ATLANTA, GA – Down 21-2 Morehouse College mounted a comeback in the second half but fell short to Fort Valley State, 27-22, Saturday afternoon on Homecoming.
 
The Maroon Tigers fall to (7-2 Overall, 3-2 SIAC) while the Wildcats improve to (2-7 Overall, 2-3 SIAC).
 
After MHC took a 22-21 lead, FVSU came right back and retook the lead 27-22 when Leronzo Smothers returned the ensuing kick-off 96 yards for a touchdown. Junior Ricci Nuckles (Suwanee, GA) followed suit as he returned the kick-off 95 yards for a touchdown that would have giving Morehouse the lead but the return was called back due to a called block in the back.
 
Fort Valley State took an early lead when quarterback Demontay Jones ran it in from eight yards making the score 7-0. They would add to the lead as they converted on a 16-yard pass from Jones to Smothers after a Morehouse turnover extending the lead to 14-0.
 
Morehouse got on the board midway through the second quarter when a Wildcat muffed punt went through the endzone making the score 14-2. Just before the half Jones round Jeffery Mack on a 27-yard pass in the middle of the endzone giving Fort Valley State a 21-2 lead at halftime.
 
The Maroon Tigers would mount their comeback starting with a 12 play, 89-yard drive that took 6:21 off the clock when sophomore quarterback Michael Sims (Detroit, MI) found junior Tremell Gooden (Atlanta, GA) on a 16-yard strike cutting FVSU's lead to 21-8. Morehouse used another long drive for their second score as they drove 59 yards on 15 plays capped by a three-yard plunge by Frank Bailey Jr. (Atlanta, GA) making the score 21-15. The Maroon Tigers would take their only lead of the ball game with sophomore Santo Dunn (Miami, FL) capped an eight minute drive with a four yard touchdown run for the 22-21 lead.
 
MHC was lead by Dunn who rushed for 94-yards on 18 carries and Bailey Jr. how finished the game with 91-yards on the ground. Sims was 18-of-35 for 169 yards through the air while senior Amyr Smith (Atlanta, GA) had eight catches for 74-yards in his final home game. 
 
Defensively Morehouse was led by junior Julien Turner (Pickerington, OH) who finished with 11 tackles (4 solo) and one tackle-for-loss while senior Terrence Mitchel (Plantation, FL) had six tackles and one sack. Senior Mandell Ray (Lafayatte, AL), junior Jonathan Mathis (Stone Mountain, GA) and sophomore Dedrick Vanover (Gainesville, FL) each had an interception for MHC.
 
The Maroon Tigers dominated the game statistically as they had a 322 to 171 total yard advantage including 153 to 70 on the ground and 21 to 12 on first downs. Defensively MHC forced four Fort Valley State turnovers.
 
Morehouse closes the regular season next weekend, Sat. Nov. 3 as they travel across the AUC campus to face rival the Panthers of Clark Atlanta University. Kick-Off is set for 2 p.m.