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 | |
|---|---|
Black college national champion MAA champion | |
Grantland Rice Bowl, T 14–14 vs. Ball State | |
| Conference | Midwest Athletic Association |
| Record | 9–0–1 (3–0 MAA) |
| Head coach |
|
| Home stadium | Hale Stadium |
| 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 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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
edit| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance | Source | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 25 | North Carolina A&T* | W 42–12 | [4] | |||||
| October 2 | at Texas Southern* | W 32–7 | 10,000 | [5] | ||||
| October 9 | Grambling* |
| W 40–7 | 8,000–24,000 | [6][7][8] | |||
| October 23 | Florida A&M* |
| W 45–6 | 16,500 | [9] | |||
| October 30 | at Southern* | No. 9 |
| W 40–36 | 18,000 | [10] | ||
| November 6 | at Morris Brown* | No. 6 | W 24–0 | [11] | ||||
| November 13 | vs. Lincoln (MO) | No. 7 |
| W 31–6 | 5,600 | [12] | ||
| November 20 | at Kentucky State | No. 7 | W 19–8 | 3,500 | [13] | |||
| November 25 | Central State (OH) | No. 5 |
| W 46–12 | 9,000 | [3] | ||
| December 11 | vs. Ball State* | No. 5 | T 14–14 | 12,000 | [2] | |||
| ||||||||
References
edit- ^ "Big Blue Tops '65 Campaign". Pittsburgh Courier (p. 14). December 4, 1965 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Ball State, A&I Battle To Tie". The Jackson Sun. December 12, 1965. p. 3A – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "A&I Romps, Awaits Bowl Decision". The Nashville Tennessean. November 26, 1965. p. 43 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Tennessee State Hands Texas Southern First Loss". The Pittsburgh Courier. October 9, 1965. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "A&I Wins, 40-7; Dickey Shines". The Nashville Tennessean. October 10, 1965. p. 7E – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Tenn. A&I Beats Grambling 40-0". The Pittsburgh Courier. October 16, 1965. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics (Grambling)". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
- ^ "Dickey, Defense Doom to A&M 45-6". The Nashville Tennessean. October 24, 1965. p. 7E – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Title-Hungry Tenn. State Blasts Tough Southern U. Jaguars, 40-36". The Pittsburgh Courier. November 6, 1965. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Tenn. Keeps Rolling, Bombs M-B, 24-0". The Pittsburgh Courier. November 13, 1965. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Tennessee State Clips Lincoln". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. November 14, 1965. p. 5C – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Tennessee State 19, Kentucky State 8". The Courier-Journal. November 21, 1965. p. B8 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "1965 Tennessee State University Football Statistics". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved December 11, 2022.