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Savannah State University Athletics

1
34
Winner Southeastern (FL) SEU 2-0 , 0-0
14
Savannah St. SSU 0-1 , 0-0
Winner
Southeastern (FL) SEU
2-0 , 0-0
34
Final
14
Savannah St. SSU
0-1 , 0-0
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
SEU Southeastern (FL) 0 27 0 7 34
SSU Savannah St. 0 0 0 14 14

Game Recap: Football |

Southeastern Burns Tigers' Season Opener

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Savannah State University saw its football fortunes change in a little more than a minute Saturday night against Southeastern University at Theodore A. Wright Stadium.

The Tigers were burned by a three-touchdown ambush in the final 70 seconds of the first half and dropped their season-opener to the Fire 34-14 in the debut of head coach Aaron Kelton.

"We just fell apart and that's the immaturity of our team and the things we have to work on," Kelton said. "We're getting better as a team, but it was our first time being out here and going through the process. (SEU) has a game under their belt and they're a good football team. I told the guys everything that happened was self-inflicted. We'll get better. We'll be much better next week."

The Tigers trailed 34-0 in the fourth quarter before red-shirt freshman and third-string quarterback Jadon Adams, sparked two touchdown drives.
Adams completed a 9-play, 78-yard drive with a 5-yard TD run with 10:07 left and threw a 14-yard TD pass to DeMarion Colbert to finish a 10-play, 59-yard march.

"We really didn't want to look at the score, just play 0-0, just control what you can control and I did that by putting some points on the board," Adams said.

The Tigers ended the scoring by blocking a punt out of the endzone for a safety.

But the scoring spurt couldn't overcome a nightmarish final 70 seconds of the first half when Southeastern, an NAIA school located in Lakeland, Fla., struck for 21 points.

The run started with a shanked 1-yard punt setting up Southeastern at the SSU 47. Four plays later, quarterback Kaylan Wiggins found Dominic Larry behind the secondary for a 33-yard TD pass to make it 13-0 with 1:10 left in the half.

The quick score looked like a demoralizer heading into halftime, but things went from bad to worse for the Tigers.

On the next possession, SSU quarterback J.T. Hartage fumbled and SEU linebacker Marc Viechec scooped and scored from 15 yards out to make it 20-0.

But the Fire were not done. The Tigers fumbled the ensuing kickoff to give SEU another chance. Three plays later, Wiggins scrambled around potential tacklers before diving into the endzone with just two seconds left.

Just like that, a 6-0 deficit ballooned to 27.

SSU started out fine. The defense forced a three-and-out on Southeastern's first possession and the Tiger offense gained 43 yards and two first downs to the Fire 31 before punting.

Late in the first quarter, lightning in the area followed by a downpour caused a 51-minute stoppage.

And the first play after the teams came back on the field, Southeastern missed a 33-yard field goal try.

But the Fire, coming off a 54-13 win over North American University in its season-opener on Aug. 27, couldn't be contained for long.

Kicker Ashton Garner booted field goals of 30 and 50 yards before the 21-point onslaught. Wiggins threw a 15-yard TD pass to Shane McLaughlin – his second TD pass of the game – at the start of the fourth quarter to make it 34-0.

"Every game you lose is disappointing," said Kelton about falling short in his first outing in front of Tiger fans. "I wanted us to play better and we didn't. I was disappointed in that. I'm disappointed for these guys because they work hard."

SSU will be back in action next Saturday (Sept. 10) against Edward Waters University in Jacksonville.
 
 
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