Dom LeBlanc

• Article
• April 12, 2025

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – To figure out where the Tennessee Tech football team is in April as the team held its annual Purple vs. Gold Spring Game, one just has to go back to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoff selection show. As the team saw the rest of the field announced, including three Big South-Ohio Valley Conference football teams, it stuck in the craw. The Golden Eagles, who defeated playoff picks UT Martin and Tennessee State to win the Sergeant York Trophy, were left out. It became a mission. “Our theme this year coming out of missing the playoffs by one game is ‘Run It Back,’” Wilder said. “You’ll see it out here on shirts and that’s our theme because of the bitter taste we had. Keeping this team together will add more value to the roster in April and May through the portal. I’m really excited about our high school recruiting here in-state and put us in good position heading into camp.”

• Article
• December 20, 2024

COOKEVILLE – The postseason football awards season continued on Friday as PhilSteele.com announced its annual conference and All-America teams. The Tennessee Tech football team finished with 16 total players on the squads.

• Article
• November 25, 2024

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – True freshman kicker Dom LeBlanc kept putting points on the board Saturday as Tennessee Tech defeated Eastern Illinois 23-6 to earn a share of the Big South-Ohio Valley Conference Football Association title. On Monday, he was selected as the league’s Special Teams Player of the Week as the combined conference released its final Player of the Week honors.

• Article
• November 23, 2024

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech certainly did its part. With UT Martin defeating Lindenwood in overtime and Tennessee State beating Southeast Missouri in Nashville, the Golden Eagles earn their 11th Ohio Valley Conference championship – the first in tandem with the Big South. Not too shabby for a team that was projected seventh in the preseason. Now, the waiting game begins as the Golden Eagles will find out whether they will make their second NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs appearance on Sunday morning at 11:30 a.m. The selection show will be aired live on ESPNU. 

• Article
• November 21, 2024

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Saturday could be a huge day for the Tennessee Tech football team. Depending on what happens Saturday at Tucker Stadium when the Golden Eagles host Eastern Illinois, as well as in Nashville and Martin, it could be championship worthy. It all starts in Cookeville though as the 6-5 Golden Eagles host the 3-8 Panthers. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:02 p.m. Roger Ealey and Marcelo Metzelar will have the call on 106.1 The Eagle, while Dylan Vazzano and Sam Brooks will narrate the action on ESPN+ (subscription required).

• Article
• November 16, 2024

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Sergeant York is coming home. With a tremendous defensive effort, Tennessee Tech knocked off No. 18 UT Martin 10-9 to claim the Sergeant York Trophy for the first time since the Spring 2021 season as well as the Golden Eagles’ first win over a ranked opponent since 2014. It also gives Tech (6-5, 5-2 Big South-Ohio Valley Conference) a chance next week to potentially earn a share of the conference championship for the first time since 2011. Tech hosts Eastern Illinois next Saturday starting at Noon.

• Article
• November 15, 2024

MARTIN, Tenn. – While the Sergeant York Trophy is in play Saturday with the winner between UT Martin and Tennessee Tech taking home the bronze bust, there are bigger stakes as well. If Tennessee Tech wins out and Southeast Missouri falls in its final two games of the season, the Golden Eagles will be Big South-Ohio Valley Conference Football Association champions. It’s a tall order, but not an out-of-question one as the Golden Eagles head to Martin for Saturday’s contest. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.

• Article
• November 09, 2024

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – On a rainy Saturday afternoon, it took a little while for Tennessee Tech to get going, but once the Golden Eagles did, they proved to be unstoppable by Samford as Tech took a 27-7 victory at Pete Hanna Stadium. The Golden Eagles improve to 5-5 on the season with two games remaining in the regular season. Tech returns to Big South-Ohio Valley Conference play next week as they head to UT Martin.

• Article
• November 07, 2024

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Tennessee Tech football team will get a one-week reprieve from the Big South-Ohio Valley Conference jaunt this weekend as the Golden Eagles head down to Birmingham to take on Samford in a Saturday battle. Kickoff against the Bulldogs is set for 2 p.m. Roger Ealey and Dylan Vazzano will have the call locally on 106.1 The Eagle, while the game will also be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required).

• Article
• November 02, 2024

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It was almost a record day for the Tennessee Tech football team as the Golden Eagles rushed for 400 yards on Saturday to take a 52-10 victory over Lindenwood on Homecoming. Tech rushed 38 times for 400 yards, led by 128 yards on 13 carries from Jalen Mitchell. In all, the Golden Eagles ran for five touchdowns while averaging 10.5 yards per carry. Aidan Littles, Torin Baker, Jordan Yates and Tyler Wilson also ran for scores, while quarterback Dylan Laible also threw a touchdown strike to D.J. Linkins among his 13 pass completions of 119 yards.

• Article
• October 26, 2024

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Charleston Southern made things interesting in the fourth quarter as the Buccaneers returned an intercepted two-point conversion for two points of its own to make it a two-point contest. But Tennessee Tech persevered. The defense came up strong on a couple of short-field situations created by a fumble and a punt as the Buccaneers missed a field goal on the first try, then Tim Coutras snagged the ball out of the air off of a tip by Theron Gaines on the second run at the end zone. With Dom LeBlanc’s 32-yard field goal with 1:47, the Golden Eagles forced Charleston Southern to score a touchdown in the final possession. Once again, Tech’s defense held strong, limiting the Bucs to a last-ditch fourth-down try on the Golden Eagle 44, but Kaleb Jackson’s pass fell incomplete, giving Tech a fresh set of downs in victory formation to close the contest with a 28-23 victory.

• Article
• October 25, 2024

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – After a tough two-game trek to Cape Girardeau, Mo., and Macomb, Ill., the Tennessee Tech football team is back home for the first of two straight contests as the Golden Eagles entertain Charleston Southern in a Big South-Ohio Valley Conference Football Association battle on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Dylan Vazzano and Sam Brooks will have the broadcast on ESPN+ (subscription required), while Roger Ealey and Marcelo Metzelar will narrate the action on 106.1 The Eagle.

• Article
• October 19, 2024

MACOMB, Ill. – Early turnovers, costly penalties and short field positions gave Western Illinois the advantage on Saturday and every time the Tennessee Tech football team tried to climb back from the deficit, the Leathernecks extended their advantage right back. By the final buzzer, Western Illinois came away with a 37-21 victory Saturday afternoon. The Golden Eagles (2-5, 2-2 Big South-Ohio Valley Conference) return home next week for the first of two home contests as Tech hosts Charleston Southern (1-6, 0-4 BS-OVC) and Lindenwood (3-5, 2-2 BS-OVC) in back-to-back weeks.

• Article
• October 18, 2024

MACOMB, Ill. – After a tough outing last week at Cape Girardeau, the Tennessee Tech football team will hit the ground running once more this week as they head to Macomb, Ill., to take on Western Illinois. Kickoff for the game Saturday is scheduled for 3 p.m. Dylan Vazzano will have the call locally on 106.1 The Eagle, while the game will also be broadcast on ESPN+ (subscription required). It's the third time overall the two teams have met, but just the first time in conference play as the Leathernecks joined the conference last season but this is their first season in football.

• Article
• October 10, 2024

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – It’s still early in the Big South-Ohio Valley Conference slate, but Saturday will be a battle for sole possession of first place in the league as Tennessee Tech heads to Southeast Missouri for an important battle in league play. Kickoff Saturday is scheduled for a 3 p.m. start. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ (subscription required) while Roger Ealey and Dylan Vazzano will have the call locally on 106.1 The Eagle.

• Article
• October 05, 2024

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – South Carolina State jumped out to an early lead, but it wasn’t insurmountable. The Tennessee Tech team had opportunities and reclaimed the lead with some timely takeaways and had a chance to win the game on a last-second field goal. However, the kick sailed wide left as time expired, leading the visiting Bulldogs to a 22-20 win over the Golden Eagles on Saturday in their non-conference affair. Where Tech had relied on the running game in the last two games, both teams presented an aerial attack, combining for a whopping 708 yards through the air and just 114 yards on the ground. South Carolina State (3-2) was expected to come in with a strong quarterback in Eric Phoenix and he lived up to the hype, throwing for 412 yards and three touchdowns.

• Article
• September 28, 2024

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – For the first time since 2011, the Tennessee Tech football team is starting conference play with a 2-0 record, but it was an adventure to get there. Seeing the effects of Hurricane-turned-Tropical Storm Helene first-hand as they made their way to Charlotte, then to Boiling Springs, the Golden Eagles overcame those adversities to take a 52-21 victory over the defending Big South-Ohio Valley Conference champ in a statement victory.

• Article
• September 26, 2024

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – The Tennessee Tech Football team is at the top of the Big South-Ohio Valley Conference standings with Southeast Missouri after a big win this past Saturday over Tennessee State and the Golden Eagles don't want it to be a short stay. It'll be a big test, however, as Tech heads into Boiling Springs to take on Gardner-Webb, who made its second-straight appearance to the Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs and tied with UT Martin for the Big South-OVC championship last season.

• Article
• September 21, 2024

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – When it mattered the most, the Tennessee Tech defense came through. The Golden Eagles found ways to pressure Tennessee State quarterback Draylen Ellis, sacking him seven times and hurried him out of the pocket seven times. Tech’s defense also held State to exactly zero rushing yards on 27 carries. Defensive back Ty Moss then sealed the deal with a 56-yard interception return for a touchdown with just over a minute remaining in the contest to lead the Golden Eagles to a 24-14 victory over their in-state rivals and claim the first salvo in the hunt for the Sergeant York Trophy. Tech improves to 1-2 overall and 1-0 in the Big South-Ohio Valley Conference Football Association, putting the first victory in head coach Bobby Wilder’s column in his Cookeville career. It’s also the first back-to-back wins over the Tigers since winning three straight between 2015 and 2017.

• Article
• August 18, 2024

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – As a team works toward a new season, it’s not uncommon to see some bumps and bruises along the way. With the Tennessee Tech football team entering Saturday’s Gathering of Eagles scrimmage, the numbers are a little more than expected with nearly 30 players sidelined from Saturday’s session.  “It’s hard to conduct what you’re trying to get done in practice and scrimmage and it’s not anything the kids are doing,” head coach Bobby Wilder said. “A lot of what’s happening are soft tissue injuries. They’re working hard and they’re trying to get back. With the opener two weeks away, it’s a true concern. Tonight, we had 15 true freshmen out here playing a lot of snaps. They played hard, but they’re freshmen. They’re going to make mistakes. I love the effort. The number one priority right now is we’ve got to get healthy.

• Article
• August 10, 2024

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – As the first scrimmage for the Tennessee Tech football team went in the books, the defense set the pace early on and had some fantastic plays to antagonize their offensive teammates. Still, the offense wasn’t held empty-handed either as they put together some solid drives and converted in the red zone to put more than a few points on the board. While there were a couple of heated moments, the Golden Eagles shook them off and kept working. After all, finding ways to dig deep and overcome the adversity presented is one of the biggest lessons to learn.