Tennessee State Game Notes | Eastern Illinois Game Notes
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Game 3: Tennessee State (0-2) vs. Eastern Illinois (0-2)
Date: Sunday, Mar. 14, 2021
Location: Nashville, Tenn.
Stadium: William J. Hale Stadium (15,000)
Time: 1:00 p.m. CT
TV: ESPN+
Audio: Big Blue Network
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
TV: ESPN+. Alex Gould will serve as play-by-play along with Derek Fleming who will provide analysis.
Audio: Big Blue Sports Network will carry the game live with Greg Pogue (play-by-play) and Will Brown (analyst). Pregame will begin at 12:45 p.m. CT.
Series Information: This marks the 24th meeting between the two teams. EIU leads the series, 15-8, including winning 12 of the last 15 contests. TSU won the first three games of the series, starting with a 20-19 decision in 1982. The Panthers first gained a win over the Tigers in 2000, 33-19. TSU defeated EIU in Charleston in 2018, the first in the series since 2011. In 2019, the Panthers won a 49-38 decision against the Tigers in Hale Stadium.
Head Coach Rod Reed:
Coach Reed is in his 11th season at the helm of the Tigers and holds a 56-58 record. Only two coaches have produced more wins at TSU. John Merritt claimed 174 victories in his 20 years (1963-83) for a .806 winning percentage (174-35-7), while Harry Kean spent 10 years in charge of TSU from 1944-54 and compiled a 93-15-3 record (.838). TSU is 9-2 in season openers under Rod Reed, including a 17-10 win at FBS opponent Georgia State in 2017. The loss to Austin Peay was the first opening day defeat since a 12-9 decision to Bethune-Cookman in 2013.
Tennessee State:
The Tigers fell to 0-2 with a 38-16 loss against Jacksonville State at Hale Stadium. The Big Blue found themselves behind 14-0 late in the first quarter, but fought back to cut the lead to five at 21-16 after two plays in the fourth quarter. Antonio Zita scored 10 points on the day with three field goals and an extra point. Kaleb Mosley finished with four punts that traveled 50-plus yards. Devon Starling came off the bench to rush 11 times for 95 yards. Starling ranks second in the OVC averaging 75.5 yards per game. Isaiah Green was tabbed the starter at quarterback and finished 15-of-31 for 145 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Cam Wyche, Zaire Thornton, Dayron Johnson and Vincent Perry each caught three passes. Wyche went for 73 yards and scored the Tigers lone touchdown. Nick Harper Jr. finished with a game high 10 tackles, while Nyle Love collected nine. Love ranks first in the OVC with 10.5 stops per game. James Green leads the team with 4.0 tackles for loss.
Last 10 Results:
2019 - Eastern Illinois 49, Tennessee State 38
2018 - Tennessee State 41, Eastern Illinois 40
2017 - Eastern Illinois 19, Tennessee State 16 2ot
2016 - Eastern Illinois 35, Tennessee State 34
2015 - Eastern Illinois 25, Tennessee State 22 ot
2014 - Eastern Illinois 28, Tennessee State 3
2013 - Eastern Illinois 51, Tennessee State 10 *
Eastern Illinois 34, Tennessee State 16
2011 - Tennessee State 18, Eastern Illinois 17
2010 - Eastern Illinois 31, Tennessee State 28 ot
* - NCAA Second Round Game
Jar It Loose
The Tigers have forced five fumbles and recovered three through two games in the 2021 spring season. The five forced fumbles are one less than the entire 2019 when the Big Blue jarred six balls loose. The three recoveries have already surpassed the two the squad pounced on a season ago. The 2019 totals were the lowest in TSU history. In 2018, the defense caused eight fumbles and recovered three. The 2017 season was the last time the Tigers jumped on more than three fumbles. The 2017 squad recovered six of the 16 forced fumbles they caused. The most forced fumbles by a Tigers team came in 1983 with a total of 41. The 1977 squad recovered a program best 22.
Scoring Streak
Tennessee State has scored a point in 72 consecutive games. The last time the Tigers were shutout was on Nov. 2, 2013 at Eastern Kentucky (44-0). The streak is the second longest current streak in the OVC. Jacksonville State has scored in 97 consecutive games dating back to a 23-0 loss at Florida on Nov. 17, 2012. The longest all-time streak at the FCS level belongs to Montana with 406 dating back to 1989.
The Hole
Tennessee State will play all of its home games this spring in Hale Stadium. TSU is one of the few teams in the nation that splits games between two home sites. This marks the first season since 1998 to play a full season in "the Hole". The Tigers used the on-campus stadium from 1953-1998 before moving into Nissan Stadium in 1999. TSU returned to Hale in 2012 and has gone 8-9 since then. The Big Blue dropped all four games in Hale Stadium in 2019. In total, TSU is 181-66-5 at home all-time.
Fresh Starts
The 2021 spring season has seen 14 Tigers earn their first start in blue. Against Jacksonville State, three offensive players and two defensive gained the nod. True freshmen Kenyon Andrews and Ahmad Nelson picked up their first starts, along with transfers Isaiah Green and Brandon Jones. Sophomore Dayron Johnson has played in 12 games for the Tigers before earning his first start. In all, 30 players have seen the field for the first time as a part of the Big Blue. In week one at Austin Peay, six Tigers on offense gained their first start. Deveon Bryant, Cam Wych, Vincent Perry, Sean McMoore and Robert Lacey all gained starts in their first action for the Tigers. Shawn McColley earned his first start for the Big Blue after playing in nine contests in each of the last two seasons. Transfers Curt McDonald, Davoan Hawkins and Tadarrius Patterson each gained their first start at Austin Peay.
Condensed Schedule
Due to the pandemic the 2020 season was reduced to a conference only spring season. The schedule consists of a seven game round robin facing each team in the OVC with the exception of Eastern Kentucky. The Colonels opted out after playing nine games in the fall. In 2018, the Tigers played just nine games due to two cancellations due to weather. The Southern Heritage Classic versus Jackson State was cancelled due to lightning. The following week, the Tigers game at Hampton was cancelled due to Hurricane Florence. The seven game slate is the smallest for TSU since 1957. The Big Blue under the direction of Howard Gentry finished the '57 campaign at 5-0-1.
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