COLUMBIA, S.C. — Allen University freshman wide receiver Talik Graham has been named the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Football Newcomer of the Week following his standout two-touchdown performance against Albany State University, the league office announced.
Graham, a native of Carthage, N.C., made an immediate and clinical impact on Saturday at Charles F. Bolden Stadium, converting both of his receptions into touchdowns in a narrow 32-28 contest against the Golden Rams.
The freshman wideout opened the scoring early in the first quarter. Facing a critical fourth-and-2 from the Albany State 14-yard line, quarterback Brent Upshaw Jr. found Graham open on the right side for a 14-yard touchdown strike, giving the Yellow Jackets an early 7-0 advantage at the 10:56 mark.
Graham struck again late in the fourth quarter when Allen mounted a comeback effort. Following a crucial fourth-down conversion that placed Allen inside the red zone, Upshaw connected with Graham across the middle for a 7-yard touchdown reception with 3:36 remaining. The score trimmed Albany State's lead to 32-28 and accounted for Graham's second touchdown of the afternoon.
Graham closed out the game with two receptions for 21 yards, accounting for 12 of Allen's 28 total points and all of the Yellow Jackets' receiving scores on the day. The showing marks the first conference weekly honor of Graham's collegiate career and Allen's second Newcomer of the Week selection of the season.
The Yellow Jackets (2-2, 1-1 SIAC) will have a bye this coming weekend before returning to action on Saturday, Oct. 3, when they travel to face Savannah State University at 6:00 p.m..