By Ricky Rogers
sports@salisburypost.com
GREENVILLE, S.C. ó The Livingstone Blue Bears fell to the Savannah State Tigers 34-12 Saturday night at Sirrine Stadium in Greenville, S.C. in the Greenville HBCU Classic.
Livingstone fell to 0-2 on the young season. Savannah State played its opener.
Senior quarterback Steven Williams threw for 197 yards against the Tigers with two touchdowns. The leading receiver for the Blue Bears was freshman Omar McFadden who had 57 yards with one touchdown. Defensively, junior defensive back Alkeem Deloatch led Livingstone with 10 tackles including one for a loss.
Savannah State got on the board first in the first quarter as they blocked a Livingstone punt. The ball went out of the back of the end zone for a safety and SSU went up 2-0. The Tigers went up 8-0 on a two-yard run, but a two-point conversation failed.
Livingstone had opportunities to cut into the Tiger lead, but Blue Bear receivers dropped two potential touchdowns in the end zone. After the dropped passes, Savannah State’s Justin Babb, who ran for 229 yards, took an 81 yard run to the house to put SSU up 15-0.
In the second quarter, SSU upped its lead to 18-0. Livingstone again was on a march towards the end zone, but a fumble by Williams gave the ball back to SSU who took a five-play, 44-yard drive to the end zone for a 25-0 lead at halftime.
Livingstone’s offensive struggles continued at the start of the second half as they coughed up the ball on their first drive of the half.
Williams got the Blue Bears on the board with 3:28 remaining in the third quarter. Williams scrambled out of the pocket along the far sideline and floated a pass into the middle of the end zone where two Blue Bear receivers were open and McFadden made the catch. A two-point conversion failed and Livingstone trailed 25-6.Livingstone scored early in the fourth quarter jas Williams connected with sophomore running back Linwood Jenkins for a 22-yard score. The two-point conversion was unsuccessful.