FAIRFIELD, Ala. — Edward Waters University Football delivered a strong second-half performance Saturday afternoon, rallying past Miles College, 36-20, at Albert J. Sloan-Alumni Stadium to secure its first Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) victory of the 2026 season.
With the win, the Tigers improved to 2-1 overall and 1-0 in SIAC play, marking their first conference victory of the season.
Edward Waters established an early presence offensively, opening the scoring on a 14-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tavion Faulk to Izaiah Jean-Baptiste with 10:25 remaining in the first quarter. Miles answered with a 73-yard touchdown pass, but the Tigers responded in a unique way as Moshe Yant returned the blocked extra-point attempt 88 yards for two points, giving EWU an 8-6 advantage.
The Tigers extended their lead early in the second quarter when Faulk connected with Jean-Baptiste again, this time for a 15-yard touchdown. Miles responded with two rushing touchdowns before halftime to take a 20-15 lead into the break.
Edward Waters came out of halftime determined to regain control.
Faulk and Jean-Baptiste connected for their third touchdown of the afternoon, a 40-yard strike with 8:19 remaining in the third quarter. Shelby Towkach's extra point put the Tigers back in front, 22-20.
The EWU defense then helped preserve the advantage, forcing Miles into a turnover on downs before the Tigers added to their lead early in the fourth quarter.
With 11:26 remaining, Faulk found Xavier Irvin for a 45-yard touchdown, extending the Tigers' lead to 29-20. The defense continued to make plays, including an interception by Lemar Harris in the third quarter and another late-game interception by Aykenon Rodgers.
Following Rodgers' interception, Edward Waters put the game away. Camren Stewart broke loose for a 28-yard touchdown run with just 27 seconds remaining, capping a 14-point fourth quarter and securing the 36-20 victory.
Faulk turned in another impressive performance under center, completing 18-of-30 passes for 250 yards and four touchdowns, while also rushing for 28 yards.
Jean-Baptiste was the Tigers' standout receiving threat, hauling in nine receptions for 144 yards and three touchdowns, including scoring grabs of 14, 15 and 40 yards.
Johntarrious Thomas provided a steady presence in the ground game, rushing 18 times for 66 yards. Stewart added 28 rushing yards and a touchdown on just four carries.
As a team, Edward Waters amassed 383 total yards, including 250 through the air and 133 on the ground. The Tigers also converted 6-of-14 third-down opportunities.
After allowing 20 points in the first half, the Tigers' defense completely shut down Miles over the final 30 minutes.
Edward Waters held Miles to just 62 rushing yards and 248 total yards while forcing three turnovers, including two interceptions.
Trevon French once again led the defensive effort, finishing with 13 total tackles, two tackles for loss, a half-sack, a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry.
Darius Johnson added five tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, while Mataye Youman recorded eight total tackles.
The Tigers' ability to finish the game on both sides of the football proved decisive, as EWU outscored Miles 21-0 in the second half to turn a five-point halftime deficit into a 16-point road victory.
Edward Waters returns home next Saturday, September 19, for its next contest when the Tigers welcome Savannah State to Nathaniel Glover Field and Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
After opening the season 2-1 and starting SIAC play with a victory, the Tigers will look to carry their momentum back to Jacksonville and defend home turf in front of Tiger Nation.
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