DALTON, Ga. - The University of Tennessee Southern men's soccer team played the role of Wile E. Coyote on Wednesday night, finally catching the Roadrunner. The Firehawks stunned No. 1 Dalton State with a 2-0 victory in Dalton, Ga., ending the Roadrunners' 37-match overall unbeaten streak and snapping a 50-match home unbeaten run that stretched back to November 9, 2019.
That date carries extra weight: Dalton State's last loss before Wednesday also came at home in the SSAC Quarterfinals, when they fell 1-0 to Martin Methodist—now UT Southern. Nearly six years later, the Firehawks once again delivered the blow that brought the Roadrunners down.
First-Half Strikes Catch the Roadrunners
The Firehawks wasted little time setting their trap. After surviving an early flurry of pressure and corner kicks, UT Southern flipped the momentum.
In the 16th minute, Daquan Duhaney—who had just been shown a yellow card—answered back with a perfectly timed strike, putting UT Southern ahead 1-0. It was his third goal of the season, and it stunned the home crowd.
Minutes later, the Firehawks struck again. In the 29th minute, George Grice buried his fifth goal of the year to double the lead, finishing a sequence assisted by Mak Binder and Filippo Fregoli, setting off celebrations on the visitors' sideline. Dalton State threatened before halftime, but goalkeeper Louis Hester made a key save to preserve the 2-0 advantage at the break.
Holding Off the Chase
True to form, the Roadrunners never stopped running in the second half. They controlled possession, launched nine corner kicks, and tested the Firehawks' back line throughout the final 45 minutes.
Riley Barratt nearly made it 3-0 with a shot on target in the 54th minute, but from there the match became all about the UT Southern defense. Hester delivered multiple second-half saves—including two in the final five minutes—to slam the door on the nation's top-ranked team.
This time, the anvil landed squarely on the Roadrunner.
Key Player Stats
First Half Team Stats
| Stat |
UT Southern |
Dalton State |
| Goals |
2 |
0 |
| Shots |
3 |
3 |
| Shots on Goal |
3 |
2 |
| Saves |
2 |
0 |
| Corner Kicks |
1 |
3 |
| Fouls |
2 |
2 |
Final Team Stats
| Stat |
UT Southern |
Dalton State |
| Goals |
2 |
0 |
| Shots |
4 |
11 |
| Shots on Goal |
3 |
5 |
| Saves |
5 |
1 |
| Corner Kicks |
1 |
9 |
| Fouls |
8 |
11 |
Next Up
The Firehawks will look to carry the momentum into another SSAC clash, hosting Life University on Saturday, October 4 in Pulaski.
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