Eddie George is used to big-game environments, so it’s no surprise Tennessee State was ready for Southeast Missouri in the regular season finale.
And considering the headlines the university is making at the moment, that makes the Tigers’ 28-21 win over the Redhawks that much sweeter.
TSU will now await the FCS playoff selection show that will be broadcast at 12:30 p.m. ET Sunday on ESPNU to find out whether they made the postseason field.
The last time the Tigers won a conference championship was in 1999, and the most recent time they played in the playoffs was in 2013 when they earned an at-large berth.
The nine regular-season wins compiled in 2024 are the most for a TSU team since the 2013 team also won nine games.
. @TSUTigersFB beat SEMO and are OVC Co-Champions! Needless to say Eddie George is pleased pic.twitter.com/OmCks1j6Mj
— Garrett Short (@GarrettShortTV) November 24, 2024
Tigers football success occurs in backdrop of university strife
Tennessee State has been struggling financially, with reports that the school is running out of money even with drastic staff cuts.
Former president Dr. Glenda Glover pointed the finger squarely at the state government for refusing to provide TSU with funding similar to that of other state schools.
With that hanging over the school, George’s Tigers have given fans, alumni, and students something to cheer about with a share of the Big South-OVC title and hopefully a shot at the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision title.
The committee will meet on Sunday to select the 24 playoff teams, so we will soon know if TSU did enough to earn a spot.
Saturday, they certainly started out with enough fire worthy of a playoff team.
After quarterback Draylen Ellis hit Jalal Dean for seven yards and the first touchdown of the game, Meonta Kimbrough stripped SEMO quarterback Paxton DeLaurent, and Keandre Booker scooped the ball up and ran 34 yards uncontested for another Tennessee State score.
The Tigers led 21-0 after the first quarter, but some of their confusing, lackadaisical ways from earlier games reappeared. The Redhawks climbed back to within seven points twice (21-14 through three quarters and 28-21 with just under seven minutes left in the fourth).
Tennessee State bit down on the Redhawks’ comeback attempt with a fourth-and-two stop, then another three-and-out that gave their offense the ball back with 3 minutes remaining. Finally, two key first-down runs by Jaden McGill iced away a big win that left an ecstatic George covered in ice water as time ran out.
Brighter days ahead for TSU football
Tennessee State’s success this season mirrors that of every other HBCU facing the struggles of trying to compete in a world where their PWI counterparts have had every imaginable head start. Even with that, those PWIs still harbor a sinister, selfish refusal to share any real piece of a sizable pie.
Our schools succeed in spite of obstacles, barriers and setbacks brought on by a system that was never meant for us to benefit from in the first place. It’s a vicious cycle, but an exercise that keeps us healthy and motivated.
As Tennessee State faces an uncertain future as an institution and as a football program (George is rumored to be in consideration for the vacant Kennesaw State job), one can only hope that Big Blue can sustain this season’s success and lift up not just the other athletic programs but the university as a whole.
Tennessee State football has given us a manageable blueprint for the tough days ahead—and hopefully, more joyful ones like the one the Tigers faithful experienced at Nissan Stadium on Saturday night.
