TUSKEGEE, Ala. – The Tuskegee football team celebrated the 101s Homecoming with an 18-13 victory over Lane on Saturday afternoon inside of Abbott Memorial Alumni Stadium and the newly named Comegy/Slater Field.
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The win snaps a five-game losing streak and improves Tuskegee to 3-6 overall and 2-5 in the SIAC, while Lane falls to 0-9 and 0-7 in conference play.
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The Golden Tigers jumped out to an early lead and never trailed, using explosive plays, strong defense, and efficient special teams to secure their third win of the season.
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Tuskegee wasted no time establishing momentum on its opening drive, going 69 yards in eight plays. Quarterback
Bryson McGrew capped the series with a perfectly placed 45-yard touchdown strike to wide receiver
Ean Nation, giving the Golden Tigers a 6–0 advantage after a blocked extra-point attempt.
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In the second quarter, the Golden Tigers continued to roll. After a short Lane punt,
Lorcan Ryans connected on a 32-yard field goal to extend the lead to 9-0. Just two minutes later, the Tuskegee defense made a statement when
Timarcus Grayson broke through the Lane backfield for a sack and forced fumble in the end zone, resulting in a safety that pushed the lead to 11-0.
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Tuskegee added another score before halftime when McGrew found
Jermaine Hardy Jr. for an 8-yard touchdown to cap a 75-yard drive and give the Golden Tigers an 18-0 cushion with just under four minutes remaining in the half.
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Lane answered quickly with its biggest play of the day, a 65-yard touchdown pass from Nick Billups to Markerious Johnson, trimming the deficit to 18-7 heading into the break.
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The Dragons pulled closer in the third quarter when John Christian punched in a 2-yard score to cap a 48-yard dive, bringing Lane within five at 18-13 after a failed two-point attempt.
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Late in the fourth quarter, the Golden Tigers sealed the victory when defensive back
Mikael King Jr. intercepted Billoups' pass at the Tuskegee 7-yard line with under five minutes to play. The offense ran out the remaining time to seal the win.
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Offensively, McGrew completed 13-of-24 passes for 114 yards and two scores, connecting with seven different receivers. Nation led all pass catchers with six receptions for 68 yards and a touchdown, while Hardy Jr. also caught a touchdown in the win.
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On the ground, Tuskegee rushed for a season-high 167 yards, paced by
Renoldo Spivey Jr. with 67 yards on just three carries, including a 64-yard burst, and McGrew with 57 yards.
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Defensively, Tuskegee limited Lane to just 211 total yards and 59 rushing yards on 39 attempts.
Devon Irving Jr. finished with a game-high 12 tackles, while
Masiah Wells and
Timarcus Grayson both added eight stops and a combined three sacks and two forced fumbles.
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Ryans went 1-for-2 on field goals and averaged 63.0 yards per kickoff, while punter
Callum Brent averaged 35.3 yards on three punts with one inside the 20.
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For Lane, quarterback Billoups went 10-for-17 for 152 yards and one touchdown, while Christian led the team with 28 rushing yards and a score. Johnson finished with four receptions for 99 yards, including his 65-yards touchdown.
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Up Next
Tuskegee will hit the road next Saturday, traveling to take on rival Miles at Legion Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m., with live coverage on ESPN+.
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www.goldentigersports.com.
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