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1
36
Winner West Alabama UWA 2-0
28
Savannah State SSU 0-1
Winner
West Alabama UWA
2-0
36
Final
28
Savannah State SSU
0-1
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
UWA West Alabama 7 3 14 12 36
SSU Savannah State 7 7 14 0 28

Game Recap: Football |

Football Returns To The Gridiron After 496 Days

MOBILE, Ala. – On a clear Saturday afternoon in March marching bands filled Ladd-Peebles Stadium in downtown Mobile, Alabama with a fall anthem while Savannah State football strapped on their gear for a real live football game—their first in 496 days.

The 2019 Tigers were an historic squad. They walked off the field on November 9, 2019, following a 48-19 rout of Edward Waters, with a 7-3 overall record and a 5-0 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) notch—the first winning season in program history since 1998.

But 16-months later it was a different team that entered Ladd-Peebles on Saturday, March 13, to face West Alabama in the Gulf Coast Challenge. There were some familiar names, but also a lot of new faces.

On the first play of the game, starting quarterback D'Vonn Gibbons—who led the Tigers in 2019 at the play caller spot—rushed for a 37-yard touchdown and the winning Tigers of 2019 seemed to be back to doing what they do best.

Through the remainder of the first half, Savannah State football held their winning form.

Early in the third quarter, true freshman Christon Johnson nabbed a pass attempt from West Alabama's Jack McDaniels and ran it back 28-yards for the pick six lifting Savannah State to a 21-10 lead.
 
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But the Tigers of UWA were undeterred, responding with a 4-play touchdown drive, culminating on a 48-yard rush from Derrick Underwood to cut Savannah State's lead to 21-17.

On Savannah State's ensuing two drives, they struggled to get the ball down the field, Gibbons and running back D'Angelo Durham combined for only 19 yards. The fruitful option offense of the opening half had sputtered.

With 5:11 ticking away, McDaniels hit Tyriq Martin for a 42-yard touchdown pass, lifting West Alabama to a 24-21 lead.

So, the Tigers switched it up on the next drive.

After a 2-yard rush from Durham, on second and 12, Gibbons lobbed up a pass to Einaj Carter who broke two tackles and found open room, running for a 76-yard touchdown to lift Savannah State back to a 28-24 lead that would hold for the remainder of the quarter.

The fourth quarter would prove a rough one for the Tigers. West Alabama opened with a field goal on their first drive, cutting Savannah State's lead to 28-27.

Then Gibbons threw an interception at the 12:04 mark. Following the turnover, West Alabama opened a 7-play drive into Savannah State territory.
But the Tiger defense, helmed by a slew of true freshman, did their job and shut down the drive, forcing West Alabama to punt.

But the subsequent play would prove the beginning of the end.

West Alabama's Trey Sullivan put up a 36-yard punt to Savannah State's Shamarcus Poole who was crowded by a hoard of West Alabama players and then tackled in the end zone. The whistle that came seemed to blow the ball dead before the tackle. But after the referees conferred, they called a safety, lifting West Alabama to a 29-28 lead and shifting the momentum of the game.  

With five minutes to play in the game, McDaniels hit Bayley Blanchard on an 8-yard touchdown pass. Following a good PAT, West Alabama notched up 36-28 on Savannah State.

The Tigers struggled on their final possession, going 8-plays for -1 net yardage. West Alabama took over with the victory formation to seal up the win.
"Just super, super disappointed we lost the game," Savannah State Head Coach Shawn Quinn told the Savannah Morning News. "We had the lead in the fourth and let it slip away. We had three bad plays on special teams, some critical mistakes and I feel that cost us the football game.

"I was excited to get out and compete. I was happy we played a ton of freshmen, which was great. But would have liked to have won the game. That's the reason we came to play."

There were plenty of bright spots for the Tigers. They racked up 213 rushing yards on the day led by Gibbons who recorded 109 of those and Durham who had 75. Carter returned seven kicks for 191 yards and had two receptions for 79 yards.
 
On the other side of the ball, veteran linebacker Walter Yates led the field with 10 total tackles while sophomore Chris Smith added six and Johnson added five.
 
Savannah State freshman kicker Kenneth Lockhart punted eight times for 260 yards, averaging 32.5 yards a kick. On kickoffs, Lockhart recorded 380 yards on six kicks, averaging 63.3.
 
Savannah State will play one more game this spring—which will count in the record books as the 2020-2021 season. They are set for a March 27 home game against Middle Georgia State. Kick-off for the homecoming match in Theodore A. Wright Stadium is set for 2 p.m.  
 
 
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