The Tigers held on for a 34-31 victory.
Legendary NFL coach Bill Parcells has an oft-repeated quote on judging a team that fights hard and comes close but fails to secure victories due to a key play here or an untimely mishap there. At the end of the day and season’s end, Parcells says, you are what your record says you are.
No matter where the record stands, a team always feels better when its most recent result is positive, outweighing any flaws in the performance. Conversely, the loser is left to lament what it could’ve, would’ve, and should’ve done differently to change the outcome.
The Texas Southern Tigers were rude guests Saturday at Daytona Stadium, opening a big lead and holding on for a 34-31 victory that spoiled homecoming for the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats. The Tigers returned to Houston with an overall record of 2-4 (1-2 mark in the Southwestern Athletic Conference). The Wildcats (1-5, 0-3) spent the rest of the day nursing their wounds and imagining what if.
What if they didn’t trail 27-10 at halftime? What if they weren’t forced to play three quarterbacks? What if they maintained their possessions?
“We gave it away,” Bethune head coach Raymond Woodie told the Daytona Times, referencing the game and the football. “We had too many turnovers. We just can’t turn the ball over.”
Rap stars Boosie, Doug E. Fresh, and Slick Rick headlined a pep rally at the stadium Friday night. The rally was a spirited start to homecoming weekend, but that energy didn’t immediately transfer to the field the next day. Trailing 17-7 late in the second quarter, Bethune mounted a promising drive that reached the Tigers’ 7-yard line before misfortune struck.
Halfback Lindsey Terry took a handoff on 3rd-and-goal and ran into a pileup at the line of scrimmage. He was stopped but still fighting for extra yardage when Texas Southern linebacker Jacob Williams reached into the scrum and yanked out the ball. Williams bobbled it in mid-air – almost losing control to a teammate – before he turned and raced the other way for a 95-yard touchdown. The 14-point swing deflated the Wildcats, who were on the verge of back-to-back touchdown drives.
“We have to find a way to stop those explosive plays,” Woodie told the Times. “We have to coach better, play better and learn to finish games.”
Tigers halfback LaDarius Owens demonstrated explosiveness and finishing power while rushing for 163 yards. He ended the first quarter by bolting 42 yards through a gaping hole for a touchdown and giving Texas Southern a 10-0 lead. Later, his 42-yard kickoff return set up another touchdown. He concluded matters with a 51-yard run on the game’s last play, sliding down at the 1-yard line instead of scoring his fourth touchdown.
Bethune showed resiliency with back-to-back third-quarter touchdowns as it rallied from the 17-point halftime deficit. Halfback Jimmie Robinson III’s 2-yard run capped a 79-yard drive, followed by quarterback Luke Sprague’s 1-yard run to finish an 82-yard march. But it wasn’t enough to keep the Wildcats from another disappointing ending; they’ve lost the last three games by a total of 14 points.
Playing for the first time since suffering a shoulder injury against Miami last month, Sprague replaced struggling starter Walter Simmons III in the second quarter. Tylik Bethea, who took over when Sprague was shaken up midway through his initial drive, scored on a 1-yard sneak for Bethune’s first score. On the Wildcats’ ensuing possession, Bethea suffered a concussion and didn’t return after the Tigers were penalized for targeting. Sprague reentered the game and finished, completing 14 of 26 passes for 118 yards.
The loss put a damper on a festive weekend that included Friday’s ribbon-cutting at Bethune’s new on-campus practice field, an amenity Woodie never enjoyed as a Wildcats player. “It helps with better scheduling with the players and giving them more time to just be a student-athlete, just enjoy the café a little more,” he told the Daytona Beach News-Journal. “You don’t have to rush back, because the kids have study hall after practice. Now, you can switch some things up.”
Other switches might be necessary to help Bethune secure its first conference victory. The next opportunity comes Saturday, against Southern, at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville. Texas Southern hosts Florida A&M.
“We’re going to keep competing,” Woodie told the Times. “You have a job, it’s up to you to keep it. It’s the next guy up.”
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