Turnovers and a lackluster offensive performance proved to be Tennessee State’s undoing as TSU fell at home to Gardner-Webb 30-14. The Tigers stifled their winning aspirations with four turnovers and were once again unable to generate 300 yards of total offense, recording just 268 on the afternoon.
For Tennessee State, the game got off to an inauspicious start, as GWU’s Anthony Lowe returned the opening kickoff 52 yards to the TSU 45-yard line. Webb got to the Tennessee State 10-yard line but the Tigers’ defense stiffened, forcing GWU to settle for a 26-yard Charles Viorel field goal, giving them a 3-0 lead at the 11:55 mark of the quarter.
After a TSU three-and-out on their first possession, GWU got in the end zone for the first time on the afternoon, ending a 9-play 50-yard drive when Carson Greenock plunged in from the 1-yard line, pushing the advantage to 10-0.
Early in the second quarter, Josiah Harris picked off a pass from Jonathan Palmer (a recurring theme on the day), setting up the GWU offense at the TSU 46-yard line. Seven plays later Viorel’s second field goal of the day, this from 28 yards, put the Bulldogs up 13-0 at the 11:12 mark of the period. On Tennessee State’s next possession, Palmer was intercepted again, this time by Wendell McClain at the TSU 42-yard line. This possession ended in another Viorel field goal, this one also from 26 yards which pushed the GWU lead to 16-0.
Harris victimised Palmer on Tennessee State’s next drive, setting the Bulldogs’ offense up at the TSU 42-yard line. Three plays later Cole Pennington connected with Anthony Lowe from 17 yards out to bring the count to 23-0 with 2:43 left in the first half.
With Byron McNair now at the controls, the Tennessee State offense showed signs of life, putting together its first effective drive of the game. It was a 9-play 75-yard @l’march that ended in an 11-yard scoring pass to Snap Reed, finally getting the Tigers on the board at 23-7.
GWU’s next score came at the end of a 10-play, 79-yard drive that ended with a 3-yard run from Quasean Homes that made the score 30-7, with 6:18 left in the third quarter.
In the early part of the fourth quarter, McNair found Snap Reed on a 25-yard scoring toss that brought the score to its final count of 30-14.
Jonathan Palmer, who started the game for TSUm finished his nightmare of an afternoon completing 7 of 14 passes for 43 yards and 4 interceptions. Byron McNair completed 18 of 24 passes for 171 yards and 2 touchdowns. Snap Reed hauled in 9 passes for 107 yards and 2 touchdowns. Zach Simmons-Brown led the TSU run game with 33 yards on 11 carries.
Up next for the Tigers (2-9, 0-7) is their season finale against Charleston Southern. The Tigers defeated the Buccaneers 13-9 in their meeting last season.
