MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- Despite giving up more than 500 yards of offense and allowing 32 first downs, Tuskegee still had a final opportunity to take home a win Saturday night in the annual Tuskegee-Morehouse Classic.
But a last-chance field goal by kicker
Lorcan Ryans from 59 yards - which would have been a career-best - was well short and gave the Maroon Tigers a 30-28 win at Cramton Bowl in what was a back-and-forth affair in front of an announced crowd of 12,500. It was the second straight loss in the series for the Golden Tigers (2-3, 2-1 SIAC) and both have come in heartbreaking fashion as Morehouse has found a way to make fourth-quarter scores stand up.
The teams traded scored from the outset. Khalib Johnson threw two touchdown passes, the first came on a 24-yard strike to
Rashad Wilson, Jr. to give Tuskegee a 7-3 lead in the first quarter. The Golden Tigers trailed 9-7 at halftime but
Ja'Khael Rowser bust loose for a 77-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage in the third quarter to put TU back in front. Morehouse quarterback Miles Scott threw for 392 yards and 12 of them came on a touchdown pass to Chase DeVaughn on the ensuing drive to re-establish a two-point lead. Still, Johnson wasted little time answering that score with another touchdown pass, this to
Preston Parker from 17 yards away as the scoreboard see-saw continued.
Morehouse would go into the fourth quarter with the lead when Savion Red finished a 10-play, 90-yard drive with his second rushing touchdown of the contest - a 4-yard saunter - that gave the Marron Tigers a 23-21 advantage. Tuskegee looked to go three-and-out on its first series in the fourth but caught a break when a fumbled punt was recovered by
Henry Lee at the Maroon Tigers' 7. Three plays later, Rowser punched it in from a yard out and the Golden Tigers went back ahead 28-23.
But on its next possession, Morehouse quickly moved the ball up field before Scott hit Red for a 22-yard touchdown pass that gave the Maroon Tigers the lead with nine minutes remaining. The teams traded punts, which gave Tuskegee one final crack at pulling out the win when it got the ball with 57 seconds remaining. It looked as if the Golden Tigers would not get a good opportunity to put the winning points on the board but a roughing the passer penalty with no time left on the clock moved the ball to the Morehouse 42 and gave Ryans and his big leg one final chance to pull out the win.
Johnson passed for 212 yards and two touchdowns, Rowser had 138 yards rushing on 12 carries and
EJ Hall (three catches, 88 yards) and Wilson (four catches, 81 yards) did the heavy offensive lifting.
Kenley Neal had a game-high 11 tackles, Calvin Townes, Jr. had nine stops and an interception,
Masiah Wells had eight tackles (1.5 tackles for loss), and
Yonis Descieux (seven tackles) and
Braylon Jessie (seven tackles, four tackles for loss, one sack) were the defensive leaders for Tuskegee, which travels to play Central State on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for noon.
