NASHVILLE, Tenn. — In an exciting showdown on Saturday, Draylen Ellis showcased his talent by throwing two touchdown passes and adding another touchdown on the ground, leading Tennessee State to a 28-21 victory over Southeast Missouri State. This win not only secured the game for the Tigers but also earned them a share of the Big South-OVC title.
The Redhawks, who ended the season with a record of 9-3 and 6-2 in the conference, ranked No. 11 in the FCS coaches poll, share the top spot in the standings with the No. 25 Tennessee State team, which also finished at 9-3 and 6-2. Both teams were tied with Tennessee Tech and UT Martin for the conference leadership. However, the Redhawks secured their spot in the FCS playoffs through a tiebreaker, marking their fifth playoff appearance in the program’s history and the fourth under head coach Tom Matukewicz. In contrast, the Tigers will be hoping for an at-large bid to the playoffs.
This victory marked a significant achievement for Tennessee State as they earned their highest number of single-season wins since 2013. Moreover, it was a celebration of their first conference title since they claimed the OVC championship back in 1999.
Ellis had an impressive performance, completing 20 of his 31 passes for 232 yards without any interceptions. The game kicked off with CJ Evans returning the opening kickoff for 47 yards, positioning the Tigers near midfield. Ellis quickly got to work, connecting with Jalal Dean for a 7-yard touchdown pass on a crucial third down, setting the tone for the matchup. The Tigers further extended their lead when Meonta Kimbrough caused a strip-sack of quarterback Paxton DeLaurent, allowing Keandre Booker to scoop the ball and return it 46 yards for a touchdown. Just before the end of the first quarter, Ellis threw a screen pass to Evans, who sprinted 57 yards to the end zone, making the score 21-0 with 2:35 remaining in the second quarter.
Despite the deficit, DeLaurent responded with scoring passes of 31 yards to Dorian Anderson and 13 yards to Payton Brown, narrowing the gap to just a touchdown at halftime. However, Ellis struck back on the very first play of the fourth quarter with a 42-yard touchdown run, pushing the Tigers’ lead to 28-14. The final moments of the game saw Brown add a 1-yard touchdown run with around six minutes left on the clock, bringing the match to a close.