THE GAME
Savannah State will make the trip down Interstate 95 South to Jacksonville, Florida, this weekend for a clash of Tigers against SIAC foe Edward Waters.

The two programs share a series that dates back to 1930 and have developed a competitive history over the years. Edward Waters holds a slight 14-12-4 advantage in the all-time series entering this weekend's matchup.

Savannah State enters the contest searching for its first victory of the 2026 season and the first win of the Thomas Howard era. The Tigers will also be looking to secure their first SIAC victory of the season.

Edward Waters enters the matchup looking to continue its strong start to conference play. EWU will have its sights set on collecting its third victory of the season while remaining unbeaten against SIAC competition.

The matchup will also mark Savannah State's first conference road game of the season and the Tigers' second trip outside the state of Georgia in their first three games.

GAME INFORMATION
Savannah State (0-2, 0-1 SIAC) at Edward Waters (2-1, 1-0 SIAC)
Date: Saturday, September 19th
Time: 6:30pm
Location: Nathaniel Glover Community Sports & Music Complex | Jacksonville, Florida
SSU Football Game Notes: https://ssuathletics.com/documents/2026/9/15/2026_SSU_Football_Game_Notes_vs._EWU.pdf

COACHES
Savannah State: Thomas Howard, 1st Season (0-2)
Edward Waters: Brian Jenkins, Sr., 2nd Season at EWU (7-6) | 10th Season Overall (62-37)

BROADCAST INFORMATION
Channel: SIAC Network | Edward Waters Sports Network: https://siacnetwork.tv/ewutigers/
Broadcasters: Charles McNeal (Play-By-Play), Bobby Bethea (Color Commentary)

WEATHER FORECAST
Saturday's forecast in Jacksonville calls for a high of 90° under partly cloudy skies. Winds will be blowing East Northeast at 8 miles per hour.

THOMAS HOWARD SHOW
Catch the "Thomas Howard Show" each Wednesday during the football season on YouTube. Hear directly from the Head Tiger as he breaks down the latest Tiger football action, previews the upcoming matchup, and takes you inside the program. Catch the latest episode HERE.

COACH HOWARD ON EDWARD WATERS
"It's a tall task. Coach (Brian) Jenkins has Edward Waters playing at a high level. It's another big test for us. We're excited about the challenge because it's another big test for us. They were the preseason pick to win the conference.

"We started off with a tough schedule, but our kids are standing up and ready to compete. Every week, we are only going to get better. Give us some time. We are working out the kinks, we are going to get it figured out and we are going to have a really good football team."

— Savannah State Head Coach Thomas Howard

LAST WEEK
Savannah State dropped its 2026 home opener to Albany State, 49-17, at Theodore A. "Ted" Wright Stadium.

The Tigers trailed 14-0 at halftime before Albany State extended its advantage to 35-0 early in the fourth quarter. Savannah State, however, continued to battle and found an offensive spark behind sophomore quarterback RaShawn Truell.

The Savannah native came off the bench and helped engineer three scoring drives over the final 11-and-a-half minutes as SSU put 17 points on the scoreboard.

Truell connected with Trenton Rhodes for a 68-yard touchdown and later found Cinsere Clark for a 17-yard score. He also directed a drive that ended with Joshua Woodley connecting on a 41-yard field goal. Truell finished the contest with 171 passing yards and two touchdowns. Rhodes caught two passes for a team-high 72 yards and a touchdown, while Rodney Hill led the rushing attack with 30 yards.

Defensively, Reggie Troutman and Kaiden Stanciel paced the Tigers with eight tackles apiece. Defensive lineman Adonis Brazil continued to make his presence felt up front, recording six tackles and two sacks.

Punter Chase Butler also turned in a solid performance, averaging 40.2 yards per punt with a career-long 60-yard punt in the third quarter.

Despite the final margin, Savannah State's 17 fourth-quarter points gave the Tigers something to build on heading into their first SIAC road contest of the season.

LAST YEAR vs. EDWARD WATERS
Savannah State opened the 2025 season against Edward Waters on Aug. 30 at Theodore A. "Ted" Wright Stadium, falling 41-14.

The Tigers could not have asked for a much better start. Fumble recoveries by John "Wesley" Bentley and Uchenna Nwoha helped Savannah State jump out to an early 14-0 advantage.

Joseph Hampton scored on a 30-yard touchdown run, while David Gardner Jr. added a 12-yard touchdown run as SSU controlled the opening quarter.

The momentum shifted from there, however, as Edward Waters responded by scoring 41 unanswered points to take control of the contest.

Penalties proved costly for Savannah State throughout the night, with the Tigers being flagged 13 times for 127 yards.

Quarterback Christian Burks finished with 132 passing yards for SSU, while linebacker Darrian Bell led the Savannah State defense with a game-high 11 tackles.

This weekend's matchup gives the Tigers an opportunity to reverse the result from a year ago and continue a recent trend in the series: the road team has won each of the last four meetings between Savannah State and Edward Waters.

SAVANNAH STATE/EDWARD WATERS CONNECTION
There will be some familiar faces on both sides of the field this weekend.

Savannah State Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations/Sports Information and Jacksonville native, Joshua Jackson spent over 15 years at Edward Waters, with his last six serving in the Sports Information Director role before joining Savannah State in November of 2024.

Edward Waters Director of Bands Marques Graham also has Savannah State ties. Graham spent four years at Savannah State from 2015-19 as the University's Director of Bands before making his way to Jacksonville.

Those connections add another layer of familiarity to a series between two programs separated by approximately 140 miles along the I-95 corridor.

COMMON OPPONENTS
Savannah State and Edward Waters will see plenty of familiar competition throughout the 2026 season. In addition to facing each other, the two teams share five common opponents on their schedules: Morehouse, Kentucky State, Allen, Benedict and Miles. Those matchups will play an important role in the SIAC race as the season progresses.

YOU CAN GET ANYWHERE FROM HERE
Former Savannah State offensive lineman Roy Ellison continues to represent the University at the highest level of professional football. Ellison is in his 24th season as an NFL official and has been selected to work four Super Bowls during his career, including assignments in 2009, 2018, 2025 and 2026.

A native of Lakeland, Florida, Ellison played for the Tigers from 1983-86. He was a member of the offensive line that helped pave the way for Casey Grigley to become the first 1,000-yard rusher in Savannah State football history in 1985. Ellison's accomplishments at Savannah State extended beyond the football field. He was selected as a National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athlete and graduated with honors in 1987 with a bachelor's degree in Computer Science. Away from football, Ellison enjoyed a successful professional career as an IT engineer before retiring.

His journey from Savannah State to the NFL serves as another example of the University's longstanding motto: "You Can Get Anywhere From Here."

BORDER WAR
While Savannah State and Edward Waters are conference opponents, Saturday's game will have a homecoming feel for several members of the Tiger football program.

Savannah State's roster features 21 players from the state of Florida, including six with Jacksonville ties: Emari Napper (Ribault), Lonnell McCall II (First Coast), Kevin Stokes Jr. (Ribault), Jordan Anderson (First Coast), Stephen Davis (Raines) and Jacob Landreth (Trinity Christian). The Jacksonville connections extend to the

Savannah State coaching staff. Special teams coordinator Shawn L. Thomas is a Jacksonville native who attended Paxon, while video coordinator/offensive assistant Randall Moss attended Ribault. Savannah State Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations Joshua Jackson also grew up in the Jacksonville area and graduated from Clay High School in nearby Green Cove Springs.

With more than two dozen Florida natives throughout the Savannah State program, the Tigers should have plenty of familiar faces in the stands when they make the trip south.

FROM THE HALLS OF WINDSOR FOREST
Savannah State tight ends coach Harold Nelson and Edward Waters assistant head coach/chief of staff/offensive line coach Addison Hayes share a unique Savannah connection. Both played high school football at Windsor Forest High School.

Nelson played tight end and defensive end for the Knights before graduating in 2001.

Hayes, an offensive lineman during his playing days at Windsor Forest, graduated a decade later in 2011.

Both coaches earned All-Region honors during their respective playing careers before eventually entering the coaching profession.

This weekend, the two former Windsor Forest standouts will find themselves on opposite sidelines in an SIAC matchup more than 140 miles from their hometown.

SWAC CONNECTION
Savannah State assistant head coach/offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Quentin Burrell and Edward Waters offensive coordinator Eric Dooley are no strangers to one another. The two coaches previously worked together at two SWAC programs. Burrell and Dooley were members of the same coaching staff at Grambling State during the 2016 and 2017 seasons before their paths crossed again at Southern University in 2023. Their familiarity adds an interesting subplot to Saturday's matchup as the two offensive coaches prepare to compete from opposite sidelines.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
Savannah State has already found itself among the NCAA Division II statistical leaders in several categories during the opening weeks of the season.

The Tigers rank No. 1 nationally in red-zone offense, converting their lone opportunity inside the opponent's 20-yard line. Savannah State is also ranked No. 14 in kickoff return defense at 11.67 yards per return, No. 36 in fewest penalty yards with 105 and No. 53 in team sacks at 2.0 per game.

Several Tigers also appear among the national individual leaders. Trenton Rhodes ranks No. 6 in combined kick return yards with 261 and No. 7 in all-purpose yards at 166.5 per game. Jahdahrien Stokes ranks No. 12 nationally with one fumble recovery, while defensive lineman Adonis Brazil is No. 18 in sacks, averaging 1.0 per game.

Rhodes' versatility has made him one of Savannah State's most productive weapons through the opening two games, contributing as a receiver and in the return game.

TIGER LEADERS
Reggie Troutman has quickly emerged as one of the leaders of the Savannah State defense. Troutman enters the Edward Waters matchup with a team-high 12 tackles.

Terrell Gordon Jr. and Cameron Leonard follow with 10 tackles apiece, while Adonis Brazil, Curtis Spivey and Kaiden Stanciel have each registered eight tackles.

Brazil has provided a disruptive presence along the defensive front with a team-high two sacks.

Offensively, Rodney Hill leads Savannah State's rushing attack with 42 yards.

Three quarterbacks have seen action for the Tigers. RaShawn Truell leads the group with 171 passing yards and two touchdowns, while Christian Burks has thrown for 58 yards and Fabian Walker has added 24 passing yards.

Trenton Rhodes leads the receiving corps with two receptions for 72 yards and a touchdown. Jahziah Avilez has two receptions for 42 yards, Cinsere Clark has a team-high six catches for 39 yards and a touchdown, Hill has three receptions for 32 yards and Elijah Stephens has caught three passes for 28 yards.

The Tigers have also received contributions from their special teams units. Chase Butler is averaging 36.4 yards per punt and owns a season-long punt of 60 yards.

In the return game, Jahziah Avilez is averaging 19.0 yards per kickoff return, while Rhodes is averaging 18.64 yards.

SCOUTING EDWARD WATERS
Edward Waters entered the 2026 season with high expectations after being selected as the preseason favorite to win the SIAC. EWU is currently ranked No. 6 in the Division II Black College Football Poll and features two of the league's most highly regarded players in running back Johntarrious Thomas and linebacker Trevon French.

Thomas was selected as the SIAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while French earned SIAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year honors. Thomas leads the Edward Waters rushing attack with 139 yards and a touchdown, but EWU has done much of its damage through the air.
Quarterback Tavion Faulk has passed for 696 yards and seven touchdowns, while Izaiah Jean-Baptiste has emerged as his top target. Jean-Baptiste has caught 20 passes for 348 yards and five touchdowns, making the Faulk-to-Jean-Baptiste combination one of the biggest challenges facing the Savannah State secondary.

French anchors the Edward Waters defense with a team-high 38 tackles and two tackles for loss. Defensive back Winston Harris has 22 tackles and an interception.

Up front, Jordan Allen has recorded 14 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and a sack, while Cam'ron Johnson has 12 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.

Edward Waters enters the matchup averaging 30.6 points per game. EWU has shown the ability to create explosive plays offensively, particularly through its passing attack, but opponents have also found opportunities to put points on the scoreboard, with Edward Waters allowing 38.0 points per game.

For Savannah State, slowing down the Faulk-to-Jean-Baptiste connection, limiting explosive plays and establishing consistency offensively will be among the major storylines to watch as the Tigers begin SIAC road play in Jacksonville.

Stay Connected
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