View/Download TTU game notes vs. JSU (PDF)
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- If the Golden Eagles relish the role of
spoiler, this weekend is the perfect recipe -- Tennessee Tech can
wrap up the 2010 regular season by upsetting No. 4 Jacksonville
State on Saturday and costing the Gamecocks the Ohio Valley
Conference title.
It's quite a challenge for coach Watson Brown's team, which has
lost two straight despite putting up its largest offensive numbers
of the season including 554 yards last week against Eastern
Kentucky, the most in Brown's four seasons in Cookeville.
A more pressing challenge for Tech is trying to fill holes in the
lineup caused by a rash of late-season injuries. Of the 22 starting
positions, Tech has enjoyed the same starter all season in just 12
spots and had to make adjustments at 10 positions.
The game against Jacksonville State, which is the OVC TV Game of
the Week on Wazoo, will mark the final contest in the careers of 11
Golden Eagle seniors who will be recognized in pregame
ceremonies.
Last week Tech dropped a 42-29 contest to Eastern Kentucky in
Tucker Stadium, leaving the Golden Eagles with a 4-6 overall record
and eliminating their chance at a winning mark in 2010.
Jacksonville State, meanwhile, pulled out a last-minute, 29-27
victory over Southeast Missouri. With that win, the Gamecocks put
themselves into a position to clinch a share of the OVC title and
the league's automatic invitation to the FCS playoffs by beating
Tech.
Records in 2010:
Tennessee Tech is 4-6 overall / 3-4 Ohio Valley Conference
Jacksonville State is 9-1 overall / 6-1 Ohio Valley
Conference
Series Record: JSU leads the series,
9-4
First Meeting: 1938
Last Meeting: JSU 55, Tech 28 (Nov. 14,
2009)
Current Streak: JSU has won last five
Tech Radio:
Golden Eagle Sports Network (Roger Ealey, Buddy Pearson and Brandon
Goodwin)
also Free Teamline (Call 1-800-846-4675 - team code
0654)
Television: Wazoo Sports -- OVC Game of the
Week
Live Stats: www.TTUsports.com
Last Game: Tech lost at E. Kentucky, 42-29;
Jacksonville State beat SEMO, 29-27
Web Stream: OVCsports.TV
Web sites:
Tennessee Tech - www.TTUsports.com
Jacksonville State - www.jsugamecocksports.com
48 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE -- Tennessee Tech will bid
farewell Saturday to 11 seniors on the 2010 roster. who represent a
combined 48 years on the Golden Eagle roster. Seven of the 11 are
fifth-year seniors and two more are in their fourth season as
Golden Eagles. Tech's 2010 seniors (years on TTU roster):
* Receiver Colin Allen (5)
* Quarterback Cass Barnes (4)
* Runningback Jocques
Crawford (2)
* Rover Dustin Dillehay
(5)
* Defensive tackle Justin Hilliard
(5)
* Punter Jason Lennartz
(3)
* Cornerback Corbin Miles
(5)
* Defensive tackle Dedrick Miley
(5)
* Linebacker Kelechi Ordu
(5)
* Receiver Henry Sailes
(4)
* Defensive end Charlie Seivers
(5)
FIVE ARE CAPTAINS -- For the second year, the team
has elected captains prior to the season. The Golden Eagles have
chosen four defensive players and one from the offense, all
seniors. The team captains are DT Dedrick Miley, ROV Dustin
Dillehay, LB Kelechi Ordu, DE Charlie Seivers and RB Henry
Sailes.
BARNES STORMING -- Senior quarterback Cass Barnes
has started the last two games in place of injured Tre Lamb, and last week
against Eastern Kentucky he accounted for a season-high 341 yards
of total offense. Barnes rushed 16 times for 68 yards and passed
for a career-high 273 yards, going 18-for-30 without an
interception. In fact, he caught one of his own passes (a ball that
was batted back to him) and ran it two yards for a first down. He
was the first Tech quarterback to catch his own pass since Andre
Caballero, and the third to do so since 1982 (Mark Powers). Barnes
has topped the 200-yard mark in passing in each of his two starts
this season, throwing for 203 yards at Murray State.
SCHOOL RECORD -- Tim Benford has tied
the school's single-season record with 10 touchdown catches in
2010. The mark was first set in 2002 by Derek Lee and tied in 2007
by Larry Shipp. Benford also tied the record in 2008 with 10
touchdown catches.
CHART CLIMBING -- Tim Benford is now fourth in
school history in both receptions (143) and receiving yards
(2,060). He needs 65 yards to catch Walter Hill in third
place for career yardage. He could climb as high as second in
receptions before his junior season is complete, needing three to
tie for third place and five more receptions to catch Walter Hill
(148) in second place.
1,000 YARD SPOT -- Junior Dontey Gay and senior
Jocques Crawford have split time at the "B" runningback position
and have combined to hit the 1,000-yard mark -- EXACTLY.
Crawford has 571 rushing yards and Gay has rushed for 429 yards,
making it 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns on 167 attempts.
Combined they would rank second in the OVC in rushing yards
(1,000), third in yards per game (100.0) and third in yards per
carry (6.0).
STRETCHING OUT -- Senior Colin Allen stretched out
to make one of the most amazing catches of the season last week
against Eastern Kentucky, hauling in a pass from Cass Barnes for 34
yards. He had three catches for 77 yards in the game. This season,
Allen ranks third on the team with 13 receptions, and is second on
the team in receiving yards with 230. In fact, among Tech receivers
with more than one catch this year, Allen ranks first on the team
in yards per catch with 17.7. For his Tech career, Allen has 51
catches for 883 yards.
CENTURY MARK -- Senior Jocques Crawford posted his
second 100-yard rushing game of the season when he gained 128 yards
on just 11 carries last week against Eastern Kentucky, average of
11.6 yards per carry. His effort included a 59-yard romp, the
team's longest rush of the year. Crawford rushed for 127 yards and
two touchdowns on 19 carries in Tech's win over Eastern Illinois.
He leads Tech with 571 rushing yards in 104 carries, a season
average of 57.1 yards per game and 5.5 yards per carry.
CAREER LEADERS - Seven Golden Eagle defenders have
topped 100 in career tackles and more players have 90 or more
stops. Seniors Kelechi Ordu (175) and Dustin Dillehay (174) are the
career leaders in tackles, with junior Jake McIntosh
(162) just behind.
Active Player (yr) Tackles
GP
Kelechi Ordu (Sr.) 175 38
Dustin Dillehay (Sr.) 174
43
Jake McIntosh (Jr.) 162 29
Richmond
Tooley (Jr.) 135 32
Marty Jones
(So.) 121 21
Caleb
Mitchell (So.) 102 19
Justin Hilliard (Sr.) 102
40
Corbin Miles (Sr.) 97 41
Dedrick Miley (Sr.) 95 41
Dwight
Evans (Jr.) 94 31
Charlie Seivers (Sr.) 90 39
Justin Vann
(Jr.) 85 28
Travis
Adkins (Jr.) 63 31
Kedrick
Towles (So.) 40 18
LaDarrius
Verge (So.) 34 19
Jerry King
(So.) 26 9
Mauricio
Wallace (Jr.) 22 26
LEAGUE LEADER -- Sophomore Marcus Edwards
leads the OVC and ranks third in the nation with 8.5 quarterback
sacks. The school single-season record is 10 sacks. He ranks
13th nationally in sacks.
TACKLE CHARTS -- Four Golden Eagles rank among the
Top 20 in the OVC in tackles per game. Marty Jones has 78
tackles and 8.7 per game to rank second in the OVC while Kelechi
Ordu is fourth with 75 tackles and 8.3 per game. Dustin Dillehay
has 6.8 tackles per game to rank 13th, while Jake McIntosh ranks
20th with 6.0 per game.
CAREER EFFORT - Senior Justin Hilliard made
a career-best nine tackles last week against Eastern Kentucky. His
previous career-best was five stops at Western Michigan in 2008.
Hilliard ranks first among Tech's defensive linemen with 37 tackles
this season.
TACKLES FOR LOSS -- Justin Hilliard has 4.5
tackles-for-loss this season, giving him 18 for his career which is
tops among all active players. Dwight Evans had two TFL against EKU
and ranks second on the team with 16.5 career tackles-for-loss.
Evans has 10.0 this season to rank first on the team and eighth in
the OVC. Marcus Edwards is second on the team this season with 8.5
TFL, giving him 10.0 in his career. Jamere Hogue ranks
third this season with 5.0 TFL, followed by Kelechi Ordu and
Hilliard with 4.5 each.