1965 Tennessee A&I Tigers football team

The 1965 Tennessee A&I Tigers football team represented Tennessee Agricultural & Industrial State College as a member of the Midwest Athletic Association (MAA) during the 1965 NCAA College Division football season. In their third season under head coach John Merritt, the Tigers compiled a 9–0–1 record, won the MAA championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 333 to 108. The team was also recognized as the 1965 black college national champion and was ranked No. 5 in the final small college football rankings issued by the Associated Press and No. 12 in the final poll issued by the United Press International.

1965 Tennessee A&I Tigers football
ConferenceMidwest Athletic Association
Record9–0–1 (3–0 MAA)
Head coach
Home stadiumHale Stadium
Seasons
← 1964
1966 →
1965 Midwest Athletic Association football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 1 Tennessee A&I $ 3 0 0 9 0 1
Lincoln (MO) 2 1 0 5 5 0
Central State (OH) 1 2 0 3 5 0
Kentucky State 0 3 0 4 4 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from Pittsburgh Courier[1]

On December 11, Tennessee A&I played in the 1965 Grantland Rice Bowl against Ball State. It the first college football game in Tennessee between an all-black team and a predominantly white team.[2]

Key players included quarterback Eldridge Dickey, fullback Bill Tucker, halfback Noland Smith, wide receiver Willie Walker, split end Johnnie Robinson, middle guard/tackle James Carter, defensive lineman Franklin McRae, and defensive backs Alvin Coleman and Leon Moore. Coach Merritt described Carter as "the best lineman I've ever coached."[3]

Schedule

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DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 25North Carolina A&T*W 42–12[4]
October 2at Texas Southern*W 32–710,000[5]
October 9Grambling*
  • Hale Stadium
  • Nashville, TN
W 40–78,000–24,000[6][7][8]
October 23Florida A&M*
  • Hale Stadium
  • Nashville, TN
W 45–616,500[9]
October 30at Southern*No. 9
W 40–3618,000[10]
November 6at Morris Brown*No. 6W 24–0[11]
November 13vs. Lincoln (MO)No. 7
W 31–65,600[12]
November 20at Kentucky StateNo. 7W 19–83,500[13]
November 25Central State (OH) No. 5
  • Hale Stadium
  • Nashville, TN
W 46–129,000[3]
December 11vs. Ball State*No. 5T 14–1412,000[2]
  • *Non-conference game
  •  Homecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[14]

References

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  1. ^ "Big Blue Tops '65 Campaign". Pittsburgh Courier (p. 14). December 4, 1965 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b "Ball State, A&I Battle To Tie". The Jackson Sun. December 12, 1965. p. 3A – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ a b "A&I Romps, Awaits Bowl Decision". The Nashville Tennessean. November 26, 1965. p. 43 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Tenn. State, Kentucky Show Power In Gridiron Wins: Dickey Paces Tenn. Romp Of A&T Aggies". The Pittsburgh Courier. October 2, 1965. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Tennessee State Hands Texas Southern First Loss". The Pittsburgh Courier. October 9, 1965. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "A&I Wins, 40-7; Dickey Shines". The Nashville Tennessean. October 10, 1965. p. 7E – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Tenn. A&I Beats Grambling 40-0". The Pittsburgh Courier. October 16, 1965. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics (Grambling)". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  9. ^ "Dickey, Defense Doom to A&M 45-6". The Nashville Tennessean. October 24, 1965. p. 7E – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Title-Hungry Tenn. State Blasts Tough Southern U. Jaguars, 40-36". The Pittsburgh Courier. November 6, 1965. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Tenn. Keeps Rolling, Bombs M-B, 24-0". The Pittsburgh Courier. November 13, 1965. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Tennessee State Clips Lincoln". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. November 14, 1965. p. 5C – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Tennessee State 19, Kentucky State 8". The Courier-Journal. November 21, 1965. p. B8 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "1965 Tennessee State University Football Statistics". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved December 11, 2022.