1997 Tennessee State Tigers football team

1997 Tennessee State Tigers football
Conference	Ohio Valley Conference
Record	4–7 (4–3 OVC)
Head coach	L. C. Cole (2nd season)
Home stadium	Hale Stadium

1997 Ohio Valley Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 19 Eastern Kentucky $^		7	–	0					8	–	4
No. 16 Eastern Illinois		5	–	2					8	–	3
Murray State		5	–	2					7	–	4
Tennessee Tech		4	–	3					6	–	5
Tennessee State		4	–	3					4	–	7
Middle Tennessee		2	–	5					4	–	6
Southeast Missouri State		1	–	6					4	–	7
Tennessee–Martin		0	–	7					1	–	10
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from The Sports Network poll

The 1997 Tennessee State Tigers football team represented Tennessee State University as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) during the 1997 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by second-year head coach L. C. Cole, the Tigers compiled an overall record of 4–7, with a conference record of 4–3, and finished tied for fourth in the OVC.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
August 30	at Florida A&M*	Bragg Memorial Stadium Tallahassee, FL	L 28–43	18,631	[1]
September 6	Middle Tennessee	Hale Stadium Nashville, TN	W 25–16	14,983	[2]
September 13	vs. No. 12 Jackson State*	Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN (Southern Heritage Classic)	L 28–31	61,171	[3]
September 27	vs. South Carolina State*	Georgia Dome Atlanta, GA (Atlanta Football Classic)	L 28–34	41,292	[4]
October 4	vs. North Carolina A&T*	RCA Dome Indianapolis, IN (Circle City Classic)	L 37–49	59,011	[5]
October 11	Eastern Kentucky	Hale Stadium Nashville, TN	L 7–49	6,124	[6]
October 18	at Chattanooga*	Finley Stadium Chattanooga, TN	L 7–28	22,646	[7]
October 25	at Tennessee–Martin	Pacer Stadium Martin, TN	W 27–20	5,021	[8]
November 8	Tennessee Tech	Hale Stadium Nashville, TN	W 28–21	17,255	[9]
November 15	Murray State	Hale Stadium Nashville, TN	L 7–13	1,728	[10]
November 22	at Southeast Missouri State	Houck Stadium Cape Girardeau, MO	W 32–27		[11]
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from The Sports Network Poll released prior to the game

References

1. "Rattlers rally behind Sampson in opener". Tallahassee Democrat. August 31, 1997. Retrieved March 2, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
2. "MTSU loses again at 'The Hole'". The Daily News-Journal. September 7, 1997. Retrieved March 2, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "JSU takes Classic win from TSU". The Commercial Appeal. September 14, 1997. Retrieved March 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "S.C. State's Derricott steals the show". The Atlanta Constitution. September 28, 1997. Retrieved March 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "N.C. A&T wins Circle City Classic". The Indianapolis Star. October 5, 1997. Retrieved March 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "EKU cruises to 49–7 win behind Logan's 3 TDs". Lexington Herald-Leader. October 12, 1997. Retrieved March 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Losing season skid reaches seven for TSU". The Tennessean. October 19, 1997. Retrieved March 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "TSU trips UT Martin, 27–20". The Jackson Sun. October 26, 1995. Retrieved March 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Butterfield TD lifts TSU". The Tennessean. November 9, 1997. Retrieved March 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Downs helps Murray upend Tennessee St. 13–7". The Courier-Journal. November 16, 1997. Retrieved March 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Butterfield sets mark in TSU win". The Tennessean. November 23, 1997. Retrieved March 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.