COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Tech Golden Eagle football team rolled to its second consecutive win Thursday evening, defeating the North Greenville Crusaders 42-14. The victory earned the Golden Eagles a spot atop every other Division I football program as the only two-win team in the nation.
The 2-0 start was the first for the Golden Eagles since 1989 and marked just the fourth time since 1980.
The Golden Eagle attack was led by a pair of familiar faces in senior quarterback Tre Lamb and senior running back Adam Urbano. Tech piled up over 450 yards for the second straight week, with 122 contributed by Urbano on the ground and 274 from Lamb through the air.
Urbano tallied his second straight 100-yard contest, rushing for 122 yards and two scores on just 14 carries for a 8.7 yards-per-carry average. The game marked his first career two-touchdown game as a Golden Eagle to give him a team-high three rushing touchdowns on the season.
Tre Lamb achieved an impressive career milestone on the nights, becoming just the fifth Golden Eagle to pass for over 4,000 yards in a career. The senior now sits fifth on the Tennessee Tech all-time lists for both passing yards and total offense. Lamb completed 18 of 26 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns. The three scores throught the air marked the first time Lamb put together back-to-back three touchdown performances.
Junior receiver Da'Rick Rogers came up huge in the passing game in the first half, grabbing 5 balls for 88 yards and a touchdown. The performance outweighed last week's numbers that earned him OVC co-Newcomer of the Week.
Freshman receiver Jordan Smith got things started, nabbing his first career touchdown off a 62-yard bomb from Tre Lamb. It was just the second catch of Smith's career as he finished with 68 receiving yards.
Adding his second touchdown reception of the season was junior receiver Ryan Tilghman, snaring a 32-yard pass from Lamb. He wrapped up the evening with three receptions and 49 yards receiving.
Local Cookeville talents, senior defensive back Taylor Hennigan and sophomore running back Stephen Bush, both made their prescences felt tonight. Bush had a career-day, rushing for 65 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.
Hennigan, who recorded a career-high nine tackles, also scooped up a fumble and returned it 15 yards to set up a key Golden Eagle score right before halftime. The touchdown gave the Golden Eagles a two-score lead going into halftime and was ultimately the turning point in the game for Tech. The offense didn't look back as it scored midway through the third quarter to open up a 28-7 lead.
The Golden Eagle defense had a slew of solid performers while holding the Crusaders to just 14 points. Senior defensive back Will Johnson led the team with 13 tackles and added the forced fumble that was picked up by Hennigan. Sophomore d-back Austin Tallant picked up 11 total tackles and fellow sophomore linebacker Tra'Darius Goff added 10 stops of his own.
Tech forced three turnovers in the contest, including the fumble and two interceptions. Both freshman defensive back William Dillard and sophomore defensive back Cory Webber recorded their first career picks in the game.
Tech will take its 2-0 record on its first road test of the season as it travels to Eugene, Ore. to take on the #4 ranked Oregon Ducks on Saturday, September 15 for a 2 p.m. CT contest.
PREGAME NOTES
* For the second straight week, the Golden Eagles will face their opponent, Hampton last week and North Greenville this week, for the first time in program history.
* The Crusaders are coming off a semifinal appearance in last year's Division II playoffs.
* The Golden Eagles have a chance to finish the evening as the only team with a 2-0 record in all of Division I football.
* North Greenville are coming off a 24-12 loss at Albany State last Saturday.
* The Golden Eagles won last week's match-up against Hampton 41-31.
* Tech quarterback Tre Lamb earned both FCS National Quarterback Performer of the Week from College Football Performance Awards and the Tennessee Sports Writer's Association Offensive Player of the Week award.
* The newest addition to the Golden Eagle football team, receiver Da'Rick Rogers, garnered OVC co-Newcomer of the Week.
* In case you hadn't heard, Tech running back Adam Urbano steam rolled his way to a career-best 158 yards on the ground.
* Lamb threw for his second career 300-yard passing game, occumulating 339 yards through the air on his way to his second highest total as a Golden Eagle.
* Also boasting a career-best mark was sophomore receiver Cody Matthews, grabbing three passes for 89 yards.
* Today's game captains for the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagle football team: Marcus Edwards, Howard Griffin, Hunter Beedle, and Adam Urbano.
* Tech wins the coin toss for the second straight week and will receiver the ball.
* Former Golden Eagle golfer and two-time PGA Tour winner Scott Stallings is our honorary coin-flipper for tonight's game.
FIRST QUARTER NOTES
* The Golden Eagles open up the game with a three-and-out.
* After a shaky start, the Tech defense burns out the Crusaders opening drive.
* The Golden Eagle offense has come alive, scoring on a 62-yard Tre Lamb pass to freshman receiver Jordan Smith.
* Lamb did a great job of turning nothing into a huge play, scrambling around until Smith broke free behind the defense.
* The score marks the first of Jordan Smith's career and comes on just his second career catch.
* The Tech drive covered 89 yards on six plays in just one minute and 44 seconds.
* Lamb off to a hot start. He's eclipsed the century-mark already.
* Huuuuuge hit by senior defensive back Caleb Mitchell to break up a long pass attempt by the Crusaders.
* The Golden Eagles wrap up the first quarter with a 7-0 lead over North Greenville.
SECOND QUARTER NOTES
* Great sideline grab by junior Da'Rick Rogers for a gain of 36 yards. Lamb with a beautiful touch-pass down the left sideline.
* Rogers shows off his route-running skills and sneaks behind his defender for a 20-yard touchdown reception, his second as a Golden Eagle.
* Ryan Tilghman takes over the holding duties on field goals and PATs following a Marty Jones injury in the first quarter.
* Tre Lamb looking really sharp tonight. He throws another perfect ball and has racked up 164 yards through the air on 8/11 passing.
* The Golden Eagle drive spans two minutes and 35 seconds, covering 68 yards in just five plays.
* Da'Rick Rogers has already surpassed last week's receiving numbers, catching 4 balls for 79 yards with over 11 minutes remaining in the second quarter.
* Crusaders on the board with a four-yard run by junior Freddie Martino. Golden Eagles lead 14-7.
* Adam Urbano burst around the left corner for a 28-yard pick-up. He now has 56 yards on seven carries.
* Freshman Steve Wilson with his first career reception, a 12-yard grab for a Golden Eagle first down.
* Sophomore Neil Gannaway with his second career catch and first of the season, this one for six yards.
* Just when the Crusaders looked poised to make it an even game, they fumble a pitch and senior Golden Eagle defensive back Taylor Hennigan scoops it up and returns it to the North Greenville 30-yard line.
* Urbano showing some fancy footwork, juking three defenders and getting around the corner for a 21-yard scamper and Golden Eagle touchdown.
* The Tech drive covered 30 yards in three plays, spanning just 27 seconds.
* Golden Eagles lead the Crusaders 21-7 at halftime.
HALFTIME NOTES
* Tre Lamb having another fantastic game, throwing for 204 yards and two scores on 13/18 passing in the first half.
* Adam Urbano looking for another career-game. He's already rushed for 76 yards on just nine carries plus a touchdown.
* Da'Rick Rogers doing big things for the Golden Eagles, hauling in 5 passes for 88 yards receiving and a score.
* Jordan Smith with the longest play for Tech through the first half, a 62-yard touchdown reception.
* Urbano also making a difference in the passing game, making three receptions for 23 yards.
* After that first-half performance, Lamb has climbed up to fifth on the Tennessee Tech all-time total offense list.
THIRD QUARTER NOTES
* Urbano continuing his strong performance, bursting up the middle for a gain of 11 yards.
* Touchdown Golden Eagles! Urbano scampers up the middle for a nine-yard touchdown, his second of the game and third of the season.
* The fourth Golden Eagle scoring drive ate up just 1 minute and 28 seconds, spanning 60 yards and seven plays.
* This marks the first multi-touchdown game for Urbano as a Golden Eagle.
* North Greenville scores its second touchdown. Tech leads the Crusaders 28-14 with 6:08 to play in the third quarter.
* Urbano surpasses the 100-yard mark for the second time this season. He now has 104 yards on 12 carries for an impressive 8.7 yards per carry.
* Sophomore Stephen Bush with the longest run of his career, an 18-yard scamper.
* Tre Lamb throws his third touchdown of the game, a 32-yarder to Ryan Tilghman.
* Golden Eagles score in one minute and 10 seconds on just four plays and 63 yards.
* Freshman defensive back William Dillard snares his first career interception, setting up the Golden Eagles at the Crusader's 34-yard line.
* Lamb posts back-to-back three-touchdown performances for the first time in his career.
* Stephen Bush scores his first career touchdown on a two-yard run up the gut.
* The sixth scoring drive for the Golden Eagles covers 34 yards in one minute and 27 seconds on five plays.
* Tech leads North Greenville 42-14 with just under three minutes to play in the third quarter.
FOURTH QUARTER NOTES
* Senior defensive back Will Johnson leads the Golden Eagles after three quarters with 11 tackles.
* Sophomore defensive back Austin Tallant has added 10 takedowns of his own.
* Tre Lamb with a significant career milestone tonight, passing for over 4,000 yards in his illustrious Golden Eagle career.
* Sophomore defensive back Cory Webber makes his first career interception at the Tech three-yard line, killing a decent Crusader drive.
* The Golden Eagles trying to run out the clock; there is just over six minutes left in the game.
* Sophomore quarterback Darian Stone makes his first appearance of the season, replacing Tre Lamb under center.
* Tennessee Tech improves to 2-0 on the season with a 42-14 victory over a feisty North Greenville team.
* The Golden Eagles are the first and only team in Division I football with a 2-0 record.