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Savannah State University Athletics

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31
Winner Albany St. (GA) ASU 6-2 , 4-1
20
Savannah St. SSU 3-5 , 2-4
Winner
Albany St. (GA) ASU
6-2 , 4-1
31
Final
20
Savannah St. SSU
3-5 , 2-4
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
ASU Albany St. (GA) 7 3 7 14 31
SSU Savannah St. 0 7 6 7 20

Game Recap: Football | | By Donald Heath

Tigers Battle Rams To The Last Whistle, Fall 31-20

Savannah, Ga. –  A year ago, Savannah State University and Albany State University met with conference football supremacy at stake. Saturday night at Theodore A. Wright Stadium, the Tigers wanted to show they still belonged in the conversation.

SSU has won only two games in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference this season, but played Ram-tough against the league's preseason favorite.

The Tigers (3-5, 2-4 SIAC) had the ball with a chance to take the lead in the final minutes before the Golden Rams recovered a fumble and scored a late touchdown to secure their 31-20 victory.

"We fought to the last whistle," SSU quarterback JT Hartage said. "We played like an underdog. We haven't had a great season this year. I know they probably came in thinking it was going to be easy, but we fought all the way to the fourth quarter."

Hartage finished with 197 yards and a touchdown on 13-of-19 passing and ran for a score in relief of starter Jadon Adams. It was his 3-yard TD run with 4:09 left that whittled the ASU lead to 23-20.

The Tigers' defense forced a punt and Hartage and the offense had a chance to take the lead. An official flagged the Golden Rams for a pass interference, which would have given SSU a first down near the Tiger 40-yard line.

Then the flag was picked up. Nothing here to see.

"I thought it was pass interference, they said it wasn't," Savannah State Head Coach Aaron Kelton said. "You don't get another chance."

Hartage was sacked on the next play and fumbled. Golden Rams linebacker Malik Barnes recovered and ran it in for six score with 56 seconds left. Albany State finished the two-point conversion for the final 31-20 score.   

"Our kids fought hard all the way through. I can't ask any more from them," Kelton said.
 
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It was a far different game than last season when the Tigers and ASU met as league unbeatens. The Golden Rams, who had the best scoring defense in Division II, held SSU to 59 offensive yards and administered a one-sided 30-0 beatdown.

ASU went on to win the SIAC Championship and represent the conference in the NCAA Division II playoffs. The Tigers, despite an 8-2 record, didn't make postseason play.

The stakes weren't nearly as high this season. The Golden Rams (6-2, 4-1) lost in a showdown against Benedict a week earlier and slipped to second place in the conference.

Against Benedict, backup sophomore quarterback Jhaydon Sullivan gave ASU some new energy and earned a start against the Tigers. Sullivan continued to deliver, completing 15-of-20 passes for 144 yards and two scores. Running back JaQuez Williams balanced the offense with 154 rushing yards and one touchdown on 27 carries.

But Hartage's passing and some big plays by the special teams kept SSU in the hunt.

A fake punt on fourth down and punter Henry Tome's 5-yard run for a first down kept the Tigers' first touchdown drive alive in the second quarter. Hartage hooked up with DaMarion Colbert on a 43-yard TD pass to make it 7-7.

And Jordan Clark's block of Gilbert Brown's punt – two Richmond Hill grads – and his subsequent 50-yard return resulted in a third-quarter TD which trimmed ASU's advantage to 17-13.

The Golden Rams regained their 10-point edge with Sullivan's 5-yard TD pass to Rashad Jordan for a 23-13 lead midway through the fourth quarter.

SSU answered with an 8-play, 75-yard drive with Hartage scooting into the endzone from the 3-yard line. The big play of the drive came on third-and-9 from the ASU 37 when Da'Shun Mitchell wrestled away a pass from a defender for a 34-yard gain.

Mitchell finished with five catches for 91 yards. Colbert had four catches for 66 yards.

"We came to play," Kelton said. "We played a complete football game. We had a lot of mistakes, but we stayed tough. We didn't get down. I'm proud of the effort they gave and for continuing to fight."

The Tigers will be back in action next Saturday (Oct. 29), hosting the Central City Classic at Henderson Stadium in Macon against Fort Valley State University.
 
 
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