October 11, 2008 – COLUMBUS, GA – Miscues and missed opportunities spoiled a close game for the Maroon Tigers, who fell to Tuskegee, 42-27, in the Classic in Columbus.
The Maroon Tigers took a 14-7 lead into the third quarter, but failed to maintain the momentum, in the game televised nationally by ESPNU. Five Morehouse turnovers and a few missed tackles proved to be the difference in the game.
Meanwhile, the Golden Tigers showed why they are the defending SIAC and national Black College champions, scoring 35 second-half points, on the ground, through the air, by interception and fumble recovery.
After staking Tuskegee to a 7-0 lead in the game’s first three minutes, Morehouse bounced back, on the strength of a nine-yard touchdown pass from Christian Sterling to James Steadman, and a 43-yard interception return for a touchdown by cornerback Randall Ward.
With third and five at the Tuskegee 15 yard line, Morehouse had a chance for a third score in the first half, but an errant pass from Sterling was picked off in the end zone.
The Maroon Tigers scored twice in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the huge deficit.
Jamar Rodriguez caught an 11-yard touchdown pass, at the 10-minute mark, and Achille Hendje caught an eight-yard TD pass, with 1:36 remaining, to round out the Morehouse scoring.
Jeffrey Cargile led the Morehouse defense with 14 tackles and two-and-a-half sacks. Morehouse defenders sacked Jacari Atkinson six times. But it was the tackles that got away that were most costly, as last year’s SIAC Player of the Year repeatedly evaded sacks and produced big gains.
Brandon Cunningham recorded 11 tackles and a sack. Derrick Scott matched those tackles and recorded a forced fumble and pass breakup.
Cornerback Johnny Eubanks had his best game of the season with five tackles and a fumble-recovery return for 25 yards. The senior from Atlanta also halted a Tuskegee scoring drive, with an interception in the end zone that he returned for 50 yards.
Redshirt sophomore Jamar Rodriguez had another big outing, accounting for 173 all-purpose yards. Most of those came on six kickoff returns for 149 yards.
Three Morehouse running backs combined for 37 yards rushing.
Sterling connected with seven different receivers for 14 completions in 38 attempts. He was intercepted three times and sacked twice.
Quincy Avery led the receivers with four catches for 39 yards and Steadman caught four balls for 73 yards.
Tuskegee, the eleventh-ranked team in Division II, won for the 22nd consecutive time, to continue the longest current winning streak of any college football team in any division.
Morehouse dropped to 3-3 (3-2 SIAC) and is tied for third place in the conference with three other teams.
Morehouse will square off against cross-campus rival Clark Atlanta, Saturday at 2 p.m. at Panther Stadium, in what is being billed as the Backyard Brawl.
