Daytona Beach, Fla. — The Edward Waters University football team battled tough through the first half against in-state foe Bethune-Cookman, but the host Wildcats used a strong second-half surge to pull away for a 35-9 victory on Saturday evening at Daytona Stadium. The defeat drops the Tigers to 3-1 on the season, while BCU improves its record to 1-3 in the early portion of 2025.
Both defenses stood tall early, keeping the offenses in check throughout the opening quarter. Bethune-Cookman broke the scoring seal with a pair of touchdowns to take a 14-0 lead midway through the second quarter.
Edward Waters responded with its best drive of the half, as quarterback Noah Bodden engineered a march down the field before finding wide receiver Makai Lovett in the back of the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown strike, to cut the deficit to just 14-6 heading into halftime, putting the Tigers in striking distance against their FCS opponent. Freshman kicker Ryan Gagne added a 41-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter to put more points on the board for EWU.
The second half belonged to Bethune-Cookman, as the Wildcats added three more touchdowns to stretch the lead and secure the win. Despite several hard-fought drives, EWU was unable to overcome turnovers and missed opportunities in the final two quarters.
Quarterback Noah Bodden finished the night 18-of-38 for 167 yards, with one touchdown and three interceptions. On the ground, Johntarrious Thomas led the rushing attack with 59 yards on eight carries, while in the passing game, Torey Morrison paced the receiving corps with five catches for 52 yards. Lovett added three catches for 43 yards, including his touchdown grab.
Despite the final score, the Tigers' defense played inspired football, limiting Bethune-Cookman's offense for much of the first half. Jaylen Brown led the Tigers with 10 tackles including two tackles for loss and two sacks. Trevon French added nine total tackles while Aykenon Rodgers and Lemar Harris each chipped in seven tackles each. Safety Rodney Williams, Jr collected his first interception on the season to go along with three tackles.
The defense's pressure and physicality kept EWU within striking distance before the Wildcats' second-half surge.
Edward Waters will look to bounce back and defend their home field when they return to Nathaniel Glover Stadium on Saturday, September 27 for Military Appreciation & Heroes Day Black Out matchup against Morehouse College. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m., as the Tigers aim to get back in the win column in front of their home crowd.
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