A rare first-possession touchdown

West Alabama took its first possession 80 yards in 13 plays to take an early lead in the 2026 Red Tails Classic on Sunday.
Bray Jenkins scored on a 1-yard run with 5:50 remaining in the first period.
It was the third time a team scored on its first possession of the Red Tails Classic with all three being touchdowns.
The previous opening scores were by Fort Valley in 2022 on a Kelvin Durham run of 10 yards and again in 2023 on a 18-yard run, capping a 62-yard drive.

Tuskegee blocks kick for points

With 7:34 remaining in the game, UWA took a three-score lead on Luther Richardson’s 37-yard touchdown pass to Kaden Cupp.
But the Golden Tigers blocked the extra point try with Tyranny McGowan knocking down the kick followed by Tus Johnson grabbing the loose ball and racing the length of the field to give Tuskegee two points.
The West Alabama lead was cut to 11 points.
Tuskegee followed with a touchdown drive of 75 yards in just two plays to pull to within 10 points with just under six minutes left.
It was the defensive extra point scored in the Red Tails Classic. The ensuing drive culminated with a two-point conversion, also a first for the Classic.

Guyton becomes UWA’s all-time leading scorer among kickers

With his PAT following West Alabama’s final touchdown in the fourth quarter, placekicker Elijah Guyton became the school’s career scoring leader among kickers with 180 points.
The previous record was held by Mark Grant, set between 2012-15.
The All-American from Cullman entered the 2026 season already holding school records for the most career field goals (31) and the longest field goal (51 yards). Last season he was 11 of 12 on field goal attempts with the lone miss being blocked.
The NCAA Division II record for career field goals is 82, set by Jeff Glas of North Dakota between 2002-05.

Trips to Cramton Bowl uncommon for the Tigers

While Tuskegee has made numerous trips to Cramton Bowl, the Tigers of West Alabama had played in Montgomery just seven times dating back to 1953.
All seven games were against Troy (or Troy State is it was called prior to 2004).
Before Sunday, the program had recorded just one victory in the bowl coming in 1972, a 14-3 win over Troy State. That win ended a seven-game “jinx” at the bowl for then-Livingston State.

Big day for the former Julian QB

Former Percy Julian star Bryson McGrew set a Tuskegee record for rushing for a quarterback in the Red Tails Classic with 83 yards on Sunday.
But breaking the record wasn’t too difficult.
The previous rushing record for a Tuskegee quarterback in the game was 11 yards by Bryson Williams in 2023.
McGrew played for Julian between 2022-25.

Prattville star part of group of former Bama players on Cochran staff

O.J. Howard was a prep superstar at nearby Autauga Academy (Prattville) from 2009-12 and was an All-American tight end for the Generals.
He along with few others with ties to the Alabama football program, are now part of the coaching staff at West Alabama.
Howard spent four years playing for Scott Cochran and then-head coach Nick Saban and was part of three SEC Championships and a national title in 2015, winning the MVP award in the win over Clemson.
Howard is one of four players or coaches with Bama ties on Cochran’s staff, who is in his second year at the helm. He is the tight ends coach and director of player development for the Tigers. Other former Bama players who are on the staff include former quarterback Blake Sims (wide receivers) and Thomas Fletcher, who is in charge of special teams.
Ronnie Clark was the running backs coach between 2014-18 for Saban at Alabama.
Former Tide running back Bo Scarbrough is also on the staff in charge of high school football relations.
Cochran was Alabama’s strength and conditioning coach for Saban between 2007 and 2019. He later joined former Alabama assistant coach Kirby Smart at Georgia in 2020 and remained with the Bulldogs for five years.
Cochran took the head coaching position at West Alabama last year.

In the Army now

In between the first and second quarters, the US Army Montgomery Recruiting Battalion read the oath of enlistment to seven recruits, officially committing them to the US Army.
The Red Tails Classic honors the Tuskegee Airmen who fought for the US during World War II.

West Alabama head football coach Scott Cochran likes adversity.

His team had plenty of adversity in Sunday night’s season-opening 27-17 win over Tuskegee University in the sixth annual Red Tails Classic at the historic Cramton Bowl.

West Alabama (1-0) overcame a missed field goal attempt and two turnovers in a span of three second-half possessions to win its third straight season opener.

“We saw some frustrating things, some silly things, we made mistakes but it’s things we can clean up,” Cochran said after the game. “We drove down the field really strong, but we couldn’t put it in the end zone.”

West Alabama built a 14-7 halftime lead and had the ball to start the third quarter. Kendrick Joseph returned the second half kickoff 35 yards to midfield. Six plays later, the Tigers had a first and goal at the Tuskegee 3-yard line. The next three plays only netted one yard and Luis Guyton was sent out for a short field goal. Guyton missed the 19-yard kick and the Golden Tigers took over.

West Alabama’s defense got the ball right back when Donny Anderson recovered a fumble at the UWA 29-yard line. The Tigers moved the ball to the Tuskegee 17-yard line before TD Parker hauled in a pass and raced toward the goal before Calvin Townes Jr., forced a fumble that rolled through the end zone for a touchback.

After Tuskegee missed a field goal, West Alabama gave the ball right back when quarterback Luther Richesson threw his first interception of the night.

Again, the UWA defense rose to the occasion with a stop on fourth and one at the Tigers 23-yard line. Lake Gurley met Desmond Leverette just short of the line to gain and created the turnover on downs.

“We had a miscommunication on the fourth and one,” Tuskegee head coach Aaron James said. “We had some other opportunities and we sputtered.”

After that, UWA scored on its next two possessions to pull away from Tuskegee.

Richesson hooked up on a 37-yard touchdown pass to Kaden Cupp to push West Alabama to a 20-7 lead. The extra point attempt was blocked by Tryanny McGown and returned by Denard Johnson for the defensive 2-point conversion to make it a 20-9 game.

Tuskegee (0-1) fumbled on its own 18-yard line on the ensuing possession and West Alabama capitalized. It was the Golden Tigers’ third turnover of the game.

“We had three turnovers,” James added. “Those are drive killers.”

Richesson hooked up with Cupp for a 13-yard touchdown pass to push UWA’s lead to 27-9.

The two touchdown receptions were Cupp’s only two catches in the game.

The graduate senior quarterback accounted for 307 yards and three touchdowns to earn Red Tails Classic MVP honors. He completed 16-of-25 passes for 215 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. He also ran the ball seven times for 93 yards. The 93 rushing yards and 13.7 yards per carry were both Red Tails Classic records by a quarterback.

“It was a great way to start the year,” Richesson said. “We faced some adversity and self-inflicted wounds and still found a way to get it done. We are 1-0 and I am proud of the way we played.”

Tuskegee quarterback Bryson McGrew capped the scoring with a 9-yard touchdown run and subsequent 2-point pass to make it 27-17 late in the game.

The Golden Tigers tried an onside kick, but UWA recovered and ran out the clock.

McGrew had 301 total yards and two touchdowns in the loss. He threw for 215 yards with one score and added 83 rushing yards and another touchdown.

West Alabama scored on its first possession of the game with a 13-play, 80-yard drive. Bray Jenkins gave the Tigers a 7-0 lead with a 1-yard run.

Tuskegee came right back with a 75-yard drive, capped by McGrew’s 18-yard pass to Jermaine Hardy Jr., to tie the game at 7-7.

West Alabama took the lead for good when Richesson threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Madixx Morris with 8:50 left in the second quarter.

Maybe Luther Richesson has finally found a home.

The West Alabama quarterback set a Red Tails Classic record for completion percentage (64 percent) and passing touchdowns (three), earning Most Valuable Player honors after leading his Tigers to a 27-17 win over Tuskegee at Cramton Bowl on Sunday night.

The Nashville native led his Lipscomb Academy team to a state championship in 2021, but from there his journey takes more wrong turns than right. He signed with Cincinnati, then entered the portal before the 2022 season started. After sitting out 2022, he played at Golden West College in 2023, went to Middle Tennessee State in 2024 (where he didn’t play) and Central Arkansas in 2025 before finally winding up at West Alabama this fall.

“It’s been a long run, for sure,” he said. “I’ve been just about everywhere. I joke every time when you see those commitment graphics online and see like eight different schools and all the comments, ‘What’s this kid doing? The portal is ruining football,’ I’m one of those kids. In a lot of ways, I’m grateful for it. It’s been a wild ride. A lot of lessons I’ve learned in each spot I’ve been. I just told Coach (Scott) Cochran on the way (to the postgame interview) I’m so thankful and so blessed to be at West Alabama.”

The Tigers piled up 411 yards with a breakout fourth quarter, but much of what they accomplished on Sunday can be directly tied to Richesson. His first touchdown pass of the night was a perfect strike over the middle to Maddix Morris to give West Alabama a 14-7 halftime lead. And when the game started unraveling in the third quarter, it was Richesson who put it all together in the fourth quarter to help the Tigers put the game out of reach.

“I thought he played great,” Cochran said. “Everyone, to start, the anxiety was very high. And I’ve got to find a way to settle them down to play a full four quarters. He’s definitely got a long way to go but I see that he has a chance where he is.”

In the first half, he did a lot of damage with his legs, finishing with 93 yards on seven carries, the most ever by a quarterback in a Red Tails Classic.

“I’ll do whatever it takes,” he said. “I’m not the fastest quarterback in the world but I think I can get it done when we need it. That’s just what it took tonight.”

In the second half, there was a missed field goal and a fumble out of the back of the end zone that cost West Alabama points on two occasions, followed by a Richesson interception.

It was actually his second interception of the night. The first was negated by the fact Tuskegee had 12 men on the field.

“He threw an interception and they had the penalty,” Cochran said. “I was like, ‘you’re a lucky dog.’ I’m smiling at him, joking with him, ‘ha, you’re lucky, you finally got one,’ and then he threw the next one. ‘Man, I shouldn’t have thrown it.’ I’m like, no, this is what happened, let’s go to the next play. You’ve got to go sit for the next few minutes, however long it takes the defense to get the ball back. So how you’re going to respond when you come back out is more important than you throwing that pick.”

From that moment, he completed 5 of 5 passes for 82 yards and a pair of touchdowns, helping the Tigers build a 27-9 lead to put the game out of reach.

“On offense — I can only speak from my end — we saw the defense battling,” he said. “They were really competing. They played a hell of a game. That (Tuskegee) offense made some amazing plays tonight and (the West Alabama defense) held them to few points. I think it just kicked in for us, let’s help our brothers out, let’s go do our part and make sure we can get some points on the board as well.

Richesson completed 16 of 25 passes for 215 yards and three touchdowns, setting Red Tails Classic records for completion percentage and touchdown passes (as well as quarterback rushing totals). Most importantly, he led his new team to a win in the 2026 season opener.

“It was a great way to start the year, 1-0. We faced some adversity early on in the game and then some self-inflicted wounds coming out of the half. I was just really proud of the guys. We all had each other’s backs tonight, especially through some adversity, and found a way to get it done.”

MONTGOMERY – The University of West Alabama and Tuskegee University will meet in the sixth annual Red Tails Classic at the Cramton Bowl in historic downtown Montgomery.

West Alabama and Tuskegee will play one another on Sunday, August 30 at 8 p.m. (ET) on ESPN 2.

This marks the first time the Red Tails Classic will feature two in-state teams.

“We’re excited to host two in-state teams for the first time at the Red Tails Classic,” Red Tails Classic executive director Clay Norrell said. “West Alabama is coming off an outstanding season under head coach Scott Cochran, and Tuskegee has provided us with great crowds and exciting games the past five years.”

West Alabama is 14-6 in two seasons under Cochran, including a berth in the 2024 NCAA Division II Playoffs.

The Tigers have averaged 32.5 points and 193.9 rushing yards per game under Cochran.

Tuskegee is making its sixth consecutive appearance in the Red Tails Classic.

The Golden Tigers defeated Winston-Salem State 20-17 in last year’s game.

West Alabama becomes the seventh different in-state team to play in an ESPN Event at the Cramton Bowl.

MONTGOMERY – Tuskegee’s offense didn’t inspire a lot of confidence among its fans in the first half of the fifth annual Red Tails Classic at Cramton Bowl on Sunday night.

Through 30 minutes, the Golden Tigers had just five first downs, nearly half as many penalty yards (40) as total yards (84) and had failed to convert any of their six third-down opportunities.

Still, they trailed Winston-Salem State just 10-3.

“I feel like in the first half, we weren’t sticking to what we know, the little things,” said Tuskegee senior quarterback Raequan Beal. “We preach that every day. The little things can make you win games; they can also make you lose games. So I felt like in the first half, we were too much in our heads. Little mental mistakes. I made some bad reads. We had some missed assignments and dropped balls. And all those things are not us. Throughout (preseason fall) camp, that wasn’t us. That was never our identity.

“We said, ‘Hey guys, settle down, first half, we’re only down seven.’ That was the great part. Our defense was playing a hell of a game. We just came out in the second half with a different mentality. We were going to punch them in the mouth and play ‘Skegee football.”

The Golden Tigers rallied with a pair of Beal touchdown passes in the second half and a Lorcan Ryans’ field goal provided the game-winning points as Tuskegee won the Red Tails Classic for the second time in three years with a 20-17 victory on Sunday.

And while Tuskegee’s offense didn’t just flip a switch and turn into a different unit, the Golden Tigers were more efficient in the final 30 minutes, thanks in large part to their quarterback who kept his teammates focused throughout the game.

“I feel like he’s always confident,” tailback Johnny Morris said. “That’s why we look at him as a leader. He’s always going to be the same way, even keel.”

Tuskegee coach Aaron James praised Beal’s ability to continue to focus on the game plan and attention to detail even when things weren’t going as planned in the first half.

“The guys’ play in the first half wasn’t our style of football,” James said. “We came out for the second half and I told them, hey, we’ve got to have this. We put in all the work from the spring to the fall camp for a reason.

“Like I told him, you’ve got to have a short-term memory, you’ve just got to get to the next play. And he did that. Once he sees the ball come out of his hands and his receivers catch it, he can play lights out. His competitiveness is through the roof.”

Beal was 8 of 20 for 65 yards and an interception in the first half, accounting for much of the Golden Tigers’ 84 total yards. After going 0 for 6 on third down conversions in the first half, Tuskegee went 6 of 8 in the second half, converting their first on a Beal keeper with 12:40 remaining in the third quarter that seemed to provide the spark the offense was needing.

He went on to complete 10 of 13 passes for 85 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the second half, part of a 156-yard performance that wasn’t spectacular but was certainly necessary if the Golden Tigers wanted to win the football game.

His efforts earned him the Most Valuable Player award for the game. As he reflected on the season opening victory, he recalled a pointer from offensive coordinator Harry Williams.

“One of our sayings from Coach Harry is, ‘So goes the head, so goes the body,’” Beal said. “I feel like when you start mentally getting in your head, your body follows. I think we did a very good job in the second half calming down and going, ‘Hey guys, we’re right there.’ Little mistakes is the reason we’re down seven points. I feel like we could have had 28 to 35 points in the first half. So it’s coming out in the second half and we punted the ball, what, maybe one time? And we ran the ball well in the second half. We just controlled the game and played ‘Skegee football. That’s all.”

MONTGOMERY – After a sluggish first half, the Tuskegee University football team scored on all three second-half possessions for a 20-17 come-from-behind win over Winston-Salem State University in the fifth annual Red Tails Classic at the historic Cramton Bowl.

Tuskegee (1-0) ran 37 plays for 170 yards in the second half and converted 6-of-8 third down conversions.  In the first half, the Tigers managed only 84 total yards and did not convert any of the six third down attempts.

“We scored on every second half possession,” Tuskegee senior quarterback Raequan Beal said.  “We had the same thing happen in one of our scrimmages. The defense dominated the first half and we came back with a big second half. We know how to respond.”

Beal was the second half catalyst, going 10-for-13 for 85 yards and two touchdowns through the air to earn Red Tails Classic MVP honors. For the game, he was 18-for-33 for 150 yards with two passing touchdowns and one interception. He completed a pass to 10 different receivers.

“I told out team at halftime, we were beating ourselves,” Tuskegee head coach Aaron James said. “We have to play our brand of football in the second half. We’ve got to have this.”

Tuskegee took the second half kickoff and marched 62 yards in seven plays to tie the game at 10-10. Beal capped the drive with an 18-yard touchdown pass to freshman wide receiver Preston Parker.

On its next possession, Tuskegee regained the lead, 17-10, with a 10-play, 47-yard march that ate up almost six minutes of the third quarter clock. Beal capped with drive with a 6-yard scoring strike to sophomore wide receiver Rashad Wilson, Jr.  It was Wilson’s only catch of the game.

Winston-Salem State (0-1) answered with a 75-yard scoring drive with 13 minutes left on the game clock. Rams quarterback Daylin Lee, who had a touchdown pass nullified by a holding call, came back three plays later and found Davontay Deloach on 34-yard catch-and-run that tied the game at 17-17.

Lee was 9-for-19 for 169 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.  Deloach led the team with three catches for 55 yards and the touchdown.

Tuskegee used a nearly eight-minute drive that produced a 29-yard field goal by junior Lorcan Ryans to give the Tigers a 20-17 lead.

The Tigers defense forced a three-and-out and the offense was able to run out the clock for the opening night win.

Winston-Salem State led 10-3 at halftime as both offenses struggled the find any rhythm.

The two teams were a combined 0-for-13 on third down in first 30 minutes.

“The opportunities were there,” Winston-Salem State head coach Robert Massey said. “We had too many penalties and too many dropped passes. I feel like we let this one get away.”

Lorcan hit a 31-yard field goal to give the Tigers a 3-0 lead.

Lee threw a 50-yard TD pass to Ja’Hari Mitchell on the final play for the first quarter to put the Rams up 7-3. Mitchell caught the ball at the Tigers 20-yard and bobbled it twice for gaining control and raced to the endzone. Mitchell caught two passes for 84 yards and one touchdown.

The Rams had two 50-yard plays the first half, totaling 102 yards and one touchdown. The other 30 plays netted 94 yards.

Linebackers Devon Irving, Jr. (9) and Kaquan Kimber (7) led the Tigers in tackles. Senior defensive end Massiah Wells recorded two sacks and junior free safety Antonio Knight had the lone interception.

The Rams were led by junior defensive end Kyle Williams and senior linebacker Jamieson Alston with nine tackles each.

Final Stats>

MONTGOMERY – Clay Norrell has been named the Executive Director of the IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl, FCS Kickoff and Red Tails Classic, assuming the position previously held by Johnny Williams, who passed away on Feb. 4 after a lengthy illness. Norrell spent the last six years as the Assistant Executive Director under Williams’ tutelage.

“I am deeply humbled and honored to be appointed as the Executive Director of the IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl, FCS Kickoff and Red Tails Classic,” Norrell said. “I look forward to stepping into this new role and carrying forward the enduring legacy that Johnny Williams entrusted to us.”

Norrell’s experience includes management of more than twenty different football games as Assistant Executive Director, working closely with community partners and sponsors, while also overseeing game operations and game volunteers. Norell was also heavily involved in the planning of various game events and logistics and served in the same capacity for the Myrtle Beach Bowl since 2021.

“We are excited to have Clay carry on the legacy and leadership of the IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl,” said Clint Overby, Vice President of ESPN Events. “Johnny Williams has left a lasting impact on the sport of college football, and I know that Clay will do an excellent job in furthering our event opportunities in Montgomery.”

Norrell was chosen for the inaugural class of the Football Bowl Association Leadership Symposium in 2019 and serves on the Board of Directors for the AUM Department of Kineisology Advisory Board and the YMCA of Montgomery County Boys Work Committee. He is also member of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity.

A native of Tuscaloosa, Norrell is a graduate of Troy University with a degree in business management. He is married to the former Hayden Turner Norrell.

By Tim Gayle

It was a simple run up the middle, but it changed the look of the fourth Red Tails Classic for the remainder of the game.

Johnson C. Smith tailback Quavaris Crouch took a handoff on the first play of the second half and sprinted through a huge hole on the way to the end zone 75 yards away, breaking a 7-7 tie and lifting the Golden Bulls to a 21-13 win over Tuskegee on Sunday night at Cramton Bowl.

“That was a big momentum changer,” Tuskegee coach Aaron James said. “We had a missed assignment there, a blown assignment. The running back went straight up the middle, up the ‘A’ gap and scored a touchdown. Coming out of the half, you know, that should never happen.”

James is correct, but Crouch would go on to rush for 48 more yards in the fourth quarter that helped seal the win, part of a 161-yard night that earned the senior Most Valuable Player honors in his long-awaited return to college football.

“It feels awesome,” Crouch said. “I thank God because I never knew I was going to put a jersey on again.”

Back in what almost seems like a lifetime ago, Crouch was considered the top college prospect in America, a five-star running back and linebacker that had lifted his Harding High team to a state championship in 2017. Tennessee won the recruiting battle and Crouch played as a linebacker for the Volunteers in 2019 and started 10 games in 2020. As questions arose concerning the program and coach Jeremy Pruitt, Crouch jumped in the transfer portal and went to play for Mel Tucker at Michigan State in 2021.

Now it was Tucker who was on the hot seat regarding off-the-field issues following the 2021 season and Crouch jumped in the transfer portal again, but never really landed. He came back to Charlotte in 2022 and 2023, finding a job and taking community college courses before trying his hand, one last time, this season at Johnson C. Smith, now as a running back.

Crouch matched his first-half rushing total with a 15-yard run late in the first half to give the Golden Bulls an apparent lead, but it was nullified by a holding penalty. A missed field goal followed and the two teams were tied at 7-7 at the half. So far, Crouch had done little to remind anyone of the talent that made him a five-star recruit.

That all changed with his first carry of the second half.

“I feel like the biggest thing I was telling myself is to stay patient,” he said. “At first, I felt like it was moving slow, I wasn’t hitting it like I wanted to, but keep pressing, keep communicating with the offensive line and the coaches, trust in the process, everything we said we would do, and it started hitting for us.”

It’s been five years since he played any running back, but every good runner knows where to deliver the credit for his touchdown.

“The offensive line,” he said. “You can’t do nothing without the offensive line. They always take care of me and keep me healthy. I feel like we’ve got a good group.”

His 161 yards were the second most in the four-year history of the Red Tails Classic, trailing only Emanuel Wilson, now with the Green Bay Packers. Wilson was a tailback coached by Johnson C. Smith coach Maurice Flowers when Flowers was at Fort Valley State. Now Flowers has another talented running back who shook off a slow start with a dominant second half.

“We just knew that we weren’t playing our best ball in the first half,” Crouch said. “In the second half, we put it together, put on more steam. Just like the Clemson-Georgia game that was kind of close in the first half, in the second half Georgia came and pushed it on out. So we were just trying to follow the example they gave us.”

Johnson C. Smith turned a negative into a positive and ran past Tuskegee 21-13 in the fourth annual Red Tails Classic at the historic Cramton Bowl.

Junior tailback and Michigan State transfer Quavaris Crouch scored on the first play of the third quarter when he raced 75 yards to give the Golden Bulls a 14-7 lead just 11 seconds into the second half.

Crouch had a touchdown nullified by a penalty in the final seconds of the first half and the Golden Bulls missed a subsequent field goal that left the teams tied at halftime.

“Upset’s a good word to say,” Johnson C. Smith head coach Maurice Flowers said. “What we said at halftime was let’s stop helping them. Most of the things that they got were things that we gave them.”

Crouch took a simple handoff on the first play of the third quarter, found a hole and outran Tuskegee defenders for the go-ahead 75-yard touchdown run.

“What we did, if you go back to Pop Warner football, you might call it ‘Dive Right’ or ‘Dive Left,’ Flowers added. “I mean, that’s what it was. You had to just trust what you’ve been taught. And so when you have a veteran team, that’s what you can do. You can trust the team and just trust the process because they believe in the system. And if you believe in the system, the system is sound. We should be able to make some big plays to keep us in the game.”

Tuskegee head coach Aaron James called it a “momentum changer”.

“We had a blown assignment,” James said. “The running back went straight up the middle, up the ‘A’ gap and scored a touchdown. Coming out of the half, you know, that should never happen. Like I said, it was just a mental mistake and we’ve just got to go back and clean up a lot of things.”

Crouch finished with 21 carries for 161 yards and one touchdown to earn Red Tails Classic MVP honors. The 161 rushing yards and 75-yard run are both the second most in Red Tails Classic history.

Tuskegee answered with a 51-yard touchdown drive set up by Devon Cooper’s 32-yard kickoff return.

Senior running back Johnny Morris capped the five-play drive with a 1-yard TD run. Junior Lorcan Ryans missed the extra point attempt, leaving the Tigers with a 14-13 deficit.

Johnson C. Smith junior receiver Bevin Caldwell was the playmaker in the passing game. He caught seven passes for 90 yards and two touchdowns. Caldwell had a 37-yard catch-and-run touchdown late in the third quarter to give the Golden Bulls a 21-13 lead.

Johnson C. Smith turned a fumble recovery into a touchdown in the final minute of the first quarter for the game’s first score. Junior linebacker Chris Jackson recovered a fumble by Tuskegee freshman receiver Reggie Brigman at the Golden Tigers’ 21-yard line.

Five plays later, junior quarterback Darius Ocean tossed a 7-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Caldwell in the corner of the end zone to give the Golden Bulls a 7-0 lead with 58 seconds left in the first quarter.

Tuskegee made a big play on special teams to set up the game-tying touchdown on the next possession. Sophomore Timarcus Grayson blocked a punt to put the Golden Tigers at the 9-yard line.

After taking an 11-yard sack on first down, junior quarterback Raquon Beal redeemed himself with a 15-yard touchdown pass to junior receiver Karon Taylor to knot the score at 7-7 with 10:41 left in the first half.

Johnson C. Smith (1-0) played in the Red Tails Classic for the first time.  Flowers improved to 2-0 as head coach at the Red Tails Classic. He led Fort Valley State to a 30-0 win over Tuskegee in the inaugural Red Tails Classic in 2021.

Tuskegee (0-1) fell to 1-3 in Red Tails Classic games, losing twice to Fort Valley State (2021 and 2022) and a third time on Sunday. The Golden Tigers’ lone win came against Fort Valley State in 2023.