Tigers Open Season With 33-7 Over Jaguars
The Tennessee State Tigers opened their 2011 football
season with a resounding 33-7 win over the Jaguars of Southern University in
the John Merritt Classic, played in front of 25,209 fans at Nashville's LP
Field.
TSU rolled up 512 yards of Total Offense (342 rushing,
170 passing), while limiting Southern to 300 yards of Total Offense (37
rushing, 263 passing). The 342 rushing is a JMC record eclipsing TSU's 279
yards against Alabama State in 1999. The
512 yards of Total Offense ranks second (530 vs. Alabama State, 1999). Southern's
37 yard rushing total was the second
lowest by a team in the John Merritt Classic (13, Alabama A&M, 2009). The
Tigers rolled up a JMC record 29 first downs (20 rushing, 8 passing, 1 penalty)
while allowing just a record low 12
first downs by the Jaguars ( 1 rushing, 9 passing, 2 penalty).
Individually, several Tigers turned in stellar
performances. Sophomore running back Trabis Ward had a career day rushing for
141 yards on 18 carries with 1 TD. Ward racked up 157 yards in All-Purpose
yardage. Senior safety Joe Wylie opened the TSU scoring with a 59 yard
interception for a touchdown in the first quarter (9:58). Senior linebacker
Rico Council led the Tigers' defense, recording 9 (solo) tackles, with 3
tackles for loss (17), 2 sacks (12) and 1 interception (4).
Southern's top offensive performance game from freshman
quarterback J.P. Douglas who was inserted into the game in the third quarter
and on his first collegiate pass tossed a 66 yard TD to Jordan Bilbo. Douglas
finished the game completing 7-of-15 passes for 141 yards with 1 TD and 1
interception. Starting quarterback Dray Joseph was 9-of-18 for 122 yards and 1
interception.
On the game, Tennessee State put 13 points on the board
in the first quarter after Wylie's 59-yard interception return (9:58) and
Trabis Ward's 5-yard touchdown blast (6:01) for a 13-0 lead after a missed PAT.
In the second quarter, the Tigers capped an 80 (12 play)
drive with senior Dante' Thomas' 4-yard blast (11:52) and finally on a Travis
James 11-yard TD reception from Jeremy Perry (2:51), pushing the score to 27-0
at halftime.
Southern put the only points on the board in the third
quarter on the Douglas 66 yard pass (8:29) to close the score to 27-7 after
three periods.
The Tigers tacked on two field goals by Jamin Godfrey in
the fourth quarter as he booted FG's of 20-yards (12:05) and 42-yards (00:53).
The win marks the end of a six-game losing streak and
gives TSU a 1-0 record heading into next week's match-up with rival Jackson
State in the Southern Heritage Classic in Memphis, Tennessee.
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