How turnovers, lack of run game are causing TSU football to blow big leads in OVC games

There is no denying Tennessee State football is a one-dimensional team. It can throw the ball but struggle to run it.

In the Oct. 10 game against UT Martin (2-4, 1-0), even the passing game broke down, and the Tigers suffered their 10th consecutive Ohio Valley Conference loss, falling 42-28 before 670 fans at Nissan Stadium.

Quarterback Daylin Lee, who helped the Tigers take a 21-7 first-half lead and threw a total of four touchdowns — including a program-record 99-yarder to Cam Bulluck — but also threw three interceptions.

The Tigers (1-5, 0-2) dropped a similar game on Oct. 3 when Western Illinois rallied from a 21-10 fourth-quarter deficit to claim a 28-21 win.

TSU quarterback Daylin Lee's struggles linked to injuries

Second-year TSU coach Reggie Barlow revealed after the game that Lee, a transfer from Winston-Salem State, has been dealing with injuries, including a sore shoulder, the past several weeks, which likely hampered his performances.

"We think the world of Daylin. He's been banged-up over the last few weeks and had some shoulder injuries and stuff going on with him," Barlow said. "But he's a trooper. He's a solid player. He gets us in the right plays."

TSU BLOWS ANOTHER BIG LEAD: How Tennessee State football blew another big lead in OVC game vs UT Martin

Lee finished 20-for-39 for 376 yards. He also fumbled, resulting in a 97-yard scoop-and-score by Farand Washington, the longest in UT Martin history.

After a stellar first half, most of Lee's troubles came late.

With TSU driving for what could have been a game-tying TD early in the fourth quarter and facing a fourth-and-9 at the Skyhawks' 33, Lee's pass across the middle was batted down by linebacker Porter Reynolds.

Lee rebounded and threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Bulluck to trim UT Martin's lead to 35-28 with 8:12 left. But with 2:02 remaining, Lee was intercepted by safety Joel Castleberry, who returned it 18 yards for a touchdown.

"I know (Lee) would love to have those throws back," Barlow said. "One of them, he couldn't really step into it, the one that he threw over the middle. That one kind of hung up on him."

Why Tennessee State can't run the football

TSU rushed 21 times for just 15 yards. And that was after getting starting running back Zach Simmons-Brown back, who had been sidelined for two weeks with a knee injury.

The Tigers have rushed for only 100 yards in one game this season (131 vs. Florida A&M).

"We wanted to be better in the running game," Barlow said. "You can't just throw it. The opponent gets the chance to pin their ears back and come after you. But we just sputtered in the running game. Not having success in the running back kind of put us in some bad situations on third down."

Barlow said the offense has experimented with the line that has caused some of the issues in the run game.

"Our O-line has been a work in progress," he said. "We moved some guys around just to make it to what we need it to be. But our running game was still just nonexistent."

Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on X @MikeOrganWriter.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: How turnovers, lack of run game are causing TSU football to blow big leads in OVC games