TUSKEGEE, Ala. – The Tuskegee University football team came up short in its return home on Saturday afternoon, falling 28-13 to Allen inside the Cleve L. Abbott Memorial Alumni Stadium.
The loss marked the Golden Tigers' sixth straight defeat, dropping them to 2-6 overall and 1-5 in the SIAC, while Allen improved to 3-5 overall and 3-3 in SIAC play.
Tuskegee's defense started strong in front of the home crowd, forcing an early three-and-out and keeping Allen off the board until later in the quarter, when Fabian Duncan's 1-yard run gave the Yellow Jackets a 7-0 lead.
Quarterback Jamir Dismukes added a second touchdown on a short carry in the second quarter to make it 14-0 before Tuskegee answered with a steady drive capped by a 28-yard field goal from Lorcan Ryans, cutting the deficit to 14-3 at halftime.
The Golden Tigers carried that momentum into the third quarter, as Ryans connected from 44 yards out to make the score 14-6 after the first drive. Quincy Crawford then forced and recovered a fumble to give Tuskegee the ball back, but the offense came up empty on turning the ball over with a fumble of its own.
Allen took advantage of the missed opportunity, extending its lead to 21-6 on Duncan's second touchdown late in the third, before Dismukes found Nanders Lawrence for a 13-yard scoring pass early in the fourth to make it 28–6.
Tuskegee continued to battle late, as backup quarterback Miachael Franklin entered the game and provided a spark on a late drive.
Franklin led a seven-play, 44-yard series and connected with Preston Parker on a 36-yard touchdown strike down the right sideline with 3:46 remaining, trimming the deficit to 28-13.
The Golden Tigers attempted an onside kick but Allen recovered and ran out the clock to seal the win.
Tuskegee finished with 277 total yards of offense on 58 plays, while Allen totaled 394 yards on 57 plays. Yapoor completed 11-of-16 passes for 127 yards, and Franklin added 77 yards and a touchdown on 7-of-9 passing.
Parker led all receivers with four receptions for 94 yards and a touchdown, while Hall and Nation combined for 54 yards through the air. Rowser paced the ground game with 52 yards on seven carries, and Johnny Morris added 40 yards on seven attempts.
Defensively, Devon Irving Jr. led Tuskegee with nine total tackles, while Crawford, Kimber, and Ka'Ron Noird each added seven. Crawford's forced fumble and recovery was the team's lone takeaway, while Callum Brent contributed a strong day on special teams, averaging 46.5 yards per punt, including a 61-yard boot. Ryans connected on two of three field goals (28 and 44 yards) and converted his lone extra point attempt.
For Allen, Dismukes finished 14-of-17 for 210 passing yards with one touchdown and added 71 yards and a score on the ground, while Duncan led all rushers with 114 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries. Fleming caught four passes for 92 yards, and Lawrence added two receptions for 22 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, Amarie Fleming recorded 2.5 sacks, and the Yellow Jackets' unit totaled nine sacks and 11 tackles for loss.
The Golden Tigers will look to regroup and close out the season on a high note as they host Lane for Homecoming on next weekend at Alumni Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m., with live coverage on the Golden Tiger Sports Network.
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