By Clifton Dutton, Sports Editor

On October 8, Morehouse College’s Maroon Tigers football team, will be traveling to Birmingham, Alabama to take on their rivals, Tuskegee University Golden Tigers. The game will be hosted at Birmingham Legion Field. Legion Field was opened in 1927, and can hold over 70,000 fans in the stadium. 

Legion Field was named in memory of the American Legion, which is a United States organization for military veterans. It can hold events such as games, concerts, and showings. Consequently, there will be more than enough space to hold fans for both sides. 

Within the last decade, this rivalry matchup has collided 10 times, leaving Morehouse with a 3-7 record thus far. In their last meeting in October 2021, Morehouse came out on top with a final score of 31-15. This was also their largest victory margin of the matchup over the last decade.

In addition, the win over Tuskegee was Morehouse’s first victory of the season. Before the game the Maroon Tigers were sitting at 0-5 and the Golden Tigers were 2-3. After the Tuskegee game, Morehouse went on a three game winning streak, and finished their last five games with a 4-1 record. 

Late starts are a part of every sport and it was evident that this was the case for the Maroon Tigers. After their classic showdown with Morehouse, Tuskegee was able to win one more game for the season, which was against Central State. 

One of the more thrilling games this rivalry delivered us was the classic they had during the 2018-19 season. The classic had gone into triple overtime with the final score being 30-24. Morehouse had been undefeated at 6-0 for the season and was the first time they’d beat Tuskegee in the last eight years. 

The game entered overtime at 17-17 with both teams holding each other at the same score in the first overtime quarter. In the double overtime game, the Golden Tigers scored first. 

Maroon Tigers’ running back Santo Dunn, ran for a 14-yard and a 16-yard touchdown to gain a six-point lead. Afterwards, the Maroon Tigers were able to hold off their rivals in the final overtime to claim victory. The Maroon Tigers won their final game of the season that day and finished with an overall record of 7-3. 

Before the Morehouse-Tuskegee classic this year, both teams will have played five games, which should be enough time for both teams to develop a determined gameplan. Morhouse’s first game will be at their new stadium and will play against the University of West Alabama on September 8. 

Members of the Maroon Tiger staff will head over with the team to conduct interviews and also cover the game to update those watching at home on latest news and play-by-play. In addition, students who decided to come will have close to a four-hour drive to reach the Legion Field Stadium. 

Since this is a classic that has been around for some time, it’s important that these teams get the most fans they can get behind them. In addition, the venue is very huge and an experience for everyone who decides to come in great spirits and watch the rivalry unfold in a competitive atmosphere.