Tuskegee holds off Fort Valley State to win Boeing Red Tails Classic, 37-31

Tuskegee stopped a goal line rush from Fort Valley State in the final seconds of the Boeing Red Tails Classic to win 37-31 Sunday night in Montgomery.

The victory in the head coaching debut of Aaron James was the first Tuskegee win in the three years of the classic, started in 2021 between the two programs at Cramton Bowl.

The connection between returning starting quarterback Bryson Williams and receiver Antonio Meeks picked up right where they left off last season, with Meeks finishing with six catches for 149 yards and a touchdown on his way to being named the game’s Most Valuable Player, while Williams completed 12-of-17 passes for 217 yards and a pair of touchdown passes.

Meanwhile, the running back duo of freshman Zina Mulbah and sophomore Chase Sellers combined for a pair of scores on the ground.

Defensively, the Golden Tigers forced timely turnovers, with interceptions from newly converted cornerback Mikael King, Jr. and junior Christian Ramsey, while also forcing and recovering a Wildcat fumble in the fourth quarter.

But despite the spectacular offensive output, the game came down to the defense needing to produce a game-winning stop — and they delivered to seal the game in the closing seconds.

After the gaining a 37-17 lead in the third quarter, the Golden Tigers held off strong comeback from Fort Valley as the Wildcats scored 24 straight points before TU’s defense made a goal line stand, holding the opponent out of the endzone despite five plays inside the five-yard line to clinch the win.

The Golden Tigers officially start Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) play on Saturday, September 9, as they travel to face Kentucky State in Frankfort at 1 p.m. EST at Alumni Stadium.

— Information from Tuskegee University Athletics