DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Luke Sprague passed for 118 yards and Jaiden Bivens ran for 65 more as Bethune-Cookman fell to visiting Texas Southern 34-31 in a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Football contest on a BCU Homecoming weekend at Municipal Stadium in front of a sellout crowd of 9,458 in attendance.
 
Trailing 27-10 at the half, Bethune-Cookman (1-5, 0-3 SWAC) scored 14 unanswered points in the third quarter.
 
A Jimmie Robinson III touchdown run capped off what was a 14-play, 79-yard drive that took more than six minutes off the clock to begin the second half. Robinson rushed five times on the drive, combining with fellow running back Jaiden Bivens, as the BCU redshirt sophomore tailback powered his way two yards up the middle for the score. The point-after was good from Cade Hechter to bring the Maroon and Gold to within 27-17.
 
On the Wildcats next drive, Luke Sprague engineered a BCU drive that went 82 yards in 13 plays, finishing with the Springfield, Pennsylvania quarterback calling his own number up the middle for his first rushing touchdown of the season. The Hechter PAT followed to make it 27-24 in favor of Texas Southern.
 
After a Sprague interception deep in Wildcats territory midway through the fourth quarter, it took Texas Southern (2-4, 1-2 SWAC) just one play – that being a LaDarius Owens five-yard rush right up the middle, to increase the Tigers' advantage at 34-23 following the extra-point from Curtis Falkenburg.
 
BCU got to within 34-31 late-on as Sprague connected with Bivens on a crossing route in the end zone, giving each their first passing and receiving touchdown of the campaign, respectively. The drive featured a plethora of Bivens runs, while Sprague completed the drive 5-for-9 passing in helping the Cats march down the field 71 yards in just under seven minutes.
 
The ensuing on-side kick from Hechter was just off the fingertips of a Bethune-Cookman member of the hands team, as there were just 36 seconds remaining in the contest. In the end, on third and six for the Tigers, Owens racked up 51 yards in a burst around the left side down to the BCU two-yard line closing out his side's first league win of the season.
 
TSU opened the game's scoring with a Falkenburg 24-yard field goal with 7:02 remaining in the first quarter. The Tigers added to their lead just before the end of the stanza when Owens took a handoff from starting quarterback Jace Wilson, who went the distance behind center for TSU, and scampered 42 yards for the touchdown to put the visitors up 10-0 at that point.
 
A 13-play, 65-yard drive for the Wildcats, aided by two Texas Southern penalties, culminated with a Tylik Bethea quarterback push up the middle, putting BCU on the board at 10-7 just five minutes into the second quarter.
 
It would not take the Tigers long to answer as Wilson connected with receiver Trenton Leary for 23 yards – one of his game-high six catches on the day, followed by an Owens run up the middle three plays later to lift TSU back to a 10-point lead at 17-7. TSU made it 24-7 when a positive BCU drive ended abruptly when TSU linebacker Jacob Williams stripped BCU running back Terry Lindsey at the Tigers' five-yard line, and recovered the fumble himself and returned it 95 yards for the score.
 
Lindsey would finish the night with 39 yards on 11 carries for the Wildcats.
 
The Cats chipped into the lead just before the half when Hechter connected on a 26-yard field goal, seeing BCU cut the deficit at 24-10.
 
However, Falkenburg was true from 41 yards as time expired to end the opening half, putting his side up 27-10 as the teams went to their respective locker rooms at the break.
 
TSU was led on the day by Wilson with a 15-for-29 passing performance for a game-high 189 yards through the air. Owens finished with 163 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Williams had 13 tackles to lead all performers in that category, adding his 95-yard fumble return for score, as well as 2.5 tackles for loss and a pair of pass deflections. Isaiah Bogerty added 12 tackles, and it was Elinus Noel III with 10 tackles.
 
For BCU, the offense was paced by Robinson's 98 yards rushing and a touchdown on the ground. Sprague had 118 yards passing on 14-for-26 through the air and a touchdown rushing and passing, respectfully. Tink Boyd registered four catches for 26 yards, and Daveno Ellington had three catches for 43 yards.
 
The Cats defense was sparked by Dearis Thomas with 11 tackles. Stephen Sparrow added eight tackles and a pass breakup.
 
Bethune-Cookman hosts SWAC opponent Southern University next weekend at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida – home of the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars. Game time is set for 4 p.m. Tickets are available now at the BCU Ticket Office and TicketMaster.com.
 
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