Albany State University defeats Morehouse College at Toyota HBCU New York Classic
Albany State University defeated Morehouse College 24-14. The two Georgia-based HBCUs met on a neutral field at MetLife Stadium for the second annual Toyota HBCU New York Classic.
Albany State scored two touchdowns early in the first quarter including a 58-yard pass by quarterback Isaiah Knowles to Rashad Jordan. They would connect again on a 13-yard reception in the fourth quarter with Isaiah Knowles finishing the game 20 for 30 and 245 yards passing with three touchdowns.
“I really wanted to win. And we went out and got it,” said Jordan.
Both teams have trained under new head coaches this season who met for their first competition at the Toyota HBCU New York Classic.
“This is a game for our kids [and] they’ve been playing this game since they were four or five years old. The fact that we’re in MetLife Stadium…doesn’t change the fact that you’re in between those lines,” said the Golden Rams head coach Quinn Gray, Sr., a former NFL quarterback and FAMU legend. “We would have played in the parking lot if they put the ball down, it doesn’t matter where, we play football. We’ll play anywhere, anytime, anyplace.”
Regarding the opportunity to play in the Toyota HBCU New York Classic, he added, “Eleven of these kids had never been on an airplane before so the experiences this has created for these kids is second to none.”
Morehouse was led by coach and alumni Gerard Wilcher, who fulfilled his dream to become a head coach for the prestigious college last February when he was brought in to lead the Tigers.
“These are Morehouse men. We are here to win and graduate. We are working on the winning part as well as the graduation part,” said Wilcher. “It’s about growing and learning from our mistakes. Somewhere along the years, we fell way behind, and now we are playing catch up.”
The Toyota HBCU New York Classic is a multi-day celebration of HBCU culture and community activities, including career fairs and education days, a Greek step show, tailgate, battle of the bands, and more. The game’s halftime show included a live performance by rap legend Big Daddy Kane, plus spectacular drumline performances and a battle of the bands between Morehouse College and Albany State University.
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