Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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32 SEPT. 2, 2023 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED GAME PREVIEW: TENNESSEE STATE BY TYLER HORKA I f there was ever a week for Notre Dame to face a Football Champi- onship Subdivision (FCS) foe for the first time in the program's proud history, it'd be right now — seven days after the Fighting Irish played on Irish soil for just the third time ever. An opponent of lesser quality will be a welcomed sight for a jet-lagged Notre Dame team coming off a matchup ver- sus longtime rival Navy that was much more than just a 60-minute tilt. It was a taxing expedition of epic pro- portions. And if there was ever an FCS oppo- nent for Notre Dame to face, ending its streak of never having played against an FCS foe, it would be these Tennessee State Tigers. Their head coach is leg- endary Ohio State 1995 Heisman Tro- phy winner Eddie George. Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman, of course, also played his college ball in Columbus, Ohio. The confluence of two Black head coaches with backgrounds stemming back to one of the all-time great power- houses in the sport coming together at a hallowed venue as prestigious as Notre Dame Stadium cannot be ignored. This isn't Notre Dame being the rea- son for the largest migration of Ameri- cans to a single sporting event in human history like last week's season opener versus Navy, and it isn't Ohio State visiting South Bend for the first time since 1996 and just the third time ever on Sept. 23, but it is as monumental as a college football blue blood playing a program from a lower tier ever could be. There is a first time for everything. Everyone involved will remember what it was like when Tennessee State went up against Notre Dame at "The House That Knute Rockne Built." When Da- vid, led by a head coach who's more of a Goliath in the context of the sport's history, faced, well, Goliath. This Goliath is a little more welcom- ing than the giant from the Book of Samuel. "It's a huge honor," Freeman said. "I understand I'm a representation for many others and I think this game rep- resents opportunities for all individu- als. It's a great honor, and I couldn't be more grateful for [Notre Dame director of athletics Jack] Swarbrick and Father [John I.] Jenkins for putting this thing together. "I take it with the utmost respect and utmost appreciation for this opportu- nity." 'OH MY GOSH' Freeman's quote is one that doesn't come from a head coach unless some- thing momentous is transpiring. And only at Notre Dame does a head coach get the chance to say such a thing two weeks in a row. One week, Freeman is preparing his guys to play in Ireland. The next, he's preparing them to be the first Notre Dame team that has ever played against an FCS opponent. And not just any FCS opponent; one led by one of the all-time great running backs in college football history. George faced Notre Dame during his Heisman season in 1995. The seventh- ranked Buckeyes roughed up the No. 15 Irish 45-26 at Ohio Stadium in front of what was then a record-breaking crowd of 95,537. George finished with 207 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns. He has been the man in the arena. He's taken his game to the highest level, and he has seen everything an opponent or venue can throw at him. He's still going to be in complete awe on Sept. 2. When George was in South Bend in April 2022 for a press conference to an- nounce the game, he danced out to the 50-yard line at Notre Dame Stadium and stood smack dab in the middle of GAME PREVIEW: TENNESSEE STATE Tennessee State head coach Eddie George won the Heisman Trophy in 1995 as a running back for Ohio State and played nine years in the NFL with the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans. PHOTO COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE ATHLETICS BREAKING BARRIERS Notre Dame welcomes Tennessee State to South Bend for its first-ever game against an FCS and HBCU opponent Facts & Figures TENNESSEE STATE VS. NOTRE DAME Date: Sept. 2, 2023 Site: Notre Dame Stadium Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. ET Television: NBC/Peacock Radio: This game can be heard on Notre Dame IMG affiliates. Series Facts: First meeting Head Coaches: Tennessee State — Eddie George (9-13, 3rd season); Notre Dame — Marcus Freeman (10-5, 2nd season). Noting Tennessee State: The Tigers return 11 starters, five on offense and six on defense … Tennessee State finished tied for third in the Ohio Valley Conference standings with a 2-3 league record in 2022, behind 5-0 Southeast Missouri State and 5-0 Tennessee Martin … Starting quarterback Draylen Ellis started his career at Austin Peay before completing 153 of 279 passes for 1,807 yards with 8 touchdowns in his first season at TSU last fall … Tennessee State ranked 98th in the FCS in total offense in 2022 with 314.5 yards per game … The Tigers checked in at No. 50 in total defense, allowing 363.6 yards per game … Tennessee State has lost both of its season openers in the George era; 16-10 versus Grambling State in the Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic in Canton, Ohio, in 2021 and 36-29 at Eastern Washington last year … Tennessee State scored 3 defensive touchdowns in 2022; only 10 FCS programs had more … Tennessee State turned opponents over 20 times and had a turnover margin of plus-7.