Tennessee State will wrap up its 2025 football season on Saturday with a road trip to Charleston Southern, looking to finish on a strong note under first-year head coach Reggie Barlow.

Barlow said the team is embracing the opportunity to compete one more time, emphasizing the mindset his staff has worked to instill throughout the year.

"Yeah, man, here's another week we talk to our student-athletes about the privilege of playing FCS Division I football," Barlow said. "Every week you get a new challenge, so we're excited about preparing for going to South Carolina. We know Charleston is a good team… we'll have our work cut out for us, but we're excited about the preparation and being able to go there and compete."

The Tigers enter the finale following last week's loss to Gardner-Webb, but the emergence of redshirt freshman receiver Snap Reed has been one of the team's late-season highlights. Reed posted two touchdowns Saturday as he and quarterback Byron McNair found a rhythm after McNair entered midway through the game.

"Snap is making some plays," Barlow said. "Him and Byron connected really well… the catches he made were not easy, but he did a great job of keeping his space on the sideline. He's a bigger guy than you expect, and he's a hard guy to tackle. To be a redshirt freshman and play the way he's playing is exciting to see."

Barlow said McNair remained locked in throughout the week despite being listed as the backup. When he entered, he provided "a spark," using both his arm and his legs to move the offense.

"He stayed prepared, practiced hard, communicated well with his guys," Barlow said. "When it was time for him to go out there, he made some really good throws and allowed us to have a chance to still be in it at the end."

Defensively, veteran lineman James Stewart continues to anchor TSU's front, leading the OVC-Big South in tackles for loss.

"I've seen from Stewart just the grind and grit in which he plays," Barlow said. "His body hasn't felt well later in the season because of how physical he plays, but he plays the game the right way — great energy, great strength. Excited for him playing his last game and seeing what happens next for him."

Last Saturday also allowed TSU to spotlight several seniors and reserve players who have stayed committed behind the scenes.

"To recognize the human element of football… giving Coby May a chance to kick a field goal, giving Conner Ridderhoff a chance to long snap — it's huge for those guys," Barlow said. "They come to work every day, they don't complain, they just do the work. Senior day is always a good thing for us, and we appreciate the seniors we have in our program."

Charleston Southern (winners of three of their last four) enters the matchup playing its best football of the season after dropping four straight early. Barlow said the Buccaneers are solid across all three phases and have shown creativity in special teams.

"They've won some consecutive games. Really solid team," he said. "They've run some fake field goals, they have a legit team there. We've got to have our mind right… but we're looking forward to competing."

The Buccaneers are averaging between 17 and 18 points per game and allowing around 20–23. For TSU, Barlow said the formula is simple.

"If we can score on them and get our offense rolling, be able to run the ball, and of course take care of the ball, then I like our chances."