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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
