October 2, 2008

First conference home test is against defending champ EKU

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- It's time for the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagle football team -- and Tech fans -- to TURN IT LOOSE. The Golden Eagles return to Ohio Valley Conference action Saturday by hosting the defending league champion Eastern Kentucky Colonels at 7 p.m. in Tucker Stadium.

The Golden Eagles are 2-0 at home this season, with wins over Gardner-Webb and Cenral Methodist. A win over EKU would not only allow coach Watson Brown's team to remain unbeaten at home, it would also give Tech a 2-0 conference record.

The Golden Eagles have a enjoyed a couple of extra days off since their last game, a 47-19 non-conference victory over Central Methodist in Tucker Stadium last Thursday night (Sept. 25). It's doubtful those extra days will allow Tech to get back some of the injured players who have been on the sidelines, but it has given the team a little break after a very busy, very difficult stretch that included three games in 12 days.

The Golden Eagles come into the OVC contest against EKU with a 3-2 overall record, including a 1-0 record in league action - a two-point win on the road at Southeast Missouri.

Eastern Kentucky, meanwhile, is 2-3 overall and 1-1 in the conference after outlasting Austin Peay, 13-10, in overtime last Saturday. The Colonels had a 10-7 lead before APSU kicked a field goal with one second remaining in regulation to force the overtime. The Colonels won on a 27-yard field goal by senior Taylor Long.

Tech returned from it's trip to Western Michigan - the team's second game in three weeks against a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponent - and hosted Central Methodist on only five days preparation.

After falling behind 6-0 on a 61-yard interception return by the Eagles, Tech recovered the score 34 unanswered points and take control of the contest. CMU got another defensive touchdown, this time a 41-yard interception return, to make it 34-13 at halftime.

Tech's defense was sensational, limiting CMU to 177 yards of offense, with 83 yards coming on the final drive of the game against Tech's second defensive unit. The Eagles scored with 17 seconds remaining. Tech, displaying the sportsmanship that is a hallmark of the OVC, didn't throw a pass in the fourth quarter against the outmanned Eagles, simply settling for the victory instead of running up gaudy statistics.

Senior Corey Reed led the defensive effort with a career-high 16 tackles. He was also in on one of Tech's five quarterback sacks. Justin Vann, a freshman making the first start of his career, intercepted two passes and returned one 28 yards for a touchdown. Maurice Smith also picked off an Eagle toss, his eighth career interception. Both Smith and Vann had eight tackles.

Freshman receiver Tim Benford continues to post strong numbers in his debut season. He had four catches for 99 yards - his second 99-yard game -- including a 48-yard touchdown toss from Sweeney for Tech's first score of the game. Benford has now caught at least four passes in all five of his games as a Golden Eagle, and ranks first on the team and high in the league, with 28 catches for 378 yards and three touchdowns.

Henry Sailes also had a stout effort against CMU, rushing for 86 yards on 10 attempts. He also caught four passes for 36 yards. He leads Tech in rushing with 272 yards and four touchdowns in 44 attempts, an average of 6.2 per carry.

Josh Lowery replaced Sweeney late in the first half and went 5-for-5 passing for 62 yards as the Golden Eagles kept the ball on the ground for most of the second half. Lowery has played in four of Tech's five games, and led Tech on scoring drives in all four contests. For the year, he has connected on 66.7 percent (34-for-51) of his passes for 293 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

Sweeney finished the game against CMU 6-for-11 for 156 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He has connected on 62.2 percent of his passes, going 61-for-98 for 677 yards and three scores. Sweeney is fourth all-time in total offense and third in career passing yards. He has thrown 30 career touchdowns, inching closer and closer to the school record of 38, held by Robert Craft.

Tech and EKU appear to be pretty similar on paper. Each offense has thrived by passing the ball. In five games, Tech has passed for 970 yards, and average of 194 per game. EKU has thrown for 1,050 yards, an average of 210 per game.

While Tech has gotten it's yardage on the arms of Sweeney and Lowery, the Colonels have worked behind quarterback Allan Holland. He has completed just under 60 percent of his passes, throwing for 1,015 yards and three TDs. Another key weapon in the Colonel attack is receiver Cody Watts, who has caught 13 passes for 223 yards and two TDs. Against Austin Peay last week, it was Watts who threw the team's lone TD pass, a 29-yard strike to Shannon Davis on EKU's first play of the game. It came after a 61-yard kickoff return by Josh Caldwell.

On the ground, Tech has averaged 108 yards per game while EKU has averaged 53 yards per contest.

On defense, the passing game has also been each team's sore spot, and they've each allowed more than 1,000 yards. Tech has given up an average of 220.8 yards per contest and nine touchdowns. Eastern Kentucky's defense has yielded 210 yards per game through the air and 10 touchdown catches.

Tickets for the game are available from the Athletics Ticket Office in Eblen Center or by calling (931) 372-3940. Kickoff is at 7 p.m., and the Regions Bank Tailgate Park opens at 4 p.m.