Tuskegee fans have paraded in and around my email all night to bring spices and seasoning for this morning’s serving of crow. I knew it would be close, I knew it would be an instant classic. But I never would’ve expected Tuskegee to defeat Albany State 21-19 and position itself for another SIAC conference title.
The dynasty may be dead, but the talent and timing of the Golden Tigers is alive and well. TU’s final drive was a slick balance of running and passing – deft playcalling that resulted in 90 yards in eight plays in just one minute and 28 seconds. This without their starting quarterback Jeremy Williams, who left the game in the second half with an injury.
They don’t execute without blemish, and they aren’t above putting together in the final 2-3 minutes what could have been done in the first 58 minutes of play, but Tuskegee continues to find a way to win critical conference games with whatever the moments require. They defeated Morehouse with defense, and staved off teams like Fort Valley State and Albany State with fourth-quarter offensive gems.
And as this rivalry goes, so goes the merit of the SIAC in future NCAA Division II Super Regional rankings. After TU and ASU, middle-of-the-pack teams that hung with them this season may have favorable looks from rankings officials in the years to come. If they can sustain their success, teams like Fort Valley State, Clark-Atlanta and Morehouse should be thrilled with yesterday’s outcome as it relates to their future post season prospects.
In the scope of national attention, Tuskegee-Albany State succeeded where FAMU-SCSU failed – on the scoreboard at the final whistle. Nothing does better for black college football than an outcome decided by a final scoring flurry, and to have it captured via webcast on ESPN360.com is a small step in bring black college football coverage to standard with its D-II and FCS mid-major counterparts.
