GAME CENTRAL: Savannah State at Allen

THE GAME
Savannah State will play the second game of their three-game road swing and will travel back to the sate of South Carolina for a key SIAC match-up with Allen. Both squads have lost their past two games and need a win to stay in contention for a conference crown. The series between Savannah State began in 1915 and this will be the first meeting between the Tigers and Yellow Jackets since 1949 which was a 33-6 win by Allen. This will be the 14th meeting and the Yellow Jackets lead the overall series 9-4.

GAME INFORMATION
Savannah State (2-3, 1-2 SIAC) vs. Allen (2-4, 2-2 SIAC)
Date: Saturday, October 11th
Time: 6:00pm
Location: E. K. McClendon Stadium at Fairfield Central High School | Winnsboro, South Carolina

BROADCAST INFORMATION:
Channel: Allen University SIAC Network Channel
Broadcast Link: https://siacnetwork.tv/auyellowjackets/
Live Stats Link: https://www.ssuathletics.com/sidearmstats/football/summary

COACHES
Savannah State: Aaron Kelton, 4th Season (Record At SSU: 14-21)
South Carolina State: Cedric Pearl, 2nd Season (Record At AU: 4-10)

WEATHER
Saturday's game in the Columbia suburb of Winnsboro will see the first tastes of fall-like weather, with a daytime high of 71° and a low of 56°. There is a 36% chance of rain in the forecast, with winds blowing North Northeast at 12 mph.

KELTON'S QUOTE
"We are playing a really good team who generates a lot of offense and has the number one running game in the conference. We have to find a way to get some explosive plays and we have to play fast and physical and cut down on mistakes and penalties."

GAME CAPTAINS
Captains for the game against Allen are linebacker Uchenna Nwoha, wide receiver Cinsere Clark and running back Joseph Hampton

LAST WEEK
The Tigers traveled to Orangeburg, South Carolina to face FCS foe South Carolina State. SSU jumped out to a 3-0 lead over the Bulldogs, thanks to a 41-yard field goal by Jimmy Tran but SC State reeled off 21 straight points to take a 21-3 lead into the half. A 38-yard field goal by Tran made the score 21-6 in the third quarter but the Bulldogs finished the game with 28 unanswered points to get the win. The SSU defense held the Bulldogs to just 46 rushing yards, recovered two fumbles and sacked the quarterback twice. Christian Burks threw for 116 yards, Cinsere Clark caught four passes for 64 yards and Ameer Phillips had three tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack and 1 forced fumble in the 49-6 loss.

SAVANNAH STATE/ALLEN CONNECTIONS
Savannah State offensive coordinator/quarterback coach/recruiting coordinator Nick Trist was the Allen quarterback coach from 2018-2020; Allen associate head coach/defensive line coach Gary Harper was the Savannah State defensive coordinator in 2002, and later associate head coach from 2003-2006. Before becoming the Savannah State women's basketball coach, Phillip Wallace, Jr. served as the Allen athletics director from 2024-25.

A FALLEN TIGER
Donald Joyce, who played football at Savannah State in the late 1990s, died on September 30, 2025. Joyce was a Savannah native and played defensive tackle for the Tigers.

COMMON OPPONENTS
Savannah State and Allen have four common opponents: Edward Waters, Albany State, Benedict and Morehouse.

POLL WATCHING
Savannah State is not ranked in the latest HBCU D2 Football Coaches Poll powered by BOXTOROW but the Tigers did receive some votes

BACK IN THE PALMETTO STATE
South Carolina is home to four members of the Tigers football team. Linebacker Hashim Patterson is from Dalzell, defensive lineman Jamar Walker and tight end Jordan Springs are from Irmo and wide receiver Josiah Benson hails from Clemson.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
In the latest NCAA Division II statistics, the Tigers are ranked #2 in fumbles recovered (10), #8 in time of possession (34:02 minutes per game), #11 in rush defense (79.4 yards per game), #16 in first down defense (80), #22 in total defense (297.2 yards per game), #25 in third down conversion defense (25), #29 in kick returns (24.35 yards) and #36 in team sacks (2.4 per game). Individually, John "Wesley" Bentley is #5 in fumbles recovered (2) and #13 in forced fumbles per game (.40), Joseph Hampton is #7 in combined kick returns (402 yards) and #19 in all-purpose yards (136.80 yards), Jimmy Tran is #9 in field goals per game (1.40) and #29 in field goal percentage (.778), Darrian Bell is #13 in forced fumbles per game (.40), Christopher Murray is #35 in passes defended per game (1.20), Cinsere Clark in #39 in receiving touchdowns (4) and receptions per game (5) and Xavier Esquillen is #39 in sacks per game (.70).

TIGER LEADERS
Linebacker Darrian Bell is the top tackler on defense with 32 tackles and 5 tackles for loss while defensive end Xavier Esquillen has 3.5 sacks. On offense, Joseph Hampton has ran for 197 yards and two touchdowns while Christian Burks has passed for 601 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Cinsere Clark has caught 25 passes for 317 yards and 4 touchdowns. Jimmy Tran has made 7 of 9 field goal attempts and all 9 extra point attempts while punter Lucas Edenfield averages 38.8 yards per punt.

SCOUTING THE YELLOW JACKETS
Allen has a 2-4 overall record and a 2-2 conference record with wins over Lane and Clark Atlanta. The Yellow Jackets are averaging 28 points a game while surrendering 36.7 points a night. DeJuan Hughes, a transfer from Florida A&M anchors the secondary with 46 tackles while linebacker Miquel Mason has 32 tackles. Defensive lineman Amarie Fleming has chipped in 24 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. Aeron Gresham has only played in two games but has three interceptions. Fabian Duncan leads the SIAC in rushing with 721 yards and 9 touchdowns while quarterback Jamir Dismukes is second in the conference in passing with 1,427 yards and 9 touchdowns. Marcus Fleming (379 yards) and Nanders Lawrence (346 yards) are two of the top receivers in the conference.

Stay Connected
For complete coverage of Savannah State University Athletics, follow the Tigers on social media @SavStateTigers on Facebook, Instagram, and X (Formerly Known As Twitter), or visit the official online home of SSU Athletics at http://ssuathletics.com.

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Players Mentioned

#5 Christian Burks: QB; 6' 0"; Redshirt Junior

#7 Cinsere Clark: WR; 6' 0"; Senior

#9 Joseph Hampton: RB; 6' 0"; Senior

#13 Ameer Phillips: DL; 6' 2"; Redshirt Junior

#9 Uchenna Nwoha: LB; 6' 0"; Senior

#22 Darrian Bell: LB; 6' 2"; Graduate Student

#25 Christopher Murray: DB; 5' 10"; Graduate Student

#27 Jimmy Tran: K; 5' 9"; Senior

#54 Xavier Esquillen: DL; 6' 2"; Junior

#59 Jamar Walker: DL; 6' 0"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#5 Christian Burks
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Junior
: QB

#7 Cinsere Clark
: 6' 0"; Senior
: WR

#9 Joseph Hampton
: 6' 0"; Senior
: RB

#13 Ameer Phillips
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Junior
: DL

#9 Uchenna Nwoha
: 6' 0"; Senior
: LB

#22 Darrian Bell
: 6' 2"; Graduate Student
: LB

#25 Christopher Murray
: 5' 10"; Graduate Student
: DB

#27 Jimmy Tran
: 5' 9"; Senior
: K

#54 Xavier Esquillen
: 6' 2"; Junior
: DL

#59 Jamar Walker
: 6' 0"; Senior
: DL