decided to play it since it was on ESPN."
Questions & attitude
Why can't Bethune-Cookman catch up with Delaware State?
The Wildcats trail the all-time series 18-13 and have lost their last two meetings with the Hornets. Prior to 2005, B-CU had won five games in a row against Delaware State. Last season's 33-31 come-from behind victory by the Hornets has been called one of the most exciting games ever at Municipal Stadium.
"We had some great games against each other," Bethune-Cookman coach Alvin Wyatt said. "The last one (in 2006) was a shootout. And two years ago, we played on a (rain-soaked field). I used to go up there and look around at the facilities and think, 'I'm at the bottom.' Now they have turf . . . That gives us a different opportunity to play with them."
It is most likely just a negative cyclical change for B-CU.
What has been the main problem for the "Wyattbone"?
One of the biggest troubles encountered by B-CU's offense early this season has been turnovers.
The Wildcats have fumbled seven times and lost five of them in the first five games.
Running back Justin Brannon tried to turn those fortunes around Thursday night when he recovered a fumble by quarterback Jimmie Russell on the Wildcats' 23-yard line midway through the first quarter.
Why was the picture so blurry on ESPNU?
There was no need to adjust those TV screens because the field at Alumni Stadium was blanketed in smoke throughout the first quarter.
Smoke from barbecues in the stadium's parking lots and pre-game fireworks viewing difficult early on.
How big is the transfer of Joe Singleton to B-CU?
The junior wide receiver transferred from Southern Miss to B-CU just a few months ago and has been quick to make an impact. Singleton entered Thursday's game at Delaware State with 11 receptions for 196 yards and a TD. His catch of a 7-yard pass on third-and-five kept the Wildcats' first drive of the second quarter alive, which culminated with a 3-yard TD keeper by Russell that gave them a 7-0 lead.
Delaware St. 24, B-CU 10
Bethune-Cookman
0
7
3
0
-- 10
Delaware St.
0
7
10
7
-- 24
Beth-Russell 3 run (Esquivel kick), 8:51.
DeSt-Winton 1 run (Gaertner kick), 1:17.
Beth-FG Esquivel 39, 9:53.
DeSt-FG Gaertner 28, 5:27.
DeSt-McBride 37 pass from Winton (Gaertner kick), :12.
DeSt-McBride 24 pass from Winton (Gaertner kick), 5:57.
A-3,239.
Beth
DeSt
First downs
16
12
Rushes-yards
45-176
36-78
Passing
102
177
Comp-Att-Int
7-16-1
8-15-0
Return Yards
11
28
Punts-Avg.
4-40.8
5-59.8
Fumbles-Lost
5-1
0-0
Penalties-Yards
12-90
6-61
Time of Poss.
30:22
29:38
RUSHING: Bethune-Cookman, Russell 27-175, Brannon 12-17, Souverain 4-(minus 2), Walker 1-(minus 5), Singleton 1-(minus 9). Delaware St., Strother 14-45, K.Jones 15-35, Winton 5-1, Moore 1-(minus 1), Team 1-(minus 2).
PASSING: Bethune-Cookman, Russell 7-16-1-102. Delaware St., Winton 8-15-0-177.
RECEIVING: Bethune-Cookman, Singleton 4-42, Neufville 2-54, Walker 1-6. Delaware St., McBride 5-111, McNeil 3-66.
