1981 Tennessee State Tigers football team

1981 Tennessee State Tigers football
ConferenceIndependent
Record9–3
Head coach
Home stadiumHale Stadium
Dudley Field
Seasons
← 1980
1982 →
1981 NCAA Division I-AA independents football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 8 Lafayette     9 2 0
No. 7 Delaware ^     9 3 0
No. 6 Tennessee State ^     9 3 0
Southeastern Louisiana     8 3 0
Lehigh     8 3 0
Nicholls State     5 5 1
Northwestern State     4 6 0
Bucknell     4 6 0
Northeastern     3 7 0
James Madison     3 8 0
  • ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant
Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll

The 1981 Tennessee State Tigers football team were an American college football team. They represented Tennessee State University as an independent during the 1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by 19th-year head coach John Merritt, the Tigers compiled a record of 9–3 and were defeated by South Carolina State in the NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal.

Schedule

[edit]
DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 12at Jackson StateL 23–31[1]
September 19at Southern IllinoisW 17–1412,500[2]
September 26Texas SouthernW 48–25[3]
October 3vs. Alabama StateW 21–20[4]
October 10Grambling State
W 14–1034,386[5]
October 17at LouisvilleW 42–3028,136[6]
October 24Nicholls State
  • Dudley Field
  • Nashville, TN
W 49–117,500[7]
October 31at SouthernNo. T–7W 28–18[8]
November 7Central State (OH)No. 5
  • Hale Stadium
  • Nashville, TN
W 43–06,000[9]
November 14at ChattanoogaNo. 5L 9–2812,003[10]
November 21at North Carolina A&TNo. 7W 27–18[11]
December 5at No. 3 South Carolina StateNo. 6L 25–26 OT12,000[12]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Taylor leads JSU past Tenn. State". The Clarion-Ledger. September 13, 1981. Retrieved February 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Last-second kick beats Southern Illinois, 17–14". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. September 20, 1981. Retrieved February 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Tigers crush Texans". The Tennessean. September 27, 1981. Retrieved February 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Alabama St. loses first". The Dothan Eagle. October 4, 1981. Retrieved February 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "TSU wins defensive struggle". The Tennessean. October 11, 1981. Retrieved February 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "It comes to pass: Tennessee State strafes U of L 42–30". The Courier-Journal. October 18, 1981. Retrieved February 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "TSU 'plugs' Nicholls St". The Tennessean. October 25, 1981. Retrieved February 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Tennessee State downs Southern". The Commercial Appeal. November 1, 1981. Retrieved February 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "TSU torpedoes Central State". The Tennessean. November 8, 1981. Retrieved February 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "UTC topples Tennessee State". The Tennessean. November 15, 1981. Retrieved February 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Aggies fall despite late rally". Greensboro News and Record. November 22, 1981. Retrieved February 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "TSU loses 26–25 in overtime". The Tennessean. December 6, 1981. Retrieved February 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.