TUSKEGEE, Ala. | The 17th-ranked Tuskegee University Golden Tigers will face their toughest test of the season thus far when they travel up the East Coast to face UNC Pembroke Saturday afternoon.
 
Kickoff is set for 2 pm (est) in Pembroke, and the game will be carried on the Tuskegee Sports Network.
 
Tuskegee (4-0, 1-0 SIAC) travels for the second consecutive week, and the first to North Carolina, to face a UNC Pembroke (3-1) team that has one common opponent this season. The two teams have faced Winston-Salem State, with both picking up wins over the Rams (Tuskegee 28-13; UNC Pembroke 17-7).
 
"They are a very disciplined group," head coach Willie Slater said of this week's opponent. "They hustle, and stay disciplined. They are going to do their assignment and hustle to the ball."
 
That may not be the only common opponent that the will face, as they will battle Hurricane Joaquin out in the Atlantic Ocean. The forecast is calling for a 100% chance of rain throughout the weekend.
 
The Golden Tigers are coming off of a 41-14 victory over Lane in their SIAC opener in which they put up 481 yards of total offense, and held the Dragons to just 230 yards of offense.
 
This season, Tuskegee has had 11 different players carry the ball on offense with quarterback Kevin Lacey leading the way with 213 yards on 29 carries. He is follow closely by Dennis Norfleet with 161 yards on 22 carries, and Kenno Loyal with 150 yards on 30 carries – pacing a rushing attack that is averaging 172.8 yards per game.
 
Through the air, Lacey has connected with 14 different receivers for 641 yards and six touchdowns. Desmond Reece leads all receivers with eight receptions for 183 yards, while Marquel Gardner has seven receptions for 88 yards.
 
Defensively, the Golden Tigers rank nationally in several categories and are led by senior Jewell Ratliff with 46 tackles and two interceptions. Osband Thompson has 34 tackles, while Jonah McCutcheon leads the team with three interceptions.
 
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