August 30, 2011

Golden Eagles venture north to take on Iowa Hawkeyes Saturday

Just another bowl champion -- that's who Tennessee Tech faces Saturday morning when the FCS Golden Eagles play at Iowa, the first Big Ten opponent in Tech history. It's the 15th consecutive year Tech faces at least one FBS opponent.

Download/view Tennessee Tech vs. Iowa game notes (PDF)
View 2011 Golden Eagle Football Guide

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Tech football team doesn't shy away from daunting tasks. Last year, the Golden Eagles opened the year at Arkansas and TCU, teams that played in the Sugar Bowl and won the Rose Bowl.

On Saturday, the Golden Eagles -- a member of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) -- take their show to the Upper Midwest to face the Iowa Hawkeyes, a member of the Football Bowl Subdivision, the 2010 Insight Bowl champion and a squad that some are picking to capture the Big Ten title in 2011.

The Golden Eagles (5-6 in 2010) face the Hawkeyes for the first time, and also face their first Big Ten foe. The game in Kinnick Stadium is expected to draw a sellout crowd of 70,585, which will rank among the largest crowds in Tech and OVC history.

Tech returns 20 starters from last year, and the two-deep for the Golden Eagles lists 31 players (out of the 48 spots) who have made starts in their careers. Only our players of the 48 have not seen action under coach Watson Brown.

Junior quarterback Tre Lamb leads the offense, after missing the final three games of the 2010 season due to injury. Joining him in the backfield will be Dontey Gay (1,972 career all-purpose yards) and newcomer Adam Urbano, a transfer from Georgia Southern. Tech's offense will also feature all-OVC receiver Tim Benford, who is second in career receptions and third in career receiving yardage. Up front, Tech's starting five is a veteran group.

On defense, linebacker Marcus Edwards led the OVC in quarterback sacks last year with 7.5. Senior linebacker Jake McInitosh is the career leader on the roster with 177 total tackles.

Tech's special teams feature punter Nick Campbell and a battle between junior Matthew Barker and freshman Zach Sharp for the placekicking assignment.

The Golden Eagles leave Cookeville early Friday for a charter flight to Iowa, and will visit the stadium in the early afternoon. Kickoff on Saturday is at 11:01 a.m.

Fans can listen to the game on the Golden Eagles Sports Network, including a web stream of the broadcast on www.magic985.com. The broadcast can also be heard on the telephone ($5 charge per game) via TeamlineDirect.

The contest will also be televised on the Big Ten Network.