1970 Tennessee State Tigers football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1970
| team = Tennessee State Tigers
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = Independent
| record = 10–0
| head_coach = John Merritt
| hc_year = 8th
| captain =
| stadium = Hale Stadium
| champion = Black college football national champion
| bowl = Grantland Rice Bowl
| bowl_result = W 26–25 vs. Southwestern Louisiana
}}
{{1970 NCAA College Division independents football records}}
The 1970 Tennessee State Tigers football team represented Tennessee State University as an independent during the 1970 NCAA College Division football season. In their eighth season under head coach John Merritt, the Tigers compiled a perfect 10–0 record, defeated Southwestern Louisiana in the 1970 Grantland Rice Bowl, and outscored all opponents by a total of 396 to 144. The team was also recognized as the 1970 black college national champion and was ranked No. 5 in the final small college rankings issued by both the Associated Press and United Press International.{{cite news|title=Tennessee State Yearly Results (1970-1974)|publisher=College Football Data Warehouse|accessdate=December 8, 2019|url=http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/active/t/tennessee_state/1970-1974_yearly_results.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906145001/http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/active/t/tennessee_state/1970-1974_yearly_results.php|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 6, 2015}}
Tackle Vernon Holland received first-team honors on the 1970 Little All-America college football team.{{cite news|title=A.P.'s Little All-American|newspaper=The Morning News|date=December 10, 1970|page=42|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88983288/aps-little-all-american/|via=Newspapers.com}}
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| rankyear = 1970
| rankdivision = small college
| poll = AP
| rank = y
| attend = y
| source = y
|September 11|vs|Alcorn A&M||Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum|Los Angeles, CA (Freedom Classic)|W 24–14|43,772|{{cite news|title=Tennessee's Early Thrusts Too Much for Alcorn, 24-14|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|author=Mal Florence|date=September 12, 1970|pages=III-1, III-6|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40257020/tennessees_early_thrusts_too_much_for/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|September 19|vs|{{cfb link|year=1970|team=Kentucky State Thorobreds|title=Kentucky State}}||Crump Stadium|Memphis, TN|W 62–7|15,000|{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-commercial-appeal-the-big-blue-drink/142829898/|work=The Commercial Appeal|title=The Big Blue drinks again from the Jug|date=September 20, 1970|accessdate=March 6, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}
|September 26|vs|{{cfb link|year=1970|team=Albany State Golden Rams|title=Albany State}}|10|Porter Stadium|Macon, GA (Central City Classic)|W 54–7|8,000|{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-macon-telegraph-rams-lose-classic-5/142830147/|work=The Macon Telegraph & News|title=Rams lose Classic, 54–7|date=September 27, 1970|accessdate=March 6, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 3||Texas Southern|10|Hale Stadium|Nashville, TN|W 41–9|11,000|{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tennessean-big-blue-routs-southern-b/127162198/|work=The Nashville Tennessean|title=Big Blue routs Southern by 41–9 count, now 4–0|date=October 4, 1970|accessdate=June 26, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 10|at|Grambling|6|Grambling Stadium|Grambling, LA|W 34–27|12,000|{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121838449/tigers-nudge-grambling-on-sims-pass-int/|work=The Tennessean|title=Tigers nudge Grambling on Sims' pass interception|date=October 11, 1970|accessdate=March 28, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 24|at|{{cfb link|year=1970|team=Florida A&M Rattlers|title=Florida A&M}}|5|Bragg Memorial Stadium|Tallahassee, FL|W 21–10|13,500-14,000|{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/tampa-bay-times-tennessee-state-strikes/142830372/|work=St. Petersburg Times|title=Tennessee State strikes late to overtake Rattlers 21–10|date=October 25, 1970|accessdate=March 6, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}
|October 31||Southern|5|Hale Stadium|Nashville, TN|W 38–7|11,000–14,000|{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tennessean-tsu-rambles-to-387-win/130029796/|title=TSU rambles to 38–7 win|newspaper=The Nashville Tennessean|date=November 1, 1970|accessdate=August 14, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite web |author= |title=Final 1970 Cumulative Football Statistics Report |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/team/665/stats/13329 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=August 15, 2023 }}
|November 7||{{cfb link|year=1970|team=Morris Brown Wolverines|title=Morris Brown}}|6|Hale Stadium|Nashville, TN|W 36–14|9,000|{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-atlanta-constitution-gilliam-too-muc/142830570/|work=The Atlanta Journal & Constitution|title=Gilliam too much for Morris Brown|date=November 8, 1970|accessdate=March 6, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}
|November 21|vs|{{cfb link|year=1970|team=Parsons Wildcats|title=Parsons}}|5|Busch Memorial Stadium|St. Louis, MO (Gateway Classic)|W 21–3|7,000|{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-post-dispatch-tennessee-state/142830779/|work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|title=Tennessee State rips Parsons in Gateway|date=November 22, 1970|accessdate=March 6, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}
|November 26||{{cfb link|year=1970|team=Bishop Tigers|title=Bishop}}|4|Hale Stadium|Nashville, TN|W 39–21|12,000|{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tennessean-tennessee-state-topples-b/142830966/|work=The Nashville Tennessean|title=Tennessee State topples Bishop|date=November 27, 1970|accessdate=March 6, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}
|December 12|vs|No. 10 Southwestern Louisiana|5|Memorial Stadium|Baton Rouge, LA (Grantland Rice Bowl)|W 26–25|17,000|{{cite news|title=Tennessee State Nips USL Ragin' Cajuns|newspaper=The Daily Advertiser (Lafayette, Louisiana)|date=December 13, 1970|page=57|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40257130/tennessee_state_nips_usl_ragin_cajuns/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
{{cite web |author= |title=Final 1970 Cumulative Football Statistics Report |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/team/691/stats/13329 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=December 11, 2022 }}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Tennessee State Tigers football navbox}}
{{Black college football national champion navbox}}
Category:Tennessee State Tigers football seasons
Category:Black college football national champions
Category:Grantland Rice Bowl champion seasons