Historic Football Season Comes to a Close with 31-6 loss to North Dakota
Tennessee Tech football fell 31-6 in the FCS Playoffs First Round at Tucker Stadium on Saturday.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
3 | 7 | 0 | 21 | 31 |
|
|
0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Team Stats
North Dakota
| Game Statistics | North Dakota | Tennessee Tech |
|---|---|---|
| Passing Yards | 146 | 278 |
| Rushing Yards | 200 | 24 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 6 |
| Time of Poss. | 34:56 | 25:04 |
By Jeff Bowe, TTU Athletics Media Relations
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - The No. 6 Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (11-2, 8-0 OVC-Big South) played physical and solid defense in the 31-6 loss to North Dakota (8-5, 5-3) to end a historic season in the First Round of the FCS Playoffs on Saturday.
The Golden Eagles traded blows with the Fighting Hawks until six turnovers (4 fumbles, 2 INT) and a 21-point fourth quarter were too much to overcome in the First-Round loss on Saturday to end the most historic season in program history.
Tech found itself down 10-0 at the half but struck for a 45-yard touchdown pass to tight end Brian Courtney to grab back momentum and get on the board in the third quarter.
Visperas �� Courtney for 6️⃣#AimHigh | #WingsUp pic.twitter.com/k3zjkGX6GQ
— TTU Football (@TNTechFootball) November 29, 2025
The Golden Eagles held sustained drives and moved the ball, but a missed field goal and six turnovers cost the team opportunities to climb into the lead.
North Dakota grabbed an 11-point lead with an eight-yard touchdown run by Colton Brunell. The run capped a nine-play 50-yard drive that ran 4:17 off the clock in response to the Golden Eagles' first touchdown to suck the air out of Tucker Stadium and give UND back momentum.
A pair of turnovers resulted in two more touchdowns for North Dakota to give the visitors a 31-6 victory and end Tech's season in the first round.
It was a historic season for Tennessee Tech, which included going 10-0 for the first time in program history, winning 11 games for the first time in program history, earning an NCAA Playoff berth for the second time in program history, and a winning streak of 15 straight, which is the longest in program history.
The Golden Eagles also went undefeated in Conference (8-0) for the first time in the program's DI/FCS history.
21 honors were earned, including Coach of the Year, and Offensive Player of the Year (Visperas) in the process of a record-breaking 2025 campaign.
QB Kekoa Visperas completed 30-of-51 passes for 278 yards and one touchdown. The Golden Eagles managed 24 yards on the ground. Tight End Brian Courtney led the team with 61 receiving yards and one touchdown.
Linebacker Aaron Swafford led the team with 13 tackles (7 solo, 6 assists), Tim Coutras was tied for second with six tackles (4 solo, 2 assists), alongside Theron Gaines (3 solo, 3 assists), Kaleb Purdy (1 solo, 5 assists), and Andrew Smith (3 solo, 3 assists).
Tech managed just one sack in the game while UND posted six sacks.
