13th-ranked Tuskegee Golden Tigers Host Miles on Saturday

TUSKEGEE, Alabama | The first nine weeks of the season, including four weeks against SIAC West Division opponents, have set the stage for Homecoming Weekend on the Tuskegee University campus.
 
After winning eight of their first nine games, the 13th-ranked Golden Tigers now face their biggest challenge of the 2015 season as they face Miles College (5-4, 4-0 West) on Saturday afternoon. The winner of the match-up between the two teams advances to play in the SIAC Championship Game to be played in Montgomery on November 14 against the winner from the East Division.
 
Kickoff is set for 1 pm at Cleve L. Abbott Memorial Stadium, and will be carried by the Tuskegee University Sports Network (both radio and web) and HSRN.
 
Tuskegee (8-1, 7-0 SIAC, 4-0 West) and Miles have met the last five years with the winner advancing to the SIAC Championship Game, and the two teams were predicted to be right where they are in the preseason by a vote of the coaches. The only unexpected occurrence on Saturday is the weather, with a 70 percent chance of rain and a slight chance of a storm.
 
The two teams have combined to outscore the other four teams in the West Division by a total of 289 to 101, and are ranked among the best in the SIAC. The two have also faced two other common opponents entering the contest on Saturday. Tuskegee won both games against Albany State and Morehouse, while Miles lost to Albany State.
 
The Golden Tigers struggled offensively on Saturday against Central State, although Dennis Norfleet was able to gain 106 yards on the ground. They are still ranked as the top scoring offense in the conference at 31.1 points per game and average a conference-leading 331.6 yards per game on offense. Defensively, the Golden Tigers lead the conference in scoring at 14.7 points per game and in total defense at 251.4 yards per game. Tuskegee also currently leads the country in defensive touchdowns with seven, scoring last week on a 20-yard interception return by Jewell Ratliff.
 
Meanwhile, Miles comes in after winning their last two games by a combined score of 74-17, including defeating Stillman 37-7 last Thursday night giving the Golden Bears two extra days of rest. They lead the conference with 155 first downs and a third down percentage .395. They also lead the conference in red zone offense at .840, just ahead of Tuskegee.
 
The match-up will feature a lot of talent on the field with the two teams combining to win 12 SIAC Player of the Week awards this season.
 
Tuskegee has won 24 of their last 25 games against SIAC competition, with their last loss coming on November 9, 2013 against Miles (41-36) – a game that sent Miles to the SIAC Championship Game.
 
Gates will open at 9 am on Saturday morning, with the Homecoming Parade set to start at the same time. The pregame festivities will start at 12:30 pm, with the game kicking off at 1 pm.
 
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