Football | November 07, 2018

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman Football will say "goodbye" to 16 seniors on Thursday evening, as the Wildcats host North Carolina Central to Daytona Stadium in a game set to be televised live on ESPNU beginning at 7 p.m.
 
Bethune-Cookman vs. North Carolina Central
Nov. 8, 2018 | 7 p.m. (EST)
Daytona Stadium | Daytona Beach, Fla.
WELE Radio | WSOS Radio | WSIR Radio | WatchESPN
 
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Bethune-Cookman 5-5 (3-2 MEAC)
Roster | Coaches | Schedule & Results | Stats | Game Notes
 
North Carolina Central 4-4 (2-2 MEAC)
Roster | Coaches | Schedule & Results | Stats | Game Notes
 
Game Day Hashtags
#NCCUvsBCU | #BeatNCCU | #OneDestruction | #WreckTheNest
 
Story Lines
• Jimmie Robinson is currently ranked 14th in the FCS for combined kickoff return yards.
• Bethune-Cookman is celebrating Senior Appreciation Night as 16 seniors are playing in their final home game.
• Bethune-Cookman and North Carolina Central have had two of the most dramatic endings in MEAC history over the course of the last three years — one ending in a blocked potential game-winning field goal, and the other being a Hail Mary.
• Bethune-Cookman now has four starters out for the year as Que'shaun Byrd (RB), Sam Marc (DB), Magyla Ramirez (OL) and Akevious Williams (QB) are all sidelined with season-ending injuries.
• Senior receiver Jimmie Robinson was named MEAC Offensive Player of the Week, in addition to BoxToRow National Player of the Week following his career-high 208 yards rushing and three touchdowns in last weekend's win at Morgan State.
• With just four pass completions against Morgan State last weekend, it was the lowest amount of passes completed for BCU since completing four by Matthew Johnson at Savannah State in 2009.
 
Series Notes
• Bethune-Cookman leads the all-time series against North Carolina Central by a 7-2 margin...
• The Wildcats hold a 5-0 record all-time against the Eagles in Durham...
• In Daytona Beach, the two teams are tied 2-2...
 
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 be covered live on ESPNU with Tiffany Greene and Jay Howard.
 
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 25-17 overall with the Maroon and Gold. Against NCCU, Sims is 2-1 with two game-winning plays as well.
 
The Weather
Projected temperatures on game day: Daytona Beach – 84/69 (20% chance of rain). Durham, N.C. – 63/46.
 
#HighFive —
1. Bethune-Cookman and North Carolina Central enter the game without the services of their starting quarterback, both having been reported to have sustained season-ending injuries.
2. Two of the last three games between BCU and NCCU have been decided by a last-second play.
3. Receiver turned running back Jimmie Robinson accounted for three rushing touchdowns at Morgan State.
4. Thursday's game presents Head Coach Terry Sims with his fourth consecutive first-year head coach at a school.
5. Thanks in part to Que'shaun Byrd and Jimmie Robinson, Bethune-Cookman is sixth in the NCAA for kickoff return yards.
 
A Win Over North Carolina Central Would —
• Be the 499th win all-time in school history...
• Insure BCU a non-losing season for the second consecutive season...
• Push BCU's conference record for the year out to 4-2...
• Allow the Wildcats their fourth Thursday night victory since 2011...
 
Out For The Season —
• Sophomore running back Que'shaun Byrd, sophomore cornerback Sam Marc, offensive lineman Magyla Ramirez and quarterback Akevious Williams have each been ruled out the rest of the season with injuries.
• Byrd sustained his injury in the second quarter of the game against Howard in Indianapolis; Marc's injury came in the second quarter at South Carolina State in Orangeburg; Ramirez's injury came at Savannah State; and Williams' injury was sustained as he was crossing the goal line against North Carolina A&T.
 
We're Not Buying That —
• For the first time in more than a 20 seasons, Bethune-Cookman will NOT have a traditional bye week, with BCU instead accepting the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers of the Big Ten on October 27 in Lincoln.
• During Terry Sims' first season at the helm in Daytona Beach, BCU went the first 10 games of the year consecutively with a contest, before having a bye week prior to the Florida Blue Florida Classic against Florida A&M in the season finale.
 
Block Party...
• The Bethune-Cookman special teams has amassed four blocked kicks on the season. Of the blocked kicks, middle linebacker Devin James has accounted for two of those kicks, while Tydarius Peters and Jimmie Robinson also have a blocked kick apiece.
 
#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.
 
Next Up —
• Bethune-Cookman will have exactly nine days to prepare for the game that always ends the regular season for the two in-state Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) HBCU opponents - Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M, set to be played as the Florida Blue Florida Classic at Camping World Stadium in Orlando on Saturday, Nov. 17.
• The game will be aired live on ESPN Classic and ESPN3.
• Bethune-Cookman will enter the game having won seven games on the spin against the Rattlers.
 
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