TUSKEGEE, Ala. — In front of nearly 2,500 fans, the Allen University Yellow Jackets walked into historic Cleve L. Abbott Memorial Alumni Stadium fresh off a bye week to meet Tuskegee for the first time since 2022.
From the opening kick, Allen looked like a reset, recharged and refocused unit, delivering its most complete first quarter of the season. The offense and defense fed off each other snap after snap, controlling tempo, field position and the line of scrimmage. AU dominated early with seven first downs to Tuskegee’s one, pounding out 71 rushing yards in the opening frame as Da Vision — the Yellow Jacket offensive line — set the tone. The squad created lanes, delivered clean pockets, and gave sophomore running back Fabian Duncan and junior quarterback Jamir Dismukes the space to dictate the game on their terms.
Defensively, Allen came out suffocating. The Yellow Jackets gave up just one first down in the entire first quarter, closing windows, winning one-on-one battles and eliminating cushion outside. They played assignment-sound football, rallying to the ball and refusing to break leverage. That mindset never faded — AU would go on to allow only six total points through the first three quarters of action.
The breakthrough came with 4:36 left in the first, when Duncan bruised in from 1 yard out to make it 7-0 AU. It would be the first of several milestones for the day, as Duncan finished with 31 carries for 118 yards and two touchdowns, becoming the first 1,000-yard rusher in Allen University football history — a true program moment.
The second quarter brought more control, more balance, and more pressure on Tuskegee's defense. Dismukes found his rhythm and never let go, cashing in a 2-yard rushing score to push the lead to 14–0. The junior quarterback delivered one of the most efficient performances in the SIAC this season — a video-game stat line: 14-for-17 passing for 210 yards and one touchdown with a season-high 82.4% completion rate. He added eight rushes for 71 yards and one rushing touchdown.
With Allen's offense stacking drives, his receiving corps delivered on cue. Marcus Fleming led the air attack with four catches for 92 yards, while Nanders Lawrence hauled in a 13-yard touchdown in the fourth to extend the lead to 28–6 and silence any thought of a Tuskegee rally.
On defense, the Yellow Jackets put on a clinic. Sophomore defensive back Ja'Mel Patterson led the team with eight total tackles, while sophomore defensive lineman Amarie Fleming (six tackles, 1.5 sacks) and sophomore defensive lineman Joseph Brooks (1.5 sacks) spearheaded a relentless pass rush that produced six total sacks and constant harassment in the backfield. In the secondary and second level, Allen swarmed — making impact plays that shut down drives and forced Tuskegee into uncomfortable downs all afternoon.
When the dust settled, Allen had outgained Tuskegee 394–277, dominated on the ground 184–73, and nearly doubled them in yards per play (6.91 to 4.78) — a statement win in all three phases.
But the most important part? This team didn't treat it like a finish line. It treated it like a beginning — looking like a refocused program.
Duncan made history. The defense made a statement. The offense found its rhythm and identity. Yet the energy on the sideline — and in the locker room — said something bigger: celebrate, but the job is not finished.
Allen University hits the road again next Saturday versus Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia.
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ABOUT THE SOUTHERN INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (SIAC)
The SIAC is a NCAA athletic conference consisting primarily of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with headquarters 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 seven women's sports and is a proud member of the NCAA Division II. For more information, visit www.thesiac.com.