Football Game Preview: Shaw Raiders vs. Carver Tigers

Shaw is 0-8 against Carver since October of 2015 but things could change on Thursday. The Raiders will challenge the Tigers at 7:00 p.m.

Shaw's offense might be in the hot seat on Thursday considering what happened against Columbus on Thursday. The contest between the Raiders and the Blue Devils didn't end well, with the Raiders falling 17-0. The shutout was out of character for the Raiders seeing as the last time the team failed to score was back in August.

Meanwhile, Carver strolled into their game on Friday with a perfect record and they left with the same. They blew past Hardaway 55-0. Given the Tigers' advantage in MaxPreps' Georgia football rankings (they are ranked 49th, while the Hawks are ranked 445th) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.

Shaw better keep an eye on Kelston Tarver. He was instrumental in Carver's win, rushing for 127 yards and one TD on only five carries. Tarver's longest rush was for an impressive 50 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total. Zach Watts also helped with two scores in total.

Carver was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 231 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 172 rushing yards every time they've taken the field this season.

Special teams was a major factor in the game for Carver, racking up 13 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Watts, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.

Carver's record now sits at 6-0. As for Shaw, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-5.

Shaw was taken down by Carver 40-7 when the teams last played back in October of 2024. Can the Raiders avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.