---
"title": "Tennessee State falls to North Dakota State 59-3 in home opener"
"description": "Tennessee State struggled to find an offensive rhythm and managed just 131 total yards in a 59-3 loss to defending national champion North Dakota State on Saturday at Nissan Stadium. The Tigers (1-1) were limited to four first downs and went 1 of 13 on third-down conversions before a home crowd of 8,569. Their only […]"
"date": "2025-09-06"
"authors":
  -
    "name": "HBCU Sports"
"url": "https://hbcusports.com/2025/09/06/tennessee-state-falls-to-north-dakota-state-59-3-in-home-opener/"
"categories":
  - "Football"
"tags":
  - "Tennessee State"
---

# Tennessee State falls to North Dakota State 59-3 in home opener

Tennessee State struggled to find an offensive rhythm and managed just 131 total yards in a 59-3 loss to defending national champion North Dakota State on Saturday at Nissan Stadium. [The Tigers (1-1)](https://tsutigers.com/news/2025/9/6/football-tigers-come-up-short-in-a-59-3-loss-to-north-dakota-state.aspx) were limited to four first downs and went 1 of 13 on third-down conversions before a home crowd of 8,569. Their only points came on a 45-yard field goal from freshman kicker Freddy Perez with 4:05 left in the fourth quarter. Perez also missed a 49-yard attempt earlier. Kendric Rhymes led TSU with 43 rushing yards on 12 carries, while Zack Simmons-Brown added 32 yards, including a 31-yard run that set up the Tigers’ lone scoring drive. Jonathan Palmer completed 5 of 13 passes for 38 yards, and Byron Davis picked off a pass in the fourth quarter for TSU’s lone takeaway. North Dakota State (2-0) capitalized on short fields and big plays to pull away early, building a 45-0 halftime lead. The Bison finished with 433 yards of offense, led by running back Barika Kpeenu’s three rushing touchdowns. [Tennessee State](https://hbcusports.com/?s=Tennessee+State) will stay at Nissan Stadium next Saturday when it hosts Alabama A&M in the Legacy Series. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. *This story was drafted using an AI tool based on the official game box score and was then reviewed and edited by a journalist before publishing.*