DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) _ Darren Dawkins kicked a 25-yard field goal with 26 seconds left to lift North Carolina A&T to a 19-18 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference victory Saturday over Bethune-Cookman.

For North Carolina A&T (7-1 overall, 5-0 in the MEAC), the victory was their fifth in a row. Bethune-Cookman fell 5-3 and 2-3.

Dawkins' clinching points came at the end of a 50-yard drive after the Aggies' Arthur Wilson had blocked what would have been a Bethune-Cookman insurance field goal from 42 yards out, with 4:21 still to play.

On that winning drive, A&T managed three first downs--their only first-and-tens after the first quarter.

The host Wildcats had battled from a 16-0 deficit to take an 18-16 edge on Danny Mathis' 20-yard field goal with 8:08 remaining in the game. B-CC's Nick Rawls intercepted a pass by A&T's Jason Battle on the next play.

The Cats appeared set to boost their lead, before Wilson blocked the field goal try.

In the first half, North Carolina A&T capitalized on five Bethune-Cookman turnovers in amassing a 16-6 lead. Running back Maurice Smith, who finished with 143 yards on 22 carries, scored on a 37-yard run two plays after the first Wildcat fumble.

Dawkins then kicked a 37-yard field goal with 3:04 left in the first period.

The visitors increased their lead to 16-0 when Dwayne Carpenter's 63-yard fumble return set up a two-yard plunge by Eric Farmer.

Bethune-Cookman sliced into that lead with 4:49 remaining before halftime when quarterback Pa'Tell Troutman passed to receiver Antonio Stanley in the end zone.

An 89-yard drive to start the third quarter enabled Bethune-Cookman to tighten things further. The score came on the drive's 12th play--a one-yard dive by running back Jeremy Thomas. As was the case on the previous score from the hosts, the extra point attempt by Mathis was no good, leaving A&T hanging to a 16-12 lead.

Then came a Mathis field goal of 34 yards with :54 left in the third quarter, with his go-ahead three-pointer coming midway through the final period. But the field goal try to move to a four-point lead was blocked, triggering North Carolina A&T to its go-ahead score.