DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Eddie Poole returned an onsides kick 37 yards for a touchdown with 1:12 left to help Bethune-Cookman remain unbeaten in a 35-20 victory over Howard University on Saturday.
With the win, Bethune-Cookman (10-0, 7-0 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) clinched at least a share of the conference championship. The Wildcats also clinched, by virtue of the league’s tiebreaker system, the MEAC’s automatic berth in the NCAA’s Football Championship Subdivision playoffs, which begin in two weeks.
Bethune-Cookman can win the MEAC title outright by defeating rival Florida A&M in the Florida Classic next Saturday in Orlando.
The Bison (1-9, 0-7) lost their fifth in a row.
Trailing 21-0, Terry Bradden threw three touchdown passes for Howard to cut the lead to 28-20 to play. But Poole’s score on the ensuing play held off Howard’s attempted rally.
