BATON ROUGE, La. - The Wildcats will try to keep the momentum from a senior day win going as they face the leader of the SWAC West, the Southern Jaguars, on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 3 p.m. EST. 

The game will be broadcast live on the SWAC Digital Network. 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. 



Saturday, Nov. 2
Opponent: Southern (5-4, 4-1 SWAC)
Time: 3:00 p.m. EST
Location: Baton Rouge, La. | A.W. Mumford Stadium
Live Stats: https://gojagsports.com/sidearmstats/football/summary
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@swacsports1920
Listen: https://wele1380thecat.com/
Tickets: https://gojagsports.com/sports/ticket-office



The Wildcats avoided a winless season at home with a 14-point comeback to pull the upset win over Grambling State, 24-21, Saturday afternoon on senior day at Daytona Stadium.

Grambling State  won the toss, electing to defer, handing the ball to B-CU out of the gate. The opening drives for both squads stalled before B-CU starting quarterback Luke Sprague was forced out of the game with an injury following a second-and-20 sack that forced the senior to limp off the field. He would not return in the game. 

The Tigers jumped on the board first after a 39-yard pass play set up a 22-yard rushing score by Keilon Elder.

The Wildcats, now under the leadership of Cam'Ron Ransom at QB, managed another short drive before punting it away once more to end the first quarter of play. 

The Tigers opened the second quarter with another drive deep into B-CU territory, marching all the way down to the B-CU two-yard line. A fourth-and-one run play was quickly snuffed out by a host of Wildcats, forcing a turnover on downs. 

As the Wildcats offense continued to struggle before an Anthony Frederique punt turned into a 72-yard house call by Javon Robinson that put Grambling in front 14-0 with six minutes until the half. 

B-CU was finally able to answer the Tiger attack as Ransom marched the Cats down the field on eight plays, finding tight end Thomas Nance for a 14-yard score - the first of Nance's career as a Wildcat and the first touchdown to a tight end on the year for B-CU - to send B-CU into the half down only a score at 14-7. 

Grambling, receiving the ball out of the half, immediately went up two scores again on a nine-yard rushing score from Deljay Bailey to make it 21-7.

The B-CU offense found some success again as Cade Hechter connected on a 40-yard field goal to inch closer at 21-10. 

The B-CU defense stepped up for another massive fourth-down stop with just under seven to play in the third, as a QB keeper was snuffed out by Dallaz Corbitt and Earl Miller Jr. to give the Cats the ball at their own 40. 

Ransom made the Tigers pay immediately, finding dynamic return man Darnell Deas for a 58-yard bomb to inch the Wildcats to within 21-14 with three minutes to play in the third. 

After another great defensive sequence, B-CU moved in front for the first time on the afternoon one drive later as freshman rusher Dennis Palmer found a huge hole in the Tiger front for a 42-yard touchdown run that put the Cats up, 24-21.

Grambling State opened the fourth with a three-and-out, following it up with a drive down to the B-CU 39 before a Baily pass found Wildcat hands as nickelback Caleb Blake came up with the ball, his first interception as a Wildcat. 

The Wildcats moved to the Tiger 21 before attempting a 21-yard field goal that was blocked to keep Grambling to within a field goal with 1:50 on the clock.

A fourth-down pass interference call kept the Tigers alive at their own 36 with 1:37 to play, but an Orin Patu sack and a pair of incomplete passes quickly brought up fourth down again. With 20 yards to go for the first, Baily looked downfield, and B-CU's Joshua Thornhill came up with the Cats' second pick of the night to ice the game at 24-21. 



Southern is 5-4 on the season, and 4-1 in the SWAC. They lead the SWAC West by a game. The Jaguars defeated PVAMU and Texas Southern - both in overtime, as well as Alcorn State and Alabama A&M. Their only SWAC loss came at the hands of Florida A&M, 24-6 on the road. 

Southern has succeeded this season on the back of its defense, allowing the third-fewest points per game in the SWAC at 24 per game. They allow 158 yards per game on the ground and a conference-low 145 per game in the air. The Jaguars have 17 sacks on the year and four picks as a team. Junior linebacker Vincent Paige Jr. leads the Jaguars with 63 tackles and 3.5 sacks on the year. 

On offense, the Jaguars have struggled, averaging only 19.9 points per game, the third-worst mark in the SWAC. They rush for 137 yards per game, while passing for 218. Freshman Czavian Teasett is the likely starter at the QB spot after injuries sidelined junior Noah Bodden. Teasett has thrown for 703 yards with six touchdowns and one pick on a 57% completion percentage in seven games. 

Kobe Dillion leads the way on the ground with 502 yards on 108 carries on 4.5 yards per carry. Kendric Rhymes has four touchdowns on the ground this year. 




CATS ARE DUE
In six all-time meetings with Southern, the Wildcats have never defeated the Jaguars. They are the only SWAC team the Wildcats have yet to win a game against.

RACKING UP THE TACKLES
Last season, LB De'Aris Thomas led B-CU with 97 total tackles. LB Shelton Quarles Jr. finished second with 53. This year, three Wildcats have alreay surpassed the 53 tackle mark with three games remaining - Ray Woodie III, Kevin Washington Jr., and Antwone Watts. 

A PAIR OF TIGHTS
With three games remaining on the year, tight end Thomas Nance has 18  receptions for 195 yards and a touchdown. Fellow tight end Marcus Velez has 14 catches for 107 yards. Both numbers are already the two highest single-season receiving yards for B-CU tight ends since Kemari Averett had 445 and 7 touchdowns in 2022. Nance's touchdown in last week's game vs. Grambling State was the first touchdown caught by a tight end since Averett's final touchdown as a Wildcat in the 2022 Florida Classic. 

KICKER CADE
Wildcat kicker Cade Hechter has made 9 of 11 field goals on the season. That marks the most by a B-CU kicker since Uriel Hernandez made 12 of 18 in 2017. If the season ended today, his 82% success rate would be the best. 




Saturday marks the seventh meeting all-time between Southern and B-CU. The Wildcats have never beaten the Jaguars in six tries. 


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