CHARLESTON, S.C. - The Tennessee State football team fell 35-21 to Charleston Southern on the road Saturday afternoon.
The Buccaneers improved to 4-5 on the year and 2-2 in Ohio Valley Conference play, while the Tigers fell to 6-3 overall and 2-2 in conference matchups.
Jordan Gant totaled 81 yards to lead the Tigers' ground attack and added one touchdown in the game, picking up 4 yards per carry along the way. Deveon Bryant also tacked on 55 yards and one touchdown on the ground.
The most prolific target for Tennessee State quarterbacks was Dayron Johnson, who caught 11 passes for 91 yards.
Monroe Beard III paced the Tennessee State defensive effort, recording six tackles and one interception. Terrell Allen added seven tackles, 4.0 TFL, and one sack in the loss.
Tennessee State's defense limited Charleston Southern's offense, allowing 192 total yards. The Tigers kept Charleston Southern under 150 yards on both the ground and through the air, allowing 84 passing and 108 rushing yards.
How It Happened
After Charleston Southern took a 14-0 lead, Tennessee State responded with 8:54 left in the second quarter to narrow the margin to 14-7.The Tigers responded with a touchdown after Charleston Southern increased its lead to 21-7 to make it a 21-14 game.
Tennessee State followed with another score with 7:53 remaining in the fourth quarter to tie things up at 21-21. Tennessee State went scoreless the rest of the game while Charleston Southern added 14 points to finish off the scoring.
Game Notes
» Tennessee State outgained Charleston Southern 269-192, including a 134-84 advantage through the air.
» Tennessee State had their highest scoring quarter in the fourth period, when they put up seven points.
» Tennessee State converted 6 of 18 third downs while Charleston Southern was successful on 3 of 13.
» The Tigers collected eight tackles for loss.
» Tennessee State won the time of possession battle 31:41 to 28:19.
» The Tigers offense came out of halftime firing on all cylinders, scoring 14 unanswered until the Buccaneers got on the board again.
TSU will hit the road next week to take on Eastern Illinois on Saturday. Kickoff from Charleston is slated for noon.
