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Wildcats Aim to Reverse Trend Versus Tigers on PinkOut Night

10/4/2023 6:10:00 PM

By: Chris Myers
FORT VALLEY, Ga. – After two road trips, the Wildcats return to their Middle Georgia home this weekend. Fort Valley State aims to reverse the trend against Savannah State on PinkOut Breast Cancer Awareness Night.
 
The Wildcats and Tigers take to the Wildcat Stadium field turf surface in their Saturday evening clash starting at 6 p.m.
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Savannah State at FVSU
Sat., Oct. 7, 6 p.m.
Wildcat Stadium
(A Cashless facility)
Fort Valley, Ga.
Tickets
Live Stats
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Wildcat Stadium Continues to be a Cashless Facility
     In keeping with all other facilities, Wildcat Stadium will continue to be a Cashless Facility this weekend. This means all tickets, parking and tailgating will be made online. All three can be purchased right now at: wildcatticketoffice.com.
 
FVSU vs. Savannah State – 54th Meeting
           With Saturday's kick-off, it will be the 54th time FVSU and Savannah State has met on the football field.
       The Wildcats have recorded 35 victories with three ties in the first 53 meetings for a .689 winning percentage.
      After returning to the SIAC four years ago, the Tigers have claimed each of the three meetings of the series -- 2019 in Savannah with a 53-24 final, 24-6 in 2021 at Fort Valley and last year (2022) in Macon by a 28-24 tally.
     The Wildcats have gone 8-5 in the last 13 contests of the series. FVSU had won five of the last six outcomes before SSU's return to the league.
      Last 13 Scores:
      2022 – SSU 28, FVSU 24 (@Macon)
      2021 – SSU 24, @FVSU 6
      2019 – @SSU 53, FVSU 24
      2014 – FVSU 42, @SSU 28
      2013 – @SSU 27, FVSU 20
      2010 – FVSU 41, SSU 10 (at Macon)
      2007 – FVSU 33, SSU 2
      2002 – FVSU 25, SSU 6
      2001 – FVSU 35, SSU 0
      2000 – SSU 37, FVSU 13
      1999 – FVSU 35, SSU 25
      1998 – FVSU 28, SSU 10
      1997 – FVSU 12, SSU 3
 
Gibbs Tries for First Win over Tigers
      After only 15 games at the helm, FVSU Head Coach Shawn Gibbs secured his 12th win as a collegiate head coach (12-3 & .800) last weekend and looks for the 'baker's dozen' this Saturday night.
     It will be the first of two contests for the Wildcat director to even his mark against a foe he fell to in his inaugural year. FVSU posted an 8-2 record last fall with the only defeats to Savannah State and Benedict College, the team's next two opponents.

Series Last Meeting: Wildcats Game-Winning Drive Score Taken Away, Allows Tigers Escape for the Win

     Macon, Ga. -- In one of the toughest endings in recent seasons, the Wildcats celebrated and moments later had it taken away. With 18 seconds left in the game from the Savannah State 32-yard line, Fort Valley State quarterback Kelvin Durham connected with Fralon Warren in the back right of the end zone and moments later had the play overturned. Following a defensive pass interference in the end zone on the next play, FVSU had one last pass attempt fall short and allowed Savannah State to escape with the 28-24 football win in the Central City HBCU Classic Saturday night.
     After the Tigers defense raced a fumble 34 yards to rush into the lead, 21-17, with 10:09, the Wildcats answered right back. FVSU drove 66 yards on 10 plays with Emanuel Wilson taking care of the final 35 yards on four-straight carries, including the final 10 yards for a 24-21 advantage with 5:22 remaining.
     Savannah State, though, had its own response. On the 10th-play of the drive, Jadon Adams leaned forward enough to break the plain of the goal line on 3rd-and-goal with 1:03 left for a 28-24 advantage.
     Taking over on their own 35-yardline, Durham hit Hakeem Ellington over the middle and targeting flags flew from the Tigers secondary. After a lone conference, the targeting was taken away, as well as, the catch. Durham, though, hit Wilson and Warren on back-to-back passes totaling 43 yards to the SSU 27-yard with 34 seconds still left. Following a offensive line false start and a short incompletion, the Durham to Warren reversed continued the final trio of tough plays to end the FVSU night.
     After only having only two yards rushing in the first half, the SIAC's leading back, Wilson ran for 117 yards in the final 30 minutes to finish with 119 on 25 carries and scoring runs of 20 and 10 yards. He also pulled in four passes for 52 yards.
     Durham completed 12 of 25 pass attempts for 146 yards and an 11-yard scoring strike to Warren in the second frame and rushed for 54 yards on six carries. Warren finished with two catches for 35 yards, while Corintheus Edmonds totaled 34 yards on three passes and Shaw Robinson added 25 yards on two receptions.
     Kentrell Lawson paced the FVSU defense with 13 tackles and Adeon Farmer had eight stops with both having 1.5 tackles for loss. Deon Andrew and Tyler Moore chipped in seven and six tackles. Amaury Hutchinson and Lataj Wright picked off Tiger passes in the first half.
     Savannah State outgained FVSU by a 372-330 margin. Quarterback Adams ran 109 yards on 11 carries with the majority coming from the game's first score coming on 60 yards. Shamarcus Poole finished with 81 yards on 20 carries with a two-yard score.
    FVSU did have its first-half chances to get points and establish control in the first half. Following a SSU punt on the game's opening drive, Durham raced 43 yards down the right sideline on the second FVSU offensive play to the 11-yardline. Wilson carried the ball to the Tiger two-yardline on the next three plays, but the back was stopped on 4th-and-two for no gain.
     The Wildcat defense saw Hutchinson pick off a pass batted at the line of scrimmage on the visiting five-yard line with 5:00 left in the first period. Wright made it two FVSU interceptions on the first play of the second quarter. The Wildcats were forced to punt after both interceptions and kept the Tigers close and in the game.
     Tied at 7-7 at intermission, FVSU went ahead for the first time right away on only four plays having the ball first in the third quarter. Wilson ran for the first 20 yards on the opening two carries and rumbled in from 20 yards to finish the 55-yard drive and first lead of the night, 14-7, only 1:39 into the half. Five minutes later, Rodney Williams connected on a 29-yard field goal for the largest lead of the night for either team, 17-7.
    
FVSU Slides up to No. 6 in HBCU D2 Coaches Poll
     After being stuck at No. 7 the past three weeks, FVSU moved up one spot to No. 6 in the latest HBCU D2 Coaches Poll.

HBCU D2 Coaches Poll: Benedict still tops, slight shifts in poll
boxtorow.com
     The Benedict Tigers received all but one first place votes and is once again No. 1 in the HBCU Division II Coaches Poll powered by BOXTOROW.
     Virginia State remained the No. 2 team. No. 3 Virginia Union and No. 4 Tuskegee switched places from last week. TU fell to Alabama A&M, its first loss of the season, but received the other first place vote.
     All of the teams in the poll were in the poll last week with No. 5 Miles No. 6 Fort Valley State, and No. 9 Johnson C. Smith moving up one spot each. No. 7 West Virginia State and No. 8 Fayetteville State both moved up two spots, while No. 10 Allen, who dropped its first game of the season last week to FVSU, fell to spots.
     The HBCU Division II Coaches Poll powered by BOXTOROW is administered by BOXTOROW, and is voted on by the HBCU NCAA Division II coaches.
2023 HBCU Division II Coaches Poll powered by BOXTOROW
Week 5
(Records as of September 30, 2023)
No. Team W-L Pts Last Week
1 Benedict (20) 5-0 209 1
2 Virginia State 5-0 188 2
3 Virginia Union 4-1 143 4
4 Tuskegee (1) 4-1 133 3
5 Miles 4-1 129 6
6 Fort Valley State 4-1 113 7
7 West Virginia State 4-1 73 9
8 Fayetteville State 3-2 51 T-10
9 Johnson C. Smith 4-1 46 T-10
10 Allen 4-1 30 8
 
Others receiving votes: Others receiving votes: Bowie State (3-2) 26, Albany State (3-2) 10, Savannah State (2-3) 2, Livingstone (1-4) 1.
(1st place votes in parentheses)

Last Meeting in Fort Valley: Tigers Make Opening-Drive Score Stand, Hold Off Wildcats

          (October 30, 2021) - On a true fall weather day, the Wildcats found Saturday afternoon to be a tough one. Savannah State found pay dirt on the football game's opening drive and held off Fort Valley State, 24-6, in Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play.
     In an nine-minute opening drive, the visiting Tigers (7-2/5-1 SIAC East) methodically worked their way down the field until quarterback D'Vonn Gibbons dove into the end zone from three yards out for the 7-0 lead to cap a 13-play, 72-yard drive. Late in the second frame, Savannah State picked off passes in back-to-back FVSU (5-4/3-2 SIAC East) possessions and converted both into scores of one-yard and five yards on a combined four plays for a 21-0 margin the home team would not be able to recover.
     Despite being outscored by 18 points, FVSU was narrowly outgained, 211-190, in a more defensive contest. The two SIAC foes combined for only 103 yards passing with the defenses posting seven sacks and 20 tackles for loss.
     Running back Emanuel Wilson was the game's lone star. The SIAC top rusher ran for 130 yards on only 17 carries for a 7.6-yard per carry average with his 15-yard scoring run. It was Wilson's third outing of 130-plus yards in six games.
     The senior defensive end Wildcat tandem of Antonio Golden and Jahseari Patterson combined for 19 tackles, six tackles for loss, two sacks and four quarterback hurries. The SIAC tackles for loss leader, Golden, recorded 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks of his 11 stops. Patterson had his season-high of eight tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a half sack. Tyler Moore, who also forced a fumble, and Michael Hicks Jr. added seven and six tackles.
     After being stopped on the visitor 49-yardline to open the second half, FVSU took advantage of its short punt hitting a Savannah State player and gained possession back on the SSU 27-yardline. Wilson took care of all 27 yards with a 12-yard first carry and never stopped churning his legs for the final 15 yards into the end zone to cut the deficit to 21-6 at 10:40 in the third quarter.
     The Wildcats, though, were unable to make another appearance in Tigers territory for the final 28 minutes to get any closer.

FVSU Last Week: Wildcats Set Tone Early, Capitalize Late to Defeat Yellow Jackets

BLYTHEWOOD, S.C. – The Wildcats second visit to Westwood High School was as successful as the first. Fort Valley State set the early tone with three touchdowns in the first nine minutes and Kelvin Durham sealed the victory with touchdown passes following the team's third and fourth interceptions for the 49-21 gridiron final over Allen University.
     Durham and the FVSU offense set the tone from the start. The redshirt sophomore quarterback found Brandon Marshall from 25 yards on the game's opening possession, and he hit Fralon Warren from 20 yards after a home three-and-out for a two-score lead. Kamari Blankumsee picked off Allen's first play of the next possession and returned it 16 yards for a 21-0 margin only 8:48 into the night.
     The Wildcats had the second half answer each time for the Yellow Jackets. Allen pulled to within 35-21 by the end of the third frame only to see Malik Harp snatch the third FVSU interception and return it 23 yards to the home 11-yardline. Durham connected on his fourth scoring pass, this time to Jaren Lawson, on the second play for a 42-21 score.
     The Yellow Jackets came right back and drove 75 yards only to see Dylan Stokes pick off the pass in the endzone. On the second visitors play and for the fifth time on the night, Durham threw a pass 20 yards down the right sideline to Warren who outran the defenders to the endzone for the 84-yard final dagger for what would be the 49-21` final tally with 6:10 left to go.
     Leading the offense, Durham had a very efficient night with 22 completions in 31 pass attempts for a season-best 332 yards and five touchdowns without an interception. He also ran four times for another 16 yards.
     Warren led all Wildcat receivers with 115 yards on three catches with the two touchdowns. Both Corintheus Edmonds and Dejuan Bell totaled 55 yards on three and five grabs. Za'Tarious Anderson (3 rec. for 36 yds) stepped into the endzone from 22 yards for the first second-half touchdown to put FVSU ahead by two scores the rest of the night.
     Marshall pulled in three passes for 26 yards and ran for another 45 yards on 18 attempts. Kentrelle Williams had the lone rushing score from 23 yards with 2:39 left in the third quarter.
     FVSU outgained Allen by a 430-420 margin on 17 fewer plays from scrimmage.
     Defensively, freshman Blankumsee picked off two of the four FVSU interceptions and added four stops. Jaydn Walker paced the unit with 10 tackles and one for loss. Harp produced the key fourth-frame interception to go with eight tackles, one for loss, while Daymon Polite also had eight stops and a breakup.
     D.J. Wilson and Omarion LaRoach both sacked the Allen quarterback against a unit which had given up only a single sack in the first four games.

Savannah State Last Week: SSU falls short to Edward Waters, 26-25

      Savannah, Ga. -- Down, but not out, Savannah State University fought to stay within striking distance of Edward Waters before kicker Kenneth Lockhart's 37-yard field goal attempt with an unlucky 13 seconds left struck the right upright.
     The Tigers fell to the private university from Jacksonville, Fla., 26-25, after a wild final 10 minutes in a Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference thriller at Theodore A. Wright Stadium.
     "We have kids who love this game and want to fight," SSU coach Aaron Kelton said. "They did a great job of giving it all they've got. It's unfortunate we lost the game."
     It was the Tigers' second straight heartbreaking setback. They dropped a 15-12 decision to Albany State a week earlier in Brunswick.
     This time, the Tigers had to contend with a 464-yard offensive performance by EWU -- 338 through the air by quarterback Jyron Russell.
     Russell's second TD pass, an 18-yarder to Johnny Jones, proved to be the game-winner with 1:22 left.
     But a lot happened before and after that score.
     SSU trailed by two touchdowns eight minutes into the game. But quarterback Jadon Adams hooked up with Brent Carr for scoring tosses of 17, 6 and 64 yards.
      "We knew we were down but as long as there's time on the clock, we never thought it was over," Adams said. "It didn't end the way we wanted, but we'll go back to the drawing board."
     Adams' third TD pass to Carr, on a third-and-15 play, pulled the Tigers within 20-18, only minutes after EWU's Irving Friedman missed a 23-yard field goal try.
     SSU failed on a two-point conversion try to tie the game, but got the ball right back three plays later when cornerback Deandre Creary intercepted Russell and returned it to EWU 24.
     Five plays later, Shamarcus Poole powered in from the 2 and SSU had its first lead, 25-20, with 4:52 left.
     But Edward Waters answered with a 10-play, 75-yard drive, culminating with the Russell to Jones game-winning score.
     It was Jones' 11th catch of the game for 119 yards.
     Savannah State still had time, however. The Tigers picked up a key first down on fourth-and-4 from the 37 when EWU was whistled for offsides.
     Adams' runs of 4 and 2 yards moved the ball to the 26 and Lockhart came out for a 43-yard field goal try with 20 seconds left on third down.
     Kelton said his team didn't have any timeouts remaining although the scoreboard showed differently.
     In a stunning turn of events, SSU faked the field-goal attempt and holder Demeke Colbert took the snap and sprinted six yards before getting out of bounds with 13 seconds left.
     The extra yardage gave Lockhart a 37-yard kick, most likely for the win.
     "It was just unfortunate I pushed it to the right," Lockhart said. "It felt clean. The operation was clean."
     "He makes that 49 out of 50 times," Kelton said.
     Adams completed 18-of-32 with 237 passing yards and 3 TDs and ran for 45 yards.  Carr caught three passes for 87 yards and three scores. Poole had nine rushes for 43 yards and a touchdown.
     The game didn't begin well for SSU. Russell led a passing attack that accumulated 187 yards in the first half and scored on three of its first four possessions.
     EWU converted three third-down plays while marching 79 yards for a touchdown on its first possession. The scoring play, however, came with a fortunate bounce. Russell completed a 24-yard pass to Nathan Rembert to the SSU 5. Rembert fumbled, but Jones gobbled up the loose ball in the end zone.
     A 58-yard pass from Russell to De'Shaun Hugee on the next Edward Waters' possession to set up the visitors at SSU's 11. Three plays later, Russell plowed in from the 2 to make it 13-0.
     Adams and Carr responded with a 17-yard TD pass to cut the lead to 13-6.
     EWU came back midway through the second quarter with a 23-yard TD pass from Russell to Yanez Rogers to make it 20-6.
     Just before the half, SSU marched back with a 15-play, 70-yard drive with Adams and Carr teaming for a 6-yard TD pass play to make it 20-12.
     The team battled through a scoreless third quarter before the wild finish.
     "We'll be OK, we have plenty of games left," Kelton said. "We just have to keep on fighting."
 
Durham Fires 2nd Career 5-Touchdown Performance
     Some opponents bring out top performances in athletes and for Kelvin Durham it has now been Allen University the past two years. After he threw for a season-best 334 yards (20 of 32) with three touchdowns versus Allen last year, the FVSU quarterback outdid himself with five touchdowns on 22 of 31 attempts with 332 yards last Saturday against the same opponent. The five touchdown passes also tie his career-most as he hit the same number last October 15 versus Morehouse College where he was 15 of 25 for 255 yards.
     In the Wildcats first five games, Durham has completed 80 of 134 passes for 1,207 yards with 12 touchdowns to three interceptions along with a 241.4-yard passing per game average.
 

FVSU's Hall Punts His Way to SIAC Special Teams Player of the Week

     The Wildcats needed different area work to post their fourth victory of the 2023 season Saturday night. Fort Valley State's Elan Hall punted his way to the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
     Hall punted only three times Saturday evening, but he made the most of them. The freshman from Ackworth, Ga., helped FVSU defeat Allen University by a 49-21 final.
     The Wildcat punter booted three punts for 130 yards and a 43.3-yard average. He hit a 52-yarder to start the night, his longest of the season, and pinned Allen at its own 2-yardline. His second kick went 46 yards and it was downed at the home 15-yardline. Hall's final punt went 32 yards and narrowly missed going 3-for-3 inside the 20 as it came to a stop at the 27-yardline.
     On the season, Hall has punted 16 times for 595 yards for a 37.2-yard average. He has a long of 52 yards, one touchdown and landed seven of the 16 (44-percent) inside the opponent's 20-yardline.        
 
Wildcats (4-1/4-0 SIAC) vs. Tigers (2-3/1-2) – SIAC Ranks
     FVSU                                 Category                                SSU
       2nd (37.0 ppg)                 Scoring Offense                     12th (18.8 ppg)
       5th (23.0 ppg)                  Scoring Defense                     4th (22.6 ppg)

       5th (367.2 yds/gm)          Total Offense                          11th (279.6 yds/gm)
       4th (123.8 yds/gm)          Rush Offense                         7th (108.6 yds/gm)
       6th (243.4 yds/gm)          Pass Offense                          12th (171.0 yds/gm)

       8th (362.2 yds/gm)          Total Defense                         5th (343.0 yds/gm)
       2nd (83.6 yds/gm)           Rush Defense                         5th (121.0 yds/gm)
       13th (278.6 yds/gm)         Pass Defense                         9th (222.0 yds/gm)


 Wildcats Have Short Week for ESPN2 National Appearance
     The Wildcats have its shortest turnaround of the year for the biggest game of the season. FVSU travels back to the Columbia, S.C. area where it will take on SIAC defending champion Benedict College in a 7:30 p.m. kick-off televised on ESPN2.
 
 
 


 
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