While Bahamian Mavin Saunders and the Florida State Seminoles men's football team had a couple games on their schedule altered as a result of the wrath of Hurricane Irma, the other Bahamian playing National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I football and his team got their first loss. Other Bahamian collegiate football players and their teams recorded wins, while Michael Bullard and Peru State College suffered a loss.
Chris Ferguson, a 6'5" 288-pound offensive lineman, is still waiting to get some actual game time for the Cincinnati Bearcats, particularly with this being his junior season. They were blasted by the number eight team in the country on Saturday.
Ferguson and the Bearcats suffered their first loss of the season, losing 36-14 to Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines won their second straight game to open the season, while the Bearcats evened off at 1-1 after dropping Austin Peay in their home opener two Thursdays ago, 26-14.
The Wolverines wouldn't let them spoil their home opener though. They raced out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, and never looked back, en route to the easy win. Wolverines' quarterback Wilton Speight passed for 221 yards and two touchdowns in the win, and running back Ty Isaac rushed for 133 yards on 20 carries.
For the Bearcats, Hayden Moore passed for just 132 yards on 15-for-40 passing with a touchdown and two interceptions. He had a total quarterback rating (QBR) of just 17.9 out of 100. The Bearcats will stay on the road, playing Miami or Ohio in their next match-up at Yager Stadium in Oxford, Ohio, on Saturday.
As for Saunders and the number 11 Seminoles, their scheduled game against the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks from Saturday past was cancelled due to the passing of Hurricane Irma. Also, their game against number 17 Miami this Saturday is postponed. The Miami Hurricanes won their first game quite easily, turning back the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats, 41-13.
Elsewhere, Bahamian Rondre Knowles-Tener and the James Madison Dukes improved to a 2-0 win/loss record on the young season, blasting East Tennessee State University on Saturday, 52-10. Bahamian Mike Strachan and the University of Charleston Golden Eagles won their first game of the season, blanking Concord University in their home opener, 27-0, last Thursday. They improved to 1-1 on the season. Bahamian Michael Bullard and Peru State College dropped their first game of the season after winning their first two at home. They lost to Evangel University on Saturday, 21-19.
Also, Bahamian Eugene McMinns was sensational for the Acadia University Axemen on Saturday as they played on the road at Oland Stadium in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada. The Axemen which play as a member of the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) in Canada, overwhelmed the St. Francis Xavier University X-Men, 38-24, and improved to 2-1 on the season.
McMinns, a 6'0" 206-pound wide receiver, was named as the AUS Special Teams Player of the Week, with six punt returns for 189 yards in the Axemen victory on Saturday, including a 94-yard run back for a touchdown. McMinns also had three kickoff returns for 49 yards in the win, and added three receptions for 29 yards on offense.
The Axemen led from start to finish in the game. They will go on the road to play the Saint Mary's Huskies in their next game on Friday night. Kick-off is set for 7 p.m. in Halifax.
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