NASHVILLE – The Tennessee State defense racked up six sacks and forced four turnovers to help the TSU to a 37-17 win over Eastern Illinois at home Saturday afternoon.
The TSU improved to 3-4 on the year and 2-0 in Ohio Valley Conference play, while the EIU fell to 2-5 and 1-1.
Draylen Ellis led Tennessee State’s passing attack with 309 yards through the air, tossing three touchdowns and no interceptions.
Devon Starling paced the TSU rushing attack by accumulating 58 yards over the course of the game, averaging 4.1 yards per carry. Starling also tacked on 58 receiving yards and one touchdown. Jalen Rouse also added 37 yards on the ground.
Da’Shon Davis hauled in four catches for 70 yards. J.J. Holloman had a nice day as he recorded six receptions for 69 yards. TSU also added 52 yards receiving and one touchdown from John Roberts IV in the game.
Jahsun Bryant led the Tennessee State defensive effort, totaling four tackles, 0.5 TFL, one interception, and one forced fumble. James Reese IV added one interception and Terrell Allen had six tackles, 3.0 TFL, and two sacks in the win.
The Tigers won the turnover battle in Saturday’s game, forcing four turnovers while avoiding any giveaways, with TSU turning those takeaways into 10 points. Tennessee State converted on 44.4 percent of third-down attempts on the day.
Defensively, Tennessee State did an excellent job limiting the Eastern Illinois offensive attack, holding the EIU to 188 total yards. TSU kept Eastern Illinois under 150 yards on both the ground and through the air, allowing 115 passing and 73 rushing yards. The TSU pestered the Eastern Illinois passing attack all game long, totaling six sacks and pulling down three interceptions.
Courtesy: Tennessee State Athletics
