NASHVILLE — The Tennessee State football team will host Southeast Missouri on Saturday afternoon at Nissan Stadium in the final regular-season game, with the Big South-OVC Championship and a spot in the FCS Playoffs on the line.
SERIES INFORMATION: This marks the 31st all-time meeting between Tennessee State and Southeast Missouri. Due to last season's unbalanced schedule, the teams did not play and have not faced each other since Nov. 11, 2022. SEMO has won the last five meetings, dating back to 2018.
WHERE TO WATCH & LISTEN: TSU Football can be heard on WNSR's flagship stations: 560 AM, 95.9 FM (Nashville), and 107.9 FM (Smyrna), and streamed online at WNSR.com. The broadcast is also available globally on Sirius XM. WNSR will provide comprehensive pregame and postgame analysis, exclusive interviews with coaches and players, and behind-the-scenes content for enhanced fan engagement. "The Voice of the Tigers," Greg Pogue, returns for his 13th season behind the mic and will be joined by veteran Arena Football League head coach & former Titans scout Dean Cokinos for home games and former Tennessee Titans wide receiver Chris Sanders for road games. The action can also be streamed on the TSU Tigers app.
BS-OVC PLAYOFF SCENARIOS
Scenario #1: SEMO Wins Outright with Victory Over TSU
If Southeast Missouri (SEMO) defeats Tennessee State (TSU) on Saturday, they would finish with a 7-1 record in conference play, clinching the Big South-OVC Championship outright and earning the automatic qualifier (AQ) for the FCS Playoffs.
Scenario #2: TSU Wins, TTU and UTM Lose
If TSU defeats SEMO and both Tennessee Tech (TTU) and UT Martin (UTM) lose, TSU would finish 6-2 and win the AQ through head-to-head tiebreakers. In this scenario, TSU and SEMO would share the conference title as co-champions.
Scenario #3: Four-Way Tie at 6-2, SEMO Wins AQ
If TSU beats SEMO, TTU defeats Eastern Illinois (EIU), and UTM beats Lindenwood, all four teams (TSU, SEMO, TTU, and UTM) would finish tied at 6-2. The AQ would be determined by head-to-head records among the tied teams. SEMO, having defeated TTU earlier in the season, would win the tiebreaker and secure the AQ. All four teams would be co-champions.
Scenario #4: TSU Wins, UTM Wins, TTU Out of Tiebreaker, SEMO Wins AQ
If TSU beats SEMO, UTM defeats Lindenwood, and TTU loses to EIU, the tiebreaker would exclude TTU, leaving TSU, SEMO, and UTM at 6-2. The AQ would then be determined by record against the next highest team in the standings (TTU at 5-3). SEMO's victory over TTU would secure the AQ. All three teams would be considered co-champions.
Scenario #5: TSU Wins, TTU Wins Tiebreaker for AQ
If TSU beats SEMO, TTU defeats EIU, and UTM loses to Lindenwood, TSU, SEMO, and TTU would all finish 6-2. The AQ would be decided by records against the next highest teams in the standings, with UTM and Lindenwood tied at 5-3. The composite record against those two teams would give TTU the edge (2-0), securing the AQ for TTU. All three teams would share the conference title as co-champions.
CAREER STATS BY THE NUMEBRS:
9 : Draylen Ellis has entered the top 10 in career passing yards at Tennessee State, now sitting at 9th all-time with 5,383 yards. His achievement places him among TSU's historic quarterbacks, marking a significant milestone in his career.
1. Michael German — 8,664
2. Joe Adams —8,653
3. Leon Murray — 7,207
4. James Wade— 6,613
5. Eldridge Dickey — 6,523
6. Kenneth Biggles — 5,993
7. Gilbert Renfroe — 5,556
8. Antonio Heffner — 5,393
9. Draylen Ellis — 5,383
10. Joe Gilliam, Jr. — 5,213
SEASONAL NUMBERS:
1: CJ Evans is tied for the national lead in kick return touchdowns with two on the season. Evans has scored twice on just 11 returns, sharing the top spot with players from Bethune-Cookman, Jackson State, Elon, Merrimack, and South Dakota. His explosive playmaking on special teams has been a key asset for the Tigers.
3: TSU ranks third nationally in kick return average, recording 689 yards on 26 returns for an average of 26.50 yards per return. The Tigers have also scored two touchdowns on kick returns this season, placing them behind South Dakota (37.29) and Eastern Washington (27.18) in the FCS rankings.
9: TSU ranks seventh nationally in tackles for loss per game, averaging 7.3 TFLs. The Tigers have recorded 80 total tackles for loss this season, with 317 yards lost by opponents. Three BS-OVC teams are also in to the 10 with Gardner-Webb (7.5) and Tennessee Tech (7.5) tied in sixth place.
3: Tennessee State has demonstrated resilience in tightly contested matchups this season, posting a 3-1 record in single-possession games. The Tigers secured victories in close battles, including a 13-9 defensive struggle against Charleston Southern, a 24-20 road win at Lindenwood, and a 23-20 victory at Gardner-Webb. Their lone loss in such games came in a narrow 28-21 defeat to UT Martin.
WEEK 12 BY THE NUMBERS:
6: The TSU defense delivered a strong performance against Gardner-Webb, totaling 6.0 tackles for loss. Ahmad Nelson led the effort with 2.0 tackles for loss, while Sanders Ellis added 1.5. Eriq George, Tyler Moore, Kierron Smith, Keandre Booker, and Meonta Kimbrough each contributed 0.5 tackles for loss.
100: Jaden McGill had his best performance of the season in Tennessee State's game against Gardner-Webb, rushing 15 times for a season-high 100 yards and scoring his first rushing touchdown of the year. His longest run of the day was 24 yards, contributing to an impressive average of 6.7 yards per carry. This game marked McGill's first 100-yard rushing performance of the season, surpassing his previous high of 63 yards against both Lindenwood and Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Additionally, his touchdown in this game was his second overall score of the season, with the first coming in a win at Howard.
220: The receiving corps contributed 18 receptions for 220 yards and two touchdowns in the matchup against Gardner-Webb, reflecting a consistent performance compared to the rest of the season. Their longest reception of the game was a 61-yard play. This performance was on par with the Tigers' season averages of 19.1 receptions and 229.1 receiving yards per game. The two receiving touchdowns also matched the season average, further highlighting the unit's reliability in the passing attack. The output against Gardner-Webb was solid but fell short of season highs, such as the explosive 354-yard, three-touchdown performance against Mississippi Valley State in Week 1 and the 289-yard effort against Howard. Still, the Tigers' receivers showcased their ability to generate big plays, including a 61-yard reception, their third-longest of the season. Tennessee State's receiving group continues to be a dependable and productive component of the offense, supporting quarterback Draylen Ellis in maintaining a balanced and effective passing game.
228: Draylen Ellis delivered a steady performance in Tennessee State's game against Gardner-Webb, completing 18 of 31 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. His longest pass of the day went for 61 yards, and he was sacked once. This performance aligns closely with Ellis's season averages. His 220 passing yards were slightly below his season average of 228.5 yards per game, while his two touchdown passes matched his season average of 2.0 per game. Ellis continues to demonstrate consistency, as he has now recorded multiple touchdown passes in six games this season and avoided turnovers for the seventh time in 2024. Ellis's longest completion of 61 yards in this game was his third-longest of the season, behind his 83-yard and 74-yard passes against Howard and Lindenwood, respectively.
