1979 Tennessee State Tigers football team

The 1979 Tennessee State Tigers football team were an American college football team which represented Tennessee State University as an independent during the 1979 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by 17th-year head coach John Merritt, the Tigers compiled a record of 8–3.

1979 Tennessee State Tigers football
Black college national champion
Conference	Independent
Record	8–3
Head coach	John Merritt (17th season)
Home stadium	Hale Stadium

1979 NCAA Division I-A independents football records

	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 6 Florida State		–		–				11	–	1	–	0
No. 7 Pittsburgh		–		–				11	–	1	–	0
UNLV		–		–				9	–	1	–	2
No. 17 Temple		–		–				10	–	2	–	0
Tulane		–		–				9	–	3	–	0
Rutgers		–		–				8	–	3	–	0
Tennessee State		–		–				8	–	3	–	0
East Carolina		–		–				7	–	3	–	1
No. 20 Penn State		–		–				8	–	4	–	0
South Carolina		–		–				8	–	4	–	0
Navy		–		–				7	–	4	–	0
Notre Dame		–		–				7	–	4	–	0
Southern Miss		–		–				6	–	4	–	1
Syracuse		–		–				7	–	5	–	0
Colgate		–		–				5	–	4	–	1
Boston College		–		–				5	–	6	–	0
Holy Cross		–		–				5	–	6	–	0
Memphis State		–		–				5	–	6	–	0
Miami (FL)		–		–				5	–	6	–	0
North Texas State		–		–				5	–	6	–	0
Villanova		–		–				5	–	6	–	0
Virginia Tech		–		–				5	–	6	–	0
West Virginia		–		–				5	–	6	–	0
Georgia Tech		–		–				4	–	6	–	1
Louisville		–		–				4	–	6	–	1
William & Mary		–		–				4	–	7	–	0
Illinois State		–		–				3	–	8	–	0
Northeast Louisiana		–		–				3	–	8	–	0
Army		–		–				2	–	8	–	1
Air Force		–		–				2	–	9	–	0
Cincinnati		–		–				2	–	9	–	0
Richmond		–		–				0	–	11	–	0
Rankings from AP Poll

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 8	at Jackson State	Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium Jackson, MS	L 21–27	22,000
September 15	Southern Illinois	Hale Stadium Nashville, TN	L 16–18	13,388
September 22	vs. Texas Southern	Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN	W 21–3	19,805
September 29	Central State (OH)	Hale Stadium Nashville, TN	W 40–8	8,200
October 6	No. 5 Grambling State	Hale Stadium Nashville, TN	W 24–13	16,200
October 20	No. 1 Florida A&M	Dudley Field Nashville, TN	W 20–3	34,694
October 27	at Southern	University Stadium Baton Rouge, LA	W 17–6	20,437
November 3	at North Carolina A&T	World War Memorial Stadium Greensboro, NC	W 37–14	8,000
November 9	at UNLV	Las Vegas Silver Bowl Whitney, NV	L 28–36	26,431
November 17	at Kentucky State	Alumni Field Frankfort, KY	W 26–13	5,200
November 22	Cal Poly Pomona	Hale Stadium Nashville, TN	W 71–3	5,500
Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee Poll released prior to the game