Bethune-Cookman is setting themselves up for a breakout year under second-year head coach Raymond Woodie following a productive offseason of recruiting wins.
In search of their first winning season since joining the SWAC, the Wildcats brought in an overhaul of talent, adding 12 FBS transfers, including six from Power Five programs.
Here are my predictions for the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats’ 2024 football season.
8/31 at South Florida (L)
Last Meeting: First
Bethune-Cookman’s 2024 campaign starts down the road in Tampa when they play against South Florida. While this is South Florida’s first time playing against Bethune-Cookman, they are no strangers to playing against HBCUs in Florida. USF has won five straight games against Florida A&M, including a 38-24 victory over the Rattlers last season.
Record: 0-1
9/7 vs Mercer (L)
Last Meeting: First
In their second first-ever matchup, the Wildcats open up their home schedule against Mercer. Not only is this the first time Mercer has played against Bethune-Cookman, but this is the first time they have played an HBCU in general. This is a chance for the Wildcats to get a credible win against a team that made it to the FCS Playoffs and won a first-round game against Gardner-Webb.
Record: 0-2
9/14 at Western Michigan (L)
Last Meeting: First
The following week, Bethune-Cookman will complete the hat trick of teams they are playing for the first time going on the road to face Western Michigan. This will be WMU’s first time playing against an HBCU since they beat Delaware State 68-0 in 2018. Western Michigan is coming off a 2023 season in which they finished with a 4-8 overall record.
Record: 0-3
9/21 vs Clark Atlanta (W)
Last Meeting: Bethune-Cookman 56-26, 1965
For the first time in a long time, Bethune-Cookman clashes with the Clark Atlanta Panthers. The last time the Wildcats played against Clark Atlanta, Pro Football Hall of Famer Larry Little was on the team. It has been tough sledding for the Panthers, who finished with a winless 0-10 record last season. However, as they welcome new head coach Teddy Keaton and reigning SIAC Player of the Year David Wright III, Clark Atlanta should be better than we have seen in years past.
Record: 1-3
9/28 vs Alabama State (L)
Last Meeting: Alabama State 19-14, 2023
Entering conference play, the Wildcats will host their SWAC East division foe Alabama State. The Hornets are a burgeoning threat in the SWAC following a transcendent offseason. Not only have they added to what is already a dominant defense, but they also did something about their inefficient offense. As improved as Bethune-Cookman looks, they have a ways to go before they can compete with the legit contenders in the SWAC.
Record: 1-4, 0-1
10/12 at Alabama A&M (W)
Last Meeting: Bethune-Cookman 31-14, 2023
After a bye week, the Wildcats will return to the field going on the road to face the Alabama A&M Bulldogs. Alabama A&M is in a bit of a rebuild, coming off consecutive losing seasons, something they have not done since 2016 and 2017. Last year, Bethune-Cookman got the best of Alabama A&M after scoring 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. The Wildcats will be looking for their first road victory over the Bulldogs since joining the SWAC.
Record: 2-4, 1-1
10/19 at Mississippi Valley State (W)
Last Meeting: Bethune-Cookman 20-7, 2023
Remaining on the road, Bethune-Cookman travels to Itta Bena to take on Mississippi Valley State. In years past, this has been a more even matchup, with both teams finishing at the bottom of the SWAC standings. However, this year, Bethune-Cookman is trending upward, whereas Mississippi Valley State has been on the same trajectory for the better part of a decade.
Record: 3-4, 2-1
10/26 vs Jackson State *Homecoming* (L)
Last Meeting: Jackson State 22-16, 2023
The Wildcats got a tough draw for their homecoming contest as they will take on the Jackson State Tigers. Last season, BCU put up a good fight against Jackson State but could not come away with the win. This year, as strong as the Wildcats have gotten, they may have missed their window to get one over on the Tigers. Not only did Jackson State get a year in with T.C. Taylor as head coach, building chemistry as a revamped team, but the talent continues to roll in and has shown no signs of slowing down.
Record: 3-5, 2-2
11/2 vs Grambling State (W)
Last Meeting: Grambling State 28-14, 2023
Bethune-Cookman dips its feet in SWAC West waters to begin the season’s final month when it takes on Grambling State. For the first time since 2004, Grambling State got a win over Bethune-Cookman thanks to a 21-point first quarter. Both teams are firmly in the middle of the SWAC pack so that this matchup could go either way.
Record: 4-5, 3-2
11/9 at Southern (L)
Last Meeting: Southern 28-18, 2023
For the first time since joining the SWAC, the Wildcats will travel to Baton Rouge to play the Southern Jaguars. Last season, Bethune-Cookman played against Southern for the first time in 17 years in the Jacksonville Jaguars’ home stadium. Though they lost, the Wildcats had some success, posting 238 passing yards and scoring two touchdowns through the air (both the most they had in conference play).
Record: 5-5, 3-3
11/16 at Texas Southern (W)
Last Meeting: Texas Southern 34-31, 2023
Staying on the road, Bethune-Cookman travels to Houston to face the Texas Southern Tigers. In their last matchup, the Wildcats fell short of a 17-point comeback as they could not overcome surrendering 27 first-half points to the Tigers. Having made some solid defensive additions in the offseason, while Texas Southern had a relatively weak one by comparison, there is no reason the Wildcats shouldn’t walk away with a win in this one.
Record: 6-5, 4-3
11/23 vs Florida A&M (L)
Last Meeting: Florida A&M 24-7, 2023
Finally, the Wildcats end the year as they always have, in the Florida Classic against their in-state rival Florida A&M. Bethune-Cookman has yet to beat Florida A&M since their series moved to the SWAC, and these games have not been close. Although FAMU comes into this game with a drastically different roster and coaching staff, they still have a significant talent gap compared to the Wildcats. This could be a closer game than we have seen in the previous three years but with the same result.
2024 Overall Record: 6-6, 4-4
