JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Savannah State put together its best offensive performance of the young season Saturday evening, but Edward Waters used a big-play passing attack to hand the Tigers a 55-30 loss at Nathaniel Glover Community Field & Stadium.
Savannah State (0-3, 0-2 SIAC) finished with 275 yards of total offense and scored four touchdowns after being held to seven points over its first two games of the season.
Quarterback RaShawn Truell completed 23-of-45 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns without throwing an interception. The Tigers also received rushing touchdowns from Rodney Hill and Elijah Stephens, while Tristan Sizemore and Jordan Anderson caught touchdown passes.
Edward Waters (3-1, 2-0 SIAC) jumped out to a 21-0 advantage before Savannah State found the end zone midway through the second quarter.
The home Tigers scored twice in the opening quarter on touchdown passes of 42 and 29 yards from Tavion Faulk. Faulk added a 52-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter to stretch the lead to 21-0.
Savannah State answered with its longest sustained drive of the night.
SSU marched 78 yards on 16 plays while taking 7:12 off the clock. Hill finished the drive with a one-yard touchdown run and Joshua Woodley added the extra point to cut the deficit to 21-7 with 6:34 remaining in the first half.
Edward Waters answered quickly, however, as Faulk connected with Tylon Williams for a 69-yard touchdown. Another Faulk touchdown pass pushed the EWU advantage to 35-7 with 1:55 remaining before halftime.
Savannah State refused to go quietly.
Truell directed a 12-play, 67-yard drive in the final two minutes of the half and connected with Sizemore on a five-yard touchdown pass with three seconds remaining, sending the Tigers into halftime trailing 35-14.
After Edward Waters scored to open the second half, Savannah State responded with a 43-yard field goal from Woodley, making the score 42-17.
The Tigers found the end zone again late in the third quarter when Truell connected with Anderson for a 14-yard touchdown. The four-play, 42-yard scoring drive pulled SSU within 49-23.
Savannah State added its final touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Stephens capped a seven-play, 58-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run as the Tigers reached the 30-point mark for the first time this season.
While Savannah State showed improvement offensively, the Tigers had difficulty containing Edward Waters' passing attack.
Faulk completed 19-of-31 passes for 417 yards and six touchdowns. Edward Waters finished the night with 535 yards of total offense, including 436 through the air.
Savannah State recorded 20 first downs and converted 8-of-18 third-down opportunities. The Tigers were also perfect on four trips inside the red zone. SSU ran 77 offensive plays compared to 67 for Edward Waters and held the football for 29:21.
Truell distributed the ball to nine different receivers. Stephens led Savannah State with 47 receiving yards on three catches, while Cinsere Clark caught a team-high five passes for 44 yards. Sizemore finished with four catches for 42 yards and a touchdown, while Hill added three receptions for 34 yards.
On the ground, Kendarius Brown led the Tigers with 27 yards on three carries, including a 24-yard run. Hill rushed for 21 yards and a touchdown, while Stephens added 16 yards and a score.
Defensively, Zamarian Williams led Savannah State with seven tackles, including two tackles for loss. Kevin Stokes Jr. and Kaiden Stanciel each finished with five tackles.
Wadson Dieudonne recorded a sack, while Akeem White and Michael Bennett combined for another. Cameron Leonard came away with Savannah State's lone interception of the contest.
Despite the loss, the 30-point output marked a significant step forward for a Savannah State offense that continues to develop under first-year head coach Thomas Howard.
The Tigers will return home next Saturday, September 26, when they host Miles College at Theodore A. "Ted" Wright Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
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