DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – For the first time since 2018, Bethune-Cookman Football is victorious on Homecoming with a 31-14 win over Arkansas - Pine Bluff, Saturday evening at Daytona Municipal Stadium.
After a big return to open the game from
Javon Ross, the Wildcats (4-4, 3-1 SWAC) were forced to punt at the UAPB 40.
UAPB (3-6, 1-3 SWAC) avoided disaster after a near-fumble on its first drive of the game, but the Cats still forced a three-and-out.
B-CU finally broke through midway through the quarter as
Cam'Ron Ransom used some help from his offensive line for a tush-push touchdown to make it 7-0, Cats.
Both offenses continued to sputter, heading into the second quarter with no further scoring chances.
B-CU saw a spark on defense to open the second quarter as
Adrian Hall Jr. forced a UAPB fumble to give the Cats the ball near midfield, but B-CU could not turn it into points on the board.
As the B-CU offense remained stagnant, the Golden Lions blocked a B-CU punt deep in Wildcat territory, taking over at the two-yard-line before punching in a game-tying score to make it 7-7.
B-CU re-took the lead into the half on a 9-play, 65-yard drive culminating in a five-yard
Ali Scott Jr. touchdown on a run up the middle.
B-CU made it 21-7 midway through the third after a 27-yard UAPB punt gave the Cats the ball at UAPB 43. After a furious 22-yard rush by
Khamani Robinson, Ransom ran it in himself on a fake for the score from the two.
The Golden Lions did not fade away, as UAPB took just three plays to pull to within a score again as quarterback Christian peters found D'Avery Robinson for a 34-yard touchdown to make it 21-14, B-CU.
Bethune-Cookman worked some magic to move in front two scores again, drawing up a flea flicker for 53 yards to
Josh Evans before
Khamani Robinson got into the endzone to double up the Golden Lions at 28-14.
B-CU added some insurance with ten minutes to play as
Juan Dominguez sent the first field goal of the game through the uprights from 25 yards out to make it 31-14.
B-CU marched down the field again late in the quarter, but the Cats were unable to convert on a 4
th-and-one from the UAPB 2-yard-line. Fortunately for B-CU, it did not matter as the Cats Defense took it the rest of the way for the 31-14 win.
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- Cam Ransom finished the game 13-20 passing for 170 yards. He added 13 rushes for 28 yards and two rushing scores.
- Kamani Robinson was the leading rusher for B-CU, running nine times for 62 yards and a score.
- Six different Cats rushed for over 25 yards.
- Johnny Harris broke up a trip of UAPB passes.
- Stephen Sparrow led the team with nine tackles including half a TFL.
- Jaylen Lewis collected a pair of sacks.
The Wildcats next get set for Senior Day and the home finale as they host Mississippi Valley State at Daytona Stadium on Saturday, November 1 at 3 p.m.
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