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26 Bethune-Cookman relied on its dominant rushing attack and a suffocating second-half defense to defeat Florida A&M, 26–16, in the 2011 Florida Blue Florida Classic at the Florida Citrus Bowl. The Wildcats piled up 259 rushing yards, controlled the tempo throughout, and sealed the game with a fourth-quarter safety to launch the Classic into a new era under the Florida Blue title sponsorship.
Running back Isidore Jackson powered the B-CU offense and earned MVP honors, rushing for 88 yards on 19 carries while adding three receptions. His steady production helped the Wildcats overcome an early FAMU lead and wear down the Rattlers over four quarters.
Florida A&M opened the scoring with a 19-yard field goal from Trevor Scott, but the Wildcats took control in the second quarter. Anthony Jordan punched in a 4-yard touchdown run before Sven Hurd added a 33-yard field goal, giving B-CU a 10–3 halftime advantage.
Bethune-Cookman extended its lead quickly in the third quarter when Johnatha Moment burst free for a 43-yard touchdown run. FAMU answered with its biggest play of the day — a 62-yard touchdown pass from Damien Fleming to Brian Tyms — trimming the lead to 17–10. But the Wildcats responded once again, with Jordan capping a methodical drive with a 6-yard touchdown run to push the margin back to double digits.
The Wildcats’ defense then delivered a turning-point play early in the fourth quarter as Ryan Davis recorded a safety, stretching the lead to 26–10. FAMU added a late 6-yard touchdown pass from Fleming to Dewayne Harvey, but the failed two-point try ended any hopes of a comeback.
Fleming finished with 287 passing yards and two touchdowns despite three interceptions. Lenworth Lennon led FAMU’s receivers with 93 yards on six catches.
For B-CU, quarterback Jackie Wilson completed 13 of 18 passes for 81 yards, while Eddie Poole paced the receiving corps with 31 yards. The Wildcats’ offensive line dominated the trenches, allowing the team to average more than 11 yards per rush on its three scoring drives.
Bethune-Cookman’s physical ground game and timely defensive stops secured a strong start to the Florida Blue era of the rivalry, earning the Wildcats a hard-fought victory over their longtime rivals.