SAVANNAH, Ga. – Savannah State held a lead through three quarters Saturday evening, but Miles College scored 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to rally past the Tigers, 25-17, in Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action at Theodore A. "Ted" Wright Stadium.
Savannah State (0-4, 0-3 SIAC) carried a 17-15 advantage into the final period before the Golden Bears scored the final 10 points of the contest. Miles improved to 2-3 overall and 2-1 in conference play.
The Tigers struck for two touchdowns through the air in the first half and led 14-12 at the break.
After Miles opened the scoring with a 42-yard field goal, Savannah State responded with an eight-play, 75-yard scoring drive. Quarterback RaShawn Truell capped the march with a 14-yard touchdown pass to freshman Carter Payne, giving the Tigers a 7-3 advantage with 4:01 remaining in the opening quarter.
Savannah State added to its lead early in the second quarter. After taking possession at the Miles 10-yard line, Truell connected with Cinsere Clark for a five-yard touchdown just 50 seconds into the period. Joshua Woodley added his second extra point to push the Tigers ahead, 14-3.
Miles chipped away at the deficit with a 46-yard Rourke Davis field goal before Anthony Mix scored on a one-yard run with 47 seconds remaining in the half. The Tigers maintained a 14-12 lead entering the locker room.
Savannah State put together its longest sustained drive of the night midway through the third quarter, marching 67 yards on 16 plays and taking seven minutes off the clock. Woodley finished the possession with a 24-yard field goal to extend the Tigers' advantage to 17-12.
Davis answered with a 29-yard field goal late in the third, trimming Savannah State's lead to 17-15 entering the final quarter.
The Golden Bears moved in front for good with 9:37 remaining when Brinley Vandiver found Jaiden Jones for an 18-yard touchdown pass. The extra point gave Miles a 22-17 advantage.
Davis later added a 26-yard field goal with 1:45 remaining to account for the final margin. He finished the night 4-for-4 on field-goal attempts, connecting from 42, 46, 29 and 26 yards.
Truell completed 9-of-26 passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns for Savannah State. Payne caught two passes for 35 yards and a touchdown, while Clark finished with two receptions for 29 yards and a score. Tristan Sizemore added two receptions for 37 yards.
KJ DeBruce provided a spark on the ground, rushing 11 times for a game-high 82 yards, including a 32-yard run. Savannah State finished with 210 yards of total offense, including 128 through the air and 82 on the ground.
Defensively, freshman Kaiden Stanciel led Savannah State with a game-high 12 tackles, including 10 solo stops and a tackle for loss. Zamarian Williams added nine tackles and a tackle for loss, while Kevin Stokes Jr. finished with six tackles.
Terrell Gordon Jr. recorded an interception for the Tigers, while Anthony Wilson registered Savannah State's lone sack. Jeffrey Jefferson also came up with a blocked punt and returned a punt 27 yards.
Turnovers proved costly for Savannah State. The Tigers committed four turnovers — two interceptions and two lost fumbles — while Miles turned the ball over once. Miles converted the Savannah State miscues into nine points.
Despite the loss, the Tigers converted 7-of-16 third-down opportunities and scored on three of their four trips inside the red zone. Savannah State's defense held Miles to 250 total yards and 81 rushing yards.
Savannah State will remain home next Saturday, Oct. 3, when the Tigers host Allen University at Theodore A. "Ted" Wright Stadium for Military Appreciation and Cancer Awareness Day.
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