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David Coulson

Bethune-Cookman vs Prarie View, MEAC-SWAC Challenge

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dcoulson
, 09-04-2011 at 12:37 PM (1328 Views)
BOONE, N.C. — It's a quiet Sunday afternoon after covering three games in three days — including Saturday's doubleheader of Appalachian State-Virginia Tech and Montana-Tennessee — and I am taking in Bethune-Cookman and Prairie View's matchup on ESPN in the MEAC-SWAC Challenge.

One of these days, I'll make it down to Orlando, Fl. for this classic, but today I am in recuperation mode as I watched Villanova and Temple play in person on Thursday night at the Mayor's Cup game at Lincoln Financial Field, took in Youngstown State-Michigan State on the Big Ten Network on Friday evening before starting on my 24-hour marathon on Saturday.

Somehow, I managed to fit in delayed broadcasts of Murray State's Thursday night's competitive loss to Louisville and Arizona State's romp over UC-Davis later the same night.

I left the Philadelphia suburbs before 5 a.m. on Saturday to drive to Blacksburg, Va. After watching Virginia Tech quickly dispatch ASU (I'm calling it a first-round TKO), I traveled on to Knoxville, Tn. to see Tennessee take care of Montana after an hour-and-a-half thunderstorm delay.

I finally managed to slip into my bed at my second home in Boone at about 5 a.m. on Sunday.

One thing is certain, it seems like blowout are following me.

Can I see an actual good game?

Is that too much to ask?

The way some of these Prairie View players are performing, I have to wonder if they have led a similar schedule to me in recent days.

In their first game of the post Henry Frazier era, the Panthers have done practically everything wrong in falling behind Bethune-Cookman 42-0 in the first half.

It's been a long debut for new PVAM head coach Heishma Northern, Frazier's hand-picked succesor before the two-time CSN coach of the year left to rebuild the North Carolina Central program.

The high-powered Wildcats — coming off a MEAC tri-championship and an NCAA playoff berth — have taken maximum advantage of Prairie View's penalties, assignment breakdowns and turnovers to overwhelm the Panthers.

After the Wildcats held on fourth down in B-CU territory, Jamarr Robinson turned a nice opening drive into success with a 10-yard touchdown jaunt.

Since then, PVAM has self-destructed.

Isidore Jackson scored from a yard out after a Jarkevis Fields interception to make it 14-0 at the end of the first period.

Bethune-Cookman then erupted with 28 points in the second quarter.

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  1. dcoulson's Avatar
    Prairie View finally had something go right with touchdown drive with 3:45 left in the second period to cut the Wildcats' lead to 42-7.

    Jonathan Troast completed an 11-yard pass to Deandre Cooper for the touchdown, but it is probably far too late for the Panthers in this one.
  2. dcoulson's Avatar
    Let me ask an obvious question to address the rather large, pink elephant in the room (and no, I haven't been drinking).

    When you watch the performance of the MEAC teams against the SWAC is it becoming painfully obvious that the SWAC's non-participation in the NCAA playoffs is hurting the league?

    If ever there was evidence as to why a MEAC-SWAC Legacy Bowl, matching league champions at the end of the season, would be a bad idea, it is the performance of the two teams in this game.

    One of the major reasons that Henry Frazier left Prairie View after his remarkable rebuilding job is that Frazier was frustrated that the SWAC provided him with almost no shot at the NCAA playoffs.

    At this point, you have to think that the difference between playoff access in the two conferences is making a major difference in recruiting.
    Updated 09-04-2011 at 01:26 PM by dcoulson
  3. dcoulson's Avatar
    At the half, it's Bethune-Cookman 42, Prairie View 7. You have to think it will be a very long second half.
  4. dcoulson's Avatar
    It took B-CU less than three minutes to march down the field and extend the lead to 49-7 at the start of the third period.
  5. dcoulson's Avatar
    About the only negative for Bethune-Cookman today is 11 penalties for 127 yards. Otherwise, it's been a near-perfect opener. I'm sure that Brian Jenkins loves how many players he has been able to get into this game. The Wildcats have to feel a lot better about their quarterback situation after this game.

    It is still 49-7 with less than three minutes left in the third period.
  6. dcoulson's Avatar
    Prairie View showed some life with another TD. Freshman QB Jerry Lovelocke missed a handoff and improvised with a spin and then dashed into the end zone from seven yards out behind a flood of blockers. That closed the gap to 49-14 in B-CU's favor.
  7. dcoulson's Avatar
    And Bethune-Cookman has pushed the lead to 56-14 midway through the fourth quarter after another nice drive. The first weekend of FCS play is winding down.
  8. dcoulson's Avatar
    It was a great day for new starting QB Jamarr Robinson. He was 21-of--30 for 245 and one TD throwing and added five carries for 30 yards and two more touchdowns in a half of work. I think the Cats have a successor to Michael Johnson.
  9. dcoulson's Avatar
    Prairie View will need to regroup quickly with rival and defending SWAC champion Texas Southern on the schedule on Saturday. The same thing goes for B-CU, which hosts South Carolina State, which has a share of three straight MEAC titles, next Saturday in what should be one of the most important MEAC games of the season.
  10. dcoulson's Avatar
    One more touchdown by Bethune-Cookman in the final minute is going to make it a 63-14 final in Orlando.
    Updated 09-04-2011 at 02:53 PM by dcoulson
  11. dcoulson's Avatar
    And one last funny note on the MEAC-SWAC challenge. The length of the game caused fans of Marshall and West Virginia to miss nearly the first five minutes of their season-opening game on ESPN. That what the Blundering Turds from Marshall deserve for leaving FCS.