Fourth Quarter Comeback Falls Short Against South Carolina State

The Basics
Score: South Carolina State 42 - Bethune-Cookman 35
Record SCSU (1-3, 0-0 MEAC), B-CU (0-5, 0-2 SWAC)
Location: Orangeburg, S.C.

ORANGEBURG, S.C. – Down 42-7 going into the fourth quarter, Bethune-Cookman University mounted a comeback by scoring 28 unanswered points but fell short to former MEAC foe the Bulldogs of South Carolina State University 42-35 on Saturday afternoon.

SCSU got the scoring started in the first quarter when Kendrel Flowers ran it in from four yards giving them an early 7-0 lead. It didnt take long for B-CU to response as Darnell Deas took the ensuing kickoff 95 yards to the house tying the score at 7-7.

A few drives later Flowers scored his second touchdown of the game as he plunged it in from two yards out giving the Bulldogs a 14-7 lead.

With 6:18 remaining in the half South Carolina State engineered an eight-play, 89 yard drive that took only 3:50 off the clock capped by a 38-yard TD strike from Corey Fields, Jr. to Will Vereen extending the lead to 21-7. SCSU capitalized on a Wildcat turnover just before the half and extended their lead to 28-7 when Donte Anthony found paydirt from 11-yards out.

The Bulldogs added two more scores in the third quarter on drives of 89 and 77 yards on a three-yard touchdown run by Jacory Benson and a 29-yard scamper into the endzone by Anthony for his second TD of the game extending the lead to 42-7.

As Bethune-Cookman has done for most of the year, they got going in the fourth quarter. Back-up quarterback Devin Black engineered a eight-play 67-yard drived capped off by a 28-yard jumpball to tightend Kemari Averett cutting the score to 42-14 with 14:41 remaining in the ball game. After SCSU drove down the field and got inside the B-CU 10-yardline, defensive back, Omari Hill-Robinson, picked-up a backward pass fumble and returned it 88-yards adding to the Wildcats comeback efforts making the score 42-21.

After an onside-kick by Xavier McDonald was scooped up by B-CU, they drove it down the field 83-yards in just four-plays finished off by a one-yard TD plunge by runningback QueShaun Byrd giving the Wildcats their third touchdown of the quarter, cutting the lead to 42-28.

Bethune-Cookman wasn't done yet as they forced a four and out and put together a nine-play, 67-yard drive capped off by a one-yard push into the endzone by Black making the score 42-35. Another onside-kick by McDonald was unsuccessful and SCSU ran out the remaining :45.

Turning Point
After cutting the score to 42-35 late in the game an attempted onside kick with two timeouts remaining was recovered by South Carolina State.

Individual Leaders
Offensively Bethune-Cookman was led by Black who finished with 131 yards rushing and 127 yards passing with two touchdowns. Averett again led B-CU with four catches for 94 yards and a TD.

Defensively, Tekeven Thomas again led the charge for the Wildcats as he finished with a game-high nine tackles (6 solo) and one TFL while Caleb Sutherland had eight solo tackles on the day.

Wildcat punter Benjamen Lennon punted the ball six times for an avg. of 41.5 while pinning the Bulldogs inside the 20-yardline two times. Deas finished with four returns for 142 yards including a 95-yarder for a touchdown.

> Bethune-Cookman was outgained in total yardage 577-359
> B-CU averaged 7.4 yards per rush after gaining 200 yards on only 27 carries
> Bethune-Cookman was perfect in the REDZONE (B-CU 4-4) while (SCSU 4-5)
> The Wildcats passed for a season-low 159 yards
> The Bulldogs won the TOP battle 36:26 to the Wildcats 23:34

Coach Terry Sims Quote
"It was another game where again we started slow and we cant do that. We're a talented enough football team to be able to start fast. I told the players that we have to fix this in our locker room. We have to make plays when the plays are there to be made, our play makers have to make plays, bottom line."

"The fourth quarter showed what type of football team we really are in all three phases, but again the slow start got us."

"Next week we have to go back to the drawing board. We've been doing it all week, changing players here and there trying to find the right mix. We have to make sure we put the right players in the right position that are going to make the plays that we need to help this football team be successfil."

Next Up
Bethune-Cookman returns to action next Saturday, Oct. 9 as they welcome SWAC member Mississippi Valley State University for HOMECOMING 2021. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. and will be streamed on the CatEye Network.

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@BCUGRIDIRON Fourth Quarter Comeback Falls Short Against South Carolina State
October 02, 2021

@BCUGRIDIRON Fourth Quarter Comeback Falls Short Against South Carolina State October 02, 2021

@BCUGRIDIRON Fourth Quarter Comeback Falls Short Against South Carolina State
October 02, 2021