Southern Grounds Out 28-2 Win

ATLANTA —  Bethune-Cookman’s Wildcats were flying high when they began their first postseason game in 21 years. Southern University’s Heritage Bowl veterans brought them crashing to earth.

Ryan Lewis ran 57 yards and 13 yards for third-quarter touchdowns, and Southern went on to a 28-2 victory Saturday in its fourth consecutive Heritage Bowl appearance in the Georgia Dome.

“They came out sky high and we were calm and cool,” offensive lineman Chris Williams said. “They came out too high.”

Bethune-Cookman players had been talking big in the days leading up to the battle of historically black colleges. Southern senior running back Steve Wofford compared the Wildcats to a balloon that swells too big until it pops.

“That’s what we did--we popped ‘em,” Wofford said.

Wofford had 119 yards in 27 carries, including an 11-yard scoring run in the first quarter. But he was upstaged in his last game by his heir apparent, Lewis.

“Southern has a tradition of great running backs,” said Lewis, who finished with 84 yards in seven carries. “I just have to fill those shoes and keep it going,”

Southern (9-3), the Southwestern Athletic Conference representative from Baton Rouge, La., won for the fourth time in five Heritage Bowls.

“I think it was probably the finest game we’ve played this year,” Coach Pete Richardson said.

The Jaguars gave up a second-quarter safety when Wofford was tackled in the end zone by Abdul Yates. They struggled on offense until Lewis took a pitch, cut back through the line, then raced down the right sideline for his 57-yard touchdown to give Southern a 14-2 lead with 12:50 remaining in the third quarter.

Bethune-Cookman (8-3), the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference representative from Daytona Beach, Fla., had seven fumbles and four passes intercepted.

“We were too hyper,” said quarterback Pa’tell Troutman, who missed the second half because of a sprained knee. “We hurt ourselves by rushing everything, this being the first time in an event like this. We were fighting against ourselves.”

The eighth Heritage Bowl drew 32,955 fans.