DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The Wildcats return home still in search of their first SWAC win of 2023 as they host Mississippi Valley State, Thursday, Nov. 2 at 7:30 p.m. at Daytona Municipal Stadium.

The game will be broadcast live on ESPNU. 

Fans are encouraged to wear black as Bethune-Cookman Athletics host a "Blackout" to raise awareness for gender-based violence.



Thursday, Nov. 2
Opponent:  Mississippi Valley State (1-7, 1-4 SWAC)
Time: 7:30 p.m. EST
Location: Daytona Municipal Stadium
Live Stats: https://bcuathletics.com/sidearmstats/football/summary
Watch: https://www.espn.com/watch/
Listen: https://www.youtube.com/cateyenetwork
Tickets: https://www.ticketmaster.com/bethune-cookman-university-football-vs-mississippi-daytona-beach-florida-11-02-2023/event/22005E31E276CC43



Three Bethune-Cookman turnovers resulted in 14 Grambling State points last Saturday afternoon as the Wildcats were on the losing end of a 28-14 decision in a SWAC Football contest at Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium.
 
The two teams combined for 28 points in the opening quarter alone, but it would be Bethune-Cookman ultimately trailing 21-14 at the half.
 
B-CU opened the game's scoring with a 58-yard fumble return for touchdown by Wildcats wide receiver Tink Boyd when the Virginia Tech transfer scooped a Nebanye Moore fumble and took it the distance. B-CU faced fourth and one on its opening possession of the game at its own 42 yard line, using tight end Moore under center when he pushed forward through the offensive line, but the ball popped out and into the hands of Boyd.
 
With the Wildcats holding a 7-0 early lead, Grambling State answered in kind with 11:55 remaining in the first quarter when Davonte Webster picked up a B-CU fumble and went 17 yards for a touchdown of his own. The extra point from Tanner Rinker was good to knot the game at 7-7.
 
Grambling State moved in front for the first time on the Tigers ensuing drive.
 
It took quarterback Myles Crawley just four plays to engineer a scoring drive, beginning with a 33-yard link up with receiver Javon Robinson to put the hosts into B-CU territory at the 24 yard line. Chance Williams followed with a 21-yard burst around the end, followed two plays later by his own three-yard rush up the middle for the score.
 
Williams added a 61-yard rushing touchdown later in the stanza that put the Tigers on top 21-7 at the end of the opening quarter.
 
BCU cut into the deficit before the half when the Cats returned their second fumble of the day for a touchdown.
 
After a host of Floyd Chalk runs on a promising GSU drive, Floyd took a handoff from Crawley but fumbled at the B-CU 23 yard line. Omari Hill-Robinson was there to collect the fumble and return it the distance 77 yards for the score – his first of the 2023 campaign.
 
With 9:03 remaining in the fourth quarter, Grambling State would use a 34-yard rushing touchdown from Floyd in order to produce the final 28-14 score line.
 
Crawley finished the afternoon 11 for 22 passing for 142 yards. Williams added a pair of scores on the ground with more than 100 yards rushing. And Crawley connected with six different receivers in the contest, including Javon Robinson who ended the game with six catches for 73 yards.
 
The defense was detailed by the efforts of Sundiata Anderson with 11 tackles, while teammate Lewis Matthews added eight.
 
Starting in his first game under center for B-CU, grad transfer quarterback Tylik Bethea hooked up with six different receivers in the game. He would close the contest with eight completions and 70 yards through the air. Iverson Clement headed up the defense with a team-high 10 tackles. Four additional Wildcats had four tackles apiece as well.
 



Mississippi Valley State is 1-7 this season, and 1-4 in SWAC play. The Delta Devils are losers of back-to-back contests, scoring just nine total points in games against Jackson State and at Alcorn State.

MVSU's lone win this season came against Arkansas - Pine Bluff, with the Delta Devils jumping on the Golden Lions, 42-17 in their homecoming contest in Itta Bena.

Mississippi Valley State also took back-to-back losses versus a pair of Division II squads in Central State and Delta State to open the season. 

The Delta Devils rank near the bottom of the SWAC in nearly all offensive categories. They are last in the conference in points per game (12.6) and touchdowns (13). They rank second to last in rushing yards per game (101.4), passing yards per game (140.8), and offensive efficiency (104.1). 

Jared Wilson leads MVSU on the ground, averaging just over 36 yards per game with a pair of rushing scores. Quarterback Ty'Jarian Williams has completed 94 of 150 passes for 869 yards and four touchdowns to four interceptions this season. 

His leading receiver is Kerrick Ross, who has racked up 24 catches for 218 yards and a pair of touchdowns this season. 

Defensively, MVSU ranks middle-of-the-pack, allowing just over 28 points per game in eight games this season, despite having allowed the fifth most rushing yards and third-most passing yards per game. 

The Delta Devils have only 10 sacks as a team this season. Junior linebacker Jayren Fox leads his team with 58 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, and a hurry. Sophomore DB Omar Emmons has a pair of picks and two forced fumbles this season. 




IN SEARCH OF #2
The Wildcats remain in search of win #2 this season with three games remaining. The Wildcats have not finished a season with one or fewer wins since 1993 when Head Coach Sylvester Collins was fired midway through his second season at B-CU after a 4-16 record through 20 games. Tyron McGriff took over as interim head coach for the final two games, collecting B-CU's first win of the season in week 10 with a 33-31 victory over Norfolk State.

FOR THE BRAND
Through eight games, the Wildcats average only 35 penalty yards per game, the best in the SWAC, the fifth-best in all of FCS football, and less than half the penalty yard average from the 2022 season.

With three games remaining, the Wildcats are on pace to shatter the recorded program record in fewest penalties/penalty yards this season. With 36 penalties for an average of 35 penalty yards per game through eight games, the Wildcats are on pace to finish the season with just under 50 as a team. The next closest number in recorded B-CU history is 64 penalties for an average of 53.5 penalty yards per game (in 10 games), set back in 1988 under head coach Larry Little.

SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS
The Wildcats rank sixth in all of FCS football, and second in the SWAC, in tackles for loss, averaging nearly eight per game this season. Eddie Walls and Dearis Thomas lead the Wildcats in the stat with 9.5 and 9.0, respectively.



Saturday marks the 9th meeting all-time between Mississippi Valley State and B-CU. The Wildcats hold a 6-2 advantage in the series, with B-CU taking last years meeting, 45-35. 


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