Seven TSU Tigers Named To All-OVC Football Teams

Seven members of the Tennessee State football team earned All-OVC honors as the Tigers finished their season on Nov. 19 with a win against Texas A&M-Commerce.

Of the seven Tigers selected, two players–senior defensive tackle Terray Jones and transfer defensive end Terrell Allen–landed on the All-OVC First Team Defense. Senior wide receiver JJ Holloman was selected to the Second Team Offense, while Jahsun Bryant (ILB), K’Vaughan Pope (OLB), and first-year Tiger Bryce Phillips (CB) landed on Second Team Defense. Kaleb Mosley rounds out the Tiger All-OVC performers as he was named Second Team Specialist as a kicker.

First-year linebacker Pope and juco transfer Phillips were also named to the All-Newcomers team.

Jones wreaked havoc on offensive linemen all season long alongside teammate Allen. Jones finished with a career-high 37 tackles on the season (12 solo, 25 assists). He tallied four sacks, 6.5 tackles for loss, forced one fumble, and had three quarterback hurries. Jones finished with a season-high eight tackles against Murray State, while he recorded seven tackles, 2.0 for loss, and one sack against Lane College.

Transfer defensive end Allen made a big impact from his defensive end position in his first year as a Tiger. He finds himself on the All-OVC First Team Defense after earning second-team honors last season at Austin Peay. Allen finished the year with 36 tackles (20 solo, 16 assists), while leading the team in tackles for loss (12.0), and finishing tied-in sacks with 4.5. He also swatted down two passes and had seven quarterback hurries. Allen dominated UTM’s offensive line, collecting nine tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and one sack. He finished with 3.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks against EIU.

First-year wide receiver Holloman lands on the Second Team Offense after leading TSU in receptions (33) and yards (353). The senior from Georgia had one receiving touchdown. Holloman’s best performance came against Murray State as he hauled in nine passes for 94 yards.

Senior linebacker Bryant closes his TSU career with Second Team Defensive honors after leading the Tigers in tackles. Playing and starting in all 11 games, the Nashville native racked up a career-high 88 tackles (39 solo, 41 assists) in his final season. He finished with 5.0 tackles, for loss, two interceptions, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.

Ohio State transfer and first-year OLB Pope finds himself on the Second Team Defense with fellow teammate LB Bryant. Pope finished tied for second on the team in tackles with 62 (29 solo, 33 assists). He tallied four sacks, .5 tackles for loss, four pass breakups, two quarterback hurries, and one forced fumble.

Playing in all 11 games in his first year as a Tiger after transferring in from Santa Ana College, cornerback Phillips rounds out TSU’s All-OVC Second Team Defense selections. The California native led the team in pass breakups with 10, while collecting 35 tackles (27 solo, eight assists).

In his first season handling both punting and kicking duties, Mosley made a smooth transition in taking over for former All-OVC kicker Antonio Zita. He earns Second Team Specialist as a kicker. Mosley finished the year 15-of-21 on field goal attempts, while also knocking through 18 extra point attempts. Mosley had a long of 51 against Lane and had a 47-yarder against TAMUC in the season finale. He finished 3-of-3 against EIU and TAMUC.

Tennessee Vs. Vanderbilt Matchup Sold Out As Commodores Look For Bowl Eligibility

Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

Vanderbilt football’s final game of the 2022 regular season against rival No. 9 Tennessee at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville is sold out.

The Commodores (5-6) will host the Volunteers for the 117th meeting between the rivals on Saturday (Nov. 26) at 6:30 p.m. on SEC Network.

Vandy is coming off of two historic SEC wins against Kentucky and Florida–their first multi-conference win season since 2018. A win for Clark Lea‘s Commodores will make the team bowl eligible for the first time in four years.

As previously announced, tailgate parking lots are also sold out. The university is encouraging ride sharing for fans who have not already purchased parking.

Fans looking to purchase tickets should visit StubHub, the official secondary marketplace of Vanderbilt Athletics.

Game Day Reminders

  • FirstBank Stadium observes a clear bag policy.
  • Vandyville will run from 4:30-6:30 p.m. feature live music, food, kids zone and more.
  • Concessions will be adding multiple points-of-sale in anticipation of the sell-out crowd.

TSU’s Darius Harper Jr., Kaleb Mosley Earn OVC Player Of The Week Honors

Tennessee State University (TSU) football’s Darius Harper Jr. and Kaleb Mosley both took home Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week awards after their performances in the season finale win over Texas A&M-Commerce (TAMUC).

Harper earned Defensive Player of the Week, while Mosley earned his third Specialist of the Week honor.

Harper, a Nashville native played his final game as a Tiger against TAMUC and saved, arguably, his best performance for last. The senior finished with a career-high five tackles and two interceptions, one of which he returned for a TD, a 20-yard fumble recovery, and a pass breakup.

Harper intercepted a pass on the first play from scrimmage and returned it 44 yards for a score, while his second went for a return of 28 yards. His biggest play of the game came on the final play of the contest as he broke up a would-be game-tying touchdown pass from TAMUC.

Mosley had a bounce-back performance to earn his third Player of the Week award as he was also playing in his final game as a Tiger. Mosley was a perfect 3-of-3 on field goal attempts (47, 36, 25) and had an extra point to finish with 10 points. The dual-threat specialist had a nice day punting the ball, with nine punts for 350 yards. He had a long of 55 and averaged 38.9 yards per punt, with one landing inside the 20-yard line.

TSU finishes their season with a 4-7 record. The Tigers took home five OVC Player of the Week awards during the season.

Vanderbilt’s Wesley Schelling Named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week

Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

Vanderbilt long snapper Wesley Schelling is the latest Commodore to receive a conference honor as he’s been named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week.

The Nashville native recovered a fumble for a touchdown in Vandy’s win over Florida, while also executing all nine long snaps.

Schelling became just the fifth FBS long snapper since 2003 to record a touchdown. His recovery on a muffed punt gave the Commodores their fourth non-offensive touchdown of the season.

The product of Pearl-Cohn’s football program has executed on all 90 long snaps this season and all 205 in his career. He was fourth team Preseason All-SEC according to Phil Steele entering 2022 and is a three-time Academic All-SEC Selection.

Schelling becomes the fourth Vandy player to take home a conference player of the week honor this season, joining Mike Wright (Nov. 14, Offensive), AJ Swann (Sept. 19, Freshman) and Jayden McGowan (Sept. 5, Freshman). It’s the most weekly awards in one season for Vandy since 2018.

The Commodores (5-6) will look to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2018 as they will finish the 2022 regular season on Saturday when No. 9 Tennessee visits FirstBank Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m.

Titans & Mayor’s Office To Donate $15 Million To Metro Nashville Public Schools Football Programs

Photo: Courtesy of Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans, Nashville mayor John Cooper and The Foundation for Athletics in Nashville Schools, Inc. (The Fans Inc) are dedicating an endowment of $15 million to athletic programming at Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS).

Each of the 15 district-run high schools will receive nearly $1 million towards the building of a new athletic field or otherwise improving athletic facilities based on each school’s specific needs.

“Today’s announcement means that by the time the Titans have a new home field for game day, every public high school in Nashville will have a home field advantage too,” says Cooper. “High school sports bring neighborhoods together. In my first three years as Mayor, we’ve made the biggest investment in our classrooms in the history of our city. As I travel around Nashville, I see how important it is that we invest in every part of our kids’ lives, including sports. Our students are making strides in test scores and excelling academically, and their teams are going to the playoffs and winning championships. It’s time we meet them halfway by giving them the high-quality facilities they deserve.”

Mayor Cooper is proposing that one-third of the funding will come from Metro via forthcoming capital spending plans, in addition to the third donated from the Tennessee Titans via a $5 million grant over 5 years to MNPS athletics through The Fans Inc. The remaining third is set to be raised from private donors by The Fans Inc.’s fundraising campaign. The Titans contribution is part of their larger ONE community benefits platform with 16 local and regional organizations.

“We are deeply committed to educating well-rounded students and investing in their success inside and outside the classroom,” notes Dr. Adrienne Battle, MNPS Director. “Our young athletes and incredible staff make the School Board and all of MNPS proud every day, and they deserve facilities that match their outstanding effort and commitment. I’m grateful to Mayor Cooper, the Titans and our private partners for making this dream a reality, and hope this exciting announcement will help inspire the next generation of MNPS athletes.”

“Nashville welcomed the Titans with open arms nearly twenty-five years ago, and since then the team and its vast network of former players, coaches and fans have become an integral part of this city’s cultural fabric,” says Eddie George, Head Football Coach at Tennessee State University and former Titans legend. “It’s about way more than just football–it’s about making Nashville the kind of city where we want to raise our families and where everyone can thrive. Today’s announcement is just the latest example of how the Tennessee Titans organization cares deeply about the Nashville community and its future.”

The Titans also announced the details of its community partner agreement with MNPS as part of its recently announced ONE Community platform. The partnership features support for both MNPS academics and athletics through programmatic and financial commitments. The partnership focuses support on four key areas: the Academies of Nashville, MNPS athletics, literacy initiatives and promotional opportunities on the Titans’ owned platforms.

As part of the agreement, the Titans will become a partner of the Academies of Nashville, a transformational high school model that provides students with college and career prep experiences. The Titans will join an existing Academy or create a new program allowing students to gain career experience at Nissan Stadium, and will also offer opportunities to its corporate partners to get engaged in the program.

“The students attending our Metro Nashville Public Schools are tomorrow’s leaders, and it is clear to us that Dr. Battle and her team are preparing them for a bright future,” explains Adolpho Birch, Titans Sr. Vice President of Business Affairs and Chief Legal Officer. “We are excited to strengthen our long-standing relationship with MNPS and look forward to supporting its efforts through ONE Community.”

Other elements of the agreement include:

  • Support of literacy programs such as the Regional Scripps Spelling Bee, reading opportunities for students with Titans players and staff, book drives and donations, and other initiatives that promote reading and literacy skills among MNPS students.
  • Promotion of MNPS educators, students and programming through sponsorship of the Celebration of Schools and Students, opportunities for complimentary game tickets, game day spotlights, and attendance perks for students with exemplary attendance records

Vanderbilt Football Wins First SEC Matchup After 26-Game Losing Streak

Mike Wright. Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

For the first time in three years, the Vanderbilt Commodores have won a game against an SEC rival with a 24-21 win over No. 24 Kentucky on Saturday (Nov. 12).

After staring off 3-1 this season, Vandy has lost five consecutive SEC games, including a close 17-14 loss to Missouri. However, this win over a ranked Kentucky team showed the resilience that head coach Clark Lea‘s team has.

Lea’s first season with the team was a forgettable one, with only two winning games the entire season. He has now doubled that and added a conference win to his growing resume.

Clark Lea. Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

“There were opportunities for them to make assumptions about the outcome. We got behind late, but they just kept fighting. I think when you stay in the fight and you believe, good things happen. They were able to make it happen in the end,” an emotional Lea said in a postgame interview with SEC Network.

Senior quarterback Mike Wright had a great performance against the Wild Cats going 12 of 23 in passing for 184 yards with an interception,. He also ran for 126 yards, scoring a rushing and a passing touchdown.

The Commodores were down 21-17 with nearly five minutes left in the game when Wright led Vandy down the field to win the game. He completed a 40-yard pass to Quincy Skinner Jr. on fourth-and-11 to the Kentucky 9 yard line, setting up the winning score.

His performance against Kentucky won him a SEC Offensive Player of the Week honor.

“There’s going to be a lot to clean up but we like to learn from wins and I’m proud of Mike,” Lea added. “Mike’s had a tough year personally, but he’s fought through that, stayed with his teammates and prepared every week. He’s made some big plays for us this season, and he came up with a big one there at the end to connect with Will Sheppard. I thought he really did some nice things to keep us in the game early.” He continued, “I’m proud of all the guys. They earned that. It’s been a long run, and they earned it.”

The Commodores have just two games left this season staring with its matchup against Florida on Saturday, Nov. 19, followed by No.5 Tennessee on No. 26. Both games will be at FirstBank Stadium.

Nashville Voices: Tennessee Titans’ Mike Keith

It is hard to become synonymous with a team as a broadcaster. Similarly, it can be hard for many play-by-play announcers to build a career in just one place with one team, but the select few who can become legends–synonymous with the team.

It is impossible to think about the Tennessee Titans and their history without the brilliance of Mike Keith.

Keith’s calls each week have become must-listen, even when you’re watching the game on TV. Not many people know the team and its history as well as he does.

Since the Houston Oiler made the move to Tennessee, he’s been there seeing the franchise grow in good times and in bad.

“I was very driven to get an opportunity with the team,” Keith shares with The Sports Credential. “I didn’t know play-by-play would be [my in] but it just sort of fell that way. It’s really kind of remarkable.”

His voice is unmistakable, from his classic lines like ‘Saaaaaaaack!’ to his blood rushing ‘Touchdown Titans!’ But how did the man behind the Music City Miracle call become the broadcaster we all know and love?

Mike Kieth at the 2022 Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Photo: Courtesy of the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.

Keith had his awakening at a young age when his family took him to see a University of Tennessee football game in October of 1974. At the same time, his second grade class was doing mock news broadcasts where he and his classmates could pretend to be reporters and TV anchors. This was around the time Keith began listening to the legendary Hall of Fame broadcaster John Ward call Volunteer football games regularly.  Those things coming together sparked something, beginning a lifelong love affair with sports and broadcasting.

“Since all of that hit at the same time, I knew in second grade what I wanted to do,” Keith puts simply.

In high school, Keith was already getting his feet wet in the broadcasting realm. As he explains, people that went to school with him aren’t surprised to know what he’s doing for a living.

It’s hard to figure out what you want to do for the rest of your life and it can be very intimating, but for Keith it was crystal clear.

“I was the lucky one who knew exactly what they wanted to very early on,” he shares. “When I went to the University of Tennessee, I was pretty singularly focused on being in broadcasting.”

Despite his love for football and being the Titans guy we now know him for, some of Keith’s first gigs were in baseball. He loved the sport and played it growing up. He did minor league baseball play-by-play when he was 19, and was the voice of Tennessee baseball for almost 10 years.

“I did a ton of high school football and junior varsity football at Tennessee when they had the occasional game. I certainly worked football when working for John Ward.” He continues, “I was around it, but I wouldn’t say I had a predisposition towards one sport over another. If I had to bet, I would’ve probably thought I’d become a basketball announcer.”

Keith did Lady Vols basketball for several years, filling in for Tennessee legend Bob Kesling. He thought this was going to be where he planted his feet in the early years of his career, but everything changed when WIVK, the Knoxville radio station he was working for, got the broadcasting rights for Oilers games after the franchise first moved to Tennessee.

“I sent the president of the company a letter saying, ‘I’m from Nashville and I love the NFL. I would love to be involved in that somehow some way,'” Keith recalls. “I never thought John Ward would quit at Tennessee and I thought Bob Kesling would get the job when Ward did retire. I was really looking for another opportunity and it came when the Oilers moved to Tennessee.”

When the Oilers came to town, they were winning a lot with a 29-8 record in their first two seasons in the Volunteer state. The newly named Titans went to the Super Bowl in just its third season of being in Tennessee, and Keith attributes this early success to the team’s longevity, as well as his.

“When you win, people give you the benefit of the doubt in a lot of different ways,” Keith explains. “The problem in the NFL is eventually you’re going to lose. Through those times where we won, particularly in the first five years, people got used to what we did. It gave us a chance to grow and there was a really positive sense because we were associated with Steve McNair, Eddie George and Jeff Fischer. That was just so lucky.

“I couldn’t have been more blessed. I don’t know if I’ve ever known a broadcaster who got more breaks than I did starting this thing off.”

In that early stretch, the Titans pulled off the Wild Card win against the Buffalo Bills at Nissan Stadium in 2000, which went on to be known as the Music City Miracle.

Arguably the greatest moment in Titans history, the Music City Miracle can also be placed pretty high in Tennessee sports history. Keith’s call has become part of NFL and broadcasting history, with most fans able to recite it word-for-word.

It was moments such as this that made Keith such an enormous part of the Titans identity.

However, Keith’s favorite game he’s called has been the Titans’ 2019 playoff win against the New England Patriots, marking the last game of the Tom Brady and Bill Belichick era. The historical implications, as well as seeing the reaction from the fans, are why this tops Keith’s list.

“To be there that night, have our team do that and know we did it [was indescribable0,” Keith remembers. “[Gillet Stadium] was the same place that just 10 years earlier we had lost 59-0. There was a lot of satisfaction that night, and I’ll never forget seeing the Titans fans and how excited they were. The moments that we’ve had where I’ve gotten to see that reaction from our fanbase are the things that stick out.”

In July of 2022, Keith was recognized for his brilliance with an induction into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.

Looking back at his career thus far, it’s hard to not think about his experiences at the University of Tennessee and his work with John Ward, which he notes has made him into the man he is.

“He meant a lot to me, both personally and professionally, in the business. I worked with him for 11 years,” Keith notes. “He broke me down when I was in college because I thought I was better than I was. As I got older, he built me back up and showed me a lot respect and confidence. I learned a lot about his professionalism and preparation, and I followed him to learn how it should be done. His approach was to tell a story of a game, and the story of the game is about players, coaches, teams, schools and the places where you are.

“There are all these things that John would craft into this story, and that’s what it comes down to. You hear a lot of people in various types of media say, ‘I just want to tell stories,'” he continues. “I get it, but the older folks in the business really told stories and brought you there. John wanted to make you feel like you were sitting right there and he was so good at that.”

Mike Keith being inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. Photo: Courtesy of the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.

Since Ward’s work was primarily in radio, he learned to make the experience so much more vivid to the fan who couldn’t watch the game. Keith has carried on that brilliance as one of the best radio announcers in the country.

“When we’re doing what we do, the game is on TV,” Keith says. “If you’re sitting there watching the game on TV, I’m very appreciative if you’re also listening to our broadcast but I’m not assuming that you are. My mindset is to think about the people who are listening because they can’t watch it. I want to take what John taught me about how you make people see it even when they cant see it and tell that story. That’s what he was really brilliant at and that’s what I strive towards.”

Through it all, the things that touch Keith the most are seeing the reaction and passion from the Titans fans week in and week out. As a Franklin native and obvious football fan, there is nothing more satisfying that seeing fans go nuts after a crazy play or a game-winning field goal.

“Seeing the fans after the Music City Miracle play or seeing our fans after we won a playoff game is just the best,” he notes. “I didn’t have a team growing up in Franklin to support locally, and everyone followed national teams. Knowing that people have grown up with this franchise, had these fabulous moments, and knowing that we’ve been a small part as the soundtrack of them… it’s other worldly in terms of the appreciation that I have for that.

“I don’t ever get tired of doing this because I feel so fortunate that this has happened. I could’ve never seen it coming, especially growing up here.”

With so much change over the past two decades in Nashville and with the Titans, and with even more change surely on the way, Keith has been a constant for so many fans and Nashvillians.

With no sign of slowing down, Keith will continue to be the voice of the Titans and one of their proudest employees until he can’t anymore.

“I’d like to do this for another 50 years. I’d like to do it going into my 80’s,” Keith says with a grin. “As long as they’ll have me, I’d like to stay.”

Vanderbilt Assistant Football Coach Takes ‘Step Back’ After Pro-Kanye West Tweet

Vanderbilt defensive back football coach Dan Jackson has announced he’s taking a “step back” from the team after backlash regarding a pro-Kanye West tweet earlier this week.

West has been under fire this past month and has lost major sponsors over antisemitic comments made on social media and in interviews. His comments led the the suspension of both his Twitter and Instagram.

Jackson posted support on social media for West, stating that he is “two steps ahead of everyone else.” He has since deleted the post and issued an apology where he says, “To be clear, antisemitism has no place in our society, and I reject all forms of hate.”

Athletic Director Candice Storey Lee made a statement regarding Jackson’s post and said that there will be an internal review regarding the situation.

The statement reads:

“There have been several questions and concerns expressed about a recent comment made by our defensive backs coach, Dan Jackson, on social media. As a department we understand and hear very clearly how this situation has impacted members of our community and those outside of Vanderbilt. Our internal review of the matter began immediately over the weekend, and I now want to provide an update.

“To be clear, Vanderbilt rejects antisemitism, racism and discrimination in all its forms. Consistent with Vanderbilt’s process for addressing reports of discrimination, the matter has now been referred to our Equal Opportunity and Access office for review. It is important the university follow its standard process and conduct a thorough review of the complexities of this incident. Coach Jackson and I have agreed that he will step back from his responsibilities with the team during the Equal Opportunity and Access office’s review.”

Head coach Clark Lea also made a statement regarding Jackson, saying, “It is important the university follow its standard process and conduct a thorough review of the complexities of this incident.”