ATLANTA, Ga.-  Savannah State University had their best offensive performance of the season in the Tigers 35-28 victory over previously undefeated Clark Atlanta University, in a game played on October 5, 2024 at Panther Stadium.

Six days earlier, SSU suffered a 30-0 setback from Fort Valley State University, while still trying to recover from the effects of Hurricane Helene.

In their win over CAU, The Tigers had a season high 35 points while producing a season-best 386 yards of offense, before a crowd of 1,436 fans.

Savannah State's defense was equally impressive, holding CAU's offense to 228 yards while sacking the Panther quarterback three times.

On Clark Atlanta's last possession of the contest, the Panthers started from their own four and drove to the 49. Faced with a second and ten, quarterback David Wright III dropped back to pass but was sacked for a two-yard loss by Cayden Buchanan. In the process of getting sacked, Wright loss the ball and it was recovered by Tony Rountree at the CAU 47.

The victory matches SSU's win total from a year ago as they improve to 2-3 but it also gives the Tigers a 2-2 conference record as they stay in the hunt for a SIAC title.

Savannah State took a 7-0 lead on their second drive of the game when quarterback Jhaydon Sullivan threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Demeke Colbert with 7:18 left in the first quarter.

The lead lasted until early in the second quarter when Christian Burks' pass was picked off by Panther defensive back James Summersett and returned 51-yards for a game tying touchdown.

The next SSU drive took just one play with running back Joseph Hampton scoring on a 72-yard touchdown scamper with 12:46 left in the first half for a 14-7 advantage.

Both squads found the end zone on their final possessions of the second quarter.

Sullivan threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Khiry Wallace with 4:55 on the clock for a 21-7 lead but the Panthers responded with a one-yard touchdown pass play from Wright to Travyon Pinder with three seconds left to slice the Tigers lead to 21-14.

CAU kept their momentum going at the start of the second half as Wright threw a 57-yard touchdown pass to Armone Harris on their first possession of the third quarter to tie the game at 21.

Savannah State made their way to the Panthers seven on the following possession but a 36-yard field goal attempt by Jimmy Mal was no good.

After the SSU defense stopped Clark Atlanta, the Tiger offense took over and capped a four-play, 55-yard drive with a 30-yard touchdown pass from Burks to Brent Carr with seven seconds remaining in the third quarter for a 28-21 lead.

Following another stop by the Savannah State defenders, the Tiger offense responded with a three-play, 47-yard scoring drive that resulted in a two-yard touchdown run by Colbert with 13:24 left in the game for a 35-21 cushion.

Not to be outdone, Clark Atlanta answered SSU with a score of their own to pull within 35-28 with ten minutes remaining.

That would be the last points of the game.

Colbert totaled 86 yards of offense with 33 passing, 31 receiving and 22 rushing yards.

Sullivan passed for 90 yards and a two touchdowns while Burks threw for 71 yards. Hampton added a career-best 81 yards on the ground while Da'Shun Mitchell had five receptions for 74 yards.

Linebackers Darrian Bell and Uchenna Nwoha had nine tackles apiece while Xavier Esquillen, William Jones and Buchanan all had one sack, for the defense.

Lexington Mathews averaged 47 yards on his five punts of which one went for a career-high of 70 yards and three pinned the Panthers inside their own 20 yard line.

The game was a homecoming for five players on the SSU roster who hail from Atlanta while 18 more are from the metro area which includes Marietta, Fayetteville, Decatur, McDonough, Jonesboro, Alpharetta, Smyrna, Suwanee, Lithonia, Hampton, Stone Mountain and Covington.

The contest was also a reunion for Savannah State offensive coordinator/quarterback coach Nick Trist and CAU head coach Teddy Keaton. Trist spent three seasons (2018-20) in the same role at Allen University while Keaton was the Yellow Jackets head coach.

The loss dropped Clark Atlanta to 4-1-1 on the season and 3-1 in the SIAC.

Savannah State will return home to face Lincoln University California on October 12, 2024 at TA Wright Stadium at 6 p.m.