2019 SAVANNAH STATE FOOTBALL GAME 8 Savannah State University Tigers (4-3, 3-0 SIAC) VS. Albany State University Golden Rams (5-2, 4-0 SIAC) October 26, 2019 | 3 p.m. | Savannah, Ga. | Theodore A. Wright Stadium STAY IN COVERAGE Radio: WHCJ Savannah (90.3 FM) www.savannahstate.edu/whcj/ Featuring play-by-play by Terry Hines and color by Curtis Foster on the Tiger Sports Network Live stream: flofootball.com | Live stats: ssuathletics.com THE SCHEDULE THE HYPE BRIEF Sept. 7 | FLORIDA TECH | L, 22-23 Sept. 14 | VIRGINIA UNIV. | W, 60-21 Home Sweet Home: After a 5-game road streak, Savannah State Football returns to Theodore A. Wright Stadium for Saturday’s Homecoming game Sept. 21 | at Benedict# | W, 21-14 against Albany State. The Tigers visited Atlanta twice, Augusta, Charleston, Sept. 28 | at Morehouse# | W, 17-10 South Carolina and Lorman, Mississippi during their road stint. Oct. 5 | at Charleston Southern | L, 19-24 Oct. 12 | at Alcorn State | L, 17-42 Last Saturday: In a wet and wild game, Savannah State secured their third SIAC win of the season beating Clark Atlanta 22-15 in overtime in Atlanta. Oct. 19 | at Clark Atlanta# | W, 22-15 The win was a major morale booster for the Tigers after coming off two Oct. 26 | ALBANY STATE# | 3 p.m. hard-fought losses to FCS Division I teams Charleston Southern and Alcorn Nov. 2 | FORT VALLEY STATE# | 5 p.m. State in the previous two weeks. Nov. 9 | at Edward Waters College | 3 p.m. Rekindling a Rivalry: Albany State is Savannah State’s oldest rival. # SIAC Games Dating back to 1932, Savannah State has met Albany State 61 times on the gridiron—more than any other opponent. The Golden Rams hold the histor- INFORMATION ical advantage with a 43-16-2 record against the Tigers. Savannah State Last SSU vs. ASU: The teams last met in 2011 at the Music City Classic in Head Coach: Sean Quinn (1st season | 4-3) Macon, Ga. Albany State won that game 37-34 on a last-minute touchdown Office Phone: 912-358-3449 with 19 seconds on the clock. Media Relations: Joshua Peacock Office Phone: 912-258-3454 Historical Home: SSU football competed in the Southern Intercollegiate Email: [email protected] Athletic Conference (SIAC) from 1969 to 2000 as a NCAA Division II Web: ssuathletics.com team, before elevating to Division I and leaving the SIAC for independent status and eventually several years competing within the Mid-Eastern Ath- letic Conference (MEAC). Albany State Head Coach: Gabe Giardina (3rd season | 18-10) Total Defense: Savannah State and Albany State have two of the best scor- Media Relations: Robert Vogel ing defenses in the SIAC this year. Albany State’s defense has 15 touch- Office Phone: 229-500-2875 downs on the season, while the Tigers have racked up 20. SSU has the No. Email: [email protected] 2 rushing offense and rushing defense in the conference, while Albany State Web: asugoldenrams.com is ranked third in both of those categories. HEY, WE’RE SOCIAL Facebook.com/ssuathletics | @SavStateTigers | #ClawDown #HailSSU | ssuathletics.com QUICK FACTS GENERAL INFORMATION Record @ SSU (Years): 4-3 (1st Season) School: Savannah State University Football Office Phone: 912-58-3470 Founded: 1890 Best Time to Reach: Contact Media Relations Location: Savannah, GA Enrollment: 3,800 ASSISTANT COACHES Nickname: Tigers Thomas Sims Defensive Coordinator/Defenisve Line Coach Colors: Burnt Orange and Reflex Blue Russell DeMasi Co-Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Stadium: Theodore A. Wright Stadium Nate Baker Co-Offensive Coordinator/ Capacity: 8,500 Manrey Saint-Amour Offensive Line Coach Surface: Field Turf B.J. Johnson Wide Receivers Coach Press Box Phone: (912) 358-3469 Zach Johnson Safeties Coach Affiliation: NCAA -- Division II Trey Morgan Cornerbacks Coach Conference: Southern Intercollegiate Athletics Confer- Marquis Smith Linebackers Coach ence (SIAC) Aaron Pridemore Tight Ends Coach Interim President: Kimberly Ballard-Washington Alma Mater: N/A Basic Offense: Option Athletics Director: Opio Mashariki Basic Defense: Multiple Alma Mater: Bethune-Cookman University, ‘01 2018 Record: 2-8 Athletic Office Phone: (912) 358-3449 2018 Conference Record: 1-6 Ticket Office Phone: (912) 358-4130 2018 Record on the Road: 0-5 2018 Record at Home: 2-3 FOOTBALL INFORMATION 2018 Record at Neutral: 0-0 Head Coach: Shawn Quinn Letterwinners R/L: 53/46 Alma Mater: Carson Newman, 1995 Newcomers: 46 Career Record (Years): 4-3 (1st Season) SAVANNAH STATE PROBABLE STARTERS THE O’S LG C RG LT #74 #73 #50 RT #65 #75 TJ Awni Dylan Connor Alshafei Michael Jackson McCloud TE WR Vasher Johnson #10 #11 Jontae Major Baker WR Bellamy WR #9 Q #12 Joe #3 Adunte Boykin D’Vonn RB Devereux Gibbons #1 D’Angelo Durham THE X’S DT N END END #90 #54 #58 LB #9 Cam Salik LB Dameien #30 Aaron Brown McCrae #16 Rodgers Walter Robinson Chris Yates Smith CB LB CB #21 #4 #43 Nv’em John Desmond Bozeman Wilson Young SS FS #6 #24 Brian D’Armani Roberts Ridley TIGER BITES THE QUINN FILE serving as the SSU public address the Big South Football Television SSU head coach Shawn Quinn is in announcer. Package and the Tigers home contest his first year as head coach of the with Fort Valley State on November Tigers but the Chicago native has TRANSFER U 2 will be aired on ESPN3 as part of made his rounds on the collegiate SSU has 12 players on the roster that the SIAC Football ESPN agreement. level having coached at nine other have transferred from other schools. SSU’s appearances on FloSports programs in addition to SSU. Those The programs, which range from includes games with Benedict (Sep- programs include The Citadel, FBS to junior college, include Geor- tember 21), Morehouse (Sept. 28), Tennessee Tech, Western Carolina, gia, UMASS, Appalachian State, Clark Atlanta (Oct. 19) and Albany Charleston Southern, Northwestern Tennessee State, Bluefield, Valdosta State (Oct. 26). State, Georgia Southern, Louisiana State, Stetson, South West Oklaho- Lafayette, Tennessee and Louisiana ma, The Citadel, Georgia Military, PRO TIES State. Tennessee Tech and Culver-Stockton. Defensive coordinator/defensive line coach Thomas Sims and linebacker LOCATION, LOCATION, SURVIVOR coach Marquis Smith both played LOCATION SSU signee Kyle Frazier is a can- professional football. Sims, a sixth The SSU roster is made up of players cer survivor. Frazier was diagnosed round draft pick in the 1990 NFL from nine states, Georgia, Florida, with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in April draft played with the Kansas City South Carolina, Virginia, New York, 2019 but after chemotherapy treat- Chiefs, Indianapolis Colts and the Texas, Ohio, Alabama and Nevada, ments, he was declared cancer free in Minnesota Vikings. Smith played a as well as the Bahamas August 2019. The Augusta, Georgia year in the Indoor Football League native will enrolled at SSU in Janu- with the Bismark Bucks and one year WE’RE BACK ary 2020 and plans to join the foot- in the National Arena League with After spending the past 19 years in ball team. the Jacksonville Sharks. Division I, the Tiger athletic program is now back in Division II and the NEW ROLE HOME GROWN Southern Intercollegiate Conference Former SSU Sports Information SSU has eight players in its roster (SIAC). Director Opio Mashariki is now from six different of the local high the Director of Athletics. Mashariki schools, Islands, Savannah Christian, WELCOME TO THE MARSH served as Interim Athletic Director Johnson, Windsor Forest, Memorial The SSU football staff welcomes since August of 2018 and was named and Jenkins. seven new coaches including for- the permanent AD in January 2019. mer Tiger standout defensive end Mashariki served as the SSU As- THE SIZE OF IT Marquis Smith who will coach the sistant Athletic Director for Media Offensive linemen Michael Johnson linebackers. Other new coaches Relations since 2005. and Bryan Manuel-Mots are both include Nate Baker (co-offensive co- the tallest players on the team at 6-7 ordinator/tackles & tight end coach), FOR YOUR VIEWING but Manuel-Mots is the biggest at Manrey Saint-Amour (offensive line PLEASURE 330Ilbs. Wide receiver Dorian Metts coach), B.J. Johnson (wide receiv- SSU fans who can’t make some of is the shortest player on the roster at ers coach), Zach Johnson (safeties the games will still be able to see the 5-7 while fellow wide receiver James coach), Trey Morgan (cornerback Tigers, thanks to ESPN and FloSpo- Kicklighter is the lightest at 150Ilbs. coach) and Aaron Pridemore (tight rts. The Savannah State football team end coach) will make at least six appearances FAN FRIENDLY via livestream this season between The 2019 SSU football schedule is NEW VOICE ESPN and FloSports. The October fan friendly. Other than the trip to Shawn Christopher, also known as J. 5 road game at Charleston Southern Alcorn State, the remaining road Chris, is the new voice of the Tigers, will be shown on ESPN+ as part of games are within an four hour driv- ing distance. #ClawDown | 2019 Savannah State Football Game Notes HOLD THAT LINE COMMON OPPONENTS NEW LOOK SSU’s offensive line is holding its Savannah State and Albany State The football team will break away own this season and has only giving have four common opponents this from wearing the traditional orange up three sacks thus far season: Fort Valley State, Clark At- helmets and instead will wear royal lanta, Benedict and Morehouse. blue helmets which contains the SSU/ASU CONNECTION SSU athletic logo. SSU will see some familiar faces SEEKING 3000 on the ASU sideline. Former SSU SSU quarterback D’Vonn Gibbons HE’S BACK defensive line coach Jonas Jackson has 2,382 career passing yards and Joshua Peacock is Savannah State’s is now the defensive line coach needs 618 yards to reach 3,000 for new Assistant Athletic Director at Albany State and former SSU his career.