Tennessee State football coach Eddie George expressed his enthusiasm for reviving the rivalry with Jackson State, a team the Tigers haven’t faced since Deion Sanders was at the helm.
The two teams battled it out 29 times in the Southern Heritage Classic before Sanders opted to withdraw from the event at the Simmons Bank Liberty Bowl in Memphis. After Sanders departed Jackson State for Colorado in 2023, the team ceased participation in the classic.
In 2023, Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1-1) stepped in to replace Jackson State in the Southern Heritage Classic, and they’ll once again face TSU (1-1) this Saturday at 6 p.m.
“We used to face Jackson State; that’s the natural rivalry for this matchup,” George stated. “I hope we can eventually reignite that rivalry, whether it’s in the Southern Heritage Classic or another event. It’s a game we need to play.”
On Wednesday, a request was made for comments from Jackson State athletic director Ashley Robinson and football coach TC Taylor regarding their interest in the Southern Heritage Classic. An athletic department representative mentioned that Jackson State is focusing on their upcoming game against Southern and Hurricane Francine.
George expressed his gratitude that Arkansas-Pine Bluff, another Historically Black College and University, was able to step in as a replacement for Jackson State in the past two years. The details for next year’s matchup have yet to be announced.
Last year, TSU defeated the Golden Lions 24-14 after jumping to a 17-0 lead in the third quarter. Arkansas-Pine Bluff made a strong comeback, scoring two touchdowns within seven minutes in the fourth quarter to narrow the gap to 17-14. They had a chance to tie the game when they attempted a 31-yard field goal with 32 seconds left, but TSU blocked it, and James Green returned it 92 yards for a touchdown.
As a result, Arkansas-Pine Bluff could be a tough challenger in the Southern Heritage Classic, especially considering Jackson State has won the last three matchups against TSU.
This season, Arkansas-Pine Bluff started with a 70-0 loss to Arkansas, followed by a dominant 73-0 victory over Arkansas Baptist. Due to the stark contrasts in these results, George noted it has been challenging to gauge what to expect from the Golden Lions this Saturday.
“You see one instance where they’re struggling against Arkansas in the first game, and then in the next, they win easily just by sticking to the basics,” George explained. “It’s hard to predict what we’ll see from them. However, we can analyze last year’s game film to identify their tendencies, along with other games to see how they’ve evolved over the season.”
In 2023, Arkansas-Pine Bluff finished with a 2-9 record, but they did conclude the season with a thrilling come-from-behind victory, winning 35-34 against Texas Southern.
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