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Week 5 Preview: Wildcats Try to Swat Yellow Jackets in Saturday Night Special

9/27/2023 12:45:00 PM

By: Chris Myers
FORT VALLEY, Ga. – The Wildcats are getting accustomed to being on the road in the first half of the 2023 season. Fort Valley State will try to swat the Allen University Yellow Jackets in a Saturday night special gridiron contest.
 
The Wildcats and Yellow Jackets will be the premiere football contest on the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's weekend schedule. The third straight meeting between the two league members will be in front of an ESPN+ audience in the 7 p.m. kick-off.
 
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FVSU at Allen University
Sat., Sept. 30, 7 p.m.
Westwood High School
Blythewood, S.C.
Tickets
Live Video
Live Stats

FVSU Season Stats
Allen Season Stats
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FVSU vs. Allen – 11th Meeting; 3rd Year in Series Renewal

     It was 60 years between the first set of games, but the FVSU and Allen football series is renewed for the third year in a row this Saturday.
     The Wildcats look to make it three in a row, the only wins in the series. Since the series was renewed in the fall of 2021, FVSU has outscored Allen by a 85-47 margin. Allen, though, narrowly missed pulling the upset last fall, but FVSU found the endzone with 3:58 left in the contest for the win, 29-27.
     Overall, Allen continues to hold the series lead 6-2-2 with all but the last two meetings coming between 1954-61.
1954 – Allen 20, FVSU 14
1955 – Allen 12, FVSU 0
1956 – Allen 6, FVSU 6
1957 – Allen 7, FVSU 0
1958 – Allen 7, FVSU 6
1959 – Allen 6, FVSU 6
1960 – Allen 30, FVSU 0
1961 – Allen 19, FVSU 9
2021 – FVSU 56, Allen 20
2022 – FVSU 29, Allen 27

Series Last Meeting: Durham TD Scramble Finishes Wildcats Comeback Victory over Yellow Jackets

Fort Valley, Ga. -- In the After being challenged all afternoon, the Wildcats proved resilient down the stretch. Kelvin Durham's quarterback scramble for a 10-yard touchdown gave Fort Valley State its first lead in over 36 minutes and its defense held strong late to complete the 29-27 comeback football victory over Allen University.
     Following the FVSU score four plays into the second half, Allen answered with a nine-play drive of its own to extend its lead, 27-17. The Wildcats showed the final 17 minutes would be theirs.
     Durham came up with the first home answer to the Yellow Jackets where he found wideout Fralon Warren cutting across the middle and raced down the right side 49 yards for the score and a 27-23 margin with 2:04 in the third. The first FVSU drive to retake the lead stalled at the Allen 35-yardline, but the home defense held fast for a three-and-out series.
     On the ninth place of the ensuing possession, Durham pulled down the ball and ran around the left side into the clear to the endzone for the 10-yard go ahead touchdown with 3:58 remaining. The FVSU defense had it toughest day, but again held when it was needed the most with a 3-yard rush, a 6-yard sack, and forced a scrambling incompletion before Tim Alderman recorded his sixth quarterback hurry and Christian Maddox and Jamal Janvier combined to breakup the 4th-and-18 pass to seal the Wildcats victory.
    Durham led FVSU to its highest output in three weeks of 430 yards of total offense. Durham completed 20-of-32 attempts for 334 yards and three touchdowns while he rushed for another 28 yards on eight carries with none bigger than his final 10-yard scoring run.
     Durham's favorite two targets of Corintheus Edmonds and Warren combined for 13 catches for 289 yards and three scores. Edmonds pulled in seven balls for 143 yards and a 51-yard touchdown to start the third-quarter points, while Warren had six receptions for 146 yards with scores grabs of 28 yards and 49 yards, which was the home team's final score of the third frame.
     For the defense, Jaylen Brown and Lataj Wright paced the Wildcats with eight stops each. It was the combined sack by Adeon Farmer and Caleb Thomas, who had seven combined tackles, on the second play of Allen's first possession which was key. Alderman posted only three stops but was in the Allen backfield all afternoon with a jumping pass breakup and six quarterback hurries.
     Allen quarterback David Wright completed 26 of 37 passes for 295 yards and a pair of scores. Robert Nicholson led the visitors' defense with eight tackles, a sack and one hurry.

Gibbs Tries for Win 12
      After only 14 games at the helm, FVSU Head Coach Shawn Gibbs secured his 11th win as a collegiate head coach (11-3 & .786) when his Wildcats prevailed over the Thorobreds of Kentucky State, 31-9. Gibbs will now try to hit the dozen-win mark this weekend.
     In two games played against the same foe, Gibbs is 3-1 with two wins over Kentucky State and a split with Tuskegee. Allen is the third opponent to fit this category.
    
FVSU Stays at No. 7 in HBCU D2 Coaches Poll for Third Week in a Row

     With some of the top teams separating themselves across the SIAC and CIAA, FVSU continues to hold steady at No. 7 for the third week in a row of the HBCU D2 Coaches Poll.

2023 HBCU Division II Coaches Poll powered by BOXTOROW
Week 4
(Records as of September 24, 2023)
No. Team W-L Pts Last Week
1 Benedict (22) 4-0 229 1
2 Virginia State 4-0 192 4
3 Tuskegee (1) 4-0 185 3
4 Virginia Union 3-1 124 2
5 Bowie State 3-1 119 5
6 Miles 3-1 117 6
7 Fort Valley State 3-1 105 7
8 Allen 4-0 77 9
9 West Virginia State 3-1 58 8
T-10 Johnson C. Smith 3-1 26 T-10
 
T-10 Fayetteville State      2-2     26    NR        
Others receiving votes: Winston-Salem State (2-2) 6, Albany State (2-2) 5, Central State (1-3) 2, Savannah State (2-2) 1, Bluefield State (1-3) 1.
(1st place votes in parentheses)

Last Meeting at Allen: Wildcats Dominate 2nd Half, Pull Away from Yellow Jackets

     In the renewing of the series after 60 years last fall, FVSU pulled away with 30 unanswered points in the final 21:44 of the game for the 56-20 win over Allen on Sept. 25th of 2021in Blythewood, S.C.
     After a close first 30 minutes, the Wildcats took control in the second set of quarters. Fort Valley State scored a pair of touchdowns in third and fourth quarters and pulled away from Allen University for a 56-20 football road win Saturday night.
     Leading 26-20 midway through the third quarter, Tyler Moore blocked the Allen (2-2) punt at the home 3-yardline and Keon Bogan scooped it up in the endzone for the touchdown to start the Fort Valley State (2-2) second-half roll.
     On the ensuing possession's first play, Zaquan Baldwin ran down the Yellow Jackets quarterback for the sack and fumble, which teammate Stacy Ivey recovered at the home 30-yardline. FVSU quarterback Tyrell Jackson connected with Kevin Epps down the right sideline for 29 yards on the first play and Emanuel Wilson plunged in for the final yard and the Wildcats quickly were on top 41-20 with 5:44 left in the third frame.
     FVSU added two more scores in the first 4:19 of fourth quarter to put the contest out of reach, 56-20, with a Jackson to Pimienta 30-yard pass and Marlon Fleming rush for two yards.
     FVSU totaled 483 yards of total offense for its highest output of the four 2021 contests. Jackson completed 18 of 30 passes to nine difference receivers for 342 yards and four touchdowns without an interception. Wilson rushed for 83 yards on 11 totes and two scores and a 2-point conversion in his first action of the year. Epps led the FVSU receivers with 57 yards on four grabs and one score, while Pimienta pulled in three passes for 82 yards and two touchdowns.
     Moore led the FVSU defensive unit with 11 tackles, two breakups, and the key blocked punt recovered for a touchdown. Mike Hicks, Jr. added nine stops, a tackle for loss and two pass breakups. Davares Jones chipped in nine tackles and Zach Anderson eight. Baldwin, Tim Alderman and Josh Burney had solo sacks, while Noah Waller and B.J. Shape combined for the final Wildcats sack on the night.
 
Marshall Rumbles to SIAC Newcomer of the Week Award
    
     After posting the first 100-yard rushing performance of the season, the Wildcat running back grabbed a weekly honor. Fort Valley State's Brandon Marshall rumbled his way to the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Newcomer of the Week football award.
     For the second week in a row, Marshall from Philadelphia, Pa., highlighted his efforts with a long touchdown run as he raced 55 yards to put the Wildcats ahead by double-figures at 14-3 over the Thorobreds of Kentucky State before FVSU went on for the 31-9 victory.
     Marshall took the handoff 21 times for 115 yards for a 5.5-yard per carry average with two touchdowns against Kentucky State. On the team's fourth offensive play, he ran in from 5 yards for his first and the team's opening touchdown of the day only 2:31 into the game. With 12:59 left in the second frame, the graduate student ran 55 yards for his second score TD and he led a 177-yard FVSU rushing effort on the day, a season high.
    Through the first four games, Marshall had 302 yards on 56 attempts for a 5.4-yard average with four touchdown runs. He also has pulled in seven passes for 62 yards.
     
Last Week: Wildcats Run to Lead, Use Middle-Quarters Scoring over Thorobreds
  
   In Kentucky's capital city, the Wildcats ran ahead and produced the answering scoring to seal the victorious day. Fort Valley State ran out to a first-quarter lead, produced 24 middle-quarter points and prevailed over Kentucky State football, 31-9.
     After he burst into the endzone to open the day's scoring, Brandon Marshall busted a 55-yard second touchdown run to give the Wildcats a double-digit lead they would never give up. Along with a Daniel Gibbs 30-yard field goal before half, Kelvin Durham threw a pair of third-quarter scores in a span of 1:46 off the clock and completed the 24-point combined second and third frame tallies to end the doubt of the game's final result.
    Defensively, Malik Harp and Solomon Riggins led the Wildcat effort. The two defenders combined for 17 tackles, 7 tackles for loss and three sacks totaling 35 yards. Harp posted his first double-digit tackle contest with 10 to go with 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack. Riggins had seven stops from his defensive end spot with 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. Defensive backs Lataj Wright and Kamari Blankumsee both added six stops, while Justin Harris had five. DeMarcus Harris recorded five of his own with Jayden Walker picking off a fourth-quarter pass and returned it 43 yards.
     On the balanced offense, FVSU ran the ball 30 times for 163 yards and completed nine passes for 149 yards to total 312 yards of total offense. Durham connected on nine of 20 attempts for those 149 yards and two scores, while he also ran four times for 44 yards. Marshall rumbled 88 yards on 21 carries with the five and 55-yard scoring jaunts. Gentry Sparks pulled in a career-long 40-yard touchdown to complete the day's points and had a rush for 13 yards. De'Andre King also pulled in a 3-yard scoring strike. Fralon Warren led the receivers with three balls for 62 yards, including a 48-yarder to key the team's first touchdown.
     FVSU saw its specialists make a big impact on Saturday. Dejuan Bell set up both first-half FVSU scores after 11 and 14-yard pun returns for better Wildcat field position to start the drives. He also had a 42-yard kick return to spark the FVSU offense's final touchdown three plays later. Freshman punter Elan Hall booted seven punts covering 253 yards (36.1-yard average) with three landing inside the opponents' 20-yardline.
     For Kentucky State, quarterback Denim Johnson rushed 16 times for 111 yards including a 52-yard touchdown, while he completed 21 of 40 through the air for 218 yards and an interception.
     After the Thorobreds amounted negative three yards on three plays to start the game with Riggins having a seven-yard sack, Bell returned the home punt 11 yards to give FVSU first possession on its 43-yardline. Following the Warren deep grab for 48 yards from Durham, Marshall plunged in from five yards.
     Leading 7-3 in the early second frame after a Durham 14-yard scramble, Marshall busted out a long run covering 55 yards to make it 14-3 at 12:59. With under four minutes in the half, Bell returned another KSU punt 14 yards to allow FVSU to take over at the home 36-yardline. The end result was a Gibbs 30-yard field goal for what would be a 17-3 halftime score.
     On the third quarter's second possession, FVSU added to its advantage. With a 21-yard Durham run being the key play, the Wildcat QB found King from three yards for a 24-3 score at 9:36.
     The Thorobreds quickly answered as Johnson streaked to a 52-yard touchdown on the first ensuing play. FVSU's D.J. Wilson blocked the extra point.
     Bell returned the KSU kick-off 42 yards to give FVSU the ball close to midfield. Following a Triston Morgan 21-yard run, Durham found Sparks who took the pass 40 yards for the day's final points.
      The two teams did not score in the final 21:50 of play. KSU did drive the ball into the FVSU redzone in the final minutes where Walker intercepted at the three-yardline and returned it 43 yards.
 
Last Week: Allen Defense Holds off Central State
   
  The Allen University football team scored 5 touchdowns along with two big interceptions to hold off SIAC foe Central State University 34-28 on the road.
     Sophomore QB and SIAC & HBCU Player of the Week David Wright threw for over 300 yards once again this season, this time going for 370 on 28 of 51 passing and a rushing touchdown to help lead the offense while Allen scored four of its five scores on the ground.  Also scoring rushing TDs were RBs Beau Herrington and freshman Alan Riggins. Herrington rushed for a team-best 110 yards on 7.3 yards/carry while Riggins pushed across two scores of his own. Herrington also registered 149 yards of total offense on the afternoon after catching 2 balls for 39 yards including a long run of 30 yards.
     Leading the receiving corp was senior Deyandre Ruffin who brought in 4 catches for a team-best 109 yards while RS-sophomore Armone Harris also had 6 receptions for 80 yards as Allen put up over 500 yards of total offense while recording ten more first downs than the Marauders, 29-19.
     Defensive backs Sharrod Simmon and sophomore Kevin Graham each had the two big interceptions to seal the game for the Yellow Jackets. Simmon got Allen on the board in the first quarter returning a CSU interception 65 yards for the momentum-changing touchdown to tie the game at 7 apiece.
     In the second quarter, CSU was able to sack Wright forcing a fumble and returning it for a touchdown to take back the lead. However, Allen fought back and put together an 8-play 80-yd drive ending with a Riggins rushing score to tie the game at 14. AU then took their first lead of the game later in the quarter when Herrington ran it in from short yardage to put AU up 21-14 and complete a 9 play 80 yard drive to close the half.
     In the second half, the Jackets would double up their lead as the opening drive of the 3rd ended with a Riggins 2-yd rush to compete a 9-play 74 yd drive. CSU would rally, though, scoring on their next possession to get within 28-21. the Marauder then tied the game at 28-all early in the 4th quarter on a long 43-yard pass.
     Allen would not be done though, and drove right down the field on their next drive going 69 yards in just 5 plays to take back the lead on a David Wright 12-yd rushing score to put AU up 34-28. Graham then sealed the win for AU grabbing the big interception on CSU's final drive with 30 seconds to play. Senior CB Dahlil Wilkins also had an interception as well along with a team-high 4 pass break ups.
     Allen was also led defensively by linebacker Kayleb Pierce's 6 tackles, TFL, and half sack while senior DT Marques Sherman recorded a sack and 4 tackles as well. Five different Yellow Jackets registered five tackles in the game and they included DBs Diquan Brown and Wilkins as well as LBs Cam Scott, MC Henderson and Kirkland Boone.
 
Wildcats (3-1/3-0 SIAC) vs. Yellow Jackets (3-0/2-0) – SIAC Ranks
     FVSU                                 Category                                AU
       2nd (34.0 ppg)                 Scoring Offense                     5th (30.7 ppg)
       6th (23.5 ppg)                  Scoring Defense                     7th (24.3 ppg)

       5th (351.5 yds/gm)          Total Offense                          1st (466.7 yds/gm)
       4th (130.3 yds/gm)          Rush Offense                         13th (83.0 yds/gm)
       7th (221.3 yds/gm)           Pass Offense                          1st (383.7 yds/gm)

       7th (347.8 yds/gm)          Total Defense                         2nd (283.7 yds/gm)
       2nd (91.0 yds/gm)           Rush Defense                         3rd (107.3 yds/gm)
       12th (256.8 yds/gm)         Pass Defense                         3rd (176.3 yds/gm)


 Wildcats Return Home for Pink Out Night vs. Savannah State

     The Wildcats return home to open their October slate. On Saturday night, Oct. 7, FVSU hosts Savannah State in a 6 p.m. kick-off for Pink Out Breast Cancer Awareness Night and Band Night at Wildcat Stadium.
 
 
 
 
-Wildcats-
 
 
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