GREENSBORO, N.C. – Bethune-Cookman Football faces No. 11/12 North Carolina A&T in a key Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) contest to be televised on the ESPN family of networks and ESPNU on Saturday, Oct. 21, at 1 p.m., inside Aggie Stadium in Greensboro, North Carolina.
 
Bethune-Cookman at North Carolina A&T
Oct. 21, 2017 | 4 p.m. EST
Aggie Stadium | Greensboro, N.C.
ESPNU | WELE Radio | WSOS Radio | WSIR Radio
 
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Bethune-Cookman 3-3 (2-1 MEAC)
Roster | Coaches | Schedule & Results | Stats | Game Notes
 
North Carolina A&T 7-0 (4-0 MEAC)
Roster | Coaches | Schedule & Results | Stats | Game Notes
 
Web Stream: WatchESPN
 
Game Day Hashtags
#BCUvsNCAT | #BeatNCAT | #BCUResurge
 
Story Lines
• The Bethune-Cookman pass defense ranks amongst the tops in FCS (Football Championship Subdivision), while the North Carolina A&T passing attack is ranked No. 1 in FCS.
• Senior defensive back Diquan Richardson is tied for 17th nationally in the FCS with three interceptions on the year. He also sits tied for 58th in total tackles with 51 to his credit.
• Junior kicker Uriel Hernandez was named MEAC Specialist of the Week after connecting on 4-of-5 field goals a week ago, accounting for all 12 points for the Maroon and Gold in a 12-9 defeat of South Carolina State in Daytona Beach.
• BCU is seeking its first road win in league play since taking down Morgan State in November 2016. The Cats have dropped their last two away fixtures in league play against Howard and South Carolina State, respectively.
• The Wildcats have not defeated a ranked opponent since knocking off No. 24 Norfolk State by a 14-6 decision in an ESPNU Thursday night televised contest back on Oct. 20, 2011. BCU has dropped four consecutive since that time to ranked teams.
• Four different players for the Cats have collected interceptions on the year.
 
Series Notes
• Bethune-Cookman leads the all-time series against North Carolina A&T by a 22-16 decision.
• Bethune-Cookman has only defeated a ranked N.C. A&T team once back in 1998 (34-27, overtime).
• The Wildcats have dropped the last four games to a ranked Aggies squad.
• BCU had the series' longest winning mark with seven consecutive games from 2004-10.
 
The Broadcasts
The game will be carried live on ESPNU and on the WatchESPN app on all mobile devices with Eric Clemmons and Jay Walker on the call, while 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 Nolan Alexander (play-by-play) operating alongside Larry Wesley (color) in the booth.
 
The Coach
Head Coach Terry Sims is now in his third year at the helm of the Bethune-Cookman Football program. The Knoxville alum holds a record of 16-11 overall with the Maroon and Gold, and he holds a record of 0-2 as a collegiate head coach against North Carolina A&T.
 
The Weather
Projected temperatures on game day: Daytona Beach – 84/75. Greensboro, N.C. – 77/51.
 
#HighFive
1. Head Coach Terry Sims is looking for his first victory as an opposing head coach against North Carolina A&T.
2. BCU is seeking just its second win ever against a ranked North Carolina A&T squad. The only other win against a ranked Aggies team came back in 1998, that being an overtime contest.
3. This is the first of two trips for Bethune-Cookman to the Old North State in 2017, also traveling to last year's MEAC champion North Carolina Central in three weeks.
4. Four different players for the Wildcats have registered interceptions on the year for the defensive unit.
5. A total of six receivers have registered at least double-digit receptions across the campaign, led by Keavon Mitchell (23).
 
A Win Over North Carolina A&T Would…
• Give Bethune-Cookman its 23rd win all-time against the Aggies.
• Be the 490th win all-time in school history.
• Allow third-year head coach Terry Sims his first victory over North Carolina A&T.
• Give BCU its first win over the Aggies in Greensboro since 2009.
• Be the second win for the Wildcats over N.C. A&T with the Aggies as a ranked opponent.
 
#OctoberFest...
• The month of October has been a scary month for the opposition throughout the last 17 years of BCU Football.
• Since 2000, Bethune-Cookman owns a record of 46-17 in the Halloween month, including perfect marks in 2002 (3-0), 2010 (5-0), 2012 (3-0) and 2013 (4-0).
• Only six of the 17 losses have occurred away from Daytona Beach.
 
Thou Shalt Not Pass...
• Through the first six games of the 2017 season, the Bethune-Cookman defense is allowing just 148.2 yards per game through the air. That allows BCU to sit third in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) for passing yards per game allowed by the defense.
• In pass efficiency defense, the Wildcats defensive unit is fifth nationally, allowing just a 97.13 efficiency from the opposition.
 
Deuces Wild...
• Senior safety Diquan Richardson is tied for 17th nationally in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) for passes intercepted. The Allen, South Carolina native is averaging 0.5 interceptions per game with three across his first six games of the year.
 
What's the Word...
• Each team throughout the 2017-18 BCU athletic year will have a word that represents the program.
• The word for BCU Football is "Resurge". The meaning comes from the team and Head Coach Terry Sims looking for a resurgence in 2017. The team endured an uncharacteristic 4-6 season last year, marking the first losing campaign at Bethune-Cookman since 2009.
 
Against the Rankings...
• The loss to No. 18 Miami in the season opener for both teams in Miami Gardens, Florida marked the fourth consecutive loss for the Wildcats against a ranked opponent. However, two of those teams in the current stretch were the 18th-ranked Hurricanes, in addition to No. 8 (FBS) Florida State – eventually winning the national championship in 2013 with Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston.
 
30 Sacks, 30 Turnovers...
• The goal at the start of the season is for the Wildcats defense to make 30 sacks and force 30 turnovers. That would be a significant production hike from the two previous years of the current coaching regime that resulted in 13/17 in 2016 and 18/19 in 2015.
• North Carolina A&T and North Carolina Central were the only teams in the MEAC to achieve the 30/30 mark last year.
 
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