HBCU FOOTBALL BACK IN OHIO!!!

~Canton, Ohio~

Before we go any further let me be clear. I LOVE HBCU FOOTBALL!

Now that that's out the way... Eddie George returned home Sunday, well... sort of. Coach George returned to Canton with the new look Tennessee State Tigers at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium Sunday to take on the Grambling State Tigers in the HBCU Football Hall of Fame Classic in what was dubbed as the "Battle of the Tigers".

With 14,682 fans in attendance, the bands all set in their sections playing and members of the HBCU Football Hall of Fame in attendance before the game. The atmosphere was set for what was a beautiful day of football! In the first Quarter, Tennessee State would strike first with a 39-yard field goal to give them a 3-0 lead with 5:00 lest to go in the quarter. Grambling State would respond when quarterback Elijah Walker hit Jaye Patrick for a 18-yard touchdown pass, followed by the point after that gave GSU a 7-3 lead. Both teams would stalemate, keeping the score at 7-3 going into halftime.

For those reading and wondering, YES! Halftime was also game time as both tiger bands put on a show for the ages. If you have never seen the bands of both Tennessee and Grambling state, I strongly urge you to attend at least one HBCU football game.

In the third quarter, TSU would take the lead when Devon Starling would hit pay dirt on a 3-yard scamper to end zone and give TSU a 10-7 lead. Not to be out done, Grambling would take back the lead when Elijah Walker would score on a 4-yard touchdown run. Grambling would miss the extra point, but still clung to a 13-10 lead going into the fourth quarter.

By this point, both defenses had tightened up, but not before Grambling kicker Garrett Urban would kick a 24-yard field goal to give Grambling a 16-10 lead. TSU would have a chance to get in scoring position to take the lead and possibly win the game but Grambling's defense made sure every chance was marred. This win for Grambling also was a sort of sweet revenge as former GSU quarterback Geremy Hickbottom would get in the game for a few snaps in a Tennessee state uniform. Penalties also didn't help Tennessee State as they racked up a whopping 18 penalties for 150 yards, but I'm sure that will be corrected.

After the game we spoke with coach George about his thoughts on his first experience as head coach.

" This was an AWESOME experience. Not only for myself, but for our kids. To walk through the Pro Football Hall of Fame and also see the Black College Football Hall of Fame and see the joy in their eyes and to see their heroes of the past was truly a memorable experience. I had to pinch myself a couple of times at the fact I'm coaching against Grambling State."

When asked about the game itself and the dual quarterback system, Coach George had this to say.

"I couldn't be more proud of our boys. We overcame a lot in the past few weeks. They were resilient. A lot of the things we saw are correctable and we will continue to work on those mistakes and become a better team. Our boys gave us all they had and I couldn't be more proud. As far as the dual quarterback system is concerned we will have a true quarterback. It just depends on who becomes a leader and takes hold of that position and understands what we are trying to do, be efficient with each play and know the calls. I am going to find a quarterback to run this offense. We have playmakers across the board, but we cant do anything if we can't get them the ball."

We also spoke with Grambling head coach Broderick Fobbs on his thoughts on the game.

" It was good to get a victory, the ugly victories are always good victories too. Any time you're putting in a new offense with a lot of new offensive players sometimes you can come out the gate a little shaky. I was very very pleased with our boys. We hung together and stuck together. We continued to fight to get the victory and I was excited about that. Our defense played stellar tonight. We did a great job of stopping the run and forcing them to throw the football and making their quarterback uncomfortable in the pocket which really helped us to win this football game."

Both teams will heal up and get ready for the this weekend. Grambling State will travel to Mississippi to visit the Southern Miss Golden Eagles while Coach George and Tennessee State will head to Memphis to take on Coach "Prime" and Jackson State in the Southern Heritage Classic this Saturday.

For me, this was one experience I will Never Forget. To see one of the most storied HBCU football programs up close and personal is something I will always remember. We here at the 216 Sports Network would like to thank Mr. Rich Desrosiers, Ms. Rachel Gutting, Commissioner David Baker, Mr. Akil Blount and the rest of the Pro Football Hall of Fame staff for making this an awesome weekend and we hope they will continue to keep the classic here in Ohio.

HBCU FOOTBALL IS BACK ON THE RISE!!!