TUSKEGEE - In a competitive game where the two leaders atop the SIAC's West Division were gaining their fair share of yards, turnovers and big plays made the difference for the Tuskegee Golden Tigers, as they picked up a 35-7 victory in their 2013 home opener over Stillman College at Cleve L. Abbott Stadium on Saturday.

Stillman and Tuskegee were nearly identical in total yardage, with the visiting Tigers finishing with 374 total yards compared to Tuskegee's 391 yards on offense.  But, the TU defense had a bend-but-don't break attitude when it came to Stillman's drives.  Four of those drives were stalled as a result of failed fourth down conversions.

"The big difference was that the defense didn't give up the big play," Tuskegee coach Willie Slater said.  "There were some things I saw that I didn't like.  But, the main thing was that we were able to prevent anything big from happening to us."

Tuskegee would finally break the game open with a big play of their own in the fourth quarter, when Christopher Anderson found Larry Cobb on a 73-yard flea flicker pass that would give the Golden Tigers a 28-7 lead.

"They packed the box with seven, eight or nine guys in there and we capitalized on it," Slater said.  "They were playing one-on-one with our receivers, and as soon as the quarterback saw the corners commit to the play, he let it go."

Fans of the Golden Tigers have seen the flea flicker used before.  Former TU running back Derrick Washington was involved as quarterback on the same play twice last season, most notably in Tuskegee's 27-25 victory over Alabama State in the Turkey Day Classic last Thanksgiving.

Saturday's flea flicker was one of three consecutive scores in which a touchdown was allowed by the Stillman defense from 37 yards out or further.  Marquel Gardner made a spectacular catch over a SC defender that he initally dropped in the third quarter, and Michael Robinson delivered the nail in the coffin with an 84-yard pick-six late in the game. 

Stillman Coach Teddy Keaton even expressed his thoughts on Twitter about what happened in the second half after the game went final.  The three plays broke open what once was a 14-7 contest, and Keaton let it be known that the game could have been taken by either team when halftime arrived.

@scfan_1 @TUGoldenTigers @gostillman the game was even... The big play.. Period.. TU had 3- SC-0... Period

— Teddy Keaton (@teddyk95) October 19, 2013

After winning their fourth consecutive game, the Golden Tigers return to the site of where they lost their last conference game back in the 2011 season next week.  The Thorobreds of Kentucky State will clash with the Golden Tigers in Frankfort, Ky., with kickoff set for 1:00 p.m. Eastern/Noon Central.