COLUMBUS, Ga.- For the first time since 2012, the Albany State football team will not play for the SIAC championship. After taking a 17-0 lead in the first half, ASU could not hold off archrival Fort Valley State's second half rally and eventually lost 21-17 in the 27^th Annual Fountain City Classic.

With the loss, ASU did not win the SIAC East Division title for the fourth straight year and falls to 5-4 overall and 4-2 in the conference. FVSU will play Kentucky State in the 2016 SIAC title game, which will be held on Nov. 12 in Montgomery, Ala.

Albany State began the game with a solid drive to take an early lead. Treyvon Vallery's 4-yard touchdown capped a 10-play, 67-yard drive that used 6:01. Emilio Maldonado made the PAT, and the Golden Rams had a 7-0 lead with 8:56 left to play in the first quarter.

With 50 seconds left in the first period, Vallery scored his second touchdown of the game when he scampered one yard to the end zone. Maldonado's PAT was good, and Albany State held a commanding 14-0 edge. The drive used 12 plays, 62 yards and 5:34.

Maldonado added a 20-yard field goal at the 12:33 mark of the second quarter to give ASU the 17-0 advantage it would take into halftime. The drive went seven plays for 11 yards in 3:12.

In the second half, Fort Valley State scored its first touchdown when quarterback Otis Brown found Bodarius Johnson for an 18-yard touchdown with 12:12 left in the third period. The score was 17-7 going into the final stanza.

With 14:14 left in the game, Samuel Ryan recovered a fumble by Edmonds and ran it to the end zone to make the score 17-14. The Wildcats generated what would be the final score when Brown found Johnson for a 39-yard touchdown to give them the decisive 21-17 advantage.

ASU had an opportunity on its final drive, but Ta'Keevian Harris' reception at the Fort Valley State 6-yard line was short on fourth down.

Edmond finished the game 10-of-24 for 131 yards and a touchdown. Jarvis Small rushed 17 times for 80 yards, and wide receiver Quadrey Simmons had four receptions for 82 yards. Simmons was named the Most Valuable Player for Albany State.

Defensively, Marquez Thomas led the team with eight tackles (six solo). Ryan Selby, Monte Taylor, Nhigel Phillips and Grover Stewart each added four sacks. Phillips and Stewart also recorded individual sacks.

For Fort Valley State, Brown was 13-for-26 for 186 yards and two touchdowns. Johnson had five receptions for 90 yards, and Alphonso Matinez added three receptions for 46 yards.

The Wildcats defense was led by Brian Walker and Ryan Bowman. Each player recorded nine tackles apiece.