ALBANY, GA - In a game that Albany State led since they scored their first touchdown midway through the second quarter, a late fourth-quarter touchdown by Tuskegee running back Hoderick Lowe gave the Golden Tigers the separation they needed in earning a hard-fought 19-13 victory over Albany State on the road on Saturday night.

Tuskegee (2-0) escaped out of the ASU Coliseum despite having four fumbles and two turnovers against the Golden Rams (0-2) in a rare non-conference game between SIAC opponents.  A blocked punt by Kaleep Williams late in the third quarter allowed for a major momentum shift, and Tuskegee was able to take over and score on a QB rush from the goal line.  This tied up the game after two field goals from Albany State's Zachary Holley extended their lead to a touchdown after leading 7-6 at the half.

Tuskegee Coach Willie Slater said that much of the difficulty in the game was brought upon by their own mistakes, as the Golden Tigers fumbled the football four times and had three turnovers in the game.

"We were making mistakes and having problems with the snap, which was setting up problems with plays on second and long and third and long," Slater said.  "We also had a fumble near the endzone close to the end of the first half.  Luckily, we were able to get the ball back and kick a field goal before the half ended, but then we had another fumble with the fullback right at the start of the second half."

Quarterback Justin Nared was 11-of-19 on the evening, throwing for 173 yards and an interception.  Linebacker Quavon Taylor had a total of 11 tackles to lead the Golden Tigers, and he also had a key pass breakup to lead the defense, which struggled with Albany's offense through much of the first three quarters.

The defense allowed the majority of the yards on offense during the first half, and Albany State outgained Tuskegee 388 yards to 241 yards for the game.  But, there was a key sequence during Albany State's second possession in which the Golden Rams could have legitimately scored on three different passing plays from inside Tuskegee's 30-yard line.

"They kept them out of the end zone," Slater said.  "That was the difference in the game; holding them to three downs and was able to not allow a touchdown."

After Tuskegee was able to get the ball back in a tied game with just under 14 minutes remaining in the contest, the offense was stuck in a third-down situation at Albany State's 40-yard line.  Another third down stop would have given Albany more than enough time to march down the field and go out back in front to earn their first win of the season.  But, Nared and wide receiver Marquel Gardner had other plans.

Gardner finished the night with six catches for 129 yards, but none was bigger than the 33-yard grab that he leaped to catch with one hand, putting Tuskegee at the Golden Rams' seven-yard line.

"It was a big pass play on third down," Slater said.  "The quarterback did a good job of making his adjustments.  We had been working on that specific play for the last few years now, and Marquel was actually the third read in the formation."

Six plays later, the freshman running back from Atlanta's Grady High School would have the game's biggest play of the night, running around ASU's defensive line on his right side and diving into the endzone with his right hand to put TU on top for good.  The extra point was blocked, but the Golden Tigers would force a three and out on defense before getting the back back with 2:22 remaining, where they would run the clock out.

Two key field goals were kicked by freshman Trevor Wylie, who nailed a 32-yarder to give TU a 3-0 lead, and a 34-yarder to cut Albany State's lead down to one-point right before halftime.

Next week, the biggest HBCU game of the entire 2013 season looms, as the two powerhouse programs in NCAA Divsion II face off against each other in Cleveland, OH.  Winston-Salem State University hosts Tuskegee in the 2013 Cleveland Classic at FirstEnergy Stadium.  Even though the game is being played at a neutral site, Slater is calling it a road game for his team, given that the NCAA Division II National Runners-Up played Morehouse in the very same game last year and earned a resounding 55-21 victory, exactly one year from last Sunday.

"Hopefully, we can make it a good football game," Slater said.  "They are a very good football team, and we will have to play our very best in order to stay on the field with them.  They played Morehouse in Cleveland last year, so they are more familiar with the stadium, and this is our first time playing in it.  So, we know that we have work to do."