Savannah, Ga. -- Demeke Colbert shrugs and welcomes the chance to show what he can do at Savannah State University.
During the first three games of the football season, he had five touches. Getting more opportunities in the last two games, five touchdowns.
"The coaches want to put the ball in my hands. (I'm) a bigger back," said the 6-foot-1, 220-pound senior.
Colbert caught two touchdown passes and ran for another score to lead the Tigers to a 30-18 victory over Lincoln University at T.A. Wright Stadium.
SSU (3-3) has won three of its last four games and surpassed last year's win total of two games.
Colbert, who leads the team in scoring, has been a big reason why after finding the endzone twice in a 35-28 upset of Clark Atlanta two weeks ago.
"He's one of our more talented guys so we're trying to get him the ball. We want our good players to have the ball," Tigers head coach Aaron Kelton said.
Colbert demonstrated a combination of power and speed in an eight-minute span of the second and third quarters against Lincoln. He caught a swing pass out of the backfield from Jhaydon Sullivan with 45.4 seconds to go in the first half to give SSU a 17-0 halftime lead.
Colbert finished a seven-play, 60-yard TD drive with a 4-yard run between the tackles to begin the second half.
And when Lincoln answered with a touchdown to make it 23-6, Sullivan and Colbert hooked up again on a 50-yard fly pattern in man-to-man coverage just 11 seconds later.
"I think Coach wanted me to get that third touchdown. He said, "Go beat, him," " said Colbert, who had four receptions for 65 yards and three carries for 11 yards.
After Colbert's third score, SSU seemed to be headed for an easy night. Lincoln University, nicknamed the Oaklanders.
After a three-and-out on defense to start the game, SSU offense welcomed the Oaklanders with more problems.
Sullivan completed a 13-yard pass to Brent Carr on third down for a key first down at the Lincoln 31 and Shamarcus Poole reeled off runs of 10 and 17 yards before punching it into the endzone from the 4.
Jimmy Mal's point-after kick made it 7-0 with 9:25 left in the first quarter.
But SSU's offense slowed. The Tigers' second quarterback of the game, Christian Burks, found Carr for a 50-yard reception to the Lincoln 10 but three plays later, Burks' pass was intercepted by defensive back Will Anglen at the 2.
The Oaklanders (0-7) took a big gamble and lost during their offensive possession. On fourth-and-2 from the 10, Lincoln tried a run up the middle with quarterback Gunner Cortez but SSU's Darrian Bell made the stop short of a first down and the Tigers took over at the Lincoln 11.
SSU settled on Mal's 22-yard field goal to take a 10-0 lead and Colbert's three TD burst bumped the Tiger lead to 30-6.
Lincoln, however, wouldn't go away and touchdown runs by Jaylin McCray and Cortez sliced the lead to 30-18.
Things got more precarious for SSU when Oaklander Eldrian Arnold returned a punt 95 yards for an apparent touchdown, but it was called back because of a penalty.
Lincoln threatened again when Cortez completed a 66-yard pass to Cam McCaa to the Tigers' 7, but Emari Napper's interception thwarted the scoring opportunity.
Xavier Esquillen had five tackles and 2.5 sacks to lead the defense.
Sullivan was 12-of-18 for 132 yards and two touchdowns on offense.
But Kelton didn't like how his team finished the game. SSU didn't score during the final 20 minutes and the defense and special teams were gashed.
"(Lincoln) scored on some plays when our guys just lost focus and gave up big plays. In our conference, you get beat like that," Kelton said.
SSU will be back in action next Saturday against Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference foe Edward Waters University in Jacksonville before returning to Savannah against Lane College for Homecoming on Oct. 26.
