B-CU/MEAC vs. ASU/ SWAC:A tale of two halves
B-CU still the undisputed MEAC/SWAC Champions!
By Sylvester “Nunnie” Robinson
The ESPN Regional Television owned-and- operated event in its eight year featured two outstanding HBCU’s, Bethune-Cookman University (B-CU) and Alabama State University (ASU). Played in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida, the seemingly unbearable temperature, in the high 90’s apparently served the Wildcats well in the second half as they overcame a 21-10 halftime deficit by scoring 28 unanswered points before the ASU Hornets scored with just four minutes remaining in the game.
Alabama State scored on its opening possession in the first half culminated by quarterback Greg Jenkins’ 5 yard touchdown run. Georgia Bulldog transfer Isaiah Crowell, expected to dominate the rushing game, was held to 18 yards by the vaunted B-CU defense, ignoring his SEC pedigree, thus taking away a major segment of ASU’s game plan.
The second half, however, was a different story. Probably more impactful than the weather was the second half performance of Broderick Waters, the Louisiana, Tech transfer whose dual threat skills as a runner and passer proved too much for the Hornets’ defense to contain. Replacing starter Jackie Wilson (Boyd Anderson) in the second half, Waters led the Wildcats’ comeback with pinpoint passing, completing touchdown passes of 23 yards to Jhomo Gordon and 47 yards to Eddie Poole, the latter basically securing the victory for B-CU. In his third season as the Wildcats’ coach, Brian Jenkins, a Fort Lauderdale Dillard High grad, stated, “We told our guys not to flinch and to keep believing in what we do. We had no doubt in our mind that this was going to be a 15 round fight. That’s what we expected and that’s what we got.”
The running game proved effective as well as the Wildcats rushed for a total of 367 yards. Isidore Jackson and Rodney Scott rushed for 123 and 103yards respectively.
B-CU’s defense dominated much of the second half which gives them much needed momentum as they prepare for the Miami Hurricanes and the much anticipated And challenging MEAC schedule.
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