Lane College announces 2017 football schedule

JACKSON, Tennessee -- Lane College has released their 2017 football schedule and there will be some familiar teams to Dragons fans as nine of the 10 opponents this team faced off against last season are on the current schedule. Looking to improve on last season's 5-5 overall record, the team hits the road for three straight weeks before returning for a three-game home stand that finishes with an October 7 matchup against Langston University as part of the Lane College homecoming festivities.

• Sept. 2 @Texas College (CME Classic) - The Dragons trailed 6-0 before rattling off 44 straight points to pick up their first win of the season 44-6 at home in the inaugural CME Classic. This season the Dragons will face off against the Steers in Tyler, Texas.

• Sept. 9 @Morehouse College - Lane College dropped a heartbreaker in the season finale last year to the Maroon Tigers as Morehouse was able to thwart a comeback from the Dragons when they recovered the onside kick late in the fourth quarter to secure a 24-21 victory. This season, the Dragons look to even the score when they head to face the Tigers in Atlanta.

• Sept. 16 @Benedict College - Raul Martinez scored 13 of the Dragons' 19 points with his leg including the go-ahead field goal late in the fourth quarter to give Lane College a thrilling 19-18 homecoming win. The Dragons look to make it two-straight over the Tigers when they travel to Columbia, South Carolina for the third straight road game of the 2017 campaign.

• Sept. 23 Clark-Atlanta University - You have to go all the way back to 2014 to see the last time these teams met. The Dragons lost on the road by a field goal 20-17 in Atlanta but this year Lane College is the home team and the Dragons look to settle the score with the Panthers.

• Sept. 30 Tuskegee University - The Dragons struggled on the road, falling to the Golden Tigers 38-7 in Tuskegee, Alabama. This season, it's the Golden Tigers that have to travel and the Dragons who look to protect the home turf.

• Oct. 7 Langston University (Homecoming) - Lane College outgunned Langston University in the Black Wall Street Classic in Tulsa, Oklahoma last season, 46-44. This year, the Lions come to town to take on the Dragons at homecoming.

• Oct. 14 @Fort Valley State University - After scoring 44 points in the season opener, the Dragons relied on the defensive side of the ball to pick up their second win of the season, knocking off the Wildcats 10-7 at Lane Field. This time, the battle will take place at the home of the Wildcats in Fort Valley, Georgia.

• Oct. 21 @Miles College - Lane College defensive lineman Whitney Richardson recorded nine total tackles in a 26-14 loss to Miles College. He also recorded a sack that led to a fumble and a defensive touchdown for the Dragons in the third quarter. This time the Golden Bears hold the home-field advantage when the Dragons travel to Fairfield, Alabama.

• Oct. 28 Kentucky State University - The Dragons picked up their fifth win of the season in the next to last game of the year, knocking off the Thorobreds 35-21 on the road in Frankfort, Kentucky. The Dragons look for two in a road over Kentucky State, this time at the cozy confines of Lane Field.

• Nov. 4 Central State University - The Dragons only trailed by seven at the half but were outscored 13-3 in the second half, falling on the road to the Marauders 27-10 in Wilberforce, Ohio. This time, the final game of the season will be, right here, in Jackson.

LANE COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION