A candid conversation with B-CU’s Brian Jenkins

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida - Bethune-Cookman University head coach Brian Jenkins just concluded his second season at the helm of the Wildcat football program. The Wildcats followed up a remarkable 10-2 season in Jenkins’ first year with an 8-3 overall record and a 2nd place finish in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Through 23 games, Jenkins has won 18, compiling an impressive .783 winning percentage for the Daytona Beach, FL institution. While wins and losses are important to every coach, Jenkins’ real testament has been in the way his players have performed off the field. Since his arrival, graduation rates have improved and players have become a mainstay in the community, forging a strong relationship with the Daytona Beach, FL community and surrounding areas.



Thursday, I had the pleasure of speaking to Coach Jenkins via conference call on everything from his rating of the team’s performance this past season to his prediction of this year’s Liberty Bowl. (Jenkins is a 1993 graduate of U. of Cincinnati and the Bearcats take on Vanderbilt in this year’s game).

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B-CU's win is a Breeze; Wildcat women fall to FAMU court press, 81-57

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Bethune-Cookman's Anthony Breeze said he felt he might have hurt his team Tuesday when he played for the first time in two weeks after injuring his shoulder. That certainly wasn't the case Saturday.

The 6-foot-5 post player scored a game-high 22 points and sophomore forward Adrien Coleman came off the bench to score 18 points and pull down a game-high nine rebounds as the Wildcats defeated Florida A&M 74-59 at a packed Moore Gymnasium.

It was B-CU's first win over an NCAA team this season. The Wildcats (3-5) improved to 1-0 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, while FAMU fell to 0-7, 0-1.

"Anthony Breeze just wore us out," FAMU coach Clemon Johnson said. "This is the first time I saw (Rattlers 6-8 center Yannick Crowder) get outplayed against a school our size. But he got outplayed (Saturday)."



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B-CU women fall to FAMU court press, 81-57

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Bethune-Cookman saw the return of three key starters in its Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opener against rival Florida A&M, but the good news for the Wildcats ended there.

FAMU beat B-CU 81-57 on Saturday at Moore Gymnasium, and Demetria Frank's first game back since having knee surgery last year ended with her hopping off the court early in the second half.

Nothing obvious occurred to cause the injury, but the senior guard collapsed in agony behind the bench as team doctors attended to her surgically repaired knee.

Wildcats coach Vanessa Blair said she had no information on Frank's status and didn't want to speculate on her availability for their next game Dec. 11 vs. Stetson. The game against the Rattlers (3-4, 1-0 MEAC) was supposed to be a coming-out party of sorts for the Wildcats (1-5, 0-1).

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B-CU Wildcats turn 2011 football season around

Daytona Beach, Florida - Bethune-Cookman started the 2011 season resembling last year's offensive juggernaut when it dismantled Prairie View A&M 63-14 in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge in Orlando

But then the Wildcats lost three out of their next four games, turning the ball over 13 times. They went back to the drawing board, reinventing themselves as a running team and attacking opponents' backfields with a strong defensive front seven.

They won their final six games, ending with a 26-16 victory over Florida A&M on Saturday, to finish 8-3 overall, 6-2 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.  Though they didn't return to the playoffs, they added to the foundation head coach Brian Jenkins established in his first year in 2010 when B-CU won the MEAC championship and finished 10-2

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Bethune-Cookman's playoff selection snub 'unbelievable'

Coach Brian Jenkins

Daytona Beach, Florida -- Bethune-Cookman football coach Brian Jenkins watched the FCS playoff selection show Sunday morning, and his worst fear was realized.

The Wildcats were passed over for the 20-team field. "I just think it's unbelievable, really," Jenkins said. "You've got to wonder what the selection committee is evaluating things on and what they're looking at." The Wildcats (8-3 overall, 6-2 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) defeated Florida A&M 26-16 in Orlando on Saturday to finish the season with six straight victories.

The unfairness of it is really unbelievable, and it's starting to stand out more and more every year," Jenkins said.

ESPNU's Jay Walker, an analyst on the selection show, agreed. The former quarterback at Howard, a MEAC team, said during the broadcast that B-CU deserved one of the 10 at-large spots over James Madison or Eastern Kentucky, two 7-4 teams that will meet each other in the first round of the playoffs next Saturday.

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Bethune-Cookman snubbed in NCAA Division I-AA playoffs

The Bethune-Cookman football team was left out of the Football Championship Series (NCAA Division I-AA) playoffs Sunday when pairings were announced.

BCU head coach Brian Jenkins was quite confident Saturday that his team would be selected to the playoffs as an at-large participant, but he also knew there was the possibilty BCU might be left out. After the Wildcats defeated Florida A&M 26-16 in the Florida Classic in Orlando, Jenkins provided his own foresight on the selection process.

“I’m hopeful that people take notice and do the right thing and put us in the playoffs,” Jenkins. “Not only should we get one (an invite), we belong. You know, I’m gonna say this, If we get overlooked and they take another team with a lesser record … that would be catastrophic, to me, in this division of college football. Something is wrong.”

Jenkins, obviously in no mood to have much conversation about the snub, said Sunday, through the BCU sports information department, "It's really unbelievable."

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3 straight Classic losses too much for B-CU Wildcats

Game Time: 2:30 p.m.
TV: ESPN Classic
Internet: ESPN3

ORLANDO, FL -- Ryan Davis remembers how bad he felt for Bethune-Cookman's seniors after Florida A&M rallied to a victory in last year's Florida Classic. "It was tough to see those seniors go out that way," said the Wildcats defensive end. "I just wanted to win it for those guys last year. I felt bad that we couldn't do it." Davis doesn't want to become one of those seniors.

Florida A&M comes into today's game at the Florida Citrus Bowl with three straight victories over its arch-rival. B-CU's senior class does not want to go out 0-4 against the Rattlers.

"I'm 0-3 against them, so this game is going to mean a little more," Davis said "Never having beaten FAMU has eaten at me throughout my career. So it's very important that we execute in all fazes of the game." Both teams have been on a roll after starting off slowly this year. Florida A&M (7-3 overall, 5-2 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) has won four in a row, while B-CU (7-3, 5-2) has won five straight. The winner will likely be considered for one of 10 at-large bids to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs, which begin next week.

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BCU Wildcats, FAMU Rattlers rolling with Wilson, Fleming at QB

Florida A&M (7-3, 5-2 MEAC) vs. Bethune-Cookman (7-3, 5-2)

WHAT: Florida Classic

WHERE: Florida Citrus Bowl, Orlando

WHEN: 2:30 p.m. Saturday

TICKETS: Available seats priced $31.75 to $59.25 can be purchased at Amway Center box office, call 407-839-3900 or go to tickemaster.com

TV: ESPN Classic

RADIO: WELE (1380 AM)

OTHER KEY EVENTS: Friday, Battle of the Bands, Amway Center, Orlando, 7 p.m.; Official Classic Step Show, Bob Carr Performing Arts Center, Orlando, 7:30 p.m. Saturday: Florida Classic FanFare, Citrus Bowl Parking Lot C, 9 a.m.

LAST YEAR: FAMU won 38-27. Attendance: 60,712

DAYTONA BEACH, FL -- Saturday's Florida Classic may not have the luster of last year's game, but the winner could be rewarded with an at-large playoff bid. And a month ago, that did not seem possible.

This season, Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman were expected to build on the success of sharing the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title with South Carolina State last year. But the Rattlers began the season 3-3 and the Wildcats started 2-3, with both teams losing two of their first three MEAC contests.

Since then, FAMU (7-3, 5-2 MEAC) has won four straight, and the catalyst for its success was installing freshman Damien Fleming at quarterback in the fifth game.

Improved play behind center has also contributed to B-CU's surge. Since North Carolina A&T stifled the Wildcats' vaunted spread offense in a 22-3 upset on Oct. 8, B-CU (7-3, 5-2) has won five in a row, averaging 516.8 yards during the streak.


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Florida A&M turns focus to Florida Classic

DURHAM, North Carolina — Now that the picture is clear as to whom is the MEAC champion, coach Joe Taylor wasted little time explaining the significance of Saturday's game that has turned into a little bit more than a rivalry between Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman.

Norfolk State won the league title, leaving the Rattlers to fight for the No.2 spot, which might actually mean something as far as an at-large bid to the NCAA playoffs. If nothing else, they will be playing for state bragging rights in the nationally-televised game at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando.

"Now this game down there has significant value to it," said Taylor following the Rattlers' 31-10 victory Saturday over North Carolina Central. "We will get back and we will prepare. It's going to be electric for the classic; it always is but (the stakes) are going to add some things to it."

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FAMU Marching 100 leading Tallahassee, Florida Veterans Day Parade, 11/11/2011.

Bethune-Cookman's Wildcats win 5th in row

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- David Blackwell didn't know he would be Bethune-Cookman's starting quarterback Saturday until the very last minute.

He said he was informed of the decision "coming out of the bathroom (after warmups) when I was putting the equipment on." Minutes later, he ran the first snap from scrimmage 80 yards for a touchdown and the rout was on. By the time, the final buzzer sounded, B-CU had amassed 625 yards of offense in thrashing Savannah State 59-3 before 4,964 fans at Municipal Stadium.

The Wildcats (7-3 overall, 5-2 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) won their fifth in a row in their final home game of the season. They will meet Florida A&M in the annual Florida Classic next Saturday in Orlando in their final regular-season game. Savannah State fell to 1-8, 1-6.

Blackwell ran for three touchdowns on runs of 80, 59 and 37 yards and added two touchdown passes of 46 yards to Isidore Jackson and 16 yards to Johnathan Moment. In less than three quarters of play, Blackwell gained 206 yards rushing on just six carries and completed 8-of-10 passes for 147 yards.

Photo Gallery: BCU vs. SSU

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Bethune-Cookman 2011-12 men's basketball preview

Bethune-Cookman University Wildcats, Daytona Beach, Florida

COACH: Gravelle Craig, first season

LAST SEASON: 21-13, 13-3 MEAC; won MEAC regular-season title; lost in second round of MEAC tourney to Morgan State; lost in first round of NIT to Virginia Tech

3 REASONS TO BELIEVE

1. Holloman is back: The return of 6-6 senior forward Garrius Holloman takes some of the sting away from the losses of MEAC Player of the Year C.J. Reed and second-teamer Alex Starling. Holloman, a junior-college transfer, was second on the Wildcats last year in both scoring (11.5 ppg) and rebounding (6.6 rpg).

2. Front line: Holloman, Anthony Breeze and Adrien Coleman are the likely starters. All three 6-5 to 6-6 and good scorers. Breeze and Holloman are strong inside players for their size. Junior-college transfers Alex Smith (6-7) and David Baroum (6-8), who are both nursing knee injuries, and returning sophomore Raymoan McAfee (6-7) will provide depth.

3. Scoring balance: That's something the Wildcats didn't have with Reed bringing up the ball and taking most of the shots.

3 REASONS TO DOUBT

1. Lack of height: Not just inside, but on the perimeter as well. If Kevin Dukes (5-8) and Ricky Johnson (5-9) end up playing in the backcourt together, they'll be giving up a lot of size on defense.

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Davenport working to keep SSU motivated

Savannah, Georgia -- Savannah State’s Steve Davenport has become part head football coach, part psychologist heading into the final two weeks of the season. The Tigers (1-8) have lost five in a row by an average score of 38.4 to 9.2. They haven’t scored a touchdown in their last nine quarters.

“Obviously, it’s difficult to keep reassuring your kids that things are going to get better, but that’s all you can do,” said Davenport as SSU prepares for Bethune-Cookman in Daytona, Fla., on Saturday.

The Tigers’ chances for a win faded quickly last Saturday against Norfolk State, which clinched the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship. SSU’s Chris Strong fumbled the opening kickoff and two plays later, Norfolk scored. Forty-two seconds into the game, the Tigers trailed 7-0.

Davenport said SSU had another key play go against ...

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B-CU hopes to continue strong running against Morgan State

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Nothing is more pleasing to an offensive lineman than creating big holes for running backs. Bethune-Cookman senior center Natiel Curry is one happy guy these days. Since gaining a total of just five yards rushing in a loss to North Carolina A&T on Oct. 8, the Wildcats have averaged 332 yards on the ground in their last three games.

"I don't know what was making us stumble at first, but we've caught our rhythm," Curry said. "It seems like we've gone from a spread, passing offense to running the ball down your throat. "Our running plays have been working for us. I just have to credit it to the rest of the O-line and the running backs for finding the holes and making it work."

B-CU (5-3 overall, 3-2 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) will try to win its fourth straight today in its homecoming game against Morgan State (5-3, 4-1).

"Our guys are just playing hard, playing physical and executing the scheme. Because of that we're seeing good results," B-CU coach Brian Jenkins said. "The A&T game woke us up and got our guys to understand that we're not going to be able to just line up and beat people."



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Bethune-Cookman shuts down Norfolk State, hands Spartans first MEAC loss

Norfolk, Virginia -- Isidore Jackson rushed for a career-high 206 yards on 34 carries, and Dion Hanks intercepted a Chris Walley pass in the end zone in the final minute to seal Bethune-Cookman’s 14-6 win over Norfolk State in an ESPNU-televised MEAC contest Thursday evening at Dick Price Stadium.

The loss is the first in MEAC play for the Spartans (6-2, 4-1), who had their five-game winning streak snapped and had made the national polls -- at No. 24 in The Sports Network rankings -- for the first time since 2007. B-CU improved to 4-3, 2-2.

NSU was held to a season-low 249 yards of offense by the Wildcats, who never trailed. NSU failed to score a TD against an FCS opponent for the first time since a 43-3 loss to B-CU in 2004, a span of 70 games.

B-CU struck first on a 2-yard Anthony Jordan run with 4:08 left in the first quarter. That capped a 14-play, 88-yard drive. The Spartans cut the deficit to 7-3 on a 50-yard Everett Goldberg field goal with just 2:18 left before halftime.

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Bethune-Cookman stuns Norfolk State

NORFOLK, Viriginia -- With Ryan Davis wreaking havoc on defense and Isidore Jackson doing the same on offense, Bethune-Cookman overpowered 24th-ranked Norfolk State 14-6 Thursday night at Dick Price Stadium.

B-CU shut down Norfolk State's high-powered offense most of the night, but the Spartans drove to B-CU's 4 in the final minute with a chance to pull out the win until Dion Hanks intercepted a Chris Walley pass in the end zone to clinch the victory.

The Wildcats (4-3, 2-2 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) have little hope of winning the conference championship this year, but they were able to play spoiler in handing the Spartans (6-2, 4-1) their first MEAC loss.

They did it by playing power football. Led by defensive end Davis, B-CU kept pressure on Walley all game, holding the conference's top quarterback to 88 yards passing. On offense, the 'Cats kept handing the ball to the rugged Jackson, and he continuously punched holes through the Spartans' defensive front.

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Though at home, NSU looked out of its element

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Norfolk State on Thursday night played its first football game in four years as a nationally ranked team. The Spartans, 24th in the Football Championship Subdivision, also played their third game in 13 days.

They looked significantly more like a team running on fumes, from the 94-yard touchdown drive they yielded to Bethune-Cookman in the first quarter to the interception at the goal line that ended their hopes in the final minute.

Whether it was fatigue, malaise or the unfamiliar dynamic of a midweek night game Dick Price Stadium hasn’t seen since 2005 – likely it was a stew of them all – Norfolk State sputtered through a 14-6 loss to the MEAC-rival Wildcats.

The bright side of NSU’s uncharacteristic display for a crowd announced at 10,053 is that, in this interesting season’s scheme of things, the loss is immaterial to the Spartans’ drive for their first conference title.

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QB battle: Norfolk's stability, vs. B-CU's versatility

Daytona Beach, Florida - They say that if you have two quarterbacks, you have none. So what does it mean if you have three? The perfect situation, according to Bethune-Cookman coach Brian Jenkins. Norfolk State, on the other hand, has one established starter under center in Chris Walley, who leads the Mid Eastern-Athletic Conference with 1,660 yards passing.

The approaches may be different, but you can't argue with the results. The top two offensive teams in the conference will square off tonight in Norfolk, Va., in front of a nationally televised audience. "It's going to be a good football game," Jenkins said. "A good football game."

Bethune-Cookman at Norfolk State

WHERE: Dick Price Stadium, Norfolk, Virginia
KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m. TV: ESPNU 
INTERNET: ESPN3
RADIO: WELE (1380 AM), Daytona Beach 



Norfolk State (6-1, 4-0 MEAC) is trying to remain undefeated in the conference, while B-CU (3-3, 1-2) is trying to get back in the race.

 "Bethune-Cookman is another great football team with a lot of great talent. They have three quarterbacks and they can all play," said Spartans coach Pete Adrian, a former defensive coordinator at B-CU and head coach at Deltona High.

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Norfolk State - Bethune-Cookman to play in prime time

Norfolk, Virginia -- Norfolk State didn't have much time to celebrate last weekend's 34-24 win over Hampton in the annual Battle of the Bay or the program's first FCS ranking (No. 25) since 2007.

The Spartans (6-1, 4-0 MEAC) meet visiting Bethune-Cookman (3-3, 1-2) on Thursday night at 7:30 in a game that will be televised by ESPNU. With the condensed week, NSU coach Pete Adrian said he began preparations Saturday night, shortly after the win over HU.

"It does make it very interesting, and for some extremely long hours," he said. "But that's what you've got to do." The Spartans haven't been ranked since a two-week stay in the poll four years ago.

"It's nice to see one of our conference teams get some national recognition, but it really doesn't mean a whole lot," Adrian said of the ranking. "You've got to just keep on playing and trying to win. If you keep winning, it will take care of itself."

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Spartans, 'Cats still rivals

Daytona Beach, Florida -- If you want to know what's become of the recent Norfolk State-Bethune-Cookman rivalry, listen to Wildcats second-year coach Brian Jenkins' appraisal of the Spartans' program. "Norfolk State has always been a good football team," Jenkins said. "They were a good football team last year, and they're a good football team this year."

And that's just it. Jenkins' history with Norfolk State goes back just two years. His Wildcats (3-3, 1-2 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) will try to hand the Spartans (6-1, 4-0) their first conference loss of the season Thursday night in Norfolk, Va., in a game nationally televised by ESPNU.

Norfolk State has not always been a good football team. When head coach Pete Adrian arrived in 2005, the Spartans were coming off two successive one-win seasons. Just two years later, Adrian's team finished 8-3 and came within one game (an overtime loss to eventual champ Delaware State) of winning its first MEAC title.

Adrian again has the Spartans in position to win the conference. So there's plenty of incentive for Norfolk State to be fired up Thursday night when it meets the high-scoring Wildcats. But just a couple of years ago, just the mention of the other school would fire up the teams.

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GAME TIME: 7:30 PM ET
TV: ESPNU
INTERNET: ESPN3

Blackwell, Jackson lead B-CU over FVSU

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- With a third-string quarterback taking over the reins Saturday, Bethune-Cookman's offense was as explosive as ever. On the other hand, the other offense on the field was almost as prolific as the home team's.

B-CU and Fort Valley State combined for 1,070 yards as the host Wildcats shook off a dismal offensive performance at North Carolina A&T a week before to race past their Division II rival 58-30 before 4,921 fans at Municipal Stadium.

B-CU improved to 3-3, while FVSU fell to 1-6. B-CU sophomore David Blackwell passed for 222 yards and one touchdown and rushed for 92 yards in his first start. He left the game late in the third quarter after dislocating his thumb.

"We wanted to start David and give him an opportunity. And we were going to come back with Jackie (Wilson)," B-CU coach Brian Jenkins said. "David moved the offense well, we decided to go ahead and stay with him."

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Bethune-Cookman to host inaugural Biker Classic

North Carolina A&T Aggies surprise Bethune-Cookman

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- A good defense can make up for a lot of deficiencies. And, most importantly, it can win football games. N.C. A&T's defense held Bethune-Cookman to 5 yards on the ground and 108 yards of total offense, leading the Aggies to a 22-3 win over the Wildcats before a crowd of 10,352 at Aggie Stadium.

"Our No. 1 goal every week is to stop the run," A&T coach Rod Broadway said. "We were able to do that. We ganged up on them. If we can get you one-dimensional and throwing the ball, we think we'll have a pretty good chance of winning."

The defense had forced seven turnovers in the Aggies' first four games and came up with four more turnovers against a Bethune-Cookman offense that had more total yards than Miami in the Wildcats' loss to the Hurricanes a week earlier.

"We thought we could play with these guys," Broadway said. "I think we had four turnovers on four plays. We gave them one and then we took it right back. We gave them one and then we took it right back. That was huge. The kids came out ready to play today. That was probably the most physical game we have played all year."

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B-CU not taking N.C. A&T lightly

Daytona Beach, Florida -- Gearing up for his team's first out-of-state game this season, Bethune-Cookman coach Brian Jenkins turned up the coach-speak earlier this week.

"We're going into dangerous territory -- Aggie Land -- and we're going up against a scrappy, fierce football team," Jenkins said of today's opponent, North Carolina A&T. When asked about the Aggies' improvement under first-year coach Rod Broadway, Jenkins said, "I thought they were a pretty good football team last year."

But the Wildcats (2-2, 1-1 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) thumped A&T last year, 67-17, in a game more famous for the Municipal Stadium power outage during an ESPNU Thursday night broadcast than the action on the field.

Given the one-sided result, it's probably no surprise the cable network passed on the matchup this season. The 1:30 p.m. game today in Greensboro, N.C., will be the first time this season the Wildcats will not be on TV.



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Despite loss, B-CU Wildcats energized for MEAC

MIAMI GARDENS -- There were many cheers emanating from the Bethune-Cookman sideline during its game with Miami on Saturday at Sun Life Stadium.

There were none in the final minutes when the Hurricanes were pouring it on in a 45-14 victory over the Wildcats. But that's when perhaps the best news of the day occurred relating to B-CU's prospects this season.

Eight minutes before the B-CU-Miami game ended at 6:55 p.m., Norfolk State had finished off its 17-14 upset victory over South Carolina State, giving the Wildcats hope for a chance to win at least a piece of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title.

B-CU's fate is still not entirely in its hands. It has to win the rest of its MEAC games and it also needs either S.C. State to lose another, or Hampton or another eventual one-loss team to win out, forcing a three-way tie.




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Wildcats' game against Miami to net Bethune-Cookman $400,000

B-CU at Miami
KICKOFF: 3:30 p.m. today
SITE; Sun Life Stadium
TV: ESPNU
RADIO: WELE (1380-AM)

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Bethune-Cookman University's Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference rivals have been scooping cash from the well-stocked Division I Football Bowl Subdivision vault for years.

The Wildcats will join the party today. B-CU will visit Miami at 3:30 p.m. in the Wildcats' first "guarantee" football game. The game will be televised live by ESPNU.

B-CU (2-1) is guaranteed a payday of slightly more than $400,000 to travel to South Florida, athletic director Lynn Thompson said. Thompson, though, hopes the Wildcats' players stay injury-free and don't get demoralized.

The Hurricanes (1-2), on the other hand, are pretty much guaranteed a victory. While Football Championship Subdivision teams are winning more and more games against FBS teams since Appalachian State's stunning upset of No. 5 Michigan in 2007, an MEAC team has yet to upend one of the big boys.








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