NASHVILLE —The Tennessee State football team snapped a five-game skid and defeated Howard, 24-7 on Homecoming Saturday at Nissan Stadium.
The win improved TSU to 2-5 on the season, powered by a dominant defensive effort that limited Howard to just 183 total yards.
Quarterback Byron McNair led the Tigers' passing attack, completing 18 of 22 passes for 174 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. He also added 47 yards on the ground. Zack Simmons-Brown paced the TSU rushing attack with 25 yards, while Kendric Rhymes caught two passes for 46 yards.
Defensively, Micah Gay spearheaded the effort with 11 tackles and two interceptions. Jaylon Price contributed a sack and one tackle for loss, helping TSU limit Howard to 116 passing yards and 67 rushing yards. The Tigers pressured the Bison all game, recording four sacks and forcing two turnovers, converting them into seven points.
How It Happened
TSU scored first, taking a 7-0 lead on its opening drive. Howard tied the game at 7-7, but the Tigers responded with a six-yard touchdown pass to retake the lead 14-7. TSU extended its advantage with a third-quarter touchdown to go up 21-7 and added another score to reach 24-7, which would be the final.
Game Notes
• TSU outgained Howard 262-183, including a 174-116 edge through the air.
• The Tigers won the turnover battle 2-1, picking off two passes.
• TSU scored first and never trailed.
• The highest-scoring quarter was the third, with seven points.
• TSU converted 4 of 12 third downs; Howard was 7 of 16.
• Gay led the Tigers with 11 tackles.
• TSU allowed just 4 yards per punt return on four attempts.
• The defense totaled nine tackles for loss and four sacks.
• TSU finished strong, scoring 17 unanswered points to close out the game.
• McNair completed 81.8% of his passes, averaging 7.9 yards per attempt.
• Howard QB Tyriq Starks went 14-for-27 for 116 yards with two interceptions.
• C.J. Neely led Howard's receiving corps with 56 yards.
