BRUNSWICK, Ga.- Despite playing their best defensive game of the season, the Savannah State football team would fall to Albany State University 15-12 in the inaugural Coastal City Classic which was played in Glynn County Stadium in Brunswick, Georgia.
 
The Tigers surrendered a season-low 15 points but were plagued by penalties throughout the contest. Savannah State ended the game with 13 penalties for a season-high 108 yards. ASU drew seven flags for 60 yards.
 
The loss drops Savannah State to 2-2 overall and 1-1 in conference play.
 
After stopping the Golden Rams on their opening possession, the SSU offense took over at their own 47 and drove to the Albany State 11 but had to settle for a 28-yard field goal by Kenneth Lockhart with 11:26 left in the first quarter for a 3-0 lead. The key play on the possession was a 37-yard pass play from Jadon Adams to Brent Carr on a third and eight  which put the ball at the ASU 14.
 
With 2:34 left in the opening quarter, the Golden Rams knotted the game at 3-3 after a 35-yard field goal by Eli Mashburn. The ASU scoring drive was aided by two offside and one face-mask penalty by the Savannah State defense.
 
On their opening drive in the second quarter, ASU used a 33-yard field goal from Mashburn to go ahead 6-3 with 11:51 on the clock. The score was set up by a SSU fumble which the Golden Rams recovered at the SSU 49.
 
The SSU defense thwarted a Albany State drive midway in the quarter. With the Golden Rams driving from their own 15 to the SSU 19, linebacker Tavare Brewton forced ASU running back Aljhanod Thomas to fumbled the ball and it was recovered by fellow linebacker Gary Davis at the two yard line. The Tigers could not capitalize on the turnover.
 
During their final possession of the half, Albany State marched nine plays and 55-yards to the SSU three but had to settle on a 20-yard field goal by Mashburn with nine seconds left for a 9-3 advantage.
 
Savannah State's first score of the second half was set up by a interception by Kirk Smith who picked off a Isaiah Knowles pass at the SSU 48.
 
From there, the Tigers drove to the Albany State five but could not punch it in the end zone and had to settle on a 25-yard field goal by Lockhart with 7:17 left in the third quarter to close  their gap to 9-6.  The possession, which took up nearly five minutes, saw Adams complete passes to Khiry Wallace (9 yards), Elijiah Stephens (14 yards) and Da'Shun Mitchell (8 yards).
 
The first touchdown of the game was scored by Albany State in their first possession of the fourth quarter as they capped a 14 play, 79-yard drive when Ralph Lovett caught a five yard touchdown pass from Knowles with 10:03 remaining in the game to increase their lead to 15-6.
 
Two possessions later, Savannah State scored their only touchdown of the afternoon when Adams tossed a three-yard touchdown pass to tight end Quavien Bell with 1:41 left in the game. The extra point attempt was blocked and SSU trailed 15-12. The drive took six plays and 87 yards and was keyed by 18 yard scamper by Adams, a nine yard reception by Mitchell and a 61 yard run by Shamarcus Poole which gave the Tigers a first and goal at the ASU three.
 
Savannah State tried a onside kick but it was recovered by the Golden Rams who ran out the clock and claimed their third win in a row over the Tigers.
 
SSU had a balanced attack with 275 yards of offense in the game. The Tigers ran for 122 yards while passing for 153. Savannah State had the ball for just over 28 minutes and scored all three times they were in the red zone.
 
Adams completed 15 of 24 passes for 153 yards and a touchdown for SSU while Poole had nine rushing attempts for 60 yards. Carr had two catches for 57 yards while Mitchell had four receptions for 35 yards.
 
Brewton led the defense while matching a career-high with ten tackles and a forced fumble while Davis was right behind him with a career-high nine tackles. Nose guard Nathaniel Chisholm harassed the Albany State ball carriers all day and finished the contest with three tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a pair of sacks.
 
Lockhart punted seven times and averaged 43 yards a punt which included one that went for 53 yards in the third quarter.
 
The Golden Rams (2-2, 2-0 SIAC) had 355 yards of offense, scored four of the five times they were in the red zone and held the ball for almost 32 minutes. ASU also had more first downs that Savannah State (20 to 11).
 
Knowles led ASU in passing with 208 yards, a touchdown and a interception. Fredrick Gaines ran for 63 yards and Lovett caught five balls for 67 yards and a score. Devonte James had nine tackles for the defense while Gilbert Brown averaged 41.5 yards per punt.
 
Savannah State will return to Theodore A. Wright Stadium on September 30, 2023 to face Edward Waters University (1-3, 1-2 SIAC) at 6 p.m.