South Bend, Ind- Tennessee State led by Eddie George was the first HBCU and FCS school to play the Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium. Although it didn’t go the way they may have wanted it to go, (losing 56-3) it was still historic nonetheless.
Although the Irish scored on their first 5 possessions it was a rough start for them. Jeremiyah Love of the Irish struck first with a 36-yard TD run. TSU came back with a 15-play drive that eventually stalled at the 20 settling for a field goal making the score 7-3 which is now the first quarter ended.
Quarterback Sam Hartman preceded to throw 3TDs as they pulled away and led 35-3 at halftime. He would rest for the remainder of the game in his South Bend debut.
Some would say the real show was set to begin. After the band from Notre Dame performed, Tennessee State’s Aristocrat of Bands (AOB)stole the show with their high energy. Led by Dr. Reginald McDonald AOB left the crowd in a frenzy eventually receiving a standing ovation and fans still talking about it well in the 3rd quarter.
Nothing really changed the rest of the game as Notre Dame began sending their second team into the game. The outcome aside, the game was historic. The hope is to see more HBCU teams on a stage like this more often.
Game Photos
All photos c. Torrey Fields for CORE360 Sports