A blocked punt recovered in the end zone turned Senior Day at Morehouse bittersweet as the Yellow Jackets of Allen University defeated the Maroon Tigers 28-17.
Morehouse took the first lead of the game on Nicholas Woodford’s three-yard touchdown run. His run capped a six-play, 75-yard drive highlighted by a 52-yard yac play by Eric Stephens.
Allen responded with a five-play, 65-yard score three minutes later. Redshirt sophomore Marcus Fleming turned an 8-yard pass from Jamir Dismukes into an epic 49-yard touchdown run. Fleming cut across the field, picked up a few blockers, and powered through a couple of tacklers for the score.
Trevor Bywater pinned the Maroon Tigers at the 11-yard line to set up the Yellow Jackets’ special teams’ first big play of the day. Linebacker Andre Phillips got a running start and stretched out his entire 6’3” frame to block the punt off the foot of Seve Spruill. Freshman linebacker JayShawn Smalls recovered the ball in the end zone to give the Yellow Jackets the lead.
The Yellow Jackets sealed the game on the first play of the second half. Dismukes and tight end Mike Bowman combined for a second big catch and run. The redshirt freshman turned upfield with the 18-yard catch and rambled the remaining 57 yards to the end zone to give Allen a 20-7 lead.
Morehouse closed to within a field goal with a late drive in the third that was completed in the fourth on a one-yard touchdown run by quarterback Miles Scott. Rory Thomas highlighted the drive with an 18-yard reception and a 15-yard run out of the shotgun.
Allen’s defense shut down all of the Maroon Tigers’ attempts to cut into the lead. Otha Evans forced the ball from Kamrin Brunson’s hands deep inside Morehouse territory. Dismukes capitalized on the turnover with one snap. He threw a dart to Fleming at the three. Fleming spun and dove across the goal line to set the final score in stone.
Morehouse will have to wait a week for another opportunity at ending the season without a losing record. Their rivals from over the fence line at Clark Atlanta University are going to do everything necessary to keep that from happening.
The SIAC’s top two running backs will square off next Saturday in Columbia, SC, when Edward Waters attempts to spoil Senior Day for the Yellow Jackets. Allen defeated the Tigers 59-21 the last time they met in the Palmetto State. It was the program’s first win against the Tigers.