The Albany State Golden Rams also got their first win of the season for head coach Quinn Gray as they defeated the Maroon Tigers of Morehouse College 24-14 in the second annual Toyota HBCU NY Classic.
The Rams came out strong, scoring on their first two offensive possessions to build a 14-0 lead, and looked poised to blow the game open early.
However, Morehouse dug their heels in, limiting Albany State to just three points over the rest of the first half and getting in the endzone themselves late in the half to trim the deficit to 17-7 heading into halftime.
A touchdown from Derrach West to Marquez Pride pulled the Maroon Tigers to within three points at 17-14. Albany State responded with an 8-play, 72-yard drive that ended with a 13-yard touchdown toss from Isaiah Knowles to Rashad Jordan, giving the Golden Rams a 10-point cushion that would be the difference.
These were the prevalent factors in Saturday’s matchup:
Dr. Kristene Kelly & Coach Quinn Gray won their 1st football game as a Golden Ram #GoGoldBleedBlue pic.twitter.com/r0Xv2SYqsj
— Golden Ram Athletics (@ASUGoldenRams) September 17, 2023
Morehouse stood up to the run
The Maroon Tigers’ run defense was a turnstile, allowing 633 yards, 262 to Virginia Union and 371 to Howard, through their first two games. However, against Albany State, the Morehouse defense was a wall, only surrendering 90 yards on 39 attempts.
Isaiah Knowles steps up
With the Golden Rams’ run game stymied by the Morehouse defense, it fell upon quarterback Isaiah Knowles to shoulder more of the offensive burden. The sophomore signal caller responded by completing 20 of his 30 pass attempts for 245 yards and three touchdowns, including a 58-yard stike to Rashad Jordan for the Rams’ second score. Knowles also ran for 40 yards on 10 carries.
