For 82 years, the Turkey Day Classic between Division II Tuskegee and FCS Alabama State has been a Thanksgiving tradition and for 12 of the last 15 years, Tuskegee winning the game has seemed like a tradition.
This year, Tuskegee took advantage of four Alabama State turnovers to hold off the Hornets, 17-10, at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama.
Joshua Harris completed 11 of 22 passes for 196 yards and connected with Stephen Clements on a two-yard scoring strike in the fourth quarter for what would be the winning touchdown.
The Hornets (7-4) drove the length of the field on the next possession and made the score 17-10 with 8:08 left after quarterback Devin Dominguez's five-yard run.
The Golden Tigers (9-2) of the SIAC, who lead the classic 48-31-3 and the overall series 60-33-4, managed to run the clock down to almost nothing and then picked off Harris for the third time with five seconds remaining to seal the victory.
Tuskegee dominated the first half, jumping out to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on Nykeem Barton's 20-yard run.
The Golden Tigers took a 10-0 lead into halftime after Eduardo Murillo kicked a 24-yard field goal in the second quarter.
Alabama State got on the board in the third quarter with Andrew Lyons' 28-yard field goal.
That set up Harris' fourth-quarter TD throw to Clements.
Dominguez finished the game with 218 yards, completing 21 of 36 passes. But, he was his team's own worst enemy with four turnovers.
He was intercepted three times, by Kevin Phinazee at the Tuskegee 1 to kill a scoring drive; by Kelvin Robbins that helped set up Clements' touchdown, and by Ronald Smith to end the game.
Dominguez fumbled into the hands of Isaiah Brown in the third quarter.
The season is not done, however, for the Hornets. They won the SWAC east division title and will play Texas Southern for the conference championship Dec. 11 in Birmingham.
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