DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman Football returns to the Tidewater area of Virginia on Saturday afternoon when the Wildcats travel to William "Dick" Price Stadium to take on Norfolk State, as the teams compete in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) contest live on ESPN3/WatchESPN. The game kicks off at 2 p.m., while the re-air of the game will be on tape-delay with ESPNU at 10:30 p.m.
 
Bethune-Cookman at Norfolk State
Oct. 22, 2016 | 2 p.m.
William "Dick" Price Stadium | Norfolk, Va.
WELE Radio | WSOS Radio | WSIR Radio
 
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Bethune-Cookman 0-5 (0-3 MEAC)
Roster | Coaches | Schedule & Results | Stats | Game Notes
 
Norfolk State 1-5 (0-3 MEAC)
Roster | Coaches | Schedule & Results | Stats | Game Notes
 
Web Stream: ESPN3/WatchESPN
 
Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/nsu/football/
 
Game Day Hashtags
#NSUvsBCU | #BeatNSU | # BCUnited | #PrayTogether
 
The Game
Bethune-Cookman looks to break its current five-game skid – the longest of its kind since 1996, when the Wildcats travel to Norfolk State for a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) meeting with the Spartans. Similarly, Norfolk State is seeking its first MEAC win of the year, as the Spartans only win of the season was a season-opening defeat of Division II foe Elizabeth City State.
 
The Series
Bethune-Cookman leads the all-time series against Norfolk State by an 18-8 margin, including winning each of the last two games between the two teams at William "Dick" Price Stadium. It was the Spartans who ended Bethune-Cookman's school-record home winning streak in 2013, as NSU claimed a 27-24 decision against the 12th-ranked Wildcats at Municipal Stadium. A season ago, B-CU took a 59-49 victory over NSU in a shootout on a Bethune-Cookman homecoming weekend.
 
The Broadcasts
The game will be carried live on ESPN3/WatchESPN, while the re-air will occur on ESPNU at 10:30 p.m. for television. Meanwhile, the CatEye Radio Network carries the contest via all three stations in the form of WELE 1380 The CAT, WSIR 1490 and WSOS 99.5 & 1170 with Nick Rice (play-by-play) operating alongside Larry Wesley (color) and Steve Allen (analyst) provides expert analysis from the team vantage point on the field.
 
The Coach
Head Coach Terry Sims is now in his second year at the helm of the Bethune-Cookman Football program. The Knoxville alum holds a record of 9-7 in Maroon and Gold, and seeks his second win against the Spartans of Norfolk State as a collegiate head coach.
 
The Weather
Projected temperatures on game day: Daytona Beach – 76/54. Norfolk, Va. – 64/45.
 
#5Things
1. Bethune-Cookman will be seeking its first win of the season – looking to snap a five-game losing skid which is the longest of its kind since 1996.
2. This is just the second game in the last four meetings that neither team is ranked in the FCS polls.
3. Bethune-Cookman sits seventh nationally in punt returns, averaging 19.30 yards per return on the year.
4. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Larry Brihm, Jr. tossed a career-best four touchdown passes last weekend against North Carolina A&T.
5. Bethune-Cookman had five receivers pull in multiple receptions last weekend against the Aggies of North Carolina A&T.
 
FUN FACT
The second-longest game in B-CU history took place at Norfolk State in 2005 – a thrilling 63-61 victory for the Wildcats in a controversial four-overtime finish.
 
A WIN OVER NORFOLK STATE WOULD...
• Give Bethune-Cookman its first win of the 2016 campaign.
• Extend B-CU's winning streak over the Spartans to three games.
• Give the Wildcats their 13th win overall all-time in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia.
• Allow Wildcats' head coach Terry Sims to collect his 10th victory in charge of the Maroon and Gold.
 
SERIES NOTES...
• Bethune-Cookman leads the all-time series against Norfolk State, 18-8.
• This will be just the second meeting between the Wildcats and Spartans without a former B-CU coaching staff member on the Green and Gold sideline since 2004.
• Bethune-Cookman has played Norfolk State on television in Norfolk the last two meetings.
• This will be just the second game in the last four meetings that neither team is ranked in either of the FCS polls.
 
RIGHT TO THE BRIHM...
• Redshirt junior quarterback Larry Brihm, Jr. registered a career-high game in a tough loss to North Carolina A&T a week ago in Daytona Beach.
• Brihm connected on a career-high 23-of-42 passes; accounting for a career-best 376 yards; and tossing a career best four touchdown passes. Three of those passes went to classmate Frank Brown who had a career-best with three receiving touchdowns.
• Although playing at 85 percent and recovering from injury, Brihm came off the bench to spark the Wildcats in place of starter redshirt freshman Akevious Williams.
 
AGAINST THE RANKINGS...
• The loss to No. 15 North Carolina A&T marked the third consecutive loss for the Wildcats against ranked teams.
However, one of those teams was No. 8 (FBS) Florida State – eventually winning the national championship in 2013 with Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston.
 
#INJURYBUG...
• According to Head Coach Terry Sims, he has never has a season in which injuries have struck a team he coached in history.
• In all, a total of 12 original starters from the beginning of the season have missed time due to injury, including two season-ending injuries in the form of running back Michael Jones and junior quarterback Anthony Cruz. Both players are expected to petition for and receive a medical hardship waiver following the season.
• Cruz suffered a fractured wrist in the first half of a game at Savannah State earlier this year.
 
NO PASSING ZONE...
• Under the direction of Defensive Coordinator Charles "Yogi" Jones, the Bethune-Cookman defense is ranked 35th nationally in pass efficiency defense. The Wildcats are allowing opposing quarterbacks a ranking of just 117.11 on the year.
• The Wildcats are ranked 38th nationally in total pass defense, allowing just 197 yards through the air per contest.
 
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