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Savannah State University Athletics

1
10
Morehouse MOH 0-4 , 0-1
29
Winner Savannah State SSU 3-1 , 2-0
Morehouse MOH
0-4 , 0-1
10
Final
29
Savannah State SSU
3-1 , 2-0
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
MOH Morehouse 0 0 2 8 10
SSU Savannah State 20 7 0 2 29

Game Recap: Football | | By Donald Heath

Early Barrage Lifts Tigers Past Morehouse

Savannah, Ga. – Sometimes one good quarter can win a football game.

The Savannah State Tigers displayed a potent offense for 15 minutes and the defense made the first-quarter barrage stand up in a 29-10 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) victory over Morehouse College on Saturday night before 4,090 fans at Theodore A. Wright Stadium.

The Tigers (3-1, 2-0 SIAC) won their third straight game and swept the three-game homestand.

"We didn't put the icing on the cake," quarterback D'Vonn Gibbons said. "We won, that's what matters."

Gibbons, last week's SIAC Offensive Player of the Week, threw for 131 yards and a touchdown and ran for another 88 yards.

D'Angelo Durham scored on runs of 12 and 10 yards and quarterback Jamurian Hartage threw for another score. Einaj Carter and DaMarion Colbert hauled in the TD strikes. And in the fourth quarter, the defense registered a safety after an intentional grounding call in the endzone.

But SSU coach Shawn Quinn didn't like seeing a glass-one-quarter-full. After the first quarter, Morehouse (0-4) outscored the Tigers 10-9.

"The way we played that first quarter I thought, 'we're going to roll these guys," Quinn said. And the last three quarters? "I feel like we lost 50-0 the way we played," Quinn said.

But the first quarter determined the game. The Tigers scored on their first three possessions and held a 20-0 lead and a 214-11 advantage in total yardage after the first quarter.

Gibbons completed all four of his passes during the first 15 minutes for 122 yards and a touchdown.

Gibbons mixed up the air barrage with the ground game and the results were doubly effective. The Tigers averaged about 17 yards a play on the first two drives.

Gibbons' 34-yard scramble highlighted the opening 5-play, 80-yard march. Durham finished the drive with a 12-yard sprint up the middle and SSU led 7-0.

On the next possession, Gibbons hooked up with Audunte Deveraux on a 38-yard pass play to set up Durham's 10-yard TD and the Tigers had a 14-0 advantage.

Meanwhile, the defense had little problem with a Morehouse offense that entered averaging just seven points a game.

The visitors had just one first down in the quarter—a 15-yard un-sportsman like penalty after SSU celebrated a big hit.

The Tigers were so confident on offense, Quinn rolled the dice on a fourth-and-one play from their own 38-yard line inside the final three minutes of the first quarter. Running back Jordan Grant dove ahead for the first down and two plays later Gibbons threw a 60-yard TD pass to Carter to up the lead to 20-0.

Hartage joined the Phi Beta Scora group on Greek Night with a 32-yard touchdown pass to Colbert to stretch the score to 27-0 midway through the second quarter.

Fireworks accompanied the halftime show. But that's when the fireworks ended.
 
The Savannah State Powerhouse Of The South Marching Band finish their halftime show with fireworks in front of 4,090 fans at Theodore A. Wright Stadium.


Last week, SSU had a 21-point lead evaporate in the second half against Benedict before rallying in the final minutes.

"There's something about halftime. It's kind of messing us up," said Savannah State linebacker/defensive back Kiwon Harris, who had a key interception to thwart a second-half Morehouse drive.

The Tigers finished with 12 penalties for 101 yards, had two passes intercepted and had a bad snap in punt formation lead to a safety.

Morehouse scored its only touchdown with 8:59 left when Roney Howard caught a 17-yard strike from Marquise Collins. The two hooked up again for a two-point conversion.

SSU's defense surrendered only 162 yards. But Quinn had seen happier days.

"I'm glad we won, but beyond that we played terribly," Quinn said. "We didn't play disciplined. We didn't deserve to win the game. I was disappointed with our approach in the second half. … It's probably as disappointed as I've been here."

The Tigers will have a chance to make amends next Saturday on the road at Kentucky State.
 
Savannah State Head Football Coach Shawn Quinn during the Tigers' win over Morehouse. 

 
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