1971 Tennessee State Tigers football team

The 1971 Tennessee State Tigers football team represented Tennessee State University as an independent during the 1971 NCAA College Division football season. In their ninth season under head coach John Merritt, the Tigers compiled a 9–1 record, defeated McNeese State in the Grantland Rice Bowl, and outscored all opponents by a total of 403 to 151. The team was also recognized as the 1971 black college national champion and was ranked No. 5 in the final 1971 NCAA College Division football rankings issued by the Associated Press and No. 14 in the final poll issued by the United Press International.[1]

1971 Tennessee State Tigers football
ConferenceIndependent
Record9–1
Head coach
Home stadiumHale Stadium
1971 NCAA College Division independents football records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 1 Delaware   –  10 –1 –0
No. 5 Tennessee State   –  9 –1 –0
No. 2 McNeese State   –  9 –1 –1
Colorado College   –  7 –1 –0
No. 8 Akron   –  8 –2 –0
Samford   –  8 –2 –0
No. 3 Eastern Michigan   –  7 –1 –2
Arkansas AM&N   –  7 –2 –0
Indiana (PA)   –  7 –2 –0
Appalachian State   –  7 –3 –1
Northern Michigan   –  7 –3 –0
Hawaii   –  7 –4 –0
Santa Clara   –  6 –4 –0
Southern Illinois   –  6 –4 –0
Tampa   –  6 –5 –0
UNLV   –  5 –4 –1
Bucknell   –  5 –5 –0
Central Michigan   –  5 –5 –0
Milwaukee   –  5 –5 –0
Nevada   –  5 –5 –0
Wayne State (MI)   –  4 –4 –0
Hofstra   –  5 –6 –0
Cortland   –  4 –5 –0
Northeastern   –  4 –5 –0
Portland State   –  4 –5 –0
Northeast Louisiana   –  4 –6 –1
Eastern Illinois   –  4 –6 –0
Indiana State   –  4 –6 –0
Saint Mary's   –  3 –5 –0
Rose-Hulman   –  3 –6 –0
Boston University   –  3 –7 –0
Drexel   –  2 –6 –0
Chattanooga   –  2 –9 –0
Rankings from AP Poll

Schedule
DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 25vs. Alcorn A&M
W 18–717,006[2]
October 2at Texas SouthernNo. 10
L 23–2820,000[3]
October 9 No. 3 Grambling
  • Hale Stadium
  • Nashville, TN
W 41–3518,000–25,000[4][5]
October 16vs. Prairie ViewNo. 9
W 42–2015,000[6]
October 23Florida A&MNo. 9
  • Hale Stadium
  • Nashville, TN
W 50–832,000
October 30at SouthernNo. 7
W 27–1619,451[7]
November 6at Morris BrownNo. 7
W 61–715,000
November 13Wisconsin–SuperiorNo. 6
  • Hale Stadium
  • Nashville, TN
W 54–79,000
November 20Central State (OH)No. 4
  • Hale Stadium
  • Nashville, TN
W 61–08,000
December 11at No. 2 McNeese StateNo. 5
W 26–2315,271[8]
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[9]

References
  1. "Tennessee State Yearly Results (1970-1974)". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
  2. "Big Blue splashes past Alcorn hurdle". The Commercial Appeal. September 26, 1971. Retrieved August 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Texas Southern Tops TSU". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville, Tennessee. October 3, 1971. p. 3C. Retrieved December 11, 2022 – via Newspapers.com open access.
  4. "Big Blue tips Grambling". The Tennessean. October 10, 1971. Retrieved March 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Final 1971 Cumulative Football Statistics Report (Grambling)". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  6. "TSU rambles, 42–20". The Nashville Tennessean. October 17, 1971. Retrieved August 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Southern fifth TSU victim". The Nashville Tennessean. October 31, 1971. Retrieved August 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. Brandt, Roger (December 12, 1971). "TSU Denies McNeese An Undefeated Season". Daily World. Opelousas, Louisiana. Retrieved February 12, 2017 – via newspapers.com.
  9. "Final 1971 Cumulative Football Statistics Report". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
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