It started off bad for the Big Blue Tigers of Tennessee State University, and I mean bad bad, like from the opening kickoff bad; but a roughing the kicker penalty on 4th down, bailed the Big Blue out of a potential tsunami, and fittingly enough, special teams would prove crucial from beginning to end.
And I mean crucial.
You wanna see a cat fight? Aw man, it’s over now, but if you missed it, here’s the rundown.
The tale of two Tigers came to life this past Saturday night at FirstBank Stadium as the Jackson State Tigers from Jackson, Mississippi, took on the Tennessee State Tigers of Nashville in the 2026 John Merritt Classic. And if the football wasn’t enough, the atmosphere certainly was. West End was humming. More than 32,000 packed into Vanderbilt’s stadium, while the bands battled from the stands with almost as much intensity as the teams did on the field. The John Merritt Classic didn’t just live up to the hype—it delivered the kind of HBCU football spectacle Nashville has come to expect.
And Jackson State’s fans deserve their flowers. They traveled, they showed out and they brought the juice. Rain or shine, hot or cold, those folks are going to find their way to the stadium. Jackson State has earned its reputation as one of the best-traveled fan bases in HBCU football, and Saturday night was another reminder of why. Their support was impossible to miss and added another layer to an already electric weekend.
Then, came the football.
And, man, what a doozy.
The game itself was a heavyweight fight that Tennessee State appeared ready to win until the final seconds.
Jackson State escaped with a wild two point victory, but Tennessee State had this game sitting right there in the palm of its hands. Unfortunately for Big Blue, it slipped away in the most painful way imaginable.
With less than a minute remaining, Tennessee State had driven all the way to the Jackson State 7-yard line. The Tigers needed only a field goal to steal the game. After everything TSU had done right, this should have been the moment.
Instead, the snap was muffed.
Literally.
The holder never got a clean opportunity, Jackson State pounced, and the Tigers tackled him before Tennessee State could even attempt the kick. Game over.
Are you serious right now?
Big Blue faithful—including this writer—could only stand there in disbelief. Was the kicker nervous? Was it the long snapper? The holder? The pressure? Who knows. But whatever happened, Tennessee State never got the chance to find out whether that kick would have gone through.
Jackson State’s sideline, meanwhile, went absolutely banana coo coo. Players spilled onto the field, celebrating a season-opening victory that looked anything but guaranteed just minutes earlier.
Jackson State got there thanks in large part to a collection of new faces making immediate impacts. Quarterback Jared Lockhart completed 17 of 26 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown, spreading the ball around to 10 different receivers. Offensive MVP Jabari Jones was the big-play machine, catching four passes for 117 yards, including an electric 88-yard touchdown in the first quarter.
Nate Blount IV was just as impressive on the ground. After spending the previous two seasons behind a pair of 1,000-yard rushers, Blount finally got his opportunity and made damn sure everybody noticed. He finished with 101 yards on 15 carries, averaging 7 yards per rush, as Jackson State piled up 180 rushing yards.
And then there was Andrew Ivaniciuc.
The Jackson State kicker missed a 25-yard field goal early in the second quarter, but he apparently decided that was enough adversity for one night. He responded by drilling field goals from 38, 45, 51 and, most importantly, 21 yards. His career-high 51-yarder came late in the third quarter, and his 21-yard kick with 2:31 remaining ultimately proved to be the difference.
Tennessee State, however, kept punching.
Daylin Lee turned in a monster performance, accounting for 305 yards of total offense and two touchdowns. He completed 23 of 41 passes for 265 yards and added 40 rushing yards on 13 carries. Brenton Paul contributed 38 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Jayden Guy was nearly unstoppable through the air, catching nine passes for 148 yards.
TSU took a 17-7 lead in the second quarter after Lee’s 1-yard touchdown run and Preston Hurless’ 45-yard field goal. Jackson State answered with 13 unanswered points in the third, taking a 23-17 lead after Ivaniciuc’s 45- and 51-yard field goals and Emari Matthews’ 2-yard touchdown run.
But Big Blue wasn’t finished.
TSU mounted a 14-play, 75-yard drive that lasted over seven minutes and stretched into the fourth quarter. Lee capped it with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Francisco Pratts III, giving TSU a 24-23 lead with a little over 8 minutes left.
For a moment, TSU had the game it wanted.
Jackson State responded. Their Tigers marched 77 yards on 15 plays, converting a fourth-and-1 along the way and benefiting from a TSU pass-interference penalty (a very questionable call) that moved the ball to the 9-yard line. TSU’s defense held Jackson State out of the end zone, but Ivaniciuc calmly knocked through the 21-yard field goal.
Still, Big Blue had one final shot.
TSU drove 68 yards on its final possession and reached the Jackson State 7. But an incomplete pass, a delay-of-game penalty and a seven-yard sack turned a potential game-winning opportunity into fourth down. The Tigers eventually went down on downs, and with 53 seconds left, Jackson State had its season-opening victory.
That’s what made this one hurt.
The Big Blue never turned the ball over. They controlled time of possession for over 33 minutes. They converted 12 of 19 third downs. Both teams finished with 22 first downs. Lee and Guy gave the Jackson State defense plenty to deal with.
But Jackson State made just enough plays—and Tennessee State made one mistake at exactly the wrong time.
The Tigers of Jackson State, you know, them boys from the heart of Mississippi, finished with 402 yards of total offense to TSU’s 354. JSU’s defense was led by Defensive MVP Kam Sallis, who finished with seven tackles, while Keith Bass Jr. added six tackles, a sack and two tackles for loss.
TSU’s Brendan Hale led all players with 10 tackles.
In the end though, none of those numbers mattered nearly as much as the one that sat glowing on the scoreboard.
JSU 26. TSU 24.
Jackson State left Nashville 1-0.
Tennessee State left 0-1.
And Big Blue was left staring at a game it had every opportunity to win—only to watch it disappear on a botched snap.
That’s football.
That’s special teams.
That’s the John Merritt Classic.
Although painful, for TSU, that’s one hell of a way to start a season.
Close, but no cigar.
The 25th annual John A. Merritt Classic gave Nashville everything it promised: two proud HBCU programs, electric bands, passionate fan bases and a game that came down to the final possession.
And now the road gets considerably tougher.
Dating back to last season, the woes continue for Big Blue—and they aren’t getting any easier next week. Tennessee State travels to Athens to face the Georgia Bulldogs of the SEC.
Yes, Georgia.
In Athens.
Miracles happen every day, and football has never been short on surprises. But come on now. You don’t need Miss Cleo to predict that this one is going to be a tall order.
Still, that’s why they play the games.
Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. CT/3 p.m. ET on Sept. 5, with the game available on SEC Network+(SECN+).
Big Blue fans can either make the trip, get the tickets and show up—or tune in and see if their Tigers can chomp up those Bulldogs, and pull off a miracle of the millennium.
Because after this past Saturday night, one thing is certain:
The kick that was never kicked will be talked about for a while.
