denson_win
19
Savannah State SSU 3-2
24
Winner Charleston Southern CHSO 1-4
Savannah State SSU
3-2
19
Final
24
Charleston Southern CHSO
1-4
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
SSU Savannah State 7 9 3 0 19
CHSO Charleston Southern 7 0 7 10 24

Game Recap: Football |

Bucs score 17 straight to cap first win of the Denson coaching era

CHARLESTON, S.C. - Charleston Southern rattled off 17 consecutive points in the second half as the Buccaneers held off Savannah State at Buccaneer Field on Saturday night, 24-19.

Trailing 19-7 with 5:02 remaining in the third quarter, the Bucs (1-4) mounted their comeback attempt on Homecoming night in front of a raucous 3,608 fans. Jack Chambers targeted Kameron Brown for a four-yard touchdown pass on a fade in the left corner to narrow the Tigers lead down to 19-14 with just a little over a minute left in the fourth quarter.

Chambers capped the comeback on the Bucs' ensuing drive as the redshirt sophomore quarterback took the option keeper around the right end from one-yard out to give CSU its first lead of the game with 10:07 remaining. Alex Usry added a late 35-yard field goal to provide the final margin.

Redshirt senior running back Ronnie Harris was the workhorse again for the Buccaneers on Saturday as he posted his first career 100-yard rushing effort. He posted 120 yards on 18 carries (6.7 ypg) to keep the chains moving in CSU's first win of the season.

Chambers overcame four turnovers to post 231 passing yards and a pair of touchdown passes in the win. Isaac Ross had seven catches. for 71 yards, while Brown and Jaquan Williams both had touchdown receptions.

Garrett Sayegh posted eight tackles and 3.0 tackles for loss in leading the Bucs' defensive efforts. J.D. Sosebee added seven tackles and 2.5 for loss as CSU posted a season-high 13.0 tackles behind the line of scrimmage in the game.

D'Vonn Gibbons (55 rushing yards, 1 TD) and D'Angelo Durham (59 yards, 1 TD) carried the load for the Tigers (3-2) offensively. Walter Yaves (12 tackles, 3.0 TFL) and John Wilson (10 tackles, 2.5 TFL) led SSU defensively.
 
Gallery: (10/5/2019) Football vs Savannah State (10/5/19)

Key Drive
Kyle Reighard's school record-tying 72-yard punt set the Buccaneers defense up for success early in the fourth quarter. With CSU trailing 19-14, Reighard's punt was downed at the SSU eight-yard line to set up the Tigers' next drive. Eishaun Funnye and Darin Smalls combined for a pair of tackles apiece on the ensuing three-and-out to force a Savannah State punt.

CSU started at the Tigers' 36 with 11:10 remaining. Three plays later, Jack Chambers faked the handoff up the middle and walked into the end zone from one-yard out to put CSU ahead 21-19 with 10:07 left in the quarter as the Bucs took a lead they would not relinquish the rest of the way.

Inside the Numbers
  • Charleston Southern held the 27-10 first downs advantage in the game on Saturday and boasted a 31:33-28:27 edge in time of possession over the Tigers.
  • CSU posted 415 total offensive yards on the game, averaging a season-high 5.5 yards per offensive play.
  • CSU picked up 184 yards rushing paced by Ronnie Harris' career-high 120 rushing yards.
  • Terrence Wilson (52 yards), Jamari Dunbar (16) and Chambers (-5) all recorded seven carries in the game.
  • Kameron Brown picked up the Bucs' longest catch of the day at 23 yards and finished with six catches for 58 yards.
  • Sayegh (3.0 TFL), Sosebee (2.5 TFL), Anton Williams (2.0 TFL), and Nick Salley (2.0 TFL) all recorded multiple tackles for loss for the Bucs on Saturday, while eight different players picked up tackles behind the line of scrimmage in the win.
  • Williams added the Bucs' lone sack of the game.
  • Darin Smalls picked up the Bucs' second interception of the season to close out the game in the fourth quarter.
  • Kyle Reighard averaged 57.5 yards per punt over his two attempts on Saturday.
  • Alex Usry converted his second field goal of the season to add to the Bucs lead.
News & Notes
  • Reighard's 72 yd punt matches a school record set by Heath Siemon in 1993.
  • Ronnie Harris set the team's season high in rushing yards with 120. It was the redshirt senior's first career 100-yard rushing game.
  • Team rushed for 41 times, most in a game this year.
  • Bucs were 4-4 in the red zone tonight, their best performance this season.
  • CSU outgained Savannah State 128-57 in the third quarter.
  • Isaac Ross caught a career-high seven passes for 71 yards.
  • Jack Chambers had a career day, completing 24 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns. He added another score on the ground for his third touchdown of the night.
  • J.D. Sosebee tied his career tackles for loss record with 2.5.
  • Anton Williams finished with two or more tackles for loss in his third straight game.
  • The Bucs finished the game with 13 tackles for loss, tied for seventh best all-time.
  • Darin Smalls' game winning interception was his first at CSU.
Tweet of the Game
Postgame - Autry Denson

 
Up Next
Charleston Southern opens Big South play next weekend as the Buccaneers travel to Kennesaw State University on Saturday, October 12, with kickoff on ESPN3 set for 3 p.m.
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