Tiger Football Set To Host Alcorn State Saturday, Looking For 5th Straight Win

• Texas Southern returns to action on Saturday as they'll host Alcorn State at 2 p.m. at Shell Energy Stadium.

• Saturday's contest will feature live audio on KTSU 90.9 FM and will be shown live on HBCUGO.

• TSU has not played at Shell Energy Stadium since Sept. 13.

• TSU will face Alcorn State for the fifth time since 2018 as the SWAC rotation moved ASU off TSU's schedule in 2019. Formerly of the SWAC East, ASU is now in the SWAC West as of 2021 and faces TSU on a yearly basis.

• A win over Alcorn State this Saturday would give TSU its first, five-game winning streak since 2000. TSU last won four consecutive games in 2014.

• TSU continues its momentum towards clinching a winning season for the first time since 2000. TSU needs two more wins to do so. TSU is currently in second place in the SWAC West.

• Alcorn State is coming off its first SWAC win of the year last weekend against Mississippi Valley State. The Braves have the fourth-best rushing defense in the SWAC (148.0) and the fourth-best rusher in Jacorian Sewell (87.5 ypg). Since 2022, the series is even at 2-2 but ASU holds a 10-3 mark since 2011.

• The kick return game has been a bright spot for TSU as they rank first in the SWAC with 30.7 yards per return. Kerien Charlo leads the SWAC with 28.8 yards per return while Trent Leary and Chaunzavia Lewis have also performed well as of late.

• TSU has three players (Isaiah Bogerty, Charles George and Matthew Cooks) rank amongst the top 10 in the SWAC in tackles per game. Bogerty leads the league with 53 (8.8) total followed by George with 50 (7.1) and Cooks with 46 (6.6).

• TSU had three players earn preseason All-SWAC Second Team honors in Trent Leary (WR), Damarcus Thompson (DE) and Jeremy Ramirez (P).

• Running back Athean Renfro has rushed for 380 yards (126.6 yards) over the past three games on 62 carries. He ranks third in the SWAC in rushing (89.6 ypg). Renfro started as a longsnapper at TSU before asserting himself into the running back rotation last year en route to a breakout season. 

• After several years of offseason changes to the coaching staff, the Tigers finally had stability this offseason with no changes.

• TSU was picked to finish fourth in the SWAC during the annual SWAC Preseason Poll. TSU returns four offensive starters and two on defense.

• Injuries took a major toll for TSU last year as several key players return after season-ending injuries suffered during the Labor Day Classic in linebacker Jacob Williams and quarterback KJ Cooper. Two years ago, Williams was TSU's first 100-plus tackler since 2004 while Cooper led TSU to a Labor Day Classic win in 2024.

• Cris Dishman is the 18th head coach in the history of Texas Southern Football. Dishman inherits a tough task as the program has only had 28 winning seasons in 78 years of existence and hasn't recorded a winning season since 2000.