| 1965 Tennessee A&I Tigers football | |
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Black college national champion | |
Grantland Rice Bowl, T 14–14 vs. Ball State | |
| Conference | Midwest Athletic Association |
| Record | 9–0–1 (3–0 MAA) |
| Head coach |
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| Home stadium | Hale Stadium |
Seasons
← 1964
1966 →
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Conf | Overall | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No.1Tennessee A&I $ | 3 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 0 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lincoln (MO) | 2 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Central State (OH) | 1 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kentucky State | 0 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1965 Tennessee A&I Tigers football team represented Tennessee Agricultural & Industrial State College as a member of the Midwest Athletic Association (MAA) during the 1965 NCAA College Division football season. In their third season under head coach John Merritt, the Tigers compiled a 9–0–1 record, won the MAA championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 333 to 108. The team was also recognized as the 1965 black college national champion and was ranked No. 5 in the final small college football rankings issued by the Associated Press and No. 12 in the final poll issued by the United Press International.
On December 11, Tennessee A&I played in the 1965 Grantland Rice Bowl against Ball State. It the first college football game in Tennessee between an all-black team and a predominantly white team.[2]
Key players included quarterback Eldridge Dickey, fullback Bill Tucker, halfback Noland Smith, wide receiver Willie Walker, split end Johnnie Robinson, middle guard/tackle James Carter, defensive lineman Franklin McRae, and defensive backs Alvin Coleman and Leon Moore. Coach Merritt described Carter as "the best lineman I've ever coached."[3]
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance | Source | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 25 | North Carolina A&T* |
| W 42–12 | [4] | ||||
| October 2 | atTexas Southern* |
| W 32–7 | 10,000 | [5] | |||
| October 9 | Grambling* |
| W 40–7 | 8,000–24,000 | [6][7][8] | |||
| October 23 | Florida A&M* |
| W 45–6 | 16,500 | [9] | |||
| October 30 | atSouthern* | No. 9 |
| W 40–36 | 18,000 | [10] | ||
| November 6 | atMorris Brown* | No. 6 |
| W 24–0 | [11] | |||
| November 13 | vs. Lincoln (MO) | No. 7 |
| W 31–6 | 5,600 | [12] | ||
| November 20 | atKentucky State | No. 7 |
| W 19–8 | 3,500 | [13] | ||
| November 25 | Central State (OH) | No. 5 |
| W 46–12 | 9,000 | [3] | ||
| December 11 | vs. Ball State* | No. 5 |
| T 14–14 | 12,000 | [2] | ||
Homecoming | ||||||||
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| Bowls & rivalries |
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| Culture & lore |
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| People |
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National championship seasons in bold | |
