October 8, 2005 – COLUMBUS, GA -- The Maroon Tigers dug themselves into a 34-0 hole through three quarters, then came charging back in the fourth. But it was too little too late, as the ’House fell to Tuskegee 34-24, in the 70th Annual Tuskegee-Morehouse Football Classic.

Backup quarterback Ruben DuPree led the Maroon Tigers comeback. The junior from Atlanta threw two touchdown passes and rushed for another in his longest relief role in three years as a backup.

With 7:36 left in the game, DuPree connected with his brother, wide receiver Ravenell DuPree for the first Morehouse score. The two-point conversion rush by Washington failed. Three minutes later, Ruben DuPree went back to pass from the nine-yard line. Finding no one open, DuPree scampered across the goal line to make the score 34-12. DuPree then connected with wide receiver Raymond Johnson who made a juggling and acrobatic catch for the two-point conversion.

On the ensuing Tuskegee possession and the ball on the nine yard line, defensive tackle Donkor Al-Amin sacked backup quarterback Chinedu Okoro in the end zone for a safety.

The Maroon Tigers got the ball back with 2:51 left in the game and wasted little time, going 85 yards for the final score. The drive was capped by a 35-yard touchdown pass from DuPree to Johnson who streaked down the right sideline. DuPree rushed for the two-point conversion.

Johnson totaled 69 yards on five catches. The senior from Lithia Springs leads the SIAC in scoring, with 44 points and a 7.3-points-per-game average.

Running back John David Washington rushed for 126 yards on 19 carries and was named the Morehouse Most Valuable Player. As he has since the start of the season, the senior from Toluca Lake, CA continues to lead the conference in rushing, averaging 123.5 yards per game.

Tuskegee starting quarterback Kevin Huff torched the Maroon Tiger defense for 222 yards passing and three touchdown passes. The All-SIAC signal caller, who was named the game’s Most Valuable Player, connected with nine different receivers and rushed for 58 yards.

Defensive back Woodrow Vereen, with six tackles and defensive lineman Charles Prescott, with five tackles, led the Maroon Tigers’ defense that recorded four quarterback sacks.

The 95th meeting between the Maroon Tigers and the Golden Tigers is the longest-running series between two historically black institutions.

The Maroon Tigers dropped to 2-4 (1-4 SIAC); Tuskegee improved to 4-1 (4-1 SIAC).
Morehouse will face off against Lane College at their Homecoming, in Jackson, TN, on Saturday at 2 p.m. CDT.