Tennessee State enjoyed an impressive start to its 2018 campaign, coasting to a lopsided season-opening win over Bethune-Cookman in the 20th annual John Merritt Classic on Saturday at Nissan Stadium.
Here are five things we learned from the Tigers’ 34-3 victory:
Career night for Chris Rowland
Preseason All-OVC selection Steven Newbold had a quiet night, finishing without a single catch for TSU. Junior wide receiver Chris Rowland more than made up for it, though.
Rowland isn’t the Tigers’ biggest target, but the 5-foot-8, 170-pounder was certainly their most effective, posting career highs in both receptions (7) and yards receiving (154).
The junior speedster also made his presence felt on special teams, returning four punts for 64 yards, including a 39-yard, third-quarter burst.
Micheal Hughes capitalizes
Minnesota transfer Demry Croft may have gotten the start at quarterback, but it was junior Micheal Hughes who stole the show.
Hughes, a former Hillsboro standout, jumpstarted the Tigers’ offense late in the first quarter, putting together consecutive scoring drives to spot TSU a 14-0 advantage after one.
The 6-foot-2, 230-pound Hughes fired a 20-yard touchdown pass to DeVon Johnson for the game’s first points before leading the team on a four-play, 39-yard drive capped by a 1-yard touchdown run from DeMarco Corbin.
Hughes, who completed 11 of 18 passes for 170 yards, also scored on a second-quarter touchdown run to spot the Tigers a 21-3 halftime advantage.
Defense dominates
Hughes and Rowland certainly did their parts, but TSU’s defense was the biggest reason why Bethune-Cookman suffered its worst FCS defeat since 2009.
In addition to holding the Wildcats to just nine first downs and 244 total yards, the Tigers also tallied five sacks and forced two turnovers on downs and hauled in a pair of interceptions — Dajour Nesbeth returned the second 39 yards for the game’s final score.
TSU also forced six three-and-outs and held Bethune-Cookman to just 2 of 13 (.153) on third-down conversions.
Backfield by committee
As expected, the TSU utilized a number of running backs Saturday.
Junior college transfer Ta’Kendrick Roberson led a crowded backfield with 13 carries for 67 yards, while running backs Shawn McColley, Earl Harrison, DeMarco Corbin and Seth Rowland combined to rush 16 times for 93 yards.
As a team, the Tigers finished with 201 yards on the ground — well above their 140.1-yard average from a season ago.
Penalty problems
TSU was the most-penalized team in the OVC last season, averaging 9.5 for 85.3 yards. It didn’t affect the outcome, but the Tigers actually eclipsed those numbers on Saturday. They finished with 11 penalties for 89 yards. Bethune-Cookman committed just three for 25 yards.
