DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The Wildcats head north - the furthest north in the history of the program - as they look to secure their fist win of the 2024 against FBS foe Western Michigan, Saturay night at Waldo Stadium. 

The game will be broadcast live on theESPN+. 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, Sep. 14
Opponent:  Western Michigan (0-2)
Time: 6:30 p.m. EST
Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan | Waldo Stadium
Live Stats: https://www.statbroadcast.com/events/statbroadcast.php?t=1&gid=wmu
Watch: https://plus.espn.com
Listen: https://wele1380thecat.com/
Tickets: https://www.ticketmaster.com/bethune-cookman-university-football-tickets/artist/821762
 


The B-CU offense remained stagnant as the Wildcats dropped the 2024 home opener to Mercer, 31-2, last Saturday afternoon at Daytona Stadium.

Bethune-Cookman won the coin toss, electing to defer. Mercer quickly returned the opening kickoff 34 yards to near midfield, quickly crossing over to the B-CU 45 just four plays into the contest. 

After a Raymond Woodie III tackle set up a fourth-and-one for the Bears, Jeremy Greaves Jr. smothered a rushing attempt for no gain to give B-CU the ball after the turnover on downs. 

Cam'Ron Ransom made his first start as a Wildcat, moving the Wildcats down to the Mercer 20 after a 27-yard pass to Maleek Huggins. An incomplete pass, a pair of unsuccessful run plays, and a holding penalty put B-CU at a third-and-24 situation before a Mercer hold reset the downs for B-CU. 

The Wildcats continued their march all the way down to the six before Brayden Manley forced a Ransom fumble to avoid the opening-drive score.

Defense led the way into the second quarter as both teams were forced to punt on back-to-back drives to close out the scoreless first.

Just after the beginning of the second, safety Raymond Woodie III stopped another promising Mercer drive short with an interception, the first of the year for B-CU and Woodie's first in Maroon and Gold. 

From there, the Wildcats made it just past midfield before punting once again. 

It was Mercer that got on the board first with an opening strike with just over six minutes remaining in the half. Mercer QB DJ Smith found Brayden Smith for a 50-yard touchdown to make it 7-0. 

Mercer doubled its lead with another touchdown following another stalled B-CU drive, as Parker Wroble caught a 14-yard touchdown pass to go in front 14-0. 

The Bears made it 21-0 after a tipped Ransom pass fell into the hands of TJ Moore to set Mercer up at the B-CU 35 with a minute to play in the half. One play later, Smith connected with Kelin Parsons for the score. 

The Wildcats came out of the half with another quick drive, punting after only five plays to the Mercer six-yard-line.

The Bears made it four straight scoring drives after a 12-play drive capped off by a one-yard rushing score to make it 28-0.

It was the B-CU defense to finally get the Cats on the board with just over three minutes in the third quarter, as DJ Smith was sacked by Orin Patu in the endzone to make it a 28-2 ballgame. 

Mercer scored once more with four minutes to play, pushing a 28-yard field goal through the uprights to make it 31-2. 

Ransom finished the night 14-29 for 127 yards and an interception. He also rushed 10 times for 19 yards.

Raymond Woodie III led the way on defense with nine tackles - seven solo, and the interception. Ejike Brown recorded a pair of sacks. 




Western Michigan is off to an 0-2 start on the year after dropping a tight contest to Wisconsin, 28-14, and a shutout loss at #2 Ohio State a week ago. The Broncos entered 2024 off a 4-8 overall finish a season ago, with a 3-5 mark in MAC play. 

WMU led the Badgers, 14-13, late in the third quarter of their season opener, but Wisconsin escaped with the win after two late scores and an interception. 

The Broncos, now under first-year offensive coordinator Walt Bell, return 12 regular starters on offense from a season ago, including senior quarterback Hayden Wolff, who has completed 60 percent of his passes for 212 yards with a pick through two games. Also returning is sophomore running back Jalen Buckley, who was named to the 2024 Doak Walker Award Watch list after a freshman season in which he was named MAC Freshman of the year with 1003 yards and 10 touchdowns. 

Defensively, the Broncos return their 75% of their tackles, including their top four leaders in the category in Tate Hallock, Aaron Wofford, Damari Roberson, and Jacob Walhberg. The Western Michigan defense allowed the second-most points per game in the MAC last season at 31.8. 

15 Broncos were named to 2024 Athlon MAC All-Conference Teams.



NICE TO MEET YOU
The first three games of 2024 see the Wildcat meet with three opponents the program has not previously faced in its history in USF, Mercer, and Western Michigan. The Wildcats are 61-32-5 all-time in first-ever meetings with new opponents after back-to-back losses against USF and Mercer.

COMING UP EMPTY
Make it nine straight quarters in which the Wildcats have been unable to find the endzone, dating back to the Florida Classic last season. It marks the longest streak without a touchdown since 1960, when the Wildcats went 16 straight quarters without finding the endzone. The current streak is the longest for B-CU at the DI level. Five points over two games also marks the lowest two-game total since 1960, when the Wildcats managed only two points over two games against Albany State (13-0) and Morris Brown (20-2).

SACKS ON SACKS
With three sacks on the season, the Wildcats are tied for the SWAC lead, and sit ninth in the country at the FCS level in sacks.

UNCHARTED TERRITORY
Saturday marks the northernmost game in program history for the Wildcats. The furthest north the Cats had previously trecked was NYC, when the Wildcats took a 23-14 loss to Norfolk State in the Whitney M. Young Jr. Memorial Football Classic in the Bronx, held at old Yankee Stadium.

RECEIVERS WANTED
The Wildcats have not thrown a touchdown to a wide receiver in four straight games dating back to Nov. 2, 2023, when Tylik Bethea connected with Tink Boyd for an eight-yard touch down pass at home against Mississippi Valley State.



Saturday's meeting marks the first ever in program history between Bethune-Cookman and WMU, the third straight opponent the Wildcats have not previously faced. 


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--#HailWildcats—