Bulldogs, Ford flex offensive muscle, pull away from Bethune-Cookman

After thoroughly dominating the first half Saturday, South Carolina State went to the locker room at the half tied with Bethune-Cookman at 7-7, thanks to a 93-yard interception return of a Malcolm Long pass.

South Carolina State coach Buddy Pough was unfazed.

"That could have turned the momentum around, but we just had to throw that play out and forget it," Pough said.

Mission accomplished.

S.C. State took care of business in the second half and pulled away from the Wildcats 28-19 before 12,495 fans at Johnson Hagood Stadium in the Lowcountry Classic III.

Tailback William Ford rushed for 175 yards and two touchdowns, while Long recovered from his first-half interception and went on to complete 16 of 24 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown.

"The offensive line has been good, but today they really put the pedal to the metal," Ford said. "They played super, and that's why we had a big day offensively."

S.C. State (2-1, 1-0 MEAC) finished with 486 yards in total offense to 197

yards in total offense for the Wildcats (1-1, 0-1).

"That was what you want to do to build consistency as an offensive football team," Pough said of the Bulldogs' statistical dominance. "We've got to be smarter about some of the things we do, turnovers in the red zone. But I think this team has a chance to be a little bit different from any team we've had here and I'm excited about what we've got a chance to do down the road."

Ford put the Bulldogs ahead 14-7 with a 26-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.

Then Bethune-Cookman countered, with J.G. Fanor scoring on a 31-yard pass from Matthew Johnson. The Wildcats missed the extra point, but trailed only 14-13 with 10:15 to play in the third quarter.

Then the Bulldogs flexed their offensive muscle to put the game away, scoring on two long drives, with Ford scoring on a 1-yard run and Travil Jamison scoring on a 5-yard run.

Jamison's touchdown put the Bulldogs comfortable in front 28-13 with 5:54 to play.

"I'm not taking anything away from South Carolina State because they are every bit what people are saying about them," said Bethune-Cookman coach Alvin Wyatt. "They're an awesome team. We played well with them, but we just didn't have the muscle on the offensive side of the football. Our defense played their hearts out, but they were out there awhile. It was one of those things where they ran out of gas at the end."

S.C. State controlled the football most of the first half, but a big play from Bethune-Cookman proved to be a great equalizer.

With the Bulldogs facing second and five from the Bethune 16-yard line, Wildcat defensive back Antonio Cox picked off a pass from Long at the 7-yard line and raced down the sideline untouched for a 93-yard touchdown play.

That tied the score 7-7 with 2:19 to play in the half and gave a big momentum boost for a team that had been back on its heels.

Cox's interception stopped a Bulldogs' drive that began at their own 2-yard line.

The Bulldogs finished the first half with 237 yards in total offense to 88 for the Wildcats and an 11-5 edge in first downs.

Bethune-Cookman did have the edge in time of possession, keeping the ball for 15:16 to 12:25 for the Bulldogs.

S.C. State had taken a 7-0 lead with an 80-yard drive on five plays that culminated in a 41-yard TD pass from Long to Octavius Darby with 11:31 to play in the second quarter.