Football | October 12, 2018

ORANGEBURG, S.C. – Bethune-Cookman Football travels to venerable Oliver C. Dawson "Bulldog" Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 13, as the Wildcats take on perennial Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) power South Carolina State at 2 p.m.
 
Bethune-Cookman at South Carolina State
Oct. 13, 2018 | 2 p.m. (EST)
Oliver C. Dawson Stadium | Orangeburg, S.C.
WELE Radio | WSOS Radio | WSIR Radio
 
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Bethune-Cookman 3-3 (1-1 MEAC)
Roster | Coaches | Schedule & Results | Stats | Game Notes
 
South Carolina State 1-3 (0-1 MEAC)
Roster | Coaches | Schedule & Results | Stats | Game Notes
 
Game Day Hashtags
#BCUvsSCSU | #BeatSCState | #OneDestruction | #LeashTheDogs
 
Story Lines
• Head Coach Terry Sims holds a record of 17-1 all-time when the Wildcats out-gain its opponent offensively.
• The Bethune-Cookman offensive line has produced three (3) games on the year in which it has not allowed a quarterback sack of signal callers Jabari Dunham, David Israel or Akevious Williams.
• Senior offensive lineman Dwayne Brown was officially named to the Black College Player of the Year Watch List for 2018. The Indianapolis, Indiana native was also selected to the 2018 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Preseason First Team.
• It was announced three weeks ago that Bethune-Cookman would play its first-ever Big Ten opponent in the form of Nebraska during BCU's previously-scheduled bye week on October 27 in Lincoln, Nebraska.
• Despite giving up points early in games, the Wildcats are outscoring their opponents 101-51 in the second quarter this year.
• Senior kicker Uriel Hernandez sits a perfect 30 for 30 on extra-point attempts across the season thus far.
• Linebacker duo Marquis Hendrix and Devin James once again lead the Cats in tackles collectively on the campaign.
 
Series Notes
• South Carolina State leads the all-time series against Bethune-Cookman by a 32-24-1 count...
• Bethune-Cookman won the first meeting between the teams back in 1956...
• The Wildcats' longest winning streak in the series is six games from 1998-2003...
• From 2002-2014, the two teams met a total of seven (7) times with at least one team ranked in the FCS
(Football Bowl Subdivision) polls...
 
The Broadcasts
The game will be carried live on the CatEye Radio Network across 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). The game will also be streamed live on ESPN3.
 
The Coach
Head Coach Terry Sims is now in his fourth year at the helm of the Bethune-Cookman Football program. The Knoxville alum holds a record of 23-15 overall with the Maroon and Gold. Against South Carolina State, the Jesup, Georgia native holds a record of 2-1. He is just 0-1 all-time at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium, dropping a 28-7 decision in November 2016.
 
The Weather
Projected temperatures on game day: Daytona Beach – 85/69. Oranegburg, S.C. – 77/55 (10% chance of rain).
 
#HighFive —
1. Head Coach Terry Sims is seeking his first win in Orangeburg, South Carolina.
2. In each of the last five seasons, the home team has won the contests between BCU and SCSU, respectfully.
3. This will be just the 12th time since the turn of the century that neither BCU or SCSU is ranked in a national poll when facing each other.
4. Since 2000, Bethune-Cookman has collected four wins in Orangeburg against the Bulldogs.
5. Last season's BCU vs. SCSU game was just the second of its kind in the series to feature neither team scoring an offensive touchdown, with the Cats holding on for a 12-9 victory in Daytona Beach.
 
A Win Over South Carolina State Would —
• Give Head Coach Terry Sims his 24th win overall...
• Be the 497th win all-time in school history...
• Allow BCU to earn its first win in Orangeburg since 2012...
• Extend BCU's record to a winning mark at 4-3 overall, and a 2-1 mark in the MEAC...
 
A Road To Remember —
• For the eighth consecutive season, Bethune-Cookman opened the year on the road, so to speak. Two times (2011, '12), the Cats opened up in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Walt Disney World in nearby Orlando.
• This is the third time during the span that BCU stepped out of the state of Florida for a season opener. BCU played at Tennessee State (2013) and North Texas (2016) in the stretch.
• Technically, BCU opened up the 2016 campaign in Denton, Texas while the "original" season opener was canceled due to weather as part of the MEAC/SWAC Challenge that was held at Municipal Stadium and presented by ESPN.
 
Transitioning From The Hardwood —
• Redshirt junior Ulmer Manzie will be transitioning from the hardwood under Men's Basketball Head Coach Ryan Ridder, taking the "Jimmy Graham" approach and playing tight end for Head Coach Terry Sims and the football team.
• Manzie has not played football since high school where he attended Columbus Africentric High in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.
• Manzie will be the first two-sport athlete for the Wildcats aside from track & field since redshirt junior quarterback Akevious Williams played baseball for the Maroon and Gold in 2015.
 
#OneDestruction —
• The hashtag and theme for Bethune-Cookman Athletics across the 2018-19 athletic term is #OneDestruction.
• A destruction, in essence, is a group of wild cats together. With Bethune-Cookman being the Wildcats, it seemed only natural that BCU become ONE DESTRUCTION to prey on the opposition.
 
ESPN+ And The Wildcats —
• It was announced two weeks ago that Bethune-Cookman and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) has partnered together to produce four (4) home games at Daytona Stadium for the Wildcats.
• Bethune-Cookman is one of several schools around the league that are introducing ESPN+ as a platform to watch their contests.
• For a complete list of games around the MEAC, visit MEACsports.com.
 
#IBackTheMEAC —
• The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference begins its 49th year of intercollegiate competition heading into the 2018-19 academic year. Located in Norfolk, Virginia, the MEAC is made up of 12 outstanding historically black institutions across the Atlantic coastline.
• On June 8, 1980, the MEAC was classified as a Division I conference by the NCAA. Prior to that year, the conference operated as a Division II conference. The month after it achieved Division I status, the MEAC received an automatic qualification to the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship.
 
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