Golden Eagles open Big South-OVC play Saturday vs. Tennessee State
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – As Tennessee State and Tennessee Tech lock horns on Saturday to open their Big South-Ohio Valley Conference slate, both teams take the field with something to prove. Eddie George’s Tigers enter the game with two HBCU wins and a rough outing at FCS No. 1North Dakota State, but TSU probably had the date circled after the Golden Eagles routed the Tigers 35-0 in last season’s finale at Nissan Stadium. It was Tech’s first defensive shutout since 2014.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
|
|
14 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 24 |
Team Stats
Tennessee State
| Game Statistics | Tennessee State | Tennessee Tech |
|---|---|---|
| Passing Yards | 246 | 94 |
| Rushing Yards | 0 | 220 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 2 |
| Time of Poss. | 30:00 | 30:00 |
TENNESSEE TECH HOSTS TENNESSEE STATE
Sept. 21 | 1:30 p.m. | Tucker Stadium | Cookeville, Tenn.
FAMILY WEEKEND | RUNNING OF THE FRESHMEN | FIRST HORIZON POSTER NIGHT
GAME NOTES | LIVE STATS | VIDEO | AUDIO
By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – As Tennessee State and Tennessee Tech lock horns on Saturday to open their Big South-Ohio Valley Conference slate, both teams take the field with something to prove.
Eddie George's Tigers enter the game with two HBCU wins and a rough outing at FCS No. 1 North Dakota State, but TSU probably had the date circled after the Golden Eagles routed the Tigers 35-0 in last season's finale at Nissan Stadium. It was Tech's first defensive shutout since 2014.
The Golden Eagles, meanwhile, stand at 0-2 after a heartbreaking finish against Middle Tennessee, then put points on the board and came away with a sizeable payday at then-No. 1 Georgia two weeks ago to close out their competition against their bigger brothers in the Football Bowl Subdivision. With the open date last week to try to rest up and focus on the conference task ahead, Tech looks to earn the first victory of the Bobby Wilder era Saturday at Tucker Stadium.
Kickoff is set for 1:32 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required) with Dylan Vazzano (play-by-play) and Sam Brooks (analyst) on the call, while Roger Ealey (play-by-play) and Marcelo Metzelar (analyst) will describe the action on 106.1 The Eagle.
Saturday's game is Family Weekend, Running of the Freshmen and First Horizon Poster Night. The 98.5 KISS FM Tailgate Park will open at 10:30 a.m. with this game's featured band,
The first two games for the Golden Eagles against FBS competition came and went with Tech nearly eking out its first victory over a top-tier program in the modern era since 1980 against historic rival Middle Tennessee before the Blue Raiders snatched the win away in the final 66 seconds of play. There were some costs though as a few key players saw injuries.
Now with the break out of the way, the Golden Eagles are looking at getting the Big South-OVC slate started on the right note, as well as making a big step in the search for the Sergeant York Trophy hunt between Tech, State and UT Martin. The final two games of the round-robin series are Nov. 2 (UT Martin at Tennessee State) and Nov. 16 (Tennessee Tech at UT Martin).
Statistically, the Golden Eagles were held to 116 yards on the ground and 18 yards through the air, but that was against the top-ranked team in the country at the time. For an FBS-FCS battle, the Tech squad held their own and finished the game with points from kicker Hayden Olsen – a Georgia native himself – as time expired.
The more telling game for Tech thus far was the contest against Middle Tennessee. The Golden Eagles outgained the Blue Raiders 341 to 328 and led the way on the passing attack with 274 total aerial yards. Jordyn Potts had a strong game in relief, throwing three touchdown passes as he completed 27 of his 38 tosses.
The Golden Eagles trailed 21-0 before surging in the second half with Ashton Maples hauling in two touchdown strikes and Jordan Yates the third to give Tech a 25-24 lead with 1:06 remaining in the contest. However, the Blue Raiders took advantage of a pair of late injuries on the final drive to go 75 yards on seven plays and 44 seconds to take the 32-25 win.
Tennessee State, entering its fourth game of the campaign, claimed a 41-21 victory over Mississippi Valley State and a 41-28 win against Arkansas-Pine Bluff in Memphis this past Saturday to take two contests from the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
Sandwiched between those two games was a trip up to Fargo to take on North Dakota State. The top-ranked team in the FCS showed its strength with a 52-3 victory over the Tigers as NDSU rushed for 226 yards and passed for 210, while TSU had 200 total yards of offense with 72 on the ground and 128 through the air.
The Tigers earned two Big South-OVC weekly honors as quarterback Draylen Ellis completed 20-of-33 passes for 228 yards and three touchdowns to share the Offensive Player of the Week award. Sanders Ellis was named the co-Freshman of the Week with five tackles, 2.5 for-loss and 1.5 sacks.
Tennessee State leads the all-time series 22-15, but the last 10 games have been split evenly 5-5. After falling in back-to-back games against Eddie George and his squad, the Golden Eagles won the last meeting 35-0 at Nissan Stadium. It was the first shutout in the series, which dates back to 1984.
In last season's meeting, Tech rolled up 414 yards of offense – 184 passing and 230 rushing – while the Golden Eagle defense held TSU to 155 total yards – 79 passing and 76 rushing. Potts threw two touchdown strikes as he completed 16-of-32 passes for 184 yards with O.J. Ross and Marcus Knight combining for 191 rushing yards.
Knight ran for two touchdowns, including a 61-yarder. Justin Pegues and Brad Clark hauled in TD passes, while Potts also scored on a 12-yard keeper.
Draylen Ellis completed 13-of-28 passes for 79 yards and rushed for 69 yards.
Tickets for Tennessee Tech Football are on sale now – call (931) 372-3940, visit the Hooper Eblen Center ticket office or order online at TTUsports.com.
Photo | Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
