WILBERFORCE, Ohio — In video game parlance, when a player falls behind by 21 points, the game ends and they have to "get off the sticks".
But Saturday against
Central State,
Miles kept its hands on the controls. The Golden Bears - down 21-0 at halftime - erased the entire deficit in the third quarter before getting a game-winning touchdown run from
Jonero Scott early in the fourth to take a 28-24 decision over the Marauders at McPherson Stadium. The win was the third straight for Miles (3-6, 3-3 SIAC), who have won five straight against CSU (2-7, 2-5). It was also the first time the Golden Bears have won a game trailing by at least 21 points since defeating Fort Valley State 34-21 in the 2016 season opener.
Quarterback
Brinley Vandiver struggled in the first half, throwing two of his three interceptions in the opening 30 minutes. The first pick was returned 46 yards for a touchdown by Domonique Davis to give CSU a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. After Miles allowed a second score, Vandiver threw a second pick-six in the second quarter - this one returned 40 yards by Avante Burt - that gave the Marauders a 21-0 advantage with less than five minutes left in the first half.
Down three scores at halftime, things did not look great for the Golden Bears. It was the second time Miles had been shut out in the first half of a game this season, but much like the contest against Morgan State on Sept. 27, the team came out smoking after the break.
Vandiver started finding his own receivers in the third quarter, starting with a 40-yard pitch-and-catch with
Marquez Mobley on the first drive. Three plays later, Vandiver tossed a 20-yard touchdown to
James Gatewood to get the Golden Bears on the board.
Miles' defense then started its own interception party.
Kevin Graham stepped in front of a Chris Cotton pass on CSU's initial possession of the second half which set the Golden Bears up at their 42. Vandiver threw it right back to Central State two plays later, but the defense got two consecutive stop, the last coming on a fourth-and-1 as the pass rush forced Cotton to throw the ball away.
An intentional grounding penalty gave Miles a short field and the Golden Bears made quick work of the shrunken real estate. Vandiver (16-of-32, 279 yards) and Mobley (five catches, career-high 136 yards) erased most of the 33 yards on a 23-yard pass play before
Edward Osley got in the end zone on a 9-yard catch to cut the deficit to 21-14 with 4:06 left in the third.
On the next CSU possession,
Abraham Daniels was next in line for an interception, with his setting up the Golden Bears at the Central State 48. The offense chose not to drive the ball, but went up top to
Quindavious Swain for a 48-yard touchdown pass on the next play.
Reid Grek's third extra point tied the game at 21 with 34 seconds left in the quarter.
As the game moved into the fourth quarter, the Miles defense continued to make opportunities for the offense. The Marauders were driving, looking to go back on top. But Graham grabbed his second interception at the Miles 15 to thwart the scoring chance. A pass interference penalty on third down extended the drive and Vandiver and Mobley made more magic with a 53-yard reception to push the ball to the CSU 14. Three plays later, Scott - who has waited for his opportunity all season after an All-SIAC 2024 campaign - charged in from a yard out to give Miles a 28-21 lead with 11:01 remaining.
Playing with the lead for the first time all game, the defense still had to slow the Marauders. Central State drove deep into Miles’ territory and had first-and-10 at the Golden Bears 11. But CSU had to settle for a 21-yard field goal by Abdoul Sawadogo with 3:35 left. The Miles offense, though, never gave the ball back. Osley had a big 19-yard run, then Vandiver hit Swain for 11 yards on third-and-7 which allowed the Golden Bears to run out the clock.
Miles is back in action on Saturday with its final road game of the year at Fort Valley State. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m.
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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.