TUSKEGEE, Ala. — Tuskegee (3-4 overall, 3-2 SIAC) earned its first win under interim head coach Keith Higdon, scoring a late touchdown to defeat Albany State 17–14 at Abbott Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
With 2:51 remaining, quarterback Bryson McGrew connected with Ean Nation on a 13-yard touchdown pass to cap a six-play, 75-yard drive and put the Golden Tigers back in front. The go-ahead score came just minutes after Albany State (3-4, 3-2) had taken its first lead of the game.
Tuskegee led 10–0 at halftime after Renoldo Spivey, Jr. scored on a 1-yard run in the second quarter and Lorcan Ryans added a 45-yard field goal.But the offense stalled after the break and Albany State took advantage.
Golden Rams quarterback Jeffery Davis scored on a 1-yard run with 22 seconds remaining in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to 10–7. Running back Roderick McCrary then put the Golden Rams ahead 14–10 with a 9-yard touchdown run with 5:37 left in the fourth quarter.
The Golden Tigers responded immediately with the game-winning drive. McGrew had a 22-yard run and a 28-yard completion to Rashad Wilson, Jr. before finding Nation in the end zone. Tuskegee's defense held firm to force a turnover on downs, then punted the ball back to the Golden Rams with less than 10 seconds remaining. A last-gasp lateral play went nowhere and the Golden Tigers escaped with a big win over the defending SIAC champions..
McGrew finished with 174 passing yards and a touchdown, completing 14 of 23 passes. He also led Tuskegee with 49 rushing yards. E.J. Hall paced the Golden Tigers' receivers with 69 yards on three catches, while Wilson added 48 receiving yards. The defense was solid for the Golden Tigers behind great play from Masiah Wells (eight tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks) and Devin Smith, who had 12 tackles (nine solo), 2.5 tackles for loss, half-a-sack, and a forced fumble.
Tuskegee is back in action on Saturday when it travels to face Allen. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
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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.