TENN. ST. OVERCOMES ADVERISTY, RISES TO TOP

* SEMO's next football opponent lost QB, top defensive player and is still No. 1 in nation.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee State has made it back to the top of the Division I-AA polls the hard way.

The Tigers, who hadn't been ranked No. 1 since 1984, are atop I-AA this week despite losing their starting quarterback and their leading defensive player to injuries. Off the field, they are still awaiting a decision from a September meeting with the NCAA's Infractions Committee.

Yet the Tigers (10-0, 6-0 Ohio Valley Conference) won their second straight OVC championship last week in a 42-41 thriller over Murray State and have been awarded a home game for their first-round playoff game Nov. 27."We've been thriving off adversity," head coach L.C. Cole said. "I always believe that you measure a man by how he handles adversity, and this football program has been handling this situation really well."The first problem came when Leon Murray, who threw for more than 3,000 yards as a junior, injured his knee in the seventh game of the season. He came back for a few plays last week when his replacement, senior Chris Perkins, was injured, but he is scheduled for surgery this week.

End Lamar Carter, who broke Richard Dent's school record for sacks this season, now is out with a potentially career-ending shoulder injury."This team has pulled together like family," said Perkins, who is 69-for-130 for 954 yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions.

Senior center Ike Boone said the Tigers now are focusing on Chattanooga, site of the Division I-AA championship game on Dec. 18. Tennessee State has never made it past the second round of the I-AA playoffs, but the Tigers feel they have an edge by starting the playoffs at home this season."That's real big to be able to play at home the first round of the playoffs," Boone said.

The Tigers close out their regular season this Saturday at Southeast Missouri State (3-7, 2-4 OVC). A victory would ensure Tennessee State its 12th Black College National Championship, and its first in 17 years. It also would be its first undefeated season since 1984.

Tennessee State has had its share of luck. Last week's win over Murray State required a 37-yard field goal by Seth Goodowens as time expired. Goodowens had earlier missed one extra point, and banged another off the right upright before it went through.

It has been a trying year emotionally for Cole. His own brother and ex-offensive coordinator, Johnnie Cole, was suspended by the university for the season. The suspension was one of the penalties Tennessee State imposed on itself prior to its September meeting with the NCAA.The NCAA is looking into eight possible infractions of rules involving scholarships, recruiting, practice limits, monitoring and coach conduct.

Despite that cloud, the school has a rich legacy of turning out NFL players. Ed "Too Tall" Jones and "Jefferson Street" Joe Gilliam, along with Dent, played at Tennessee State.

Rumors have surfaced that other schools are pursuing L.C. Cole, who is now regarded as a hot coach."To be a leader of this program, I have to set those things aside and not be selfish and concentrate on what we're doing right now," Cole said before practice Tuesday night. "That's to beat Southeast Missouri, and then look ahead for the national championship."Dr. Jim Smith, Tennessee State's new athletic director, feels the No. 1 ranking is very important."It means a lot to our institution," he said. "A lot of people in the country do not realize that we lost our starting quarterback in Leon Murray, and then we lost Lamar Carter. If anyone were to look at this team, they would have said there was no chance to go any further."This team is special."