Football | 10/7/2017 7:43:00 PM

Box Score SAVANNAH, Ga. – Savannah State and Hampton University combined for eight turnovers, and although it was evenly matched (two interceptions and two fumbles apiece), Hampton held on to beat SSU, 17-10, Saturday at T.A. Wright Stadium.

A crowd of 6,990 celebrating SSU's Homecoming watched as the Tigers fell to 0-5 overall and 0-3 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The Pirates improved to 3-2, 2-0.
"Today was disappointing," SSU second-year head coach Erik Raeburn said. "One thing we had been doing was taking care of the football. The most we turned it over, I think, was once in a game. Today, I think we turned it over five times. That was terribly disappointing."

On SSU's second play of its first possession, Hampton's Brendan Cole stripped the ball from SSU running back Rashad Saxton at the Tigers' 28-yard line and returned the ball 10 yards. Four plays later, Hampton running back Yahkee Johnson ran for a 7-yard touchdown, and Adam Brown kicked the extra point, giving the Pirates a 7-0 lead with 13:38 left in the first quarter.

SSU responded on fourth-and-6 when freshman quarterback D'Vonn Gibbons connected with wide receiver Cameron White for a 32-yard touchdown. Giovanni Lugo kicked the extra point, tying the game at 7 with 9:28 left in the first quarter.

"My coach saw they were playing Cover 3 so he called 'Cobra,'" White said. "I've got a slant on that play. (Gibbons) found a hole, threw it to the hole and I turned it up. I had a good block from my receiver, Derek Kirkland, to help me into the end zone."

Hampton's ensuing drive ended with a 47-yard punt by Brown but SSU's JaMichael Baldwin zig-zagged for a 38-yard return that placed the Tigers at the Pirates' 40-yard line and ignited the crowd. SSU failed to capitalize and punted.

"I was always taught to play with a chip on my shoulder and try to get my name out there," said Baldwin, a freshman from Conyers, Ga. "In order to do that, I try to make big plays on special teams."

Early in the second quarter, SSU's Donald Rutledge intercepted Hampton junior quarterback Delmon Williams' pass at the Tigers' 10-yard line and Rutledge returned the ball to the Tigers' 23-yard line. On the next play, SSU's Gibbons connected with Baldwin for a 42-yard gain. But three plays later, Gibbons fumbled while being sacked by Hampton's Owen Obasuyi, and Hampton's Steve Smith recovered at the Pirates' 44-yard line.

Hampton advanced to SSU's 19-yard line but on fourth-and-1, SSU's Darrell "Vanquez" Bonner intercepted Williams' pass and returned the ball 61 yards to Hampton's 24-yard line. Six plays later, SSU's Gibbons was intercepted by Hampton's Raheim Huskey, who returned the ball to the Pirates' 25-yard line with 3:07 left before halftime. The game remained tied at 7 at halftime.

"We played a pretty physical game but we had too many mistakes," SSU's White said. "(Hampton) had a lot of mistakes, too. We just didn't capitalize on them."
SSU kicked off to start the third quarter and Hampton's Aulden Knight fumbled. SSU's Kendarius Dukes recovered at the Pirates' 25-yard line. But three plays later, SSU's Gibbons was intercepted by Hampton's Joshua Swilling, who returned the ball to Pirates' 28-yard line.

Hampton's Ronald Bell ran for a 42-yard gain to SSU's 16-yard line. Hampton's nine-play, 67-yard drive ended on Brown's 23-yard field goal, which gave the Pirates a 10-7 advantage with 9:38 left in the third quarter.

SSU's Brandon Carswell forced Hampton's Shai McKenzie to fumble, and SSU's Isaiah Bennett recovered at the Pirates' 41-yard line with 30 seconds left in the third quarter. SSU's Lugo missed a 42-yard field goal attempt with 13:07 left in the game.

"We hung in there on defense and we gave ourselves a chance," Raeburn said. "I'm proud of our guys on defense. Our coaching staff had a good game plan. We just killed ourselves with the turnovers on offense."

With 6:41 to play, Hampton's Williams threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Knight, and Brown kicked the extra point, putting the Pirates up17-7.

SSU wide receiver Elijah Shah caught a pass from backup quarterback David Handler, and Shah somersaulted into the end zone for what appeared to be a 53-yard touchdown. But the touchdown was nullified because Shah jumped from the 1-yard line. SSU was penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct.

The Tigers settled for a 41-yard field goal by Lugo, cutting the score to 17-10 with 3:18 remaining in the game.

"Great effort," Raeburn said. "Every guy we sent out there, I felt like, played their hearts out. But just too many mistakes, and that's been the story for us the last three weeks."
SSU's Handler finished 8-of-14 passing for 102 yards. Gibbons was 7-of-12 passing for 97 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. Hampton defenders sacked SSU's quarterbacks five times (Gibbons four times, Handler once). SSU's Saxton ran for a game-high 83 yards on 19 carries. The Tigers' Juwuan Tolbert made a team-high 10 tackles.

Hampton's Williams finished 9-of-15 passing for 135 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. The Pirates' Johnson gained a team-high 76 yards, including a touchdown, on 18 carries. Huskey made a game-high 11 tackles.

SSU's next game is at 1 p.m. Saturday against Morgan State in Baltimore, Md.