Eddie George and the Tennessee State Tigers traveled to Bison country to face North Dakota State. The matchup concluded with a score of 52-3. Despite Tennessee State's efforts, they fell short in a challenging contest.
The game showcased a fierce battle between the defensive lines. In the first half, TSU effectively shut down much of NDSU’s ground game. Offensively, both teams had comparable possession stats, with the Tigers clocking in at 29 minutes and the Bison at 30. The decisive factor in this matchup was the ability to make big plays. The Tigers managed 75 rushing yards, while the Bison dominated with 226 yards on the ground.
In a quote attained by The Tennessean George spoke about when he felt that the game was getting out of reach.
“Right around the second quarter when it got to be (21-0) I kind of sensed it was getting away from us. Up to that point we had our chances on offense to convert some third downs. You miss those opportunities against a team like that and they'll take advantage of you like they did. If you convert those third downs it will probably change the momentum of the game.”
A significant setback for the Tigers in the game was the number of penalties they incurred. The team faced seven penalties, resulting in a total loss of 60 yards. Among these penalties was the ejection of cornerback Jalen McLendon for a helmet-to-helmet hit.
“It was frustrating to lose one of our best corners that early and that was another one of those points in the game where we might could have shifted the momentum,” George said of McLendon's ejection. “The penalty came on third down so we would have had the chance to stop them but instead they ended up with a first down.”
With the win, North Dakota State evened up their record at 1-1. Likewise, Tennessee State is now 1-1 heading into week 3. Last week Tennessee State won 41-21 against Mississippi Valley State. And North Dakota lost against Colorado going 31-26.
Next week for Eddie George and his squad is the Southern Heritage Classic in Memphis, TN against Arkansas Pine Bluff. The last time these two teams saw each other was in last year's edition of the Classic where the Tigers walked away with a 24-14 victory.
Kickoff is September 14 at 6:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast on HBCU GO.
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