HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - The Wildcats continue their search for win No. 1 on the 2024 season as they head to Huntsville to take on the Bulldogs of Alabama A&M, Saturday, Oct. 12 at 3 p.m. EST at Louis Crews Stadium. 

The Wildcats departed campus Tuesday via bus to avoid potential impact from Hurricane Milton. The team stayed in Atlanta until making its way to Huntsville Friday morning. 

The game will be broadcast live on HBCU Go. Fans can catch the home radio call free on 1380 WELE Daytona Beach or at YouTube.com/CatEyeNetwork. Fans can also catch a brand-new episode of Hail Wildcats Radio premiering live one hour before kickoff. Fans watching on local television can watch the Bethune-Cookman Pregame Prowl, a fully-produced pregame show airing live at 2:30 on WRDQ Channel 27 in Orlando.



Saturday, Oct. 12
Opponent:  Alabama A&M (2-3 0-1 SWAC)
Time: 3:00 p.m. EST
Location: Huntsville, Ala. | Louis Crews Stadium
Live Stats: https://aamusports.com/sidearmstats/football/summary
Watch: https://hbcugo.tv/
Listen: https://wele1380thecat.com/
Tickets: https://www.ticketmaster.com/bethune-cookman-university-football-tickets/artist/821762
 


B-CU enters play Saturday off a bye week.

A week prior, down as much as 26-7, Bethune-Cookman rallied for back-to-back touchdowns to give preseason No. 1 Alabama State a scare, but a fourth quarter comeback fell just short as the Hornets took the win, 26-21, at Daytona Stadium.

Following a brief lightning delay, Alabama State  won the toss and deferred, immediately forcing a Bethune-Cookman three-and-out on the opening drive.

The Hornets were able to work their opening drive into B-CU territory, but a costly penalty and a B-CU sack forced the Hornets to settle for a field goal.

On their second drive of the afternoon, the Wildcats recorded their first first down of the day, but immediately fumbled at the B-CU 32 yard line to give the Hornets the ball deep in B-CU territory.

The Hornets converted as Ajai Harrell muscled the ball in the endzone to make it 10-0, Alabama State with seven to play in the first quarter.

The following drive for B-CU did not fare much better, as Alabama State closed out the first quarter with an interception that was nearly run back for a pick-six were it not for an illegal block in the back penalty that instead gave the Hornets the ball at their own 13 to open the second quarter. 

The interception did not come back to hurt the Wildcats as they forced a Bama State punt.

Alabama State threatened again near the end of the half, but Brandon Gilliam's 53-yard field goal into the wind fell well short to give the Cats the ball at their 36 yard line with nearly three minutes to play before halftime. 

The Wildcats were finally able to put points on the board six plays later as Cam'Ron Ransom found Omari Stewart for a 33 yard touchdown pass to make it 10-7 with 46 seconds before the half. 

Alabama State pushed three more across as they quickly marched down the the B-CU 11 and sailed a kick through the uprights to make it 13-7 at the half. 

The Hornets opened the second half just as the first had ended - with another field goal that made it 16-7 in favor of the visitors. 

Bama State appeared in complete control after the first play of the next drive saw the Wildcats fumble into the hands of Stefon Young-Rolle at the ASU 47. The Hornets immediately marched down the field and Zach Sims found Harrell again for a four yard touchdown to make it 23-7. 

Another promising B-CU drive ended on downs as Ransom was unable to convert on a designed run on 4th-and-three. On the very next drive, it was three more for the Hornets as Gilliam connected on yet another field goal to go in front 26-7. 

B-CU finally showed signes of life with just over seven minutes remaining a Dennis Palmer's 18-yard rush put the Cats down at the Hornets seven. Ransom muscled his way on on the QB sneak to cut the deficit to 26-14 with seven to play. 

The Wildcats immediately took control again as Derrick Thompson forced a fumble on the kickoff to give B-CU the ball at the Hornets 30 - four plays later, Courtney Reese found paydirt with a one-yard rush touchdown - the first by a B-CU running back on the ground this year - to make it 26-21 with still over five minutes to go. 

The B-CU defense held firm, and the Hornets were forced to punt the ball away with just under three minutes to go.

The Wildcats took over at their own 25, and immediately faced a fourth and four at their 31. A costly delay of game penalty made that a fourth-and-nine, and the Wildcats could not convert as a Lorenzo Jenkins circus catch went incomplete, and the Hornets held on, 26-21. 



Alabama A&M enters play this weekend after a 2-3 start to the year. The Bulldogs took non-conference losses at Auburn and Austin Peay, with their two wins coming against DII Kentucky State and NAIA Georgetown College (KY).

The Bulldogs had a Sept. 28 contest at Florida A&M postponed due to the impact of Hurricane Helene. This week they will look to rebound from a 45-38 loss in Mobile Alabama in the Gulf Coast Challenge. The Bulldogs rallied for 28 second-half points, but it was not enough to overcome a sizable deficit at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. 

The Bulldogs have been one of the best squads in the SWAC offensively on the year, averaging 26 points per game on a conference-best 268 yards per game in the air and 164 yards per game on the ground. 

Running back Donovan Eaglin ranks fourth in the SWAC with 323 yards rushing on the year on five yards per carry with a touchdown. Junior QB Xavier Lankford averages 61 yards per game on 26-51 passing with three touchdowns and no interceptions

The Bulldogs have not fared as well defensively on the year. They rank ninth in the conference allowing 40 points per game. Junior linebacker Cortez Andrews leads the Bulldog defense with 38 total tackles, six tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks. Freshman defensive back Delvon Gulley has a pair of picks on the year - one in each of his past two games. 



HOMECOMING, HOMECOMING, HOMECOMING
Saturday's contest marks the first of three straight homecoming games for the Wildcats. Alabama A&M hosts its homecoming this week, followed by Mississippi Valley on October 19 and Jackson State on October 26. The Wildcats only played on one opponent's homecoming last season - Alabama State - but played in five total in 2022 - Alabama A&M, Tennessee State, Mississippi Valley State, and Prairie View A&M, all on top of B-CU's own homecoming in November of that year. 

HIT THE SACK
With twelve sacks on the year as a team, the Wildcats rank 7th in the country in sacks per game (3). They are tied for Jackson State with the SWAC lead in the category. Ejike Brown leads the team at four sacks on the year, good for 17th nationally and third in the SWAC.

HELLO, OLD FRIEND
Alabama A&M and Bethune-Cookman and go way back - all the way back - 100 years to 1924, when the two teams played to a 0-0 tie in Miami all the way back on December 1, 1924. 



Saturday marks the 20th meeting all-time between Alabama A&M and Bethune-Cookman. The Wildcats are 12-6-1 in the series, and 5-3 in Huntsville. In their most recent matchup, the Wildcats defeated AAMU at home, 31-14 on Nov. 11, 2023. 

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