NASHVILLE - Five different players scored touchdowns, led by four scores from Jordan Gant, as Tennessee State rolled past Lincoln 54-0 on Saturday afternoon inside Nissan Stadium.
The win improved Tennessee State's record to 5-2 on the season while Lincoln fell to 0-9.
The shutout marks TSU's first since they beat Eastern Illinois 28-0 on October 23, 2021, while the 54-point margin of victory now ranks second in TSU history .
Jalen Rouse totaled 93 yards to lead the Tigers' ground attack and added one touchdown in the game, picking up 7.8 yards per carry along the way. Rouse also tacked on 30 receiving yards. Gant also tacked on 83 yards and four touchdowns on the ground, picking up a nice 6.9 yards per carry. Deveon Bryant had a nice game as he chipped in 69 yards and one touchdown as well, picking up 13.8 yards per carry.
Terrell Allen showed out for the Tennessee State defense, collecting seven tackles, 4.0 TFL, four sacks, one forced fumble, and one recovered fumble. Jeremiah Josephs added one interception and one recovered fumble and true freshman Mecca Carr-Bordeaux had three tackles, 2.0 TFL, and one sack in the win.
The Tigers won the turnover battle in Saturday's game, forcing three turnovers while avoiding any giveaways, with Tennessee State turning those takeaways into 13 points. Tennessee State had a powerful performance on the ground, totaling 312 rushing yards while averaging 7.1 yards per carry and out-rushing by 260 yards. The Tennessee State offense did a good job prolonging drives, converting on 44.4 percent of third-down attempts. Gant's four rushing scores are tied for the second most in a single game for Tiger player.
Tennessee State's defense limited LU's offense, allowing just 145 total yards. The Tigers kept under 100 yards on both the ground and through the air, allowing just 93 passing and 52 rushing yards. The TSU defense disrupted the Oaklanders backfield all game, piling up seven sacks and 13 total tackles for loss.
How It Happened
KEY MOMENTS
Tennessee State put points on the board on eight different occasions on their way to scoring 54 points. The Tigers got on the board first, taking the lead for good at 7-0 with 11:08 remaining in the first quarter, converting a 31-yard touchdown run to cap a nine-play, 70-yard drive. The Tigers then rode that lead to victory, increasing their advantage by 47 points along the way.
Game Notes
» Tennessee State outgained 394-145, including a 312-52 advantage on the ground.
» Tennessee State won the turnover battle 3-0 after intercepting one pass and recovering two fumbles.
» The Tigers scored first with 11:08 left in the first quarter and never trailed the rest of the game on their way to victory.
» Tennessee State had their highest scoring quarter in the third quarter, when they put up 20 points.
» Tennessee State converted 4 of 9 third downs while was successful on 7 of 17.
» Tennessee State scored three touchdowns in the second quarter.
» Tennessee State scored three third-quarter touchdowns.
» The Tigers didn't allow a sack in the contest.
» The Tigers collected 13 tackles for loss and added seven sacks.
TSU will be back at home next Saturday as they will host Lindenwood at 2:00 PM in a Big South-OVC contest.
