SAVANNAH, Ga. – Savannah State University quarterback D'Vonn Gibbons threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Cameron White with 14 seconds to play but Gibbons was tackled a yard shy of the end zone during a two-point conversion run and Florida Tech held on for a 23-22 victory Sunday afternoon at T.A. Wright Stadium.

A season-opening crowd of 3,028 nervously watched as SSU (0-1) covered 75 yards and chewed 1:58 off the game clock during its eight-play drive before coming up short in first-year SSU head coach Shawn Quinn's debut.

"As soon as we started the drive, I looked at the point chart," Quinn said. " I looked at how much time was left. I knew if we scored it would probably be under 15 seconds. It's kind of like you've got one play to win or lose the game. And I'll take a 50-50 (chance).

"We're trying to set the standard," Quinn continued. "I want our kids to know that we're in this thing to win. We're going to play aggressive. The chart probably says kick it but we already had one blocked. I couldn't have lived with that (again). I can live with a missed two-point (conversion attempt)."

Gibbons, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound junior, ran for a game-high 91 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. He finished 2-of-5 passing for 23 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

"We had a zone read," Gibbons said of SSU's two-point conversion attempt. "The end had crashed and pretty much tried to get the running back so I pulled it and tried to cut it up inside but I fell short. But it's alright. We just have to bounce back next week. I was maybe like one, one-and-a-half yards away (from the end zone). It was so close."

Gibbons' 7-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, and Giovanni Lugo's kick for the extra point, tied the score at 16 with 5:28 to play in the game.

Florida Tech (1-0), a member of the NCAA Division II Gulf South Conference, staked a 23-16 advantage on backup quarterback Mike Diliello's 5-yard touchdown run and Trey Schaneville's kick for the extra point with 2:12 to play in the game.

The game originally was scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday but was moved to 2 p.m. Sunday because of Hurricane Dorian, which forced both SSU and Florida Tech of Melbourne, Fla., to close their campuses and relocate their players.

The game also was SSU's first at the NCAA Division II level since 1998. The Tigers finished 2-8 last season and moved down from NCAA Division I (Football Championship Subdivision) and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference to the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Florida Tech finished 8-4 last season and advanced to the NCAA playoffs for the second time in the last three seasons.

"That's a good football team," SSU's Quinn said of Florida Tech. "We didn't play our best ball. We had a chance to win it. I felt like there at the end we weren't stopping them there. I felt like if we could get a score right there to win it. Offensively, we felt like we could go in and score but we had a bad snap, of all times. But you know, you win some, you lose some.

"I told our team we're here to win football games and have a winning culture," Quinn continued. "There's an old phrase that scared money doesn't make any money. That's a good football team and I just felt like if we went to overtime we weren't able to stop them the last couple of drives. We needed to end it right there. I'd call it again a hundred times. I felt the guys competed. That's a top 10 team in the country so we feel like, hey, if we can compete with those guys…"

In the first quarter, Florida Tech quarterback Trent Chmelik connected with tight end Max Linder, who was wide open in the middle of the field, for a 49-yard touchdown with 13:08 remaining. Schaneville kicked the extra point to give the Panthers a 7-0 lead.

Florida Tech's Schaneville missed a 48-yard field goal attempt with 4:52 left in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, SSU's Gibbons was intercepted in the end zone by Florida Tech defensive back Tyrone Cromwell in the end zone. Six plays later, the Panthers punted and SSU took over possession. Nine plays later, SSU running back Quentavious Wilson ran for a 34-yard touchdown. Lugo's kick for the extra point was blocked by Florida Tech's Omouri Skinner and the Tigers trailed, 7-6, with 7:14 left before halftime.

Florida Tech's Schaneville missed a 50-yard field goal attempt to the left with 21 seconds remaining before halftime. The Panthers led, 7-6, at halftime.

Florida Tech made it 10-6 on Schaneville's 23-yard field goal with 9:31 remaining in the third quarter.

The Panthers made it 16-6 early in the fourth quarter when Chmelik threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Simon Williams. Schaneville's kick for the extra point failed. Chmelik, a 6-foot, 198-pound senior from Clearwater, Fla., finished 16-of-26 passing for 331 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver M. Kelly made five catches for 143 yards.

SSU cut it to 16-9 thanks to Lugo's 44-yard field goal with 8:40 to play in the game.

Florida Tech's Linder, a 6-foot-3, 237-pound graduate student transfer from Middle Tennessee State University, fumbled after a 12-yard catch when he was hit by SSU free safety Brian Roberts. SSU cornerback John Wilson recovered at the Panthers' 38-yard line and returned the ball 14 yards to Florida Tech's 24-yard line, setting up Gibbons' 7-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 16.

Defensively, Florida Tech safety John McClure finished with a game-high 13 tackles. SSU strong safety Djuan Tinsley made a team-high seven tackles. SSU linebacker Christopher Smith and Wilson both recovered Florida Tech fumbles.

"I've got no complaints," SSU's Quinn said. "I've got to coach better. I called a crappy game on defense there. They made some plays there to win the football game. Give them credit. We didn't make a play there at the end to win it."

SSU will play host to Virginia University of Lynchburg at 6 p.m. Saturday at T.A. Wright Stadium.