Tuskegee University Athletics

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Tuskegee University football program lost four turnovers, three fumbles and an interception, which led to 21 Morehouse points in a 31-15 defeat.
 
The Basics
 

• Final Score: Morehouse 31, Tuskegee 15

 

• Records: Tuskegee (2-4, 1-1 SIAC) | Morehouse (1-5, 1-1 SIAC)

 

• Location: Birmingham, Alabama – Legion Field ("The Old Gray Lady")

 

• Series History: Tuskegee Leads 73-30-7

 

• Winning Streak: Morehouse (W1) | Tuskegee's Last Win: October 12, 2019 (21-10)

How It Happened

1st Quarter
 

• Despite not receiving the opening kickoff, the first drive of the game could not have gone much better for the Golden Tigers as an errant snap sailed over the punter's head who kicked it out of the back of the end zone to give Tuskegee a quick two-point advantage (2-0, TU).

 

• Consecutive three-and-outs followed by both sides before Bryson Williams was picked off by Darie Pittman at the TU 38.

 

• MC would pounce on TU's miscue, cashing in on a four-yard bootleg by quarterback Michael Sims to move in front (7-2 MC).

2nd Quarter
 

• Neither side could do much of anything offensively over the first ten minutes of the second before Skegee fumbled the ball back to Morehouse with 3:40 left on the clock at the Golden Tigers' 16.

 

• The Maroon Tigers went all of three yards over the next four plays then subsequently missed the 30-yard field goal attempt to keep the deficit at five for the designated visitors from TU.

 

• Tuskegee would execute the two-minute offense which brought them all the way down to the Morehouse three where it faced a critical fourth down from the three. Louis Williams sold the play fake and Alexander Mitchell came off his "block" to sneak behind the linebackers for a pitch-and-catch three-yard touchdown with 34 seconds remaining in the half (9-7, TU).

 

• Apparently, that was too much time for Sims to work with as he maneuvered the Maroon Tigers to the Tuskegee 29 where placekicker Fernando Sdelamora atoned for his earlier miss with a 46-yarder to give MC a one-point cushion at the intermission.

 

• At one point in the quarter, Jeremy Dees chased Sims 21 yards behind the line of scrimmage while forcing a fumble, resulting in a 2nd-and-42 from Morehouse's own 45 which it failed to convert.

3rd Quarter
 

•  Once again, the defense put the clamps down as neither offense could move the ball through the first half of the third frame.

 

• A muffed punt by the Golden Tigers jump started the MC attack, having no issues in a four-play, 23-yard touchdown drive, capped off by an Earnest Davis rushing score, to up the edge (17-9 MC).

 
4th Quarter
 

• When Tuskegee got the ball at its own 47 with about 12 minutes in regulation, the TU offense had gained 16 combined yards on its previous four drives and things were looking bleak.

 

• One chunk play from Louis Williams to Pritchett turned the tide as the duo connected for a 53-yard touchdown, failing to convert a two-point conversion as the MC lead shrunk to two (17-15, MC).

 

• That would be the last positive outcome for the Golden Tigers on this evening as the next three drives went Morehouse touchdown (24-15, MC), Tuskegee fumble and Morehouse touchdown (31-15, MC) before the game ended with Skegee missing a pass into the endzone from the three yard line as the clock struck triple zeroes.
   

Tuskegee Top Performers
 

•  Louis Williams had his second straight multi-touchdown game through the air, setting season-highs for QBR (196.74) and connected on his longest pass of the year for a 53-yard score. He finished the night with 166 passing yards on just seven completions for an average of 23.71 yards with zero interceptions.

 

• Kobi Mitchell built off his pick-six a week ago with a career-best 7.5 tackles (had two career coming into the game), three quarterback hurries, his first career tackle for loss and his first pass defended of 2021.

 

• Ryan Duff set new personal records in a multitude of categories including total punts (7) and yards (278) with a season-long 48-yard kick while having two of his punts pin Morehouse in its own redzone.

 

• Jamaal Pritchett found paydirt for the second time in the last three outings, hauling in a season-long 53-yard bomb from Louis Williams for his lone catch.

 

• Alexander Mitchell saw his first catch of the campaign go for six, converting a crucial 4th-and-goal from the three into his second career touchdown despite just four career receptions.

 

• Jeremy Dees had the Golden Tigers' one sack, causing a massive 21-yard loss on the play to go along with a season-high five tackles plus a forced fumble.

 

• Woodly Appolon led all defenders on both sides with 11 tackles on the evening, causing a quarterback hurry in the process.

 

• Linebacker Tyler Brown made his collegiate debut, picking up four tackles and a half tackle for loss.

 

• Ivonte Patterson had a solid day, rushing for 3.7 yards per carry over 67 total yards and a long of 31.

 

• Taurean Taylor returned to action after missing several weeks with an injury, toting the rock four times for nine yards as he is now 154 away from 1,000 for his Tuskegee tenure.

Tuskegee will now make its lone trek outside of the Yellowhammer State this season, making the long journey to Wilberforce, Ohio to face the Central State Marauders at 1 p.m. next Saturday.

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