As the Tuskegee Golden Tigers gear up to face the Lane College Dragons in an SIAC matchup this weekend in Jackson, Tennessee, both teams find themselves looking to build momentum.
Tuskegee, coming off two consecutive wins, holds a 2-3 overall record and a 2-1 mark in SIAC play. Lane, on the other hand, is sitting at 1-4 overall and 1-2 in conference play after some closely contested games. This SIAC matchup will be critical for both teams as they fight for conference positioning heading into the latter half of the season.
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, Oct. 12
Time: 2 p.m. (ET)
Location: Jackson, Tenn. (Lane Field)
Listen: Golden Tiger Sports Network (YouTube)
Live Stats: Sidearm Stats
SERIES HISTORY
Series: Tuskegee leads 27-1-0
First Meeting: Tuskegee, W, 40-6 (1930)
Last Meeting: Tuskegee, W, 28-22, 2 OT (2023)
Longest Win Streak: Tuskegee, 25, (1930-2019)
Most TU Points: 79 (1966)
Most Lane Points: 31(1922)
Most Combined Points: 79(1966)
Biggest TU Win: 79-0 (1966)
Biggest Lane Win: 17-8 (2018)
ABOUT TUSKEGEE (2-3, 2-1 SIAC)
The Golden Tigers look to have found their stride after a rough 0-3 start to the season. They secured a 27-13 win over Edward Waters and followed it up with a dominant 42-0 shutout victory over Morehouse last week in the historic Tuskegee Morehouse Classic.
Tuskegee’s offense has been improving steadily, powered by a balanced attack. The ground game has been a key factor, with junior running back Johnny Morris leading a stable of backs. Morris rushed for 107 yards and a touchdown in the win over Morehouse, averaging 8.2 yards per carry.
Quarterback Raequan Beal has been efficient, passing for 67 yards and three touchdowns against Morehouse, with standout receiver Reggie Brigman and Quavon Beckford making key plays. In the passing game, Beal has accumulated 583 yards and seven touchdowns over the season, and the team has averaged 209.8 passing yards per game.
Brigman and wideout Gabriel Garmon have been reliable targets, as both have double digit receptions, along with Justin Stith. Brigman leads the team with 18 catches for 283 yards, while Garmon is at 15 and 177 yards, and Stith has 12 catches for 124. Tuskegee’s rushing attack is averaging 139.8 yards per game, with four backs making contributions.
Tuskegee’s defense has been the backbone of their recent success. The team’s front seven, led by the linebacker trio of Charles Davis Jr., Kaquan Kimber, and Malik Moore, has consistently disrupted opposing offenses. Kimber leads the team with 33 total tackles, including six for loss and a sack, while Moore and Davis Jr. have recorded 24 and 21 tackles respectively.
In the Morehouse game, the Golden Tigers held their opponent to just 144 total yards and 53 rushing yards. Kimber, who was named SIAC Defensive Player of the Week, has been a consistent force, with several tackles for loss and key tackles for loss.
The linebackers and secondary has also stepped up, with Rossie Grimes, Noah Holton, and Mikael King Jr. all at double figure tackles, as well all three having one interception. The defense has allowed an average of just 93.4 rushing yards per game and has forced multiple turnovers so far.
ABOUT LANE (1-4, 1-3 SIAC)
Lane enters the game after a series of hard-fought contests. Their most recent game was a 24-20 loss to Kentucky State, but they have shown flashes of strong offensive play. Lane’s lone win of the season came in a 32-27 victory over Benedict earlier in the year.
Lane’s offense is centered around a powerful ground game, with running backs Kylan Duhe and Ike Brown leading the way. Duhe has rushed for 370 yards and six touchdowns this season, while Brown has added 365 yards and four scores on the ground. The Dragons’ offense averages 166.4 rushing yards per game, and they have been successful in controlling the tempo with their ground attack.
Quarterback Jerick Gaston has been efficient when called upon, throwing for 631 yards and five touchdowns on the season. His main targets include Anthony Evelyn and Carl Pitts, who have combined for several explosive plays.
Defensively, Lane has struggled at times, allowing an average of 372.2 total yards per game. However, they have been opportunistic, recording several sacks and forcing turnovers throughout the season.
Defensive end Zavion Shaw and Robert Brown lead the team with 2.5 and 2.0 sacks respectively, while linebacker Devon Irving and Tyshun Gaiter have strong tacklers with 34 and 28 total tackles. Lane’s defense will face a tough challenge trying to slow down Tuskegee’s balanced offense, especially considering their vulnerability in the secondary, where they have allowed 241 passing yards and 131.2 rushing yards per game this season..
Source: Tuskegee Athletics