Football | 11/9/2017 6:48:00 PM

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Savannah State University's football team on Saturday will attempt to win its third consecutive Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game, a feat the Tigers have never accomplished.

To do so, SSU (2-7, 2-4 MEAC) must beat North Carolina A&T (9-0, 6-0), which is in sole possession of first place in the MEAC. SSU last won three consecutive games in 1999, when the Tigers beat Clark Atlanta, Lane and Morehouse.

Kickoff is at 1 p.m. at Aggie Stadium in Greensboro, N.C. The game will be radio-broadcast on WHCJ 90.3 FM and SSU Internet (SSUAthletics.com). This will be the first meeting between the teams since 2014. N.C. A&T is 2-0 in the series.

SSU is coming off a 35-21 victory over Delaware State last Saturday at T.A. Wright Stadium. The Tigers beat Norfolk State, 27-9, on Oct. 28 in Norfolk, Va.

"We have the 24-hour rule," SSU second-year head coach Erik Raeburn said. "It's the same whether we win or lose. You've got 24 hours to sulk or 24 hours to celebrate, and then you've got to turn the page and worry about the next game. These last two weeks, we've been so happy to get wins but you don't get to enjoy them very long, unfortunately."

North Carolina A&T is coming off a 35-7 victory over Norfolk State last Saturday in Norfolk, Va. The Aggies are the only football team in N.C. A&T's 93-year history of football to have a 9-0 record. The Aggies are No. 7 in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Coaches poll.

"They've probably thrown it just a hair more than they've run it," Raeburn said. "They're a good football team. They're the No. 1 scoring offense and the No. 1 scoring defense (in the MEAC), so that tells you the type of season they're having. They try to be balanced on offense and they've done a good job of it."

If SSU wins its remaining two games against N.C. A&T and at home against South Carolina State (Nov. 18), the Tigers will finish 4-4 in the MEAC.

"Our guys have a lot to play for," Raeburn said. "This will be a tough team. It will be a challenge for us for sure. We will have to play our best football just to be able to have a chance to be in the game. But, hopefully, that's exactly what we will do."

BALDWIN NAMED MEAC SPECIALIST OF THE WEEK
SSU's JaMichael Baldwin is this week's MEAC Specialist of the Week for his performance against Delaware State. Baldwin, a 5-foot-9, 165-pound freshman from Conyers, Ga., had 235 all-purpose yards and scored on a 70-yard kickoff return. It was the first touchdown of his collegiate career.

"He would've had two returns for a touchdown," Raeburn said. "The punt return, if we don't have that block in the back, maybe he doesn't score there. Maybe the guy makes a tackle. But he had a great game minus the unsportsmanlike penalty and the fumbled punt. He's done really well all season long. He's been a real positive for our special teams."

OFEENSIVE LINE COMES UP BIG AGAIN
SSU's offensive line did allow a sack against Delaware State, an accomplishment that had not happened since 2012 when the Tigers played North Carolina Central.

"They played really well against Norfolk, particularly running the football, but Saturday was the first game we've had (this season) where we didn't give up a sack," Raeburn said. "I thought that was huge. That group, they've been getting better and better. There are a lot of freshmen up front for us on the offensive line. Man, the last two games, it's no surprise that they played well as a group and we won."

DEFENSE CONTINUES TO BE DOMINANT
SSU's defense registered a season-high eight sacks and four interceptions against Delaware State. The eight sacks are the second-most in SSU's single-game record book, trailing only the 1999 team, which had nine sacks in a game. SSU also limited Delaware State to 17 yards rushing on 27 carries.

"Clearly, that was the best game we've played all year, defensively," Raeburn said. "It was the best game we've played defending the run. I definitely believe those things are related. We gave up a total of 17 rushing yards. Also, we had eight sacks and four interceptions. You don't get a bunch of sacks and you don't get a bunch of interceptions if you're not defending the run very well. That's been an issue for us. We hadn't played great against the run but Saturday we did."

SSU defensive end Stefen Banks made four sacks for losses of 25 yards. The 6-foot-3, 265-pound junior from Columbus, Ohio, also recovered a fumble and intercepted a pass.

"He should have been the MEAC Defensive Player of the Week," Raeburn said. "With what he did, I don't know how he's not. In my mind, he should have won that award. He had four sacks. He had an interception. He had a fumble recovery. He accounted for two takeaways and four sacks. That's a pretty impressive day."

NORTH CAROLINA A&T OUTLOOK
Quarterback Lamar Raynard, a 6-foot-4, 200-pound redshirt junior from High Point, N.C., is 159-of-240 passing (66.2 percent) for 2,302 yards, 23 touchdowns and five interceptions.

"They have an excellent quarterback," Raeburn said. "He's got a talented group of receivers, a good offensive line and two good running backs that they rotate in there to stay fresh. They are a challenge to defend. If you load up to stop the run, they're happy to throw for 300 yards. If you try to go to nickel and dime packages and double-cover their receivers, they're happy to rush it for 300 yards. They make you really play honest."

Wide receiver Elijah Bell, a 6-foot-1, 221-pound sophomore from Wheeling, W.Va., has made a team-high 45 catches for 699 yards and nine touchdowns.
Running back Marquell Cartwright, a 5-foot-8, 201-pound redshirt junior from High Point, N.C., has 177 carries for 893 yards and nine touchdowns.

Linebacker Jeremy Taylor, a 5-foot-11, 190-pound redshirt senior from Kinston, N.C., has made a team-high 48 tackles to go with four interceptions.

"They've got great players," Raeburn said. "They've done a great job of developing those guys. And they always have a good plan against you. It'll be a challenge for sure."