Savannah quarterback Travis Partridge could see the goal line, but not Lafayette’s Bryston Williams.

Just 6 yards away from a third rushing touchdown, Williams yanked Partridge down from behind, and the Lafayette defense made a stand. The Savages didn’t score after Partridge’s 82-yard keeper, but with a 14-point lead in the first quarter, they didn’t seem in danger.

But that stand was the start of a larger momentum shift that put Savannah’s unbeaten mark in jeopardy.

“We’ve got to work on finishing,” said Partridge, who finished with 217 yards rushing and three touchdowns during Savannah’s 35-21 win Friday night at Alumni Stadium.

“We’ve got to work on finishing drives. We haven’t finished very well this year, and that’s got to change.”

Savannah moved to 4-0, continuing its best start since 2000 under first-year coach Mark Cole.

Win No. 4 seemed a foregone conclusion with Partridge scoring on runs of 35 and 1 yards on the Savages’ first two possessions for a 14-0 lead. A long Lafayette drive then stalled, and after a punt, Savannah took over at its own 4-yard line.

On second and 8, Partridge’s fake left Lafayette’s defense staring into a pile of players, but the ball was elsewhere. He went down the left sideline with Williams finally able to drag him down from behind at the 6.

But Savannah couldn’t punch it in on four tries, three inside the 5.

The Savages’ next drive also moved inside Lafayette’s 10, but Savannah failed on four more goal-to-go opportunities.

That’s where Lafayette finally took advantage of its momentum.

Williams, the Irish quarterback, broke a 26-yard run on the second play of Lafayette’s ensuing drive, then moved to wide receiver and hauled in a 33-yard pass from Gunner Sumy to move inside Savannah’s 10.

Two plays later, Tim Nelson ran it in from 3 yards out to cut the lead to 14-7 just 46 seconds before halftime.

Savannah took the ball after halftime and made two first downs before punting it away.

Two plays later, Williams started up the middle on a quarterback keeper before cutting right and juking Savannah defensive back Chandler Hanna in the open field on his way to a 57-yard touchdown run.

Irish kicker Sam Talmadge then tied it at 14 with a 35-yard extra point after a personal foul was called after Williams’ touchdown run.

“I’m really proud of the kids to keep fighting,” Lafayette coach Paul Woolard said. “But we just have to avoid rough starts. We’re starting in these holes time and time again.”

And the Savages gave the ball right back to the streaking Irish.

Lafayette’s Nate Hinkle picked off Partridge near midfield on the next play, and momentum-fueled Lafayette suddenly had a chance to take a lead.

“My big concern was what it’s been ever since I took this job,” Cole said. “How are our kids going to respond when the pressure mounted on us?”

Savannah did respond, forcing a three-and-out.

Then after a three-and-out of their own, the Savages caught a break. Nelson mishandled a punt in his own territory, and Savannah linebacker Mike Scanlan fell on the loose ball at Lafayette’s 29.

Bryce George scored from 20 yards out two plays later with 3:38 left in the third quarter.

Partridge added his third score nearly 6 minutes later after Lee McFadden picked off Nelson’s halfback pass on Lafayette’s next drive to give Savannah an insurmountable lead.

The Irish came within 28-21 on a 32-yard connection from Williams to Trevor Callaway, but Savannah needed just two plays to respond when McFadden beat Williams on a 40-yard scoring pass from Partridge.

Assistant sports editor Ross Martin can be

reached at rossmartin@npgco.com