TUSKEGEE, Ala. | For the first time since 1996, the 13th-ranked Tuskegee University Golden Tigers dropped a homecoming game as two fourth quarter touchdowns led Miles to a 26-23 upset victory at Cleve L. Abbott Memorial Alumni Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Golden Tigers took advantage of an early miscue by Miles to score the game's first touchdown just 2:27 in as Kevin Lacey hit Marquel Gardner for a 12-yard score, putting Tuskegee up 7-0.
 
After a Miles field goal trimmed the lead to 7-3, Tuskegee scored again with 9:25 to play in the half when Lacey hit Gardner for a 10-yard pass to extend the lead to 14-3. The Golden Tigers had a chance at the end of the half to extend the lead but were stopped on a fourth and goal with just 30 seconds remaining.
 
Tuskegee pushed the lead to 20-3 when Lacey hit a diving Leo Gilbert for a four-yard score with 6:10 remaining in the contest.
 
That is when Miles made their charge, scoring 23 of the last 26 points of the game to claim the win. The charge started when Jonathan Clark scored from three yards out, followed a blocked punt that resulted in a safety to trim the lead to 20-12.
 
Kemuel Lawrence pushed the lead to 23-12 with a 39-yard field goal, before Miles scored two touchdowns in the final eight minutes to punch their ticket to the championship game.
 
Dennis Norfleet led Tuskegee for the second consecutive game rushing as he picked up 97 yards on 15 carries. As a team, the Golden Tigers rushed for 149 yards, while putting up 158 yards through the air.
 
Gardner led the Golden Tigers with four receptions for 50 yards and the two touchdowns.
 
Defensively, Jewell Ratliff led the way with 12 tackles – his eighth game in double digit tackles this season – while Julian Morgan finished with 11. The Golden Tigers picked off three Miles (6-4, 6-1 SIAC, 5-0 West) passes – one each from Ratliff, Michael Robinson and Jonah McCutcheon.
 
Tuskegee (8-2, 7-1 SIAC, 4-1 West) are now in the waiting game, as they wait for the NCAA Regional rankings to be released next week to see if they will be receive a bid to the NCAA Division II playoffs, as Miles advances to the SIAC championship game next week.
 
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