Hayden Olsen

• Article
• April 16, 2023

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – With several generations of Golden Eagle football standouts converging on the Tennessee Tech’s Athletic Performance Center on Saturday as the program held its annual Spring Game, head coach Dewayne Alexander and his staff took time to honor the team’s 2022 award winners for the team’s Letterwinners’ Breakfast. After honoring the 2022 seniors in presence – Heath Price, David Gist, Tai Carter, Jake Huner, Ben Baugh, Christian Watson, Seth Carlisle, Jeremiah Oatsvall, Josh Reliford and Bryson Garrett – Alexander then recognized the academic achievers. Starting with the Ohio Valley Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll honorees – which included Huner, Gist, Hayden Olsen, Nate Hodnett, Kail Dava, Price, Watson, Isaac Cross and Hunter Barnhart – Alexander then pointed out the 2023 National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society honorees with Carlisle, Oatsvall, Reliford, Watson and Spencer Stachyra. The veteran coach noted that of the nine student-athletes selected by current members of the OVC, five of them were Golden Eagles.

• Article
• April 15, 2023

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech football fans got their first look at the 2023 Golden Eagles squad as players competed in the program’s annual Purple and Gold Spring Game on Saturday afternoon at Tucker Stadium. The scrimmage was the finale of this year’s spring practice, during which Coach Dwayne Alexander’s sixth Tennessee Tech team sought to lay a solid foundation for the upcoming season. The sun was out and so was the ball as the Golden Eagles defense took advantage of a poor exchange in the offensive backfield on the first play from scrimmage, pouncing on the loose football for an early fumble recovery.

• Article
• November 19, 2022

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech came so close to ending the season on a high note. After taking the lead with 2:43 remaining after quarterback Jeremiah Oatsvall pushed forward on 1st-and-goal among the scrum for a score, the Golden Eagles just had to get a stop to top No. 25 North Carolina Central and win its first game against a Top 25 team since 2014. And it appeared Tech had gotten that stop – facing 4th-and-9 on its own 29, Davius Richard completed a pass to Latrel Collier and it appeared that Collier might have fallen short of the first-down marker and the call on the field granted the first down. After the review, the visiting Eagles were granted the first down. Instead of getting to line up in victory formation and run out the clock, Tech had to stay on offense.

• Article
• November 17, 2022

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – As the Tennessee Tech football team prepares to wind down its 2022 campaign, it’s a time of reflection as the team looks to honor its graduate and senior players. It’s a remarkable group that will be stepping onto the Tucker Stadium turf for the final time on Saturday as the Golden Eagles host No. 25-ranked North Carolina Central for Senior Day. Among this group stands players who have added their names to the career statistical leaders, players who have earned their degrees and now stand to move on to the next stage of their lives, players who have given their all to wear the Purple and Gold and represent Tennessee Tech. Senior Day will precede kickoff of Saturday’s game against the visiting Eagles. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Roger Ealey and Frank Harrell will have the game on 98.5 KISS FM, while Dylan Vazzano and Sam Brooks will have the call on ESPN+ (subscription required).

• Article
• November 12, 2022

FLORENCE, Ala. – Tennessee Tech scored five touchdowns in its eight drives. North Alabama scored five times, too – but it was three touchdowns and two field goals as the Golden Eagle defense came up with four big stops in their own territory to secure a 35-27 victory over the Lions on Saturday. The biggest stop may have been with 6:49 left in the contest. With the Golden Eagles leading 35-24, North Alabama (1-9) marched up the field on 18 plays and got to the Tech 10-yard-line before the Lions were held to 4th-and-goal. Sam Contorno hit the 27-yard field goal for what was eventually the final margin of the contest.

• Article
• November 03, 2022

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Homecoming is a deep-rooted college football tradition as alumni come back to campus at an idyllic time of year, celebrating their years past and the future ahead. As the Tennessee Tech football team celebrates its centennial this season, the 91st Homecoming game for the Golden Eagles is a fitting one as the program is doing just that, honoring its history and making strides toward the future.

• Article
• October 29, 2022

CHARLESTON, Ill. – When Eastern Illinois blocked Hayden Olsen’s field goal and returned it for a touchdown as time expired in the first half, a casual observer would probably think the Panthers would use that to build momentum. Instead, it was Tennessee Tech that built on that miscue, answering with 17 unanswered points to break their five-game losing streak with a 20-17 victory over the Panthers on Saturday at O’Brien Field. Tech (2-6, 1-3 Ohio Valley Conference) shut down the Panthers in the second half, ending its two-game turnover-forced drought with two big fumble recoveries – one leading to a score, the other giving the Golden Eagles the opportunity to go into victory formation as EIU was marching to give kicker Stone Galloway a chance to knot the game up. That never happened.

• Article
• October 28, 2022

CHARLESTON, Ill. – Tennessee Tech hits the road for its final away Ohio Valley Conference contest of the football season, heading north to take on Eastern Illinois in Charleston on Saturday. Kickoff for Saturday’s game is set for 2 p.m. Roger Ealey and Dylan Vazzano will handle the broadcast on 98.5 KISS FM, while Mike Bradd and Dave Kidwell will have the call on ESPN+ (subscription required).

• Article
• October 22, 2022

KENNESAW, Ga. – Tennessee Tech overcame an early 14-point deficit to take the lead late in the fourth quarter, but the homestanding Owls scored twice in the final 81 seconds of regulation – sandwiching a quick Golden Eagle scoring drive to force overtime. Tech was held to a field goal in its overtime try, but Kennesaw State picked up the game-winning score on five plays with a quarterback keeper for Xavier Shepherd, giving the Owls a 33-30 victory on Saturday at Fifth Third Stadium.

• Article
• October 16, 2022

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech rallied for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but the visiting Tennessee State Tigers were able to take the victory with 30 straight points in the second and third quarters, leaving Tucker Stadium with a 30-14 win on Saturday. The Golden Eagles (1-5, 0-3 Ohio Valley Conference) return to action next Saturday as they go out-of-conference to take on Kennesaw State.

• Article
• October 08, 2022

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – The Tennessee Tech football team showed fight to the end on Saturday against No. 21 Southeast Missouri, coming within a stone’s throw of making it a one-possession game in the final seconds. But as valiant as the Golden Eagles fought, time ran out for Tech as they fell 34-20 on Saturday at Houck Field.

• Article
• September 18, 2022

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It was a fight to the finish Saturday night as the Tennessee Tech football team traded leads all night with No. 24 Samford, but the Bulldogs scored with 25 seconds remaining to top the Golden Eagles 33-28. Tech (1-2) enters its open date and will return to action on Oct. 1, opening Ohio Valley Conference play at UT Martin.

• Article
• September 11, 2022

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It was a wild finish at Tucker Stadium on Saturday night as the Tennessee Tech football team scored 20 points in the fourth quarter and overcame a 19-6 deficit to take a 26-25 victory over Texas A&M-Commerce. Turnovers stalled the Golden Eagle offense in the first half as Tech saw passes picked off in two of its first three drives, then two lost fumbles deep in the Golden Eagles’ territory led to quick, short-field scores as Eric Rodriguez threw two touchdown passes, completing a 37-yard strike to Andrew Armstrong and a 20-yard scoring pass to B.J. Busbee. After missing the first PAT, Emmanuel Adagbon hit the second to put the Lions up 13-0  with 13:18 remaining in the first half.

• Article
• August 31, 2022

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – As the day dawns on Tucker Stadium, the equipment truck is getting loaded and the Tennessee Tech football team is making its final preparations before loading up Thursday to fly to Lawrence, Kan., to take on their first opponent of the 2022 campaign – the Kansas Jayhawks. Ladies and gentlemen, football season is here. Kickoff for Tech’s season opener at Kansas on Friday night is 7 p.m. Roger Ealey and Dylan Vazzano will provide the broadcast locally on 98.5 KISS FM, while Noah Reed and Jay Sonnhalter will handle the call on Big 12 Now/ESPN+ (subscription required).

• Article
• August 21, 2022

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Fans had their opportunity to get a look at the Tennessee Tech football team on Saturday night as the Golden Eagles held their annual Gathering of Eagles fan event. Despite some mid-afternoon storms, the day started with the women’s clinic, then fans had an opportunity to grab autographs from their favorite Golden Eagle players before Tech took to the field for its final scrimmage before the season begins on September 2.

• Article
• August 13, 2022

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech’s first football scrimmage was a positive one on Saturday night as the Golden Eagles’ depth proved fruitful in fans’ first look at the team. Both sides of the ball saw plenty of highlights as Tech players from all class levels were able to showcase their skills in front of the fans. Tech’s offense picked up its first score as Jeremiah Oatsvall fired to the end zone to a leaping Hunter Barnhart for the 18-yard connection between a pair of defenders. Oatsvall later scored on a two-yard quarterback keeper to end a 42-yard drive.