Savannah State Outlasts Edward Waters in a Fierce Battle, 27-20

EWU vs Savannah State during their Pink Game. Photo: Dez Barnes

Jacksonville, FL – In an exciting Saturday night showdown at Nathaniel Glover Stadium, the Edward Waters Tigers put up a tough fight but ultimately fell short, losing 27-20 to Savannah State in a hard-fought contest.

EWU started strong, with senior running back Kentrelle Williams making magic happen early in the first quarter. He sliced through Savannah State’s defense, weaving his way for a 15-yard touchdown run to give Edward Waters a 7-0 lead by the end of the quarter.

Savannah State wasn’t about to stay quiet for long. Quarterback Jhaydon Sullivan fired a pass to Kihry Wallace, who snagged it in the back of the endzone to tie the game at 7-7 midway through the second quarter. But Edward Waters stayed cool, pushing into the red zone and grabbing a 10-7 halftime lead with a 30-yard field goal by Cooper Badics.

The second half started with a bang for Edward Waters as they marched downfield for a gritty 5-minute drive, capped off by a one-yard QB sneak from Juwan Dent. However, Savannah State answered back almost immediately, thanks to a massive 52-yard pass from Sullivan to Brent Carr, setting up another touchdown to make it 17-14.

Cooper Badics tacked on another field goal to extend the EWU lead to 20-14, but the fourth quarter was all about Savannah State. Da’Shun Mitchell pulled in a jaw-dropping 63-yard touchdown pass that barely stayed on his shoulder pad to push Savannah State ahead, 21-20. Then, a fumble on the ensuing kickoff gave the visiting Tigers another scoring opportunity, sealing the deal with a quick touchdown that stretched the lead to 27-20.

Despite a career-best performance from Kentrelle Williams, who racked up 146 rushing yards and a touchdown, and Juwan Dent's solid passing effort (142 yards), Edward Waters couldn’t close the gap in the final minutes.

Defensively, Javon Miller led the charge with six tackles and half a sack, while Travis McNichols and Stephan French each contributed five tackles. But it wasn’t enough to stop Savannah State’s efficient offense, led by Sullivan, who threw for 256 yards and four touchdowns, and Mitchell, who finished the game with 101 yards and two touchdowns.

Next up, Edward Waters hits the road to take on Albany State, looking to bounce back after this tough loss.

Final score: Savannah State 27, Edward Waters 20.