MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Football season is back upon us, and with that comes the season-opening Boeing Red Tails Classic between Tuskegee and Fort Valley State, in the historic Cramton Bowl.

These two Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) rivals will meet for the second consecutive year to start the season, as the Golden Tigers look to avenge last year's 30-0 loss. Game time is set for 6 p.m. on ESPNU.

GAME INFORMATION
Kick: 6:00 pm
Site: Montgomery, Ala. / Cramton Bowl
Watch Live
Game Notes (.pdf)

HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN
Watch: ESPNU
Listen: Tuskegee Digital Network (Tuskegee Athletics Facebook)
 
THE SERIES
Series Record: Tuskegee leads 32-21-2
Last Meeting: Fort Valley State defeated Tuskegee, 30-0
First Meeting: Tuskegee defeated Fort Valley State, 26-0
 
PREGAME FESTIVITIES

• Fan Fest begins at 2:00 pm (Cramton Bowl)
• Gates open at 3:00 pm
• Tuskegee Pep Rally takes place at 4:30 pm

 
GAME NOTES

• Tuskegee and Fort Valley State will meet again in the season opener as part of the Boeing Red Tails Classic. ESPN Events announced in 2021 the creation of the Classic to celebrate Historically Black Colleges and Universities and honor the Tuskegee Airmen who fought in World War II.
• A Golden Tiger win would be Tuskegee's 700th official victory all-time, keeping them as the second winningest program in Division II college football history, and most all time among HBCUs.
• A win would also give new head coach Reginald Ruffin his 66th victory as a head coach and first at Tuskegee University. It would also improve Ruffin's record in season openers to 6-2 and be his sixth consecutive win to start a season.
• For the second consecutive year, the Boeing Red Tails Classic will be broadcast live on ESPNU at 6 pm (CT). The Golden Tigers will also conclude the season with four of their last five games on ESPN+, giving them five games on the family of networks this season.
• The Tuskegee Football program will meet Fort Valley State for the 56th time in team history, and the first time for the Golden Tigers under the direction Ruffin.
• The Golden Tigers lead the all-times series with Fort Valley State 32-21-2, with the last meeting coming in 2021. The two met last year to date in the inaugural Boeing Red Tails Classic with Fort Valley State coming out on top 30-0. The win by the Wildcats was their first in the series since 2010, ending a stretch of six consecutive wins for the Golden Tigers in the series.
• Tuskegee is 66-52-3 all-time in season openers in years of known data. The Golden Tigers are looking for their first win in a season-opener since defeating Alabama State, 14-6 in the Labor Day Classic in 2017. Since that game, Tuskegee fell to the Hornets in consecutive season openers in 2018 and 2019 by scores of 26-20 and 38-31 respectively, followed by Fort Valley last season. The Golden Tigers are 2-3 in the last five season openers, with the other win being against Clark Atlanta in 2016.
• This year's version of the Golden Tigers is reuniting numerous former teammates and former coaches, starting with Ruffin's re­turn as Head Coach and Director of Athletics, after serving as the defensive coordinator and linebacker coach at Tuskegee from 2006-10.
• Also returning to the staff is offensive coordinator Aaron James, coming by way of Bethune-Cookman. James, offensive line coach Fred Ellis and linebackers coach Kelvin Powell are all former Golden Tiger teammates, including being on the repeat HBCU National Championship teams (2000-01), going 23-1 over two years.
• New Tuskegee wide receivers coach, Clinton Smith, also reunites with a pair of former players in transfer quarter­back Ryan Nettles (Evergreen, Ala.) and senior defensive lineman Jeremy Dees (Evergreen, Ala.), whom he coached while at Hillcrest High School in Evergreen, while running backs coach James Thompson was the former head coach at Carver High School where he coached UAB transfer linebacker Andre Howard (Montgomery, Ala.).
• Tuskegee was picked to finish third in the SIAC West Division behind Lane and Miles. Albany State was picked to take the East Division in the preseason poll on a vote by the league's head coaches and sports information directors.
• After losing their leading rusher from last season Ivonte Patterson (733 yards) to graduation, Tuskegee looked to reload in the offensive backfield with a variety of newcomers, highlighted by Miles transfer Donte Edwards (Mobile, Ala.). Edwards ran for a combined 1,761 yards over the last two seasons for the Golden Bears along with 19 touchdowns in 23 games, on his way to being named Second Team All-SIAC in 2021.
• Tuskegee will bring back several experienced players on the offensive line this season, with four key returners. Nate Harrison (Tuskegee, Ala.) leads the way as the lone All-SIAC member on the unit with 25 games played, followed by Jhaelyn West (Baton Rouge, La.) with 21, Shaun Stitten (Birmingham, Ala.) with eight and George Ball III (Jackson, Ga.) with seven. The Golden Tigers also added transfer Jalen Franks (Mendehall, Miss.) along with four freshmen to the roster.
• Senior running back Taurean Taylor (Scottdale, Ga.) is looking to get back to his 2019 form after battling injuries for the majority of 2021. After rushing for 197 yards on just 28 carries as a freshman, Taylor led the team in rushing as a sophomore with nearly 600 yards two seasons ago on 99 carries, good for six yards per attempt. The back also scored six touchdowns on the year.

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