The Lane College Dragons closed their season with a homecoming loss, falling to the Tuskegee Golden Tigers 27-14 on Saturday, Oct. 31, at J.F. Lane Field in Jackson.
A fast start for Tuskegee
Tuskegee opened and closed the scoring with touchdown runs by Ja'Khael Rowser. After the Golden Tigers' defense stopped Lane on downs on the opening drive, Tuskegee handed Rowser the ball six times on a nine-play march that ended with a 17-yard touchdown run. A Denard Johnson interception on Lane's next possession set up a 38-yard field goal by Lorcan Ryans and a 10-0 lead late in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, quarterback Bryson McGrew led a 14-play, 75-yard drive that took almost nine minutes and ended in a 16-yard touchdown pass to Jermaine Hardy Jr. for a 17-0 advantage.
Lane answers, but not enough
The Dragons got on the board before halftime with a 79-yard touchdown pass from Tametrius Pogue to DeMahri Wallace, cutting the lead to 17-6 at the break. The third quarter was scoreless. Ryans added a 35-yard field goal early in the fourth, and after two Lane turnovers on downs, Rowser raced 24 yards for a touchdown that made it 27-6 with 5:13 left. Lane's Makhi Watson scored on a 10-yard run late, and the Dragons converted a two-point try to set the final at 27-14.
What the numbers showed
Tuskegee outgained Lane 308 yards to 213, led by a 143-to-38 advantage on the ground, and the Golden Tigers' defense recorded five sacks. Jordan Reed had a season-high 10 tackles, and Braylon Jessie had two sacks. (Tuskegee's own recap text lists the score as 27-13, but its box score and scoring summary, and WBBJ-TV, show 27-14.)
The records
Tuskegee improved to 5-4 overall and 5-2 in the SIAC, keeping an outside chance at the conference championship game. Lane finished 1-9 overall and 1-7 in conference play, after picking up its first win of the year the week before. Tuskegee hosts Miles College next Saturday for its own homecoming.
Sources: WBBJ-TV, Tuskegee University Athletics