From SIAC: 

SATURDAY, SEPT. 12
Edward Waters Tigers (1-1, 0-0 SIAC) at Miles Golden Bears (0-2, 0-0 SIAC)
Kickoff: 2 p.m. CT / 3 p.m. ET
Location: Sloan-Alumni Stadium — Fairfield, Ala.
Game: Prince Hall Americanism Football Classic
Weather: Fairfield, Ala. Forecast
Watch: SIAC Network
Live Stats: Miles Live Stats
Series: Tied, 2-2 (since 2019)
Last Meeting: Edward Waters 46, Miles 14 — Sept. 6, 2025

THE MATCHUP

Edward Waters and Miles open their 2026 SIAC schedules Saturday afternoon in Fairfield in a matchup between teams trying to rebound from Week 1 losses to Division I opponents.

Edward Waters enters at 1-1 after suffering a 66-14 loss at Jackson State in the HOPE Labor Day Classic. The Tigers were held to 231 yards of total offense after producing 426 yards and 42 points in their season-opening victory over Florida Memorial. Jackson State controlled the line of scrimmage, limiting Edward Waters to 48 rushing yards on 30 attempts while generating 704 yards of offense.

Despite the final score, Edward Waters moved the ball effectively on its opening possession. The Tigers drove from their own 7-yard line to the Jackson State 2 before being stopped on downs, a 90-yard march that included completions of 26 yards to Izaiah Jean-Baptiste, 21 to Jayden Pressey and 36 to Xavier Irvin.

Miles also enters looking for its first win after a 38-23 loss at Alabama A&M. The Golden Bears showed significant offensive improvement from Week 0, generating 329 yards, including 208 passing and 121 rushing. Miles trailed 31-7 in the third quarter before scoring 16 unanswered points to pull within 31-23, but Alabama A&M's fourth rushing touchdown ultimately helped put the game away.

Quarterback Brinley Vandiver was responsible for much of Miles' resurgence. He completed 26-of-39 passes for 208 yards without an interception and added 66 rushing yards and two touchdowns. The Golden Bears finished with 21 first downs, possessed the football for 32:45 and did not commit a turnover.

Saturday also renews a series that has swung dramatically. Miles won the first two documented meetings in 2019 and 2021 by scores of 49-28 and 16-9. Edward Waters answered with a 22-16 win at Miles in 2022 before dominating last year's meeting 46-14 in Jacksonville. 

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Edward Waters — WR Izaiah Jean-Baptiste  
Jean-Baptiste remained Edward Waters' most productive receiver against Jackson State, catching four passes for 64 yards, including a 26-yard reception. He accounted for more than one-third of the Tigers' 183 passing yards.

Jean-Baptiste was especially important on Edward Waters' opening 90-yard drive, catching a 26-yard pass that helped move the Tigers out from deep in their own territory. After posting 140 receiving yards and two touchdowns in Week 0, his continued production makes him the primary downfield threat Miles must account for.

Edward Waters — DB Dylan McCarthy
McCarthy supplied Edward Waters' biggest play of Week 1, intercepting a Jackson State pass and returning it 52 yards for a touchdown late in the third quarter. The pick-six produced the Tigers' first points of the game.

His ability to create a turnover could become significant against a Miles offense that did not give the football away against Alabama A&M. For Edward Waters, generating short fields and defensive points would help take pressure off an offense looking to regain its Week 0 form.

Edward Waters — LB Trevon French
French again led the Edward Waters defense, finishing with nine tackles against Jackson State. He has been one of the Tigers' most active defenders through the opening two weeks and will be especially important against Vandiver's ability to extend plays with his legs.

Miles rushed for 121 yards against Alabama A&M and Vandiver accounted for 66 of them, making French's discipline in the middle of the defense a key component of Saturday's matchup.

Miles — QB Brinley Vandiver
Vandiver delivered his most complete performance of the young season against Alabama A&M. He completed 26-of-39 passes for 208 yards with no interceptions and rushed 11 times for 66 yards and two touchdowns.

That gave Vandiver 274 yards of total offense and two scores. His mobility could be particularly important against an Edward Waters defense that did not record a sack against Jackson State.

Miles — WR Edward Osley
Osley emerged as Vandiver's most reliable target in Huntsville, catching a game-high nine passes for 64 yards. His nine receptions were more than twice as many as any other Miles receiver.

With Edward Waters likely focused on limiting explosive plays, Osley's ability to work underneath and keep the chains moving could play an important role in sustaining Miles possessions.

Miles — LB Antonio White Jr.
White was the Golden Bears' leading tackler against Alabama A&M, recording 12 tackles, including seven solo stops.

Edward Waters struggled to establish the run against Jackson State but still has Johntarrious Thomas and quarterback Tavion Faulk as rushing threats. White will be central to Miles' effort to force the Tigers into predictable passing situations.

BY THE NUMBERS
2-2 — The documented series is tied through four meetings since 2019. Miles won the first two; Edward Waters has won the last two. 
46-14 — Edward Waters' victory over Miles last season in Jacksonville, the largest margin of victory by either team in the documented series. 
32 — Edward Waters' margin of victory in 2025.
49-28 — Miles' victory in the first documented meeting on Oct. 19, 2019. 
16-9 — Miles' victory at Edward Waters in 2021, the lowest-scoring game in the series. 
22-16 — Edward Waters' victory at Miles in 2022, its first win in the documented series. 
2 — Consecutive Edward Waters victories in the series entering Saturday. 
357-158 — Edward Waters' total-offense advantage over Miles in last season's 46-14 victory. 
231 — Edward Waters' total offense against Jackson State in Week 1, with 183 passing and 48 rushing. 
48 — Rushing yards by Edward Waters against Jackson State on 30 attempts, an average of 1.6 yards per carry. 
64 — Receiving yards by Izaiah Jean-Baptiste on four receptions against Jackson State. 
52 — Yards on Dylan McCarthy's interception return for a touchdown, Edward Waters' first score against Jackson State. 
329 — Miles' total offense against Alabama A&M, a 97-yard improvement from the 232 yards it produced against Alcorn State in Week 0. 
274 — Total offense accounted for by Vandiver against Alabama A&M — 208 passing and 66 rushing. 
26 — Completions by Vandiver against Alabama A&M on 39 attempts, without an interception. 
3 — Rushing touchdowns scored by Miles against Alabama A&M. Vandiver scored twice and Roderick Thomas added another. 
0 — Miles turnovers against Alabama A&M. The Golden Bears neither threw an interception nor lost a fumble. 
12 — Tackles by Miles linebacker Antonio White Jr. in Week 1. 
704 — Total yards accumulated by Jackson State against Edward Waters, including 316 rushing and 388 passing. 

WHAT TO WATCH
Can Miles carry its Week 1 offensive improvement into conference play?
The Golden Bears jumped from 232 total yards against Alcorn State in Week 0 to 329 against Alabama A&M. More importantly, Miles produced three sustained second-half scoring drives against the Bulldogs, including consecutive 75-yard touchdown marches.

Vandiver's legs against the Edward Waters front.
Vandiver's 66 rushing yards changed the dimension of the Miles offense. Edward Waters allowed Jackson State to rush for 316 yards and five touchdowns, and the Tigers did not record a sack. Vandiver does not have to duplicate Jackson State's production to affect the game; his ability to escape pressure and turn broken plays into first downs could be significant.

Can Edward Waters rediscover its explosive offense?
The Tigers scored 42 points in their opener but were held to 14 at Jackson State, with one touchdown coming from McCarthy's interception return. Faulk threw for 157 yards, Jean-Baptiste had 64 receiving yards and the Tigers averaged only 3.9 yards per offensive play.

Miles must improve against the run.
Alabama A&M rushed for 279 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 7.5 yards per attempt. Troy Bruce alone produced 145 yards and two touchdowns. Edward Waters managed only 48 rushing yards in Week 1, but Thomas has already demonstrated his ability to produce against Miles — he rushed for 76 yards and two touchdowns in last season's meeting.
 
A clean game could favor Miles.
The Golden Bears committed no turnovers against Alabama A&M, while Vandiver has now gone through the first two games without throwing an interception. Edward Waters' McCarthy showed last week, however, how quickly a defensive takeaway can change a game with his 52-yard pick-six.

The series momentum has flipped.
Miles owned the first two meetings. Edward Waters owns the last two. Saturday gives one program the opportunity to take its first lead in the documented series. 

LAST TIME THEY MET
Edward Waters delivered the most decisive performance in the series last season, defeating Miles 46-14 on Sept. 6, 2025, at Nathaniel Glover Community Field & Stadium in Jacksonville.

The Tigers seized control almost immediately. A safety opened the scoring, Noah Bodden connected with Davari Morris for a 33-yard touchdown less than a minute later, and Johntarrious Thomas added a six-yard touchdown run to give Edward Waters a 16-0 first-quarter advantage. The Tigers led 23-7 at halftime.

Edward Waters then broke the game open in the third quarter. Bodden hit Brady Tillman for a 37-yard touchdown, another safety pushed the lead to 32-7, and Thomas broke a 38-yard touchdown run less than two minutes later. Edward Waters eventually led 39-7 before Miles scored its second touchdown.

The Tigers outgained Miles 357-158, held the Golden Bears to only 33 net rushing yards on 41 attempts and recorded four sacks. Bodden completed 15-of-25 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns, while Thomas rushed for 76 yards and two scores.

The 32-point victory gave Edward Waters its second consecutive win over Miles and evened the documented series at 2-2.

LAST TIME OUT — EDWARD WATERS
Edward Waters suffered its first loss of the season with a 66-14 setback at Jackson State in the HOPE Labor Day Classic.

The Tigers actually generated the game's first sustained scoring threat. Starting at their own 7, Edward Waters drove 90 yards in eight plays and reached the Jackson State 2, but the possession ended on downs. Jackson State responded with a 97-yard touchdown drive and ultimately scored 38 unanswered first-half points.

Jackson State led 38-0 at halftime and extended the margin to 52-0 before McCarthy intercepted a pass and returned it 52 yards for Edward Waters' first touchdown. Torey Morrison later added a 29-yard rushing touchdown with 3:35 remaining.

Faulk completed 11-of-26 passes for 157 yards without an interception. Jean-Baptiste caught four passes for 64 yards, while Xavier Irvin added two receptions for 55 yards. French and Mataye Youman shared the team lead with nine tackles apiece.

Edward Waters finished with 231 total yards, went 4-of-14 on third down and was held to 48 rushing yards. The Tigers' defense faced a Jackson State offense that produced 704 yards and scored on all eight of its red-zone opportunities.

LAST TIME OUT — MILES
Miles fell to 0-2 following a 38-23 loss at Alabama A&M in the Louis Crews Classic, but the Golden Bears showed considerable improvement from their season opener.

Alabama A&M built a 14-0 first-quarter advantage before Vandiver capped an eight-play, 80-yard drive with an eight-yard touchdown run. The Bulldogs pushed their lead to 31-7 early in the third quarter before Miles mounted its comeback.

Vandiver scored again on a four-yard run to finish an 11-play, 75-yard drive. Roderick Thomas then capped another 75-yard march with a three-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter, and a safety seven seconds later cut Alabama A&M's advantage to 38-23.

Vandiver finished with 208 passing yards, 66 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while Lavarion Logan rushed for 44 yards on eight carries. Osley caught nine passes for 64 yards, and Antonio White Jr. led the defense with 12 tackles.

Miles finished with 329 yards, 21 first downs and a 32:45-27:15 advantage in time of possession. The Golden Bears also played turnover-free football but were hurt by 13 penalties for 119 yards and an Alabama A&M rushing attack that produced 279 yards.