This past Saturday, FirstBank Stadium hosted the John A. Merritt Classic in front of 32,467 people, and both sides got their money’s worth. Funny thing about this one, both teams go by the Tigers, so it was Tiger versus Tiger for three and a half hours in Nashville, and neither side blinked until the final kick.
Jackson State wasted no time. Quarterback Jared Lockhart hit Jabari Jones on a play action shot, Jones split the safeties and took it 88 yards to the house. JSU 7, TSU 0. Didn’t take Tennessee State long to answer. A 13 play, 75 yard drive, capped by Brenton Paul punching it in from 9 yards out. Tied at 7. Like a good heavyweight fight, both guys were already trading haymakers in the first round.
Tennessee State grabbed the lead late in the second quarter. Transfer quarterback Daylin Lee, who beat out Byron McNair for the job over the offseason, snuck it in from a yard out. 14 to 7. Kicker Preston Hurless tacked on a 45 yard field goal to make it 17 to 7. Jackson State answered right back before the half, Andrew Ivaniciuc from 38 yards out. Tennessee State 17, Jackson State 10 at the break.
Jackson State came out of the locker room and took over. Ivaniciuc drilled one from 45, Emari Matthews punched in a 2 yard run, then Ivaniciuc hit another one from 51. Just like that, 13 unanswered points. Jackson State 23, Tennessee State 17.
Tennessee State wasn’t done. Lee put together a 14 play, 75 yard answer and found Francisco Pratts III for a 5 yard score. Tennessee State back in front, 24 to 23, with 8:48 to go. FirstBank Stadium rocking.
Jackson State’s ground game took over from there. 15 plays, chewing up 6:13 of clock, ending with Ivaniciuc calm as ever splitting the uprights from 21 yards. Jackson State 26, Tennessee State 24. 2:31 left.
Tennessee State gets the ball back. This is it. They move it, they’re in range, this is the tying or winning kick right here. Delay of game penalty backs them up. Then a sack. Snap comes back, holder Preston Hurless can’t get it down clean, the kick never even gets off. Ball’s on the ground. Jackson State falls on it. Ballgame.
Tiger Nation, the Jackson State half of it anyway, erupts.
Daylin Lee balled out in his TSU debut, 23 of 41 for 265 yards and a touchdown through the air, added 40 yards and a score with his legs. 305 total yards and it still wasn’t enough. Jayden Guy caught 9 for 148. Cam Bulluck added 7 catches for 53. Brendan Hale led everybody with 10 tackles. Tennessee State actually out possessed Jackson State, 33 minutes to 27, converted 12 of 19 third downs, didn’t turn it over once. That’s usually how you win a football game. Saturday, it wasn’t enough.
Final stats for Jackson State. Jared Lockhart, 17 of 26, 222 yards, the long touchdown to Jones. Nate Blount IV led the ground game with 101 yards on 15 carries, part of a 180 yard rushing day for the Tigers from Jackson. Andrew Ivaniciuc, 4 of 5 on field goals, 38, 45, 51, and the game winner from 21. Fourteen of Jackson State’s 26 points came off his foot. Preseason defensive player of the year Kam Sallis led the defense with 7 tackles.
This was the 16th meeting between these two in the Merritt Classic, named for the legendary John A. Merritt, who coached at Tennessee State for 21 seasons, won six national championships, and sent 23 players to the NFL. FirstBank Stadium, Vanderbilt’s place, hosted because the Titans had Nissan Stadium tied up with preseason camp that weekend.
Both of these programs are still figuring out who they are. T.C. Taylor is leaning on a retooled secondary and an offensive line full of transfers. Reggie Barlow is breaking in a new quarterback at Tennessee State. Saturday showed both teams have pieces. Jackson State just found one more way to finish.
Jackson State hosts Edward Waters this Saturday, September 5th. Tennessee State doesn’t get to catch its breath, they’re on the road against Georgia.