Will Da'Shon Davis' return give Tennessee State football boost in finale vs Tennessee Tech?
Tennessee State football needs a boost to finish the regular season on an uptick and that may come from the Tigers' passing game, which is back at full strength with the return of wide receiver Da'Shon Davis.
The Tigers (6-4, 2-3 Big South/Ohio Valley Conference) face Tennessee Tech (3-7, 1-4) at Nissan Stadium Saturday (2 p.m., ESPN+).
Davis, a senior from Quincy, Florida, had the best came of his career and the best of any TSU receiver this season against Lindenwood on Oct. 28. He had five catches for 200 yards and a touchdown in the 48-20 victory.
Davis, however, suffered a bruised bone in his foot late in that game and missed the next two, which TSU lost at Charleston Southern and Eastern Illinois.
He returned to practice this week and will play Saturday.
"I feel great; I'm ready to go," said Davis, who hopes to have the same type of practice this week that he had leading up to the Lindenwood game. "It started for me that week at Tuesday practice. We were executing all the plays and doing what the coaches were telling us to do the right way. That carried over the next few days in practice and then I just broke through that game."
Davis' first practice back this week was similar. It ended with him catching a 30-yard touchdown pass in the left corner of the end zone on the final play.
"Anytime we can get a guy like (Davis) back it's huge," coach Eddie George said. "He's made great strides this year as a receiver especially with that big game he had two weeks ago. We couldn't really build on that energy the following two weeks with him out. It really hurt our offense with its big playmaking ability."
Along with the Lindenwood game Davis was TSU's leading receiver against Notre Dame, Gardner-Webb and Kennesaw State. He leads the Tigers in receiving yards with 371 on eight catches and has two touchdowns. His 28.5 average yards per catch leads the conference.
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Davis' 90-yard touchdown reception against Lindenwood was the longest of the season for TSU.
With Davis out of the lineup TSU's longest pass play against Charleston Southern was for 22 yards and against EIU was 23.
"I'm a smooth route runner," Davis said. "I've got great hands. Those are my strengths as a receiver."
Davis had 19 catches for 210 yards in 2022. He had a 51-yard reception against Tennessee Tech in TSU's 30-14 win in Cookeville.
George expects his two quarterbacks − Deveon Bryant and Draylen Ellis - to take advantage of having Davis back in the lineup while being determined to finish the season strong. It will be Bryant's final game while Ellis will be back next season.
Bryant and Ellis have alternated throughout most games all season.
"It's Stretch's (Bryant) last football game; God willing he will have an opportunity to play after this, at what level I'm not sure," George said. "But this is the last time he'll have the chance to compete with this teammates, the last time in the locker room, it's Senior Day. So I think the motivation is there. For Draylen he just needs to have a good final game. I'm not concerned about the motivation for either one of them."
Ellis is fifth in conference in passing (90-of-168, 996 yards, six TDs, four interceptions) and Bryant is sixth (61-of-113, 631 yards, two TDs two interceptions).
Terrell Allen will play in HBCU Legacy Bowl
TSU defensive end Terrell Allen has been selected to play in the 2023 HBCU Legacy Bowl.
Allen leads the FCS in sacks (14.5), tackles for loss (24.5) and forced fumbles (5). The HBCU Legacy Bowl will be played Feb. 24 at Yulman Stadium in New Orleans.
Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on X @MikeOrganWriter.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Da'Shon Davis returns to Tennessee State football finale vs TN Tech
