SAVANNAH, Ga. — The Fort Valley State University Wildcats delivered a strong fourth-quarter performance Saturday afternoon, defeating the Savannah State Tigers 22-9 at Theodore A. Wright Stadium in Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) action. Behind a balanced offensive attack and a resilient defensive effort, the Wildcats scored 14 unanswered points in the final quarter to secure an important conference victory on the road.
Senior running back Micheal Cabellero led the Wildcats offensively, rushing for 87 yards on 18 carries and recording two touchdowns. Cabellero opened Fort Valley State's scoring with an 11-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter before sealing the victory with a 20-yard rushing touchdown with just 30 seconds remaining. Quarterback Don Hudson Jr. contributed through the air, completing 14 of 25 passes for 176 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver Myles Smith provided a key offensive spark, recording three receptions for 43 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown reception from Hudson that gave the Wildcats a 16-9 advantage early in the fourth quarter. J.T. Pendleton added four receptions for 33 yards and contributed on two successful two-point conversions.
Defensively, Fort Valley State displayed determination throughout the contest, holding Savannah State to just 62 passing yards and preventing the Tigers from reaching the end zone. Freshman defensive back Austin Landon led the Wildcats with a game-high 11 total tackles, including five solo stops and six assists. Keontay Kidd followed with seven tackles, while Malachi Kemp added six. The Wildcats' defensive unit also received contributions from Tyson King and Demarkus Brown, who each recorded five tackles. The defensive effort proved especially important in the red zone, forcing Savannah State to settle for three field goals despite multiple scoring opportunities.
Fort Valley State finished with 291 yards of total offense, including 185 passing yards and 106 rushing yards, while collecting 19 first downs. The Wildcats also capitalized on all three red-zone opportunities, turning each into a touchdown. On special teams, Donte Curry Jr. contributed 79 punt-return yards on two returns, helping provide valuable field position throughout the afternoon.
The victory highlighted Fort Valley State's ability to respond under pressure after trailing 9-8 entering the final quarter. With timely offensive execution, disciplined red-zone defense, and contributions across all three phases of the game, the Wildcats secured their victory.
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ABOUT THE SOUTHERN INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (SIAC)
The SIAC is an NCAA athletic conference consisting primarily of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) headquartered in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The SIAC includes 15 member institutions (Albany State University, Allen University, Benedict College, Central State University, Clark Atlanta University, Edward Waters University, Fort Valley State University, Kentucky State University, Lane College, LeMoyne-Owen College, Miles College, Morehouse College, Savannah State University, Spring Hill College and Tuskegee University), which are located within a contiguous seven-state footprint (Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee and Ohio). The SIAC sponsors nine men's and eight women's sports and is a proud member of NCAA Division II. For more information, visit www.thesiac.com.