WILBERFORCE — Central State erased a 14-point deficit in the third quarter to beat visiting Tuskegee University, 40-36, Oct. 27.
Trailing 28-14 early in the third quarter, CSU went to its ground game, running nine times for 69 yards, capped off by a Trent Mays one-yard touchdown run. The point-after conversion was missed, making the score 28-20 with 9:08 left in the third.
The Marauders, who beat TU for the first time since 1948, made it 28-26 after a 10-play, 80-yard drive which ended with a TD pass from Mays to Kevin Greenhow.
Mays found Greenhow for a 32-yard touchdown to put CSU ahead 33-28 with 1:07 left in the third. CSU out-gained TU in yards, 173-76, in the third.
TU (5-4, 3-2) retook the lead, 36-33, with 8:59 left in the game, but CSU scored three plays later as Mays found Terraris Saffold for a 68-yard score with 8:09 left.
The Marauders’ (4-5, 2-3) defense sealed the victory, as it did not allow a TU first down on its next two drives. Defensive lineman Shemar Moss came up with a crucial tackle in the backfield to force a TU turnover on downs with 1:49 to play.
CSU scored on the games’ opening drive of the game as Saffold scored on a 1-yard run. TU tied the game at the 13:11 mark with a 6-play, 59-yard touchdown drive.
The Marauders went up, 14-7, on a 1-yard run by running back Jerry Lanier. TU immediately answered on its next possession and then took its first lead of the game after a touchdown late in the second quarter.
On their first possession of the second half, the Golden Tigers extended the lead to 28-14.
Mays completed 19 of 39 pass attempts for a career-high 376 yards and three scores and Greenhow finished with seven receptions for 207 yards and two touchdowns. Greenhow is the first Marauder to record back-to-back games of 200 or more receiving yards since the 1995 season.
Terraris Saffold set a new career-mark with 127 receiving yards and has a team-leading 10 touchdowns this season.
Kailen Abrams led CSU defenders with nine tackles.
The Marauders have scored 40 or more points in the last three games. The last time CSU scored 40 or more points in three straight games was during the 1995 NAIA Championship season.