“Win the game,” Coach Aaron Kelton of Savannah GA exclaimed. This is the mindset that the Savannah State football team embraces as they prepare to travel to Jackson, Tennessee to face the Lane College Dragons, who currently hold a 1-7 record.

Despite being out of the championship and Division II playoff picture, the Savannah State Tigers are determined to give their all in their final regular season game with a record of 2-7. Last week, they suffered a 38-17 defeat against the undefeated Benedict College Tigers in Theodore A. Wright Stadium.

Throughout the season, Savannah State has struggled offensively, managing to accumulate a total of 301 yards in their previous game against Benedict College, most of which were gained in the first half. Their highest-scoring game this season was against the Clark Atlanta Panthers, where they scored 28 points and emerged victorious.

Unfortunately, their offensive performance has been inconsistent, resulting in them being ranked 12th in total offense in the conference. Jadon Adams serves as the starting quarterback for SSU, maintaining a 50.0 completion rating while throwing for 9 touchdowns and 5 interceptions this season. This week, the offensive unit will focus on challenging the Lane College Dragons defense, which allows an average of 33.6 points per game and 359.9 yards per game.

While Savannah State’s defense has performed decently this year, they will be up against a predominantly run-heavy offense in Lane College. Led by junior running back Kylan Duhe, the Dragons boast the 5th-ranked rushing offense in the SIAC conference, while Savannah State holds the 7th-best rush defense. The outcome of this game will be determined by the battle in the trenches.

On the other side, the Lane College Dragons, with a record of 1-7, are eager to bounce back from a close road loss of 17-14 against Central Michigan University. Head Coach Vyron Brown has kept his team resilient throughout the season, with six of their eight losses being decided by a margin of two touchdowns or less. The Dragons play a physical brand of football, relying heavily on running back Kyle Duhe, who leads the conference in rushing yards with 820 yards on 176 carries and 7 touchdowns.

While their running game helps control the tempo and keep them competitive, their passing game needs improvement in the upcoming game against Savannah State University. Quarterback Polo Solomon has thrown 6 touchdowns and 11 interceptions this season, with most of their losses being attributed to their struggles in the passing attack.

Both teams will face off this Saturday at Lane Field in Jackson, Tennessee, with kickoff scheduled for 2 PM CST.