The 59,418 fans that
showed up at the Florida Citrus Bowl
Saturday for the 30th anniversary Florida
Classic clash between Florida A&M and
Bethune-Cookman came hoping to see 60
minutes of football that lived up to the
milestone moment.
Only one side wound up having much to cheer about, though.
Riding the play of freshman quarterback and
first-time starter Martin Ukpai, the
Rattlers didn't miss a beat playing without
injured starter Curtis Pulley as they plowed
over the Wildcats 42-6.
The win was the Rattlers' second straight blowout Classic win, following a 58-35 victory last season.
It also kept alive FAMU's hopes of getting an at-large bid to the Division I-AA tournament. Those aspirations had taken big hit after a 25-0 loss to struggling Hampton last week.
But whether the Rattlers' get a postseason invite or not, the season will go down as a successful one for second-yard coach Joe Taylor, who is now 17-6 since taking over the program in 2008.
Meanwhile, the loss handed Bethune-Cookman veteran coach Alvin Wyatt his first losing season since 2007, when the Wildcats finished 5-6. It's just the third losing season of his 13-year tenure in Daytona.
Ukpai did damage from both the air and ground. He finished the day completing 8-of-11 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown. He also added an 11-yard touchdown run. Ukpai got help from junior running back Phillip Sylvester, who carried 19 times for 121 yards and two scores.
Bethune-Cookman never really got much offensive traction Saturday and was done in by many of the same turnover and penalty mistakes that plagued it during and 0-4 start to 2009.
FAMU's defense held Bethune under 30 yards rushing through three quarters and intercepted Wildcat quarterbacks Mathew Johnson and Maurice Francois three times.
After dominating the first half, FAMU continued to push the Wildcats around at the start of the third quarter.
The Rattlers needed just two plays on its
first passion of the period, going up 35-0
via a 42-yard touchdown scamper by Phillip
Sylvester with 12:03 that quickly stifled
any hopes of a Bethune comeback.
Bethune did finally get on the scoreboard with 6:57 left in the game via a 1-yard touchdown run by Androse Bell, but it was way too late.
FAMU led 28-0 at halftime and pretty much had its way in the opening 30 minutes...
Both teams started the game by trading punts, but the FAMU got things going on its second drive of the afternoon.
Starting on the B-CU 43-yardline, the Rattlers used a 20-yard pass from Ukpai to Jarvis Funderburk and a 15-yard run by Ukpai to set a 1st-and-goal on the Wildcats' 5. Sylvester scored on the next play to make it 7-0 with 6:53 left in the first quarter.
Bethune went three-and-out on the next series, which became a first half theme. FAMU took over and pounded out an eight-play, 69-yard drive capped by a 2-yard Mykel Benson touchdown plunge to make it 14-0.
FAMU grew that lead to three scores following the Wildcats' fourth straight three-and-out series of the half. This time Ukpai made the drive with his feet, escaping for a 10-yard run early in the drive and then dancing through the middle of the Wildcats defense for an 11-yard score with 5:49 left in the second quarter.
Bethune's made its first real progress of the game on the ensuing drive. The Wildcats picked up their first two first downs of the afternoon and were successful on a 4th-and-19 inside the FAMU 35-yardline with under a minute to play.
But misfortune quickly returned. Wildcats' quarterback Matthew Johnson was intercepted on the next play by cornerback Curtis Holcomb on the 2-yardline.Holcomb returned it 74 yards and set up a 1-yard touchdown pass from Ukpai to Kevin Elliott with 24 seconds left. .
Only one side wound up having much to cheer about, though.
Riding the play of freshman quarterback and
first-time starter Martin Ukpai, the
Rattlers didn't miss a beat playing without
injured starter Curtis Pulley as they plowed
over the Wildcats 42-6.The win was the Rattlers' second straight blowout Classic win, following a 58-35 victory last season.
It also kept alive FAMU's hopes of getting an at-large bid to the Division I-AA tournament. Those aspirations had taken big hit after a 25-0 loss to struggling Hampton last week.
But whether the Rattlers' get a postseason invite or not, the season will go down as a successful one for second-yard coach Joe Taylor, who is now 17-6 since taking over the program in 2008.
Meanwhile, the loss handed Bethune-Cookman veteran coach Alvin Wyatt his first losing season since 2007, when the Wildcats finished 5-6. It's just the third losing season of his 13-year tenure in Daytona.
Ukpai did damage from both the air and ground. He finished the day completing 8-of-11 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown. He also added an 11-yard touchdown run. Ukpai got help from junior running back Phillip Sylvester, who carried 19 times for 121 yards and two scores.
Bethune-Cookman never really got much offensive traction Saturday and was done in by many of the same turnover and penalty mistakes that plagued it during and 0-4 start to 2009.
FAMU's defense held Bethune under 30 yards rushing through three quarters and intercepted Wildcat quarterbacks Mathew Johnson and Maurice Francois three times.
After dominating the first half, FAMU continued to push the Wildcats around at the start of the third quarter.
The Rattlers needed just two plays on its
first passion of the period, going up 35-0
via a 42-yard touchdown scamper by Phillip
Sylvester with 12:03 that quickly stifled
any hopes of a Bethune comeback.Bethune did finally get on the scoreboard with 6:57 left in the game via a 1-yard touchdown run by Androse Bell, but it was way too late.
FAMU led 28-0 at halftime and pretty much had its way in the opening 30 minutes...
Both teams started the game by trading punts, but the FAMU got things going on its second drive of the afternoon.
Starting on the B-CU 43-yardline, the Rattlers used a 20-yard pass from Ukpai to Jarvis Funderburk and a 15-yard run by Ukpai to set a 1st-and-goal on the Wildcats' 5. Sylvester scored on the next play to make it 7-0 with 6:53 left in the first quarter.
Bethune went three-and-out on the next series, which became a first half theme. FAMU took over and pounded out an eight-play, 69-yard drive capped by a 2-yard Mykel Benson touchdown plunge to make it 14-0.
FAMU grew that lead to three scores following the Wildcats' fourth straight three-and-out series of the half. This time Ukpai made the drive with his feet, escaping for a 10-yard run early in the drive and then dancing through the middle of the Wildcats defense for an 11-yard score with 5:49 left in the second quarter.
Bethune's made its first real progress of the game on the ensuing drive. The Wildcats picked up their first two first downs of the afternoon and were successful on a 4th-and-19 inside the FAMU 35-yardline with under a minute to play.
But misfortune quickly returned. Wildcats' quarterback Matthew Johnson was intercepted on the next play by cornerback Curtis Holcomb on the 2-yardline.Holcomb returned it 74 yards and set up a 1-yard touchdown pass from Ukpai to Kevin Elliott with 24 seconds left. .
