Air attack should lift TSU to victory
Tiger offense could push victory
Eddie R. Cole Jr.
Sports Editor
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Tennessee State University football team (3-0, 1-0 OVC) success against the South Carolina State University Bulldogs (2-1, 0-0 MEAC) lies in the passing game, as the team attempts improve its 1-3 record in the Circle City Classic at 4 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 2 in the Indianapolis RCA Dome.
Last season quarterback Riley Walker passed for 365 yards against the Bulldogs. The Tigers rolled up 478 yards total offense as Walker completed 17 of 35 passing attempts earning him Co-Most Valuable Offensive Player honors for his performance. TSU allowed the Bulldogs to rack up 224 yards.
"The best thing we try to do is contain an offense like that," said SCSU head football coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough. "You can't stop an offense of that kind. The big thing is we try to make sure our guys communicate."
In 1985, TSU's first appearance in the Circle City Classic, Mississippi Valley State University won 28-13. The Tigers returned in 1987 and lost to Central State University 31-28. TSU would not return to the classic until 10 years later in 1997 in a 49-37 loss to North Carolina A&T State University. In 2001, the Tigers trampled Howard University 45-0.
This season the Tigers average the Ohio Valley Conference's top scoring defense, only allowing 13.3 points per game. TSU also holds an OVC best 80.3 rushing yards per game with senior defensive end Paul Thomas anchoring the defensive line. The Tiger offense averages 30 ppg and has the OVC's third best rushing offense with 157.3 ypg led by senior running back Charles Anthony, who has 534 yards on the season.
"We're going to win," said Jasema Wordlaw, a junior from Nashville majoring in dental hygiene. "We are playing good and excellent football and have a good running back and defensive line."
TSU leads the all-time series meeting with SCSU 5-2. The Tigers have an average margin of victory of 16 points per game and the Bulldogs defeat opponents by 28 ppg. As of week four of the season, TSU was ranked No. 1 in the American Sports Wire Poll for Black college football and third is the Sheridan Black college poll. The Bulldogs were ranked third in Sheridan Poll.
"That type of stuff doesn't mean anything until the end of the season," said TSU head football coach James Reese.
The Bulldogs average 42.7 ppg, led by senior quarterback Brett Young who completed 45 of 66 passing attempts for 610 passing yards. Young's favorite targets are receivers Tavarus Morgan and Rondriekas Darby. Morgan has 20 receptions for 261 yards and Darby's 13 receptions and 212 yards is second on the team. The Bulldog defense allows only 14 ppg. SCSU leading tacklers are Dreak Poole (20), Joel Taylr(17) and Greg Brown(16).•
