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David Coulson

Bethune-Cookman @ South Carolina State

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dcoulson
, 10-16-2010 at 01:50 PM (1112 Views)
ORANGEBURG, S.C. — After 18 years of covering the Football Championship Subdivision, one of the most exciting things for me to do on a Saturday is to get in the car and travel to a venue for the first time.

One of the top venues on my wish list has been Oliver C. Dawson Stadium on the South Carolina State campus, so sitting in the press box for Saturday's Bethune-Cookman and South Carolina State Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference showdown allowed me to put another notch in my Mac iBook.

In the press box, I was greeted by two SC State icons, Hall of Fame sports information director Bill Hamilton and legendary coach Willie Jeffries.

Jeffries, who was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in July, said he doesn't miss the practices and preparations that proceed a big game.

"We were practicing at 8:30 p.m.," Jeffries said. "Getting home at midnight every night after practice took its toll after five years."

But game day is a different thing for Jeffries.

"I still wish I was on the sidelines for games like this."

Dawson Stadium is a sparkling 22,000-seat facility that sits proudly on the edge of the SC State campus and the Orangeburg community was alive with football activity on this game day.

In a way, you could call this place the house that Jeffries built.

There was a sizable traveling group from Bethune-Cookman, as the Wildcats fans bask in the unexpected success of a 5-0 start and a No. 23 national ranking.

Picked to finish eighth in a preseason MEAC poll, B-CU is in position to take control of the league championship chase with a win on Saturday.

It is the first 5-0 start for the Wildcats since 2003.

There was plenty of criticism for the Bethune-Cookman administration when it fired long-time coach, program builder and all-around personality Alvin Wyatt after a 5-6 record.

New coach Brian Jenkins, a no-nonsense kind of guy, may not have the most entertaining coaches show in the country, like Wyatt arguably did.

For South Carolina State, this is a speed bump in the midst of what is viewed as a Renaissance year for the proud Bulldog program of coach Buddy Pough.

After winning back-to-back MEAC titles and advancing to the FCS playoffs the past two years, SC State was "rewarded" with first round trips to Appalachian State.

This year, the goal has been to earn a top-five seed so the Bulldogs can draw a home game — and avoid Appalachian State — in the first round.

A win over the surprising Wildcats would go a long way towards SC State reaching that goal.

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  1. dcoulson's Avatar
    It didn't take long for these two teams to burn through the first half.

    The transformation of the Bethune-Cookman squad has been quite remarkable. The Wildcats were tough on the defensive line and speedy in the secondary as they shut down the South Carolina State attack in the first half.

    On offense, Wildcat quarterback Matt Johnson (10-of-18, 115 yards passing, 16 carries, 42 total yards rushing) has to be one of the nation's most improved players as a senior. His fakes in the B-CU running game repeatedly confused the Bulldog defense and he reminded me of Elon's Scott Riddle as he darted out of trouble and regularly found open receivers.

    A diving catch of a Johnson throw by receiver Jevaugh Reams for 38 yards set up the only score of the first half. That was followed by an option pass — B-CU's first trick play of the season — from last year's starting quarterback Maurice Francois to Reams (four catches, 81 yards), who was wide open in the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown with 4:51 left in the second quarter.

    Lennel Elmore tried to get SC State even when he made a catch from quarterback Malcolm Long and cut across the field with a series of nifty moves to push the ball into Wildcat territory on the next possession. But the drive stalled, leaving the score at 7-0.

    Elmore (four catches, 44 yards) appeared to score on the next Bulldog drive, going 68 yards after a connection from Long (7-of-17, 82 yards). But the touchdown was called back for holding.

    Bethune-Cookman controlled the ball for much of the half, piling up 199 yards of offense. SC State gained just 126 yards as it was bottled up with an average starting position of its own 20-yard line in the first half.
  2. dcoulson's Avatar
    Bethune-Cookman has the hometown fans nervous after taking its first possession of the second half 15 plays for 90 yards and a one-yard Androse Bell scoring plunge to make it 14-0 midway through the third period.

    Pat Brown made a key first-down catch at the SCSU 15, but it looked like B-CU might come away from the drive empty handed when LaTaris Douglas sacked Matt Johnson on second down.

    On third down, the Bulldogs almost earned another sack, but Johnson escaped pressure and found Jevaugh Reams open. Reams plowed down to the four to set up Bell's eventual score.
  3. dcoulson's Avatar
    South Carolina State threatened by pushing the ball to the Wildcat 32 with a first down, but another scoring chance was thwarted when Malcolm Long fumbled the ball and B-CU defensive end fell on the ball for the recovery.

    The Bulldog defense came up big, forcing a three and out to give SC State the ball back at its own 16 with four minutes left in the third quarter.
  4. dcoulson's Avatar
    Pat Brown picked up a great block and returned a punt 72 yards for a Wildcat touchdown, but the play was called back for an illegal block downfield at the end of the third period. It is still 14-0 Bethune-Cookman heading to the fourth period.
  5. dcoulson's Avatar
    Ryan Lewis of Bethune-Cookman intercepted a Malcolm Long pass to kill a drive after SC State had moved to the Wildcat 28 and was looking at a second and two.

    It is 14-0 with 11:30 remaining.
  6. dcoulson's Avatar
    South Carolina State has gone to the bullpen. Redshirt sophomore Derrick Wiley, who comes out of the powerhouse Richmond County High School program in Rockingham, N.C., has replaced quarterback Malcolm Long.

    Wiley's spark was immediate as the Bulldogs drove to the Wildcat 22 with 7:31 to play. Chris Massey, who has been the force, running the ball on the drive, converted a fourth and two to give the Bulldogs first and goal.

    After two defensive stops, its third and goal from the eight.
    Updated 10-16-2010 at 02:52 PM by dcoulson
  7. dcoulson's Avatar
    Derrick Wiley scrambled out of trouble and had the end zone in front of him when he fumbled the ball, untouched, near the pylon. The ball was ruled to have gone out of bounds for a touchback to give possession back to B-CU.

    But Courtney Ingram intercepeted for SC State to return the ball to the Bulldogs at the B-CU 39 with four minutes left.
  8. dcoulson's Avatar
    Attendance today at Dawson Stadium is 10,077.

    South Carolina State had a fourth and seven at the 18 coming after a time out. But Ryan Lewis nabbed his second interception of the day with three minutes left.
  9. dcoulson's Avatar
    A dead ball personal foul on South Carolina State gave the Wildcats a first down at their own 30 with under two minutes left and another first down running on the next play pushed the ball to the Bulldog 48. With 1:13 left, this game looks to be over.
  10. dcoulson's Avatar
    It's a final from Orangeburg, Bethune-Cookman 14, South Carolina State 0.