South Carolina State takes early lead in MEAC race

Daytona Beach, FL (Sports Network) - Bethune-Cookman fans showed up at Municipal Stadium expecting an offensive explosion.

Instead they witnessed a power outage.

After scoring 62 points last Sunday in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge, Bethune- Cookman was held to just 18, falling to South Carolina State 26-18 on Saturday (Sept. 10) afternoon.

With MEAC Championship implications on the line between the top two teams in the conference, defense was the main attraction, as each team recorded a safety and forced a combined 10 turnovers.

In fact, Bethune-Cookman led by an unconventional 8-5 margin at halftime.

In the third quarter, the teams traded touchdowns and Bethune-Cookman added a fourth-quarter field goal to take an 18-12 lead.



A lead that almost stood up, but Derrick Wiley's late touchdown run and Dominique Ellis' interception return for a score gave South Carolina State the victory.

The Bulldogs are now in the driver's seat to win the MEAC, but Bethune-Cookman will still be in the race -- its games against fellow MEAC powers Hampton and Florida A&M are at home or neutral sites.

The Sports Network