Courtesy of B-CU Athletics
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Bethune-Cookman Wildcats avoid a winless season at home with a 14-point HBCU football comeback to pull the upset win over Grambling State, 24-21, on Saturday afternoon on senior day at Daytona Stadium. With the win, the Wildcats jump Alabama A&M for the fourth-place spot in the SWAC East standings at 2-3 in conference play.
| Statistics | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Grambling State (4-5, 1-4 SWAC) won the toss, electing to defer, handing the ball to Bethune-Cookman out of the gate. The opening drives for both squads stalled before B-CU starting quarterback Luke Sprague was forced out of the game with an injury following a second-and-20 sack that forced the senior to limp off the field. He would not return to the game.
The Tigers jumped on the board first after a 39-yard pass play set up a 22-yard rushing score by Keilon Elder. The HBCU Wildcats (2-7, 2-3 SWAC), now under the leadership of Cam’Ron Ransom at QB, managed another short drive before punting it away once more to end the first quarter of play. The Tigers opened the second quarter with another drive deep into Bethune-Cookman territory, marching all the way down to the B-CU two-yard line. A fourth-and-one run play was quickly snuffed out by a host of Wildcats, forcing a turnover on downs.
As the Wildcats offense continued to struggle before an Anthony Frederique punt turned into a 72-yard house call by Javon Robinson that put Grambling in front 14-0 with six minutes until the half. B-CU was finally able to answer the Tiger attack as Ransom marched the Cats down the field on eight plays, finding tight end Thomas Nance for a 14-yard score – the first of Nance’s career as a Wildcat and the first touchdown to a tight end on the year for B-CU – to send B-CU into the half down only a score at 14-7.
Grambling, receiving the ball out of the half, immediately went up two scores again on a nine-yard rushing score from Deljay Bailey to make it 21-7. The B-CU offense found some success again as Cade Hechter connected on a 40-yard field goal to inch closer at 21-10 in the HBCU football contest.
The Bethune-Cookmandefense stepped up for another massive fourth-down stop with just under seven to play in the third, as a QB keeper was snuffed out by Dallaz Corbitt and Earl Miller Jr. to give the Cats the ball at their own 40. Ransom made the Tigers pay immediately, finding dynamic return man Darnell Deas for a 58-yard bomb to inch the Wildcats to within 21-14 with three minutes to play in the third.
After another great defensive sequence, B-CU moved in front for the first time on the afternoon one drive later as freshman rusher Dennis Palmer found a huge hole in the Tiger front for a 42-yard touchdown run that put the Cats up, 24-21. Grambling State opened the fourth with a three-and-out, following it up with a drive down to the Bethune-Cookman 39 before a Baily pass found Wildcat hands as nickelback Caleb Blake came up with the ball, his first HBCU football interception as a Wildcat.
The Wildcats moved to the Tiger 21-yard line before attempting a 21-yard field goal that was blocked to keep Grambling to within a field goal with 1:50 on the clock. A fourth-down pass interference call kept the Tigers alive at their own 36 with 1:37 to play, but an Orin Patu sack and a pair of incomplete passes quickly brought up fourth down again. With 20 yards to go for the first, Baily looked downfield, and B-CU’s Joshua Thornhill came up with the Cats’ second pick of the night to ice the SWAC win at 24-21.