'It's a party in there': Bethune-Cookman snaps losing streak, claims first SWAC win
DAYTONA BEACH — Any number of synonyms for “celebration” would have worked to describe the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats’ locker room late Thursday night.
“Oh, lit,” redshirt junior defensive back Darnell Deas said. “Lit.”
“Yeah,” graduate student wide receiver Tink Boyd said. “It’s a party in there after a win.”
It’s a feeling the Wildcats could get used to.
They beat Mississippi Valley State 20-7 in front of 4,380 fans at Daytona Stadium and more watching on ESPNU. The victory snapped a six-game losing streak and gave them their first Southwestern Athletic Conference win of the season.
“Really proud of the guys,” first-year head coach Raymond Woodie Jr. said. “They fought. We’ve been talking about it since the season started, putting all these aspects together.”
Bethune-Cookman (2-7, 1-5 SWAC) jumped ahead 7-0 in the first quarter and never trailed. It added another touchdown and a Cade Hechter field goal in the second quarter to lead 17-0 at halftime.
On the first drive of the second half, the Delta Devils (1-8, 1-5 SWAC) went 63 yards on 10 plays for their only score: a 1-yard run by Jared Wilson.
Hechter drilled another kick in the third quarter, and neither team scored in the fourth.
Here are three takeaways:
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Trick play gets scoring started
Before freshman running Mar’Kai Shaw registered a collegiate carry, he threw a touchdown pass.
Bethune-Cookman dug into its Halloween bag and dug out a trick play for Shaw midway through the first quarter.
Graduate student quarterback Tylik Bethea took the snap and tossed the ball to Shaw, who ran right. After a few steps behind the line of scrimmage, he stopped and launched a pass to a wide-open Boyd. Boyd rumbled 41 yards for the opening score and an injection of early momentum.
“I’ve got to credit Mar’Kai,” Boyd said. “That man took a blow when he threw that pass. Just make sure I’m selling the block, and then, once you sell the block, the corner just bites and you just run. It was a great play by Mar’Kai. I just had to do what I do when I caught the ball.”
To that point, Bethune-Cookman had punted and fumbled on its first two drives of the scoreless game.
Shaw finished with 19 rushing yards on four carries. He did not throw another pass.
Defense and special teams units make plays
The Wildcats’ defense allowed 394 yards — 296 through the air and 98 on the ground — but the unit, along with the special teamers, made plays when it needed to.
“Defense has been playing steady all season,” Woodie said. “Obviously, our special teams was solid.”
In the first quarter, senior Daveno Ellington tipped a Mississippi Valley State punt and redshirt junior Ebenezer Dibula later dove on a fumble. Bethune-Cookman capitalized on Dibula’s recovery with the Shaw-to-Boyd touchdown.
On the ensuing Delta Devils drive, they used a fake punt to march into Bethune-Cookman territory. After their progress stalled, they attempted a 32-yard field goal, but redshirt junior DeOnte Washington blocked it.
Senior Omari Hill-Robinson closed the first period with an interception, which gave way to the Wildcats’ second touchdown a few plays into the second quarter.
In the third quarter, Deas grabbed an interception and returned it inside the red zone, setting up Hechter’s second field goal.
With less than eight minutes left in the fourth quarter, Mississippi Valley State charged to the Wildcats’ 5-yard line. On fourth-and-goal from there, Ty’Jarian Williams floated a pass to the right corner of the end zone. Freshman Jeremy Greaves Jr. swatted it away to preserve the two-score advantage.
Sophomore Dearis Thomas was ejected for targeting early in the fourth quarter but still paced the unit in tackles with 11. Five Wildcats combined for four sacks.
Bethea, Boyd lead efficient passing game
After Shaw’s trick play, Boyd caught another touchdown pass in the first half. Bethea found him for an 8-yarder in the second quarter.
Boyd’s final line: four catches, 76 yards and those two trips to the end zone. He now has three touchdowns this season, all in the past two games.
In his second start with the Wildcats, Bethea was much more efficient than his first start last Saturday. The Delaware State transfer completed 12 of his 18 passes for 136 yards and a touchdown. He turned the ball over only once on a first-quarter fumble and was not sacked.
“I was excited for the whole offense,” Woodie said. “All year, it just seemed like we’ve been kind of stumbling. But it seems we’ve got some life, like with the trick play. That ignites everyone. Our offensive line did a good job, too, protecting and giving Tylik an opportunity to find the receivers.”
Bethune-Cookman ran the ball 30 times for 115 yards. Jimmie Robinson III had 19 of those totes for 61 yards.
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Up next
The Wildcats have two games left. They return to Daytona Stadium on Nov. 11 for a 1 p.m. matchup with Alabama A&M. The following Saturday, they head to Camping World Stadium in Orlando for their regular season finale, the Florida Classic against Florida A&M.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: College football: Bethune-Cookman beats Mississippi Valley State
