ATLANTA — The Edward Waters University football team put together one of its most explosive offensive performances of the season, spoiling Clark Atlanta's Homecoming with a thrilling 55–41 victory on Saturday afternoon inside CAU Panther Stadium.
With the win, the Tigers improved to 5–3 overall and 4–2 in SIAC play, holding steady in fourth place in the conference standings with two games remaining in the regular season.
Edward Waters' offense was unstoppable, racking up a season-high 633 total yards, marking the most points scored by EWU this season and the third-highest single-game total in the SIAC this year.
Quarterback Noah Bodden led the charge through the air, completing 22 of 39 passes for 386 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions, while being sacked only once. Bodden connected on three touchdown passes of over 40 yards, including a momentum-shifting strike to Makai Lovett just before halftime that sent the Tigers into the locker room with all the energy.
Lovett paced the receiving corps with seven receptions for 109 yards and two touchdowns, while Davri Morris enjoyed a career day with four catches for 134 yards and two touchdown receptions.
On the ground, the Tigers' rushing duo of Johntarrious Thomas and Brady Tillman powered the attack, combining for 265 rushing yards. Tillman recorded a career-best 171 yards on 15 carries, highlighted by an explosive 57-yard touchdown run that gave EWU a 48–41 lead midway through the fourth quarter. Thomas added 94 yards on 18 carries and two touchdowns, continuing his stretch of dominant play.
Defensively, senior captain Jaylen Brown led the charge with six tackles, including a tackle for loss and a quarterback hit. Sophomore safety Akenon Rodgers sealed the victory with a 35-yard interception return for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter—his first interception of the season—to put the game out of reach. Rodgers also tallied five tackles in the win.
Linebacker Trevon French contributed six tackles and a pass breakup, while defensive lineman Antonio Henley added three tackles, along with a forced fumble and recovery to keep Clark Atlanta's offense off balance.
On special teams, kicker Ryan Gagne remained perfect on the day, converting all seven extra point attempts.
With momentum back on their side, the Tigers return home next weekend for their 2025 Homecoming Game against Central State University on Saturday, November 1. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. inside Nathaniel Glover Stadium.
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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.