THE GAME
In this week's game, we find two teams that are still looking for their first win of the young season. In the conference opener for both squads, Savannah State enters with a 0-1 record while Central State is 0-2. The game is also the Tigers home opener on their refurbished turf.
 
LAST YEAR
The teams met last year for only the second time and Central State came out on top with a 21-10 win on October 14, 2023 at McPherson Stadium. Despite the loss, Savannah State outplayed the Marauders. SSU out-gained Central State (267 to 256) and had more possession time (31:41 to 28:19), more first downs (16 to 13) and ran more offensive plays (65 to 55). Where the Tigers shot themselves in the foot was making more mistakes that CSU. Savannah State threw an interception, fumbled the ball twice and had five penalties for 55 yards.
 
KELTON'S QUOTE
"We are excited about our first home game against Central State. We didn't get the result we wanted Saturday at Southern University but we know we have a good team. We are looking to get on the winning side of things."

LAST WEEK
Savannah State opened their 2024 season on the road, taking on Southern University, a FCS opponent, in the Pete Richardson Classic. A 81-yard touchdown run by quarterback Jadon Adams gave SSU a 7-3 lead in the first quarter and a 33-yard field goal by Jimmy Mal pulled the Tigers within 16-10 with 6:10 remaining in the third quarter but the Jaguars scored 19 unanswered points to finish the game with a 42-10 victory.
 
TOP OFFENSIVE PLAYERS
Quarterback Jadon Adams is the Tigers top offensive threat. Thee dual threat signal caller leads SSU on the ground (81 yards) and via the air (15 yards). Da'Shun Mitchell has one reception for eight yards.
 
TOP DEFENSIVE PLAYERS
Linebackers Tavare Brewton and Darrian Bell both have nine tackles while Uchenna Nwoha has been in on eight stops. Bell, John "Wesley" Bentley and Nathaniel Chisholm all have one sack while Chisholm has a forced fumble and Deandre Creary has a interception.
 
SPECIAL TEAMS
Jimmy Mal has made his only extra point attempt and has a 33-yard field goal to his credit so far while Lexington Matthews averages 42.6 yards per punt
 
SCOUTING THE MARAUDERS
Kevin Porter is in his third year as the Central State head coach. The Marauders ended last year with a four-game win streak but hasn't been so fortunate so far with losses to Morehead State (17-10) and Grand Valley State (58-0). CSU averages just five points a game while giving up 37.5. Zay Price is the top rusher with 97 yards while Kendall Boney has completed 13 of 40 passes for 125 yards. Brandon Brock has five catches for 59 yards. Leading the way for the defense are linebackers Jalil Lenore (18 tackles) and Abraham Daniel (15 tackles). TJ Tucker, Khalil Foye and Travion Searcy control the secondary while Carlos Carter is a mainstay on the defensive line.
 
THE SKINNY
Savannah State has never beaten Central State. The Tigers hope to bounce back from last week's 32-point setback to Southern. If the SSU offense can move the ball downfield, the defense should be able to control the Marauders offense. Kelvin Porter took over a 1-9 team and in his second year had the Marauders at .500 with a 5-5 record in 2023. After a rough start, CSU is hoping to get back on track against the Tigers. Central State is playing their third straight game on the road and that could also work in SSU's advantage.
 
COMMON OPPONENTS
Savannah State and Central State have four common opponents: Albany State, Clark Atlanta, Lane and Tuskegee.
 
SAVANNAH STATE/CENTRAL STATE CONNECTION
Central State running back coach Jamar Harp was the offensive coordinator/offensive line coach at Livingstone when current Savannah State offensive lineman Chesten Lytch played for the Bears.
 
THE LEMON EFFECT
Theo Lemon served as the head football coach at Savannah State and Central State. Lemon was the Tigers head coach for the 2006-07 seasons and before that spent the 2005 season as the head coach at CSU.

POLL WATCHERS
The Tigers received 5 votes and one first place vote in the latest BOXTOROW HBCU D2 Coaches Poll.

CATCHING ON
Wide receiver Da'Shun Mitchell has caught a pass in 21 consecutive games.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
Savannah State is the only team in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference without a turnover this season and is one of two teams in the conference whose quarterback has not thrown an interception.
 
GETTING A LEG UP
Lexington Matthews is the top punter in the SIAC and No. 27 in Division II, averaging 42.6 yards per punt. Five of his nine punts have went more than 50 yards (52, 57, 55, 53 and 60).
 
SENDING OUR CONDOLENCES
Former Savannah State quarterback Greg Slocum died on September 5, 2024. The Macon, Georgia native played for the Tigers from 1976-79. He was a member of the 1979 squad that went 6-3-1 which was the program's first winning season since 1972.
 
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION-The SSU roster is made up of players from eleven states (Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, Kentucky, New York, Texas, California, Alabama, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Maryland) as well as the District of Columbia
 
WELCOME TO THE MARSH
Savannah native Harold Nelson and former North Carolina wide receiver Steven Jerry has joined the Tiger coaching staff this year. Nelson will be the tight ends and assistant offensive line coach while Jerry will be overseeing the wide receivers. Nelson has coached on the high school level in Savannah (Windsor Forest, Calvary Day and Islands) and in Florida and is owner of his own training company, Energy Sports Academy. Jerry's collegiate coaching resume list Central Florida, William & Mary, East Tennessee State, Virginia State, Florida A&M, Benedict and New Mexico Highlands, before coming to SSU
 
REFURBISHED TURF
SSU is among four HBCUs in Georgia and Alabama who will debut a refurbished football field this fall thanks to grants totaling more than $6.5 million from the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. The work at T.A. Wright Stadium included the installation of a new turf and upgrades to the drainage system to improve field quality, safety and accessibility to community groups.

TRANSFER U
SSU has 28 players on the roster that have transferred from other schools. The programs, which range from FBS to junior college, include Albany State, Morgan State, St. Augustine, Bluefield State, Livingstone, Grambling State, South Carolina State, Mercer, Georgia Military, Pitt, Butler Community College, New Haven, Louisville, McPhearson, Louisburg, St. Thomas, Dean, Los Angeles Valley CC, Oklahoma Panhandle State, Notre Dame College, Lake Erie, UNC Pembroke, Georgia Southern and Florida.

HOME GROWN- SSU has ten players in its roster from eight different of the local high schools (Islands, Beach, Savannah High, Bethesda, Johnson, Windsor Forest, St. Andrews and Jenkins.
 
THE SIZE OF IT- Punter Lexington Matthews the tallest player on the team at 6-foot-5 but Offensive lineman Amez Jones is the biggest at 360-pounds. Running back AJ Brown is the shortest player on the roster at 5-foot-7 while wide receiver Jalen Leonard is the lightest at 150 pounds.
 
PRESEASON HONORS
Eight Tigers were selected to the preseason All-SIAC team. Deandre Creary was named to the First Team Defense while Ahlik Booker and Nathaniel Chisholm were named to the Second Team Defense. Jadon Adams, Da'Shun Mitchell and Shamarcus Poole were named to the Second Team Offense while AJ Brown and Joseph Hampton were named as Second Team Return Specialists.

FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE
SSU appeared on the HBCU Go platform on September 7 with their game with Southern. Savannah State will also appear on ESPN+ three times during the 2024 season. The Tigers will play Central State on September 14 at Theodore A. Wright Stadium at 6 p.m. and will host Fort Valley State on October 12 at 2 p.m. The 2024 SSU Homecoming match-up with Lane on October 26 will also appear on ESPN+ with a 3 p.m. kickoff.

NIL PARTNERSHIP
The Savannah State University Department of Athletics and Influxer have formed a partnership which will help SSU student-athletes with Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) merchandising opportunities. Influxer, an approved licensed NIL vendor, will house a complete NIL merchandise store for all Tiger student-athletes who choose to participate, featuring officially licensed apparel with their names and jersey numbers.