\n By: Nick Guerriero, Assistant AD – Communications & Broadcasting
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NASHVILLE \u2014 Tennessee State returned from Huntsville with a clear list of corrections to make and another road game immediately ahead.<\/p>\n
The Tigers (0-3) will visit Florida A&M (1-2) at 6 p.m. CT Saturday at Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium. The game will air on HBCU GO and 102.1 FM The Ville.<\/p>\n
Saturday will be TSU’s third and final nonconference matchup against a Southwestern Athletic Conference opponent this season, following games against Jackson State and Alabama A&M.<\/p>\n
Tennessee State enters the week following a 30-3 loss to Alabama A&M in the second installment of the Legacy Series. Head coach Reggie Barlow<\/a> said the Tigers arrived in Huntsville confident in their preparation.<\/p>\n “We were happy to be a part of this game,” Barlow said. “I felt like we had a really good week and a good game plan.”<\/p>\n The game changed quickly after Alabama A&M scored twice through the air during the opening quarter. Cornelious Brown IV connected with Jarel Williams for a 61-yard touchdown before finding Donovan Price for a 30-yard score that gave the Bulldogs a 14-0 lead.<\/p>\n “Before you know it, we were down 14 points,” Barlow said. “Now you’re looking at 14-0 in the first quarter and it was a hard time coming back. Really an uncharacteristic day for us.”<\/p>\n Tennessee State responded with an eight-play, 58-yard drive that carried into the second quarter. Preston Hurless<\/a> completed the possession with a 37-yard field goal, cutting Alabama A&M’s lead to 14-3.<\/p>\n The Tigers entered the game without a turnover through their first two contests but committed three Saturday. Daylin Lee<\/a> completed 19 of 41 passes for 187 yards and was intercepted twice.<\/p>\n “I think more self-inflicted wounds, just miscommunication on one of them,” Barlow said. “We like our guys, our quarterback. I think we’ll go back and watch the tape and obviously we’ll be better from it.”<\/p>\n Brenton Paul<\/a> led Tennessee State’s rushing attack with 40 yards on 12 carries, while Cam Bulluck<\/a> caught four passes for 50 yards. The Tigers finished with 251 yards and 17 first downs.<\/p>\n TSU’s defense produced several positives after halftime. Joshua Reese<\/a> intercepted Brown during a scoreless third quarter, and the Tigers followed with a nine-play, 52-yard drive that reached the Alabama A&M 23 before ending on downs.<\/p>\n Bryce Gray<\/a> led Tennessee State with nine tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and one sack. Sammy Taylor<\/a> and Khy’lek Jarrett also recorded sacks as the Tigers finished with three sacks and six tackles for loss.<\/p>\n Tennessee State held Alabama A&M to 126 rushing yards and did not allow a rushing touchdown. The Bulldogs did most of their damage through the air, finishing with 326 passing yards and three touchdowns.<\/p>\n Barlow acknowledged the performance did not meet the Tigers’ expectations, but his message centered on using the film to identify what worked and correct what did not.<\/p>\n “This was a bad day of football for us,” Barlow said. “Once we get back and watch the tape, we’ll be able to watch some of the positive stuff we did. And then we’ll be able to make the corrections.”<\/p>\n The next opportunity comes against one of TSU’s most familiar HBCU opponents.<\/p>\n Saturday will mark the 56th meeting between Tennessee State and Florida A&M and the first since 2017. The Tigers lead the series 31-24 and have won six consecutive meetings, including a 24-13 victory in the 2017 Tampa Classic.<\/p>\n The series has been played on several prominent HBCU stages, including the Atlanta Football Classic, Orange Blossom Classic, John A. Merritt Classic and Tampa Classic.<\/p>\n One of its strongest historical connections belongs to Howard Gentry Sr. Gentry earned All-America honors at Florida A&M before joining Tennessee State’s staff in 1949. He later became TSU’s head coach and guided the Tigers to a 10-0 record and the 1956 Black college national championship.<\/p>\n That championship season concluded with Tennessee State defeating Gentry’s alma mater, 41-39, in the Orange Blossom Classic. Gentry was later inducted into the athletics halls of fame at both universities.<\/p>\n Florida A&M is playing its first season under head coach Quinn Gray Sr., a former Rattlers quarterback. FAMU opened with a 20-7 victory over Albany State before facing consecutive nationally ranked opponents in No. 22 South Carolina State and No. 7 Miami.<\/p>\n Saturday begins a two-year renewal of the TSU-FAMU series. The teams are scheduled to meet again in 2027, when Tennessee State will serve as the designated home team.<\/p>\n Following the trip to Tallahassee, TSU will have an open week before beginning OVC-Big South play Oct. 3 at Western Illinois. Saturday gives the Tigers an opportunity to carry their defensive positives forward, make the corrections identified in Huntsville and continue their recent success against the Rattlers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By: Nick Guerriero, Assistant AD – Communications & Broadcasting
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