Tennessee State and Alabama A&M have never needed a conference affiliation to have a reason to play one another in football.
Less than two hours separate the two HBCUs, and Saturday’s meeting in Huntsville continues a football relationship that stretches across generations. Alabama A&M and Tennessee State have met 13 times since 1998 alone, with the Bulldogs holding a 7-6 advantage over that span.
The series returned last season after a 15-year absence, with Alabama A&M escaping Nashville with a 23-21 victory. Now the matchup shifts to Huntsville as part of the Legacy Series, with Tennessee State looking for its first victory of the season and Alabama A&M trying to build on last week’s win over Miles.
For TSU head coach Reggie Barlow, the trip carries an additional wrinkle. Despite years of facing Alabama A&M while coaching Alabama State in the Magic City Classic, Barlow said this will be his first time coaching inside the Bulldogs’ home stadium.
Tennessee State record doesn’t tell entire story
Tennessee State enters the game 0-2 after opening against Jackson State and Georgia, but Alabama A&M head coach Sam Shade isn’t putting much stock in the record.
TSU led Jackson State 17-7 at halftime in its opener and later regained a 24-23 advantage in the fourth quarter before falling 26-24. The Tigers converted 12 of 19 third downs, committed no turnovers and finished with only five penalties.
Quarterback Daylin Lee threw for 265 yards and accounted for two touchdowns in the loss. His experience has Shade’s attention.
“You make a mistake, he’s probably going to take advantage of it,” Shade said of Lee, who spent three seasons as a starter at Winston-Salem State before arriving at TSU.
Shade said he has largely evaluated Tennessee State from the Jackson State game rather than trying to draw conclusions from last week’s matchup against national power Georgia.
“You’ve got to earn it against this defense,” Shade said of TSU.
Alabama A&M wants to establish the run
Alabama A&M enters the matchup 1-1 after a 38-23 win over Miles.
The Bulldogs rushed for 279 yards and four touchdowns in the victory, led by Troy Bruce’s 145 yards and two scores. Kolton Nero added 87 yards and two touchdowns as A&M averaged 7.5 yards per carry.
The explosiveness wasn’t limited to Division II competition. A&M averaged 7.9 yards per rushing attempt in its season-opening loss to Howard, giving the Bulldogs an early indication that their ground game can translate against FCS opponents as well.
Barlow’s attention, however, starts with quarterback Cornelious Brown. He praised Brown’s ability to extend plays, make throws from different platforms and use his arm strength to challenge a defense.
Shade wants the Bulldogs to remain balanced, but also considerably more disciplined after committing 13 penalties against Miles.
Familiar coaches, familiar HBCU programs
Saturday also reunites two coaches whose relationship predates their current jobs.
Shade and Barlow faced one another as NFL players when Jacksonville and Cincinnati were division opponents. Years later, Barlow helped Shade with his youth football camp in Birmingham — a relationship Shade recalled while preparing to coach against him this week.
Their programs have plenty of familiarity, too.
From 1998 through 2010, Alabama A&M and Tennessee State met 12 times. After the long interruption, last year’s two-point game in Nashville immediately demonstrated why the regional matchup still makes sense.
Shade said this week he would like to see the schools play annually, citing their proximity and shared HBCU history.
On Saturday, they’ll get another chapter — this time in Huntsville.