Coach Cris Dishman Vows To Make Changes After 'Disgusting' Football Against Lamar

Coach Dishman outlined a few changes to be made after the Tigers open the 2025 season at 0-3, with two losses at home.

Sept. 13, 2025; Texas Southern Head Coach Cris Dishman speaks with the media in his postgame press conference after the Tigers fell to Lamar, 31-7. Shell Energy Stadium. | Kyle T. Mosley, HBCU Legends

HOUSTON — The Lamar Cardinals defeated Texas Southern 31-7, prompting Tigers head coach Cris Dishman to change what he called a "disgusting" style of football under his leadership.  

COACH DISHMAN TAKES FULL RESPONSIBILITY

"So me as the head coach have to take what responsibility," Coach Cris Dishman said in his postgame interviews. "All the responsibility."

After a tough loss left TSU at 0-3 on the season, Coach Dishman doesn't pull any punches as he openly takes responsibility for the team's performance, vowing to make significant changes moving forward.

"So as I told them [his team and staff], if everything relies on me...I'm start being in everybody's meetings. I'm going to be in everything that go on with this football instead of delegating jobs."

Texas Southern running back A. Renfro versus Lamar. | TSU Athletics

Compared to his rookie season as a head coach, this year's Texas Southern team under Cris Dishman is in a state of regression. Though more talented in some regards, the Tigers are not nearly playing as well as the 2024 squad.  

"Who's to blame? Me," Dishman said emphatically. "Not my coaches, not my players. No one, I'm to blame."

Texas Southern's dismal production against No. 24-ranked Lamar was worse than TSU's Week 2 performance versus their FBS opponent, the Cal Bears.  

THE GOOD, BAD, AND UGLY OF TSU vs LAMAR

Coach Dishman spoke about a few changes he plans to implement. However, before getting into the changes, here were a few bright spots for the Tigers.  

"The band did a good job. They always do a good job," Coach Dishman told HBCU Legends as the only positive from the game.

"Everybody's job is in jeopardy," Coach Dishman noted. "From the head coach to the equipment manager to the student assistants, everybody's job is in jeopardy."

THE GOOD

1. Texas Southern rushed for 183 yards.
2. Running back Athean Renfro gained 77 yards on 10 carries (7.7 yards per carry) and one touchdown.
3. Quarterback KJ Cooper was pressured most of the game as he ran 13 times for 85 yards (4.1 yards per carry).
4. Altogether, the Tigers had 31 rushes for 183 yards, averaging 4.6 yards per attempt.  
5. Linebacker Isaiah Bogerty had 11 tackles (8 solo, 4 assisted).
6. Defensive back Matthew Cooks had 9 tackles (6 solo, 3 assisted), 1 Pass Breakup, 1 TFL.
7. Defensive back Josiah Hardman 4 tackles, 1 INT

THE BAD

The passing game was not very good on Saturday.

• Quarterback KJ Cooper completed 13 of 23 passes for 53 yards and one interception. He averaged approximately 4.1 yards per completion.
• Only one TSU receiver had over 20 yards receiving - Tight End Xavier Phipps had 1 reception for 24 yards.
• Top wide receiver Trenton Leary hauled in three receptions for 15 yards...Jalen Williams (12 yards) and Kerien Charlo (11 yards) each had three receptions.

THE UGLY

Special Teams on punts were abysmal. Punt protection once again let down Texas Southern, as it did last season versus Southern.

Jeremy Ramirez had two punts blocked and returned for two Cardinals touchdowns.

Aside from the 14 points allowed on blocked punts, the Texas Southern defense performed well, although it did not seem that way from the press box.  

Defensive coordinator Billy Parker's squad was doing their part, but offensive coordinator Steven Smith's unit has been struggling since last season. Compared to the 2024 offense, the 2025 squad, with a healthy KJ Cooper at quarterback, has regressed.

1. Smith's squad averaged 21.18 points per game in 2024. Already in 2025, the Tigers' offense is producing a mere 10.33 points per contest.
2. The current offensive output in 2025: 4 TDs (3 rushing, 1 passing), 3.9 yards per play, 108.33 YPG (passing), 111 YPG (rushing), 655 total yards.
3. The offensive output in 2024: 4.5 yards per play, 265.1 YPG (117.8 passing, 147.3 rushing)

THE CHANGES

Coach Dishman did not speak in detail, but is confident in the changes that need to be made for the Tigers.  

A few changes in store at TSU are as follows:

1. Not to delegate as many of the responsibilities to his coaches and leadership in the locker room. "Everything relies on me. So as I told them, if everything relies on me, then I am the start. I'm start being in everybody's meetings. I'm going to be in everything that go on with this football instead of delegating jobs. Obviously, that's not getting done.
2. Longer practices and with pads. "We bring the shoulder pads back out. We're going to go into old school football. We're doing fundamental football each and every day. We're going to slow it down. If we out there to eight, nine o' clock at night, then so be it."

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Tigers currently have a record of 0-3 and will have two weeks to prepare for an upcoming trip to Itta Bena, Mississippi, where they will face an improved Mississippi Valley State (0-3) team, led by new head coach Terrell Buckley.  

The Delta Devils recently lost two consecutive games to FCS opponents, Tarleton and Southeastern Louisiana, who scored 59 and 56 points against Buckley's team, respectively. However, in their Week 1 home game, they performed well against the Southern Jaguars, scoring 29 points despite the loss.  This could pose a challenge for the Tigers.

Coach Dishman understands the importance of winning in the conference. Another SWAC loss could put a dent in his plans for Atlanta and the Celebration Bowl in December.

"My job is to win games and get these guys graduating. So that's my job right now. I haven't won a game, so I haven't done my job," Dishman stated.

Does he understand how to correct the problems of the Tigers?

He responded, "Trust me, it'll be done."

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HOUSTON - Saturday's slate of sports action in Houston features two HBCU football games at separate venues. Rice will host Prairie View A&M, and Lamar travels from Beaumont to face Texas Southern at Shell Energy Stadium.

Prairie View A&M Player vs. UTRGV | Prairie View A&M Athletics

PVAMU vs. RICE

Prairie View is a better team defensively this season. They have the opportunity for an upset versus Rice only if the Panthers' offense can operate more efficiently with either Cam Peters or Tevin Carter at quarterback.

Coach Jackson shared with HBCU Legends that his decision for the starting quarterback will be a gametime decision.

Who: Rice (1-1) vs. Prairie View A&M (1-1)

When: Saturday, 6:00 p.m. CT

Where: Houston, Texas

Stadium: Rice Stadium

Television ESPN + Pete Sousa (Play by Play), LaDarrin McClane (Analyst)

Rice Radio: JP Heath (play-by-play), Nate Griffin (analyst), Jason Metko (sidelines)

Audio Streaming: RiceOwls.com, Rice Game Day App, Varsity Network

Live Stats:  Sidearm

Digital Game Program:

Series Information: Rice leads 3-0

All Games Matter - Prairie View A&M Head Coach Tremaine Jackson | Credit: PVAMU Athletics

Series Notes

• This is the third meeting between Rice and Prairie View, with all three games coming at Rice Stadium.
• Rice's sixth meeting with a team from the SWAC and the third in the last three seasons.
• Rice is 2-0 vs. Prairie View and 3-0 vs. Texas Southern, including wins in 2023 & 2024.
• Three of the previous five meetings have come after a Rice loss the previous week (2016, 2021 & 2024) while the Owls were coming off a win in the Bayou Bucket in 2023 and opened the 2018 season vs. Prairie View.
• Rice defeated the Panthers 65-44 on Homecoming in 2016 and 31-28 in 2018 in Dunlevie Family Head Football Coach Mike Bloomgren's debut.
• Tyler Stehling threw for five touchdowns and caught a sixth against the Panthers in 2016,  becoming the fourth quarterback in school history to throw for more than 400 yards, and his 407 yards are a record for a Homecoming game and were the fourth-best total in school history.
• Prairie View is one of six current FCS schools to face the Owls.
• Rice is a combined 11-0 vs. current Texas FCS teams (Lamar, 4-0; Texas Southern, 3-0; Prairie View & Stephen F. Austin, 2-0).

Sep 6, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; Texas Southern Tigers wide receiver Kerien Charlo (4) catches a pass against the California Golden Bears during the fourth quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

No. 24 LAMAR vs. TEXAS SOUTHERN

Texas Southern has a great chance to get its first victory of the season against Lamar. However, the Cardinals are now ranked in the FCS after defeating No. 4 South Dakota.   

Last year's game came down to ill-timed penalties by Texas Southern. Can the Tigers play well enough in all three phases to take advantage of any "overconfidence" by Lamar? KJ Cooper and the TSU offense must be able to sustain drives and connect on downfield openings. Against Cal, the offensive strategy was inept, leaving a worn-out defensive unit, which played well, to keep the Bears out of the endzone - they need help.

Who: Lamar (1-1) vs. Texas Southern (0-2)

When: Saturday, 6:00 p.m. CT

Where: Houston, Texas

Stadium: Shell Energy Stadium

Television  SWACTV, Butch Alsandor (play-by-play), Jorge Varga (analyst)

TSU Radio: Larry 'Chattabox' Hale (play-by-play);

Audio Streaming: 

Live Stats:  Sidearm

Series Information: Tied 3-3

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