DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The road to Bethune-Cookman's famed 1973 Southeastern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship began with how all championships are won – defense.

Fifty years ago this week, the Wildcats gave Charles Wesley Moore a successful debut as Head Football Coach with a 13-7 victory over South Carolina State in Welch Memorial Stadium before a then-home crowd record of 6,580.

The true stars of the night weren't the famous running back duo of Randy "Sweetback" Walker and Wayne Allen, though both scored a first-half touchdown.

Instead, the night belonged to a defense paced by Randy Straughn and Willie "Foots" Lee that held the visiting Bulldogs to minus seven yards rushing and pressured SC State quarterback Benjamin Samuel into five interceptions, two by Willie Jackson.

Walker gave B-CC its first score after quarterback Willie Collins – Nick Collins' dad – fumbled at the end of a 35-yard run and Walker scooped up the ball and finished the run with a 16-yard score in the game's opening minute.

Allen scored the decisive touchdown on a 37-yarder in the second period.

From there, the defense and rain kept the Bulldogs at bay.

Henry Coleman delivered an interception, and an Arnold Robinson fumble recovery thwarted a potential scoring drive. 

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