JACKSONVILLE, Fla.- Playing against the team that leads the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in pass defense was no big thing to Savannah State quarterback Jhaydon Sullivan.

In fact, the graduate transfer from Albany State welcomed the challenge.

The result was Sullivan having a career-day by completing 14-of-18 passes for 256 yards and four touchdowns in Savannah State's 27-20 victory over Edward Waters on October 19, 2024 at Nathaniel Glover Community Field & Stadium.

His final two touchdowns in the fourth quarter erased a 20-14 deficit that led to the Orange & Blue wining their fourth straight game.

Sullivan threw a 63-yard scoring pass to Da'Shun Mitchell early in the fourth quarter to give SSU a 21-20 lead and his 19-yard touchdown pass to Demeke Colbert less than two minutes later increased the Savannah State advantage to 27-20.

The win gave SSU a 4-3 overall record and a 3-2 mark in the SIAC while Edward Waters fell to 1-5 and 1-4 in conference play, before the crowd of 830 fans.

Including this game, the last three meetings between Savannah State and Edward Waters have been decided by a touchdown or less.

EWU scored on their first possession of the game with 4:19 remaining in the opening quarter. It was the first touchdown SSU had surrendered in the first quarter since playing Tuskegee on September 21.

On their first full drive in the second quarter, Savannah State was able to tie the score at 7-7 with 4:35 showing on the clock when Khiry Wallace caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from Sullivan to cap a 10-play, 90-yard drive.


During the drive, Sullivan used his talented receiving unit with Mitchell catching a 16-yard pass and Brent Carr hauling in receptions of 25 and 13 yards.

EWU made their way to the Savannah State 15 before stalling and had to settle for a 30-yard field goal with ten seconds left in the opening half for a 10-7 advantage.

Edward Waters increased their lead to 17-7 with 9:43 showing in the third quarter but SSU would respond with a three-play, 62-yard drive that ended with Mitchell catching a seven-yard touchdown pass from Sullivan with 8:12 left in the third quarter.

Carr had a 52-yard reception on the first play of the drive and Joseph Hampton added a three-yard gain on the ground on the second play, before Mitchell's touchdown catch, to cut EWU's lead to 17-14.

Not to be out-done, Edward Waters scored on their next possession with a 32-yard field goal, after driving to the SSU 14, to increase their lead to 20-14.

Savannah State used a four-play, 75-yard scoring drive to go ahead 21-20 with 14:50 left in the game on Sullivan's 63-yard touchdown pass to Mitchell.


Brady Tillman took the ensuing kickoff for ten yards before a hit by Kevin Stokes forced him to fumble and it was recovered by SSU's Kendarius Brown at the EWU 20-yard line.

From there, it took Savannah State three plays to score as Colbert caught a 19-yard pass from Sullivan with 13:39 remaining in the contest. Jimmy Mal's extra point attempt failed and SSU clung to a 27-20 lead.

Edward Waters drove to the Savannah State 19 on their following possession. Faced with a third and 12, SSU defenders John "Wesley" Bentley and Xavier Esquillen combined to sack the Edward Waters quarterback for a 12-yard loss at the 29. That forced a 46-yard field goal attempt but it was blocked by Deandre Creary and recovered by Dreshawn Dawkins at the SSU 15.

With 6:41 left in the game, Savannah State's offense used the clock to drive the ball to the opponent's 25-yard line before Sullivan took a knee for the final three snaps of the contest. During the march down the field, Mitchell had a 15-yard reception and Hampton had a 18-yard run.

Hampton had 38 yards on the ground for the Tigers while Sullivan added 21. Mitchell had four catches for 101 yards and a pair of touchdowns while Carr hauled in four for 97 yards


Linebackers Gary Davis, Jr. and Darrian Bell each had nine tackles. Tony Rountree Jr. had 2.5 tackles for loss.


Savannah State's offense produced 339 yards while using the clock for 22:44 minutes. Edward Waters had over 33 minutes of possession time and had 327 yards of offense or which 185 game on the ground.

The game was a homecoming for SSU defensive assistant Randall Moss as well as players Braylon Flowers, Niles Johnson, Emari Napper, Stokes and Dawkins who are all from Jacksonville.


SSU will return home for a two-game home-stand, starting with a Homecoming date with Lane on October 26 at 3 p.m. at Theodore A. Wright stadium.