August 28, 2004 – MACON, GA. – The Maroon Tigers began the season on the wrong foot, Saturday, losing 57-12 to Fort Valley State University, in the Georgia Peach State Classic played at Macon’s Henderson Field.

The relatively undersized and inexperienced Morehouse defense never got their footing or their rhythm, surrendering 455 yards of total offense to a bigger, more athletic Wildcats team.

Fort Valley, which was predicted to finish second in the SIAC this season, stifled Morehouse on defense and used a punishing ground game to pound the ball through the Maroon Tigers’ defense for 350 yards.

The Wildcats were led by Derrick Winbush, the conference’s leading rusher last season who victimized the Maroon Tigers for two touchdowns and 205 yards on 20 carries.

On the bright side, the Maroon Tigers outdistanced Wildcats in the passing game. The Morehouse quarterback tandem of starter Duwuan Burton and backup Ruben DuPree connected on 23 of 46 attempts for a total of 234 yards. That compared to 9-of-22 for 105 yards by Fort Valley starter Willie Copeland and backup Zedrick West.

Morehouse could muster only 72 yards on the ground and were led in that department by freshman Byron Comer who rushed for 32 yards on four attempts. John David Washington, who last season led the team in rushing and was the second leading rusher in the conference with 1,124 yards, was held to 21 yards on seven carries. Leg cramps forced him out of the game early in the third quarter.

On defense, senior linebacker Lynn Freeman led the Maroon Tigers with nine tackles. Freshman defensive back Sherman Benton chipped in with six tackles and senior defensive end Jason Cornelius and linebacker Jimmy Lane tallied five tackles apiece.

Morehouse fans accounted for about a quarter of the 9,429 fans who braved the 93-degree start time temperature. But the Maroon Tigers faithful were more steamed by the score than the Middle Georgia heat. With the game safely in hand, the Fort Valley coaches continued to play their starters and pass the football in an obvious attempt to run up the score and pad their team’s statistics.

The lone Morehouse touchdown came on a 42-yard pass from Burton to junior wide receiver Raymond Johnson who beat his defender out on the left flat and raced into the end zone. Kicker Adam Williams added the extra point. A 37-yard field goal by Williams and a safety that resulted from a blocked punt accounted for the rest of the Morehouse scoring.

Morehouse will square off in the home opener against Edward Waters College of Jacksonville, FL in the friendly confines of B.T. Harvey Stadium, Saturday at 7 p.m.