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DAYTONA BEACH — Bethune-Cookman gave the country’s top-ranked HBCU football program quite the scare.
The Wildcats trimmed a 17-point halftime deficit all the way to three entering the fourth quarter against South Carolina State on Sept. 26.
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But in the final period, the undefeated Bulldogs assembled an 85-yard march that ended with a 1-yard touchdown plunge by Josh Shaw. That iced South Carolina State’s 31-21 victory at Daytona Stadium.
“I’m really proud of the guys, obviously, playing against a team like that,” Wildcats head coach Raymond Woodie Jr. said. “We were right in there. We just have to finish drives and also stop those guys and play great special teams. At the end of the day, it’s all about technique, fundamentals and attention to detail.”
Coming into the showdown, the Bulldogs sat 14th in the FCS Coaches Poll. They had claimed three of their four games by at least 18 points and had not allowed more than 17 points in any outing.
“We know we can play with them on any day — Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday,” Bethune-Cookman defensive back Naim Lassiter said. “It doesn’t matter. It’s as simple as that.”
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Here are three takeaways.
The Wildcats struggled to move the ball consistently, as South Carolina State outgained them 430-238. But they did rattle off multiple chunk plays.
It’s how they started the game, with a 63-yard sprint to paydirt by Tyler Jefferson on their first drive. And it’s a large reason they launched the comeback.
Trailing 24-7 more than halfway through the third quarter, Rashon Brown broke free for a 45-yard touchdown.
It marked his seventh rushing score in four games, already giving him more than any Wildcat in 2023, 2024 or 2025.
Bethune-Cookman’s Rashon Brown (7) runs the ball against Stetson on Sept. 12, 2026, at Daytona Stadium.
On the ensuing Bulldogs possession, Bethune-Cookman strip-sacked quarterback Keely Watson and recovered the fumble.
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A minute later, it cut South Carolina State’s advantage to 24-21 with a 35-yard touchdown connection from Isaiah Daniel to Josh Evans on a double pass.
“Coming into halftime, making some subtle adjustments, we got the run game going,” Woodie said. “We stopped them in consecutive drives. Got a takeaway … I really feel like they came out of halftime ready to go and well equipped to do what they needed to do to win the game.”
S.C. State leaves no doubt with final drive
Both teams punted twice to begin the fourth quarter.
The Bulldogs had not put points on the board since halftime. But when they got the ball back still ahead by three with 7:41 remaining, they did what good teams do.
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They finished. Emphatically.
South Carolina State ran the ball 10 straight times, gaining 84 yards and draining 5:41 off the clock. It faced a fourth-and-goal from the Bethune-Cookman 1-yard line when the two-minute warning arrived.
Shaw punched in the clinching score on a handoff up the gut.
“We put these guys in situational football every day. Be able to seize the moment,” Woodie said. “And like I said, with a lot of guys — young guys — progressing from week to week, game to game, I really feel like we’re going to be in that position again and be able to finish the game. It’s learning for us tonight, playing a team like South Carolina State.”
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Shaw tallied 54 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He was outdone by teammates Mason Pickett-Hicks and Tyler Smith, who racked up 136 and 91 yards on the ground, respectively.
Watson threw for 146 yards and two touchdowns.
Bethune-Cookman commences SWAC schedule next week
Sep 3, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Central Florida quarterback Kaleb Annett (10) is tackled by Bethune-Cookman safety Naim Lassiter (6) during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Bounce House. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images
Now, the Wildcats (2-2) kick off the most important stretch of their season.
They open their eight-game SWAC slate with a 4 p.m. matchup against Alabama State on Oct. 3. The contest will be their fourth in a row at Daytona Stadium. It will air on SWAC TV.
Through Woodie’s first three years as head coach, Bethune-Cookman posted a 9-15 record against league opponents, but last year was easily its best showing. The Wildcats followed back-to-back 2-6 campaigns by going 5-3 in 2025.
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They’ll try to take the next step this fall.
“We don’t look at rankings and who’s who,” Woodie said. “We just go out and play.”
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Bethune-Cookman rallies vs. No. 1 HBCU team, but South Carolina State survives
