Sports

Fort Valley State beats Tuskegee, still alive in SIAC race

AnyFans 2025-09-28

By Randall Barnes

Marlon Watson notched his first win as head coach of Fort Valley State University in a wire-to-wire 27-20 victory over perennial SIAC contender Tuskegee University.The matchup is a traditional rivalry between two blue-blood programs of the conference. While Tuskegee historically has the advantage, Fort Valley has won three of the last four matchups since 2021, doing so under three different coaches.
Coming into this game without a win after narrow losses to West Alabama, Clark Atlanta, and Delta State, FVSU has consistently played up to its competition, surprising many HBCU observers and prognosticators with their talent across all sides of the ball. This victory keeps the Wildcats alive in the SIAC Championship race and gives them positive momentum heading into next week’s Homecoming game.
The Wildcats wasted no time taking the lead. On the very first offensive play, quarterback Jai’que Hart delivered a perfect 84-yard pass to JT Pendleton for a touchdown. This “one-hitter quitter” play immediately gave Fort Valley a 7-0 lead.
Tuskegee fought back behind a phenomenal passing performance from quarterback Raequan Beal, who finished the game throwing for 380 yards and two touchdowns on 29-of-45 passing, though he did throw two interceptions.
FVSU, however, was able to play effective “keep-away” throughout the game, as their proficient passing and rushing attack was enough to fluster the Golden Tigers. Wildcat running back Alexander Wilson finished the game with two key touchdowns that helped extend their lead and ultimately secure the victory.
Lack of Urgency Proves Costly for Tuskegee
At times, Tuskegee appeared to play with a lack of urgency—an observation made Slyvester Williams, also known as Sly the Sports Guy, who served as color commentator for the broadcast on ESPN+. In key moments near the end of the second and fourth quarters, the Golden Tigers seemed to lack the requisite urgency to methodically move the ball and put themselves in advantageous scoring positions.
This was evident at the end of the second quarter when, instead of driving for a field goal to cut Fort Valley’s lead, Beal threw a long pass into the end zone that was intercepted by KJ Spence. In the fourth quarter, Tuskegee ran out of time as they were unable to quickly get the ball to the line of scrimmage, with no timeouts remaining, sealing the 27-20 victory for Fort Valley.
Has Fort Valley State found it’s quarterback?
The win gives the Wildcats hope as they head into Homecoming. Freshman quarterback Don Hudson Jr. suffered an injury last week against Delta State, sidelining him for the foreseeable future. It appears Jai’que Hart is ready to reclaim the QB1 spot, providing Fort Valley State with the pocket-passing quarterback they need while also offering some of the playmaking and running ability that Hudson showcased.
Meanwhile, Tuskegee University falls to 2-3 on the season as they prepare to play a Morehouse College team that recently tested SIAC contender Edward Waters. Tuskegee looks to stabilize itself before its bye week and a major matchup against the red-hot Albany State Rams on October 18th.
Fort Valley State celebrates Homecoming as they welcome Central State on October 4th at 1:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast on HBCU GO. Tuskegee and Morehouse College face off in the annual Tuskegee-Morehouse Classic in Montgomery, Alabama, at the Crampton Bowl on October 4th at 6:00 p.m. The game will air on ESPN+.