Wildcats Showcase New Stadium Improvements, Host Marauders Saturday Afternoon

10/8/2021 12:07:00 AM

By: Chris Myers

FORT VALLEY, Ga. – The Wildcats anticipated live showing of the new their home field improvements is finally here. Fort Valley State hosts Central State this Saturday, Oct. 9 where its Wildcat Stadium upgrades will on display.
      After weeks of construction, which caused the first home game to be played up the road at Peach County High School three weeks ago, are now completed, FVSU (3-2/1-0 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference East) football is ready to show off to all its fans, alumni and guests the new field turf playing and track surfaces against Central State (1-4/0-2 SIAC West) in a 2 p.m. kick-off.
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Central State at FVSU
Sat., Oct. 9, 2 p.m.
Wildcat Stadium
Tickets
Watch Live
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Wildcat Stadium Welcoming Home Crowd for First Time in Almost Two Years
     It was the wettest day in many years for Homecoming. On Oct. 19, 2019, FVSU hosted Morehouse College and ran out to a 20-0 lead on a wet field. The Wildcats held a 23-6 halftime advantage and 37-14 lead after 45 minutes as the rain increased as the game progressed. Following an over hour-and-a-half weather delay, FVSU completed the 37-21 win on a field where large parts were "lakes of water."
      This Saturday marks 721 days since the 2019 Homecoming affair. Since that flooding wet afternoon, Wildcat Stadium will look much different since that day. Saturday will mark the first athletic event played on the newly installed blue-and-gold accented field turf playing surface and new black track around the field.

Wildcats Seek Third-Straight Contest
     After a two-game stumble, FVSU found the Columbia, S.C., area to its liking the last couple weekends. The Wildcats surged over the .500 mark to 3-2 on the year with back-to-back road wins over Allen University (56-20) and last Saturday against Benedict College (24-14).
      FVSU's foe, Central State comes into the matchup with three losses in a row. The Marauders three defeats came on the road at Shaw (52-0) and Miles (55-4), while they dropped a closer home decision to Allen (46-34).

FVSU Seek Repeat of Last Game vs. Benedict
     Teams always want to repeat any kind of success and FVSU's outcome in the last time on the gridiron against Benedict would be one of these occasions.
      In 2019 trailing 3-0 after one quarter, FVSU kicked things into gear in the second stanza. The Wildcats outscored the Tigers, 29-6, in the second and never was challenged again in the afternoon for the 50-16 final.
      The Wildcats offense outgained the Tigers by the wide margin of 532 to 275 yards on 15 more plays from scrimmage. The FVSU defense forced 11 Benedict punts, a season-high seven sacks and four fumbles.
     After a tough 4 for 13 first quarter for 22 yards, Jarman found his grove and so did the FVSU offense. The senior went 21 of 30 covering 369 yards and 6 touchdowns over the next two-and-a-half quarters. On the night, the Wildcats quarterback was 25 of 43 for 391 yards and 6 touchdowns. He also ran eight times for 19 yards
    Jahseari Patterson led a ball-hungry defense as he recorded 3.5 tackles for loss of 22 yards, two sacks, forced a fumble, two quarterback hurries and a team-high seven tackles.

FVSU Looks to Even Series vs. Central State
     In a still relatively young series, Saturday marks the 12^th meeting between Central State-FVSU. The first 11 contests have been a series of three streaks where FVSU took the first two and dropped the next six, before taking the last trio of games, which gives Central State a 6-5 slim advantage.
      11 Series Scores:
      2019 – FVSU 77, at CSU 34
      2017 – FVSU 24, at CSU 19
      2016 – at FVSU 30, CSU 28
      1992 – CSU 33, FVSU 0
      1989 – CSU 36, FVSU 18
      1988 – CSU 21, FVSU 7
      1987 – CSU 23, FVSU 8
      1985 – CSU 14, FVSU 7
      1984 – CSU 27, FVSU 20
      1973 – FVSU 28, CSU 17
      1972 – FVSU 70, CSU 6

Wildcats Explode in 2019 in Wilberforce, Ohio
     After trailing 14-9 with one quarter in the books, FVSU exploded for 68 points in the final three periods on Central State's home field in the October 12, 2019 meeting.
      Down by the five points, the Wildcats offense scored twice, before identical 68-yard fumble recovery returns for touchdowns in the final 3:22 of the first half and pushed them ahead 37-20 at intermission. FVSU added five more second-half scores and a field goal of a 40-14 second half, before the 77-34 final.
      The two teams combined for 1,115 yards of total offense with the Wildcats accounting for 592 yards, 482 passing. The 2019 SIAC Offensive Player of the Year Slade Jarman passed for 386 yards on 33 of 48 attempts with 4 touchdowns including a two-yard rushing score to top it off. He completed passes to 11 different receivers.
      Central State rushed for 316 yards of its 523 total yards.

FVSU Seals Victory Over Benedict with Late Field Goal
     After Fort Valley State took a late-second quarter lead, it never gave it up over the final 33-plus minutes on the way for the 24-14 win at Benedict College last weekend.
      With 3:48 left in the game, Wildcats kicker Andre Labat slide a 38-yard field goal over the cross bar to make it a two-score game, 24-14. The field goal capped a long 12-play, 57-yard drive, which took 6:09 off the fourth-quarter clock.
      Between Tyler Moore kick-started the FVSU defensive efforts and Emmanuel Wilson's rushing, the Wildcats controlled the play most of the day. Moore swiped a Tigers' pass and returned it 40 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown with 1:09 remaining in the first frame. Wilson found the end zone for the second and third Wildcats scores from three and two yards as part of his 122 rushing yards on 27 carries to pace the offense.
      FVSU outgained the top SIAC offense, 341-233, on the day. The Wildcats posted a balanced attack with 192 passing yards by Tyrell Jackson and 149 on the ground. The visitors also held a 10:24 advantage in time of possession.
     Jackson completed 14 of 23 attempts for 192 yards. He connect on two key long passes of 42 and 48 yards to Tajee Steele, who had 4 catches for 117 yards and his first 100-yard game, to set up Wilson's two short scoring plunges on ensuing plays with 3:48 in the second quarter and 6:17 left in the third.
     Defensively, Jahseari Patterson paced the unit with seven tackles, a sack and two tackles for loss. Along with the interception for a touchdown, Moore had two breakups and two tackles. Noah Waller added six stops and 2.5 tackles for loss, while Zaquan Baldwin registered a sack.

Allen Pulls Out Win in High-Scoring Game over Central State
     With 48 combined points put on the scoreboard in the first 15 minutes, Allen pulled out the road win with the final score of the game and 46-34 final score over Central State.
      CSU opened the afternoon on a high note, scoring four touchdowns on its first five drives. Quarterback Tyriq Henderson connected with Dalane Brown II for a 13 yard strike to open the Marauder scoring and ran it in himself for CSU's second score. Henderson later found a streak Said Sidibe for a 40-yard score through the air and freshman Demonte' Dunlap alluded Allen defenders for a 45-yard touchdown run.
     While the offense was off to a hot start, Allen continued to answer the Marauders. Jermaine Alston and Montrell White scored on the ground while quarterback David Wright connected with Jamal Jones to keep the Yellow Jackets with four points of CSU. Wright threw a pair of touchdowns and ran one in during the second quarter. CSU recorded the second safety in two weeks as Jaidon Seay tackled an AU receiver in the endzone but that would be the only points of the quarter for the Marauders, who trailed 40-28 at halftime.
     CSU pulled within six as Henderson led the Marauders on a 72-yard drive capped off by a 28 yard touchdown toss to Brown II with 8:57 to play in the third quarter. Allen struck last with 9:42 remaining with the final touchdown to cap a 72-yard drive.

FVSU Rates Among SIAC Best
     With five games played, FVSU rates among best in the SIAC in various stat categories:
     Offense:
      2^nd – Scoring Offense (28.2 ppg)
      2^nd – Sacks Against (7)
      4^th – Total Offense (345.6 yds/gm)
      Individual:
1^st – Rushing - Emmanuel Wilson (102.5 – 2 gms*)
1^st – Scoring – Emmanuel Wilson (13.0 ppg*)
1^st – Kick Returns – Hakeem Ellington (25.0 yds/return)
2^nd – Total Offense – Tyrell Jackson (241.4 yds/gm)
      2^nd – Passing Yards – Tyrell Jackson (244.4 yds/gm)
      4^th – Receptions/Game – Erron Price (5.4/gm)
      Defense:
      1^st – Rush Defense (87.2 yds/gm)
      1^st – Sacks (19)
      4^th – Total Offense (308.6 yds/gm)
      6^th – Scoring Defense (19.0 ppg)
      Individual:
      1^st – Tackles for Loss – Antonio Golden (9.5)
     2^nd – Sacks – Zaquan Baldwin (5)
      2^nd – Forced Fumbles – Zaquan Baldwin (3)
      2^nd – Passes Defended – Tyler Moore (6)
      2^nd – Interceptions – Tyler Moore & Christian Maddox (2)
      2^nd – Sacks – Antonio Golden (4.5)
      4^TH – Tackles for Loss – Noah Waller (6.5)
      4^th – Passes Defended – Michael Hicks, Jr. (4)
* Has not played in enough games to qualify in rankings yet

FVSU Treks to Atlanta for Clash at Morehouse Next
     After Saturday's home game, FVSU treks to Atlanta next weekend (Oct. 16) in a SIAC East clash at Morehouse. Kick-off will be 2 p.m.

-Wildcats-

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Wildcats Showcase New Stadium Improvements, Host Marauders Saturday Afternoon