Tennessee State football, Eddie George vs. Jackson State: Our score prediction
Coach Eddie George and his Tennessee State football team get the chance Saturday (6 p.m.) to avenge last season's loss to coach Deion Sanders and Jackson State in the 33rd annual Southern Heritage Classic.
TSU (0-1) managed to give JSU (1-0) some trouble through the first half of the game played annually at the Liberty Bowl in Memphis.
TSU trailed 10-7 in the third quarter when Sanders' son Shedeur Sanders, a freshman quarterback at the time, got JSU's offense in gear. He capped back-to-back long drives with touchdown passes and JSU coasted to a 38-16 win.
Starling starting
George benched running back Devon Starling for the start of the season opener last week at Eastern Washington. George said Starling, a preseason All-OVC pick who led TSU in rushing the last two seasons, underperformed in the preseason.
Starling responded by entering the game on TSU's third possession and rushing for a career-high 207 yards on 25 carries and scoring a touchdown.
WINNING RECORD: We're predicting a winning record for Tennessee State football in Eddie George's second season
WHAT EDDIE SAID: What coach Eddie George said about Tennessee State football's loss at Eastern Washington
WHAT DEION SAID: What Deion Sanders told Eddie George after Tennessee State struggled with Jackson State
The former Cane Ridge star heads into this game ranked second nationally in rushing yards.
TSU's rushing attack faces a bigger challenge this week. Jackson State held Florida A&M to 34 yards on the ground last week. The Rattlers averaged just 1.2 yards per rushing attempt.
Pressure on the QB
TSU's defense was hampered by injuries last week. Six starters went down during the game and the unit was unable to finish as strongly as it started. George said each of the injured players will play Saturday.
Eastern Washington quarterback Gunner Talkington, in his first start, picked TSU's hobbled defense apart, throwing for 348 yards and five touchdowns.
TSU sacked Talkington only once. The secondary struggled and must play better for the Tigers to have chance this week.
The front seven must also improve. If TSU doesn't put more pressure on Sanders than it put on Talkington, it will be a long night for TSU.
Series ending?
Sanders has made it clear he doesn't want JSU playing in classics, and that includes this game. He said his program could play more home games and not have to share the gate profit with a promoter and the opponent.
This will be the 29th time JSU and TSU have played in the Southern Heritage Classic, and if Sanders gets his wish it will be the last.
George and TSU athletics director Mikki Allen haven't said anything about TSU pulling out of the Southern Heritage Classic contract, which runs through 2024, so the Tigers are expected to face a new opponent in 2023.
George said he is also open to playing JSU in the future in a home-and-home series.
Score prediction
Jackson State 31, TSU 24: Like last season, TSU will manage to keep it close into the second half, especially with the improvement the offense has made. The TSU secondary, however, will wear down and not be able to keep Shedeur Sanders in check late.
Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on Twitter @MikeOrganWriter.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee State vs. Jackson State's Deion Sanders: Score prediction
