No. 8 Tennessee Tech Continues Historic Season with 42-23 win over SEMO
Tennessee Tech Football has won 13 in a row and improved to 8-0 with a 42-23 win over Southeast Missouri on Saturday at Tucker Stadium.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 23 |
|
|
7 | 14 | 0 | 21 | 42 |
Team Stats
Southeast Missouri
| Game Statistics | Southeast Missouri | Tennessee Tech |
|---|---|---|
| Passing Yards | 381 | 163 |
| Rushing Yards | 20 | 136 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 0 |
| Time of Poss. | 30:58 | 29:02 |
By Jeff Bowe, TTU Media Relations
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. The No. 8 Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles continue a historic run to 8-0 and 5-0 in conference with a 42-23 victory over Southeast Missouri Saturday at Tucker Stadium. It is the second time in OVC-Big South Association history that a football team has begun conference play 5-0.
Tennessee Tech has won 13 consecutive games, marking the longest active winning streak in FCS, and remains the only undefeated team left in the OVC-Big South Conference. It marks the first time this season that the Golden Eagles were outgained in total offense (401-299) by an opponent. Tech came through with big defensive plays, including an interception by Andrew Smith and a fumble recovery for a touchdown in the end zone by Chima Iwuagwu helped spur 21 fourth-quarter points to pull away.
It is the first time since 1977 and the third time in program history that a Tech football program has started 8-0. In 1977, the Golden Eagles began 8-0 and dropped game nine (L, 21-28) to Eastern Kentucky on the road. In 1952, Tech began the season 9-0 and dropped its first game (L, 7-19) to Middle Tennessee in game 10 at home.
The Golden Eagles played solid defense once again, holding SEMO to 20 yards rushing with four sacks for a loss of 19 yards alongside 10 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles (1 recovery), and one interception.
Kekoa Visperas threw two touchdowns on 12-23 completions for 163 yards in a game that began as a defensive battle through the first half. The Golden Eagles led just 7-0 through one quarter and limited SEMO to only two field goals in the entire half, leading 21-6 at the break.
The rushing game was limited for the first time all season as SEMO sold out to stop the run. Q'Daryius Jennings rushed for two touchdowns but only 37 yards on seven carries (5.3 ypc) for the game. Aidan Littles rushed for 33 yards on five carries, averaging 6.6 yards per rush, and caught one touchdown, a 14-yard pass from Visperas.
Quintell Quinn was the only other Golden Eagle to record a rushing touchdown, as he totaled 32 yards on seven carries. Tre' Holloway led the Golden Eagles in receiving yards with three catches for 38 yards, and Tremel Jones took an out pattern spun through two defenders and into the end zone for a TD alongside three receptions for 27 yards.
One of the highlights of the game was when defensive lineman Chima Iwuagwu pounced on a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown, marking the fourth defensive touchdown by Tech this season and the first since joining the Golden Eagles.
The fumble recovery by Iwuagwu was part of a 21-point fourth quarter that lifted the Golden Eagles to a 42-23 victory and 8-0 on the season. Aaron Swafford led the Golden Eagles with nine tackles (8 solo, 1 assist), including one tackle for loss. Theron Gaines was second on the team with six tackles (4 solo, 2 assist) with a sack, and 1.5 tackles for loss. Andrew Smith grabbed his third interception of the season, and Iwuagwu recovered a fumble for the first time in his career, for a touchdown.
NEXT UP
The Golden Eagles welcome Gardner-Webb to Tucker Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 1. Gardner-Webb has been knocking on the door of the Top 25 after receiving votes in both major polls the last few weeks. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. CT, and the game can be watched on ESPN+ as well as listened to on 106.1 The Eagle.
PURCHASE TICKETS
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.
