Tennessee State got back into the win column with a 35-7 victory over Jackson State in the 25th annual Southern Heritage Classic at the Liberty Bowl in Memphis. It was the Big Blue’s third straight victory against Jackson State. The win came on the heels of a 27-21 loss to Alabama State that knocked the defending Black College National Champions out of the top spot in the HBCU rankings.
Tennessee State (2-1) was dominant on both sides of the ball and sprinted to a 35-0 halftime lead while rolling up 189 total yards. The Big Blue scored on four consecutive possessions, leaving little doubt as to the game’s outcome. The Big Blue’s defense limited Jackson State to just 21 total yards in the first two periods and yielded a miniscule 0.7 yards per play and one first down.
“What I was most proud of was that we got off to a fast start,” Tennessee State coach Rod Reed said. “We came out of the gates slow against Alabama State last week, and it really hurt us. We started fast this week, and you saw the difference. We needed to get back on track.”
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Tennessee State finished the contest with 324 total yards, while giving up just 138. Jackson State (2-1) only managed eight first downs.
A big part of Tennessee State’s success on offense resulted from its ability to run the ball, which led to a balanced attack. The Big Blue had 137 yards rushing and 187 passing.
“Without a question a huge part of our offense is our ability to run the ball,’’ Reed said. “When you’re able to stay balance and run the football effectively, good things happen for you in the passing game.’’
Backup sophomore quarterback Ronald Butler, who entered the game in the second quarter after starter Mike German was injured early in the second period, completed 10 of 18 attempts for 125 yards and a touchdown. German was 4-for-9 for 62 yards.
Other Key Games:
Bethune-Cookman 36, Grambling State 23 – The Wildcats scored two touchdowns in the final six minutes to register their first victory against the G-Men in 60 years. Grambling (0-3) grabbed a 23-22 lead with 3:57 left in the fourth quarter when Stephen Johnson tossed a 75-yard touchdown pass to Dominique Leake. The Wildcats (2-0), No. 1 in the Black College rankings, regained the lead on Danny Dillard’s five-yard touchdown run at the 6:12 mark of the fourth period. Drexler Dixon added another touchdown on a three-yard run for the final margin.
The Wildcats wore down Grambling with a relentless running game that produced 231 yards and enabled them to control the ball for more than 33 minutes of the contest. They had the ball for 9 minutes, 15 seconds of the fourth quarter. Four Wildcats runners rushed for at least 40 yards. Anthony Jordan led all ballcarriers with 73 yards; Dillard had 55, Michael D. Jones 49, and quarterback Quentin Williams had 40. Williams also threw for 165 yards.
North Carolina A&T 17, Elon 12 – The Aggies picked up a road victory on the strength of a career-best performance by sophomore running back Tarik Cohen. The 2013 MEAC Freshman of the Year carried the ball 20 times for 234 yards. It was the fourth consecutive 100-plus yards rushing game for Cohen and the second 200-plus yards performance of his brief career. Cohen ran for 210 yards against Florida A&M. His 81-yard touchdown run sealed the win against Elon. The Aggies (2-1), No. 9 in the FCS in rushing offense (270 yards a game) ran for 271 yards.
In addition to his decisive touchdown run, Cohen threw a three-yard scoring pass to Denzel Keyes with 28 seconds left in the first period to give North Carolina A&T a 10-3 lead. It was the first touchdown pass of the season for the Aggies, who scored nine rushing touchdowns. The Aggies’ defense was just as impressive as Cohen. Elon drove within the shadow of North Carolina A&T’s goalpost four times, reaching the 3-, 6-, 11-, 4- and 4-yard line. But each time the Aggies turned the Phoenix away with a field goal.
Tuskegee 20, Albany State 12 – The Golden Tigers ended the longest losing streak of Coach Willie Slater’s nine-year tenure with a victory in the inaugural White Water Classic in Phoenix City, Ala. Tuskegee (1-1) had lost three straight games after dropping its season-opener to Alabama A&M, ending 2013 with back-to-back losses to Miles and North Alabama. The win enabled the Golden Tigers to avoid their first 0-2 start under Slater. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Kevin Lacey came off the bench to spark the Golden Tigers to victory over Albany State. (1-1). Lacey completed six of 12 throws for 137 yards a touchdown as the Golden Tigers scored all of their points on four consecutive possessions following a 30-minute lightning delay.
Tuskegee held a seemingly safe 20-7 lead in the fourth quarter but had to stave off the Golden Rams in the closing minutes to preserve the victory. Albany State climbed back into the game with a safety when the ball sailed over punter Kemuel Lawrence’s head and out of the end zone and a subsequent field goal by Zachary Gayden. The Golden Rams drove to Tuskegee’s four-yard line on their final possession of the game. They turned the ball over on downs when quarterback Frank Rivers overthrew a receiver in the end zone. Tuskegee’s defense was in bend-but-don’t-break mode throughout the game as the Golden Tigers allowed 312 total yards. Rivers threw for 164 yards while tailback Jarvis Small ran for 161 yards.
Texas Southern 30, Central State 16 – The Tigers improved to 3-0 with a win in the HBCUX Classic in Nassau, Bahamas. Quarterback Jamal Small, the game’s Offensive MVP, passed for 186 yards and two touchdowns for the Tigers. Daveon Porter led the Tigers’ running game with 86 yards and two rushing touchdowns. Central State (1-1) struggled to move the ball the entire game. The Marauders only gained 167 total yards, 74 passing and 93 rushing.
Other Scores:
MEAC:
Howard 35, Morehouse 7
Morgan State 28, Bowie State 3
Richmond 42, Hampton 17
Towson 21, Delaware State 7
UNC Charlotte 40, North Carolina Central 28
William & Mary 29, Norfolk State 14
SWAC:
Alabama-Birmingham 41, Alabama A&M 14
Alabama State 42, Miss. Valley State 22
Alcorn State 52, Louisiana College 10
McNeese State 48, Prairie View A&M 16
CIAA:
Alderson Broadus 47, Chowan 7
Charleston 38, Virginia Union 21
Elizabeth City State 18, Tusculum 10
Gannon 48, Cheyney 0
Johnson C. Smith 13, Kentucky State 6
Lenoir-Rhyne 34, Virginia State 6
Livingstone 48, Paine 45
North Wesleyan 27, Lincoln (Pa.) 0
West Alabama 30, Shaw 6
Wingate 30, Saint Augustine’s 0
SIAC:
Clark Atlanta 20, Lane 17
Fort Valley Stat 42, Savannah State 28
West Georgia 26, Miles 0
Samford 52, Stillman 0
OTHERS:
Edward Waters 49, Pikeville 48
Gardner Webb 34, Virginia-Lynchburg 0
Lamar 73, Texas College 0
West Virginia State 55, Concord 7
(Photo: Jackson State University)
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