By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – With Ohio Valley Conference action starting this week, the Tennessee Tech football team sets its sights on opening up the slate with a win, but it will be a challenging one as the Golden Eagles travel to a ranked Jacksonville State team on Saturday.
"We're hanging in there," head coach Dewayne Alexander said Tuesday on the Ohio Valley Conference weekly teleconference. "We've played a very tough non-conference schedule. Chattanooga is 3-0 right now (following a win last week at UT Martin), Kennesaw State is ranked sixth and playing well right now. Utah State is a (Football Bowl Subdivision team) and is a really good football team, well coached and was excellent in all three phases.
"It was very similar to what we did in our first two games. We did some really nice things for a quarter and a half. We had a big turnover that we were able to convert into a scoring play, then we gave up one and the floodgates just opened up. We played hard for all four quarters, but we're back at it on the practice field and we're getting ready for an outstanding Jacksonville State team this week."
Tech takes on the Gamecocks on Saturday night at 6 p.m. at Burgess-Snow Field at JSU Stadium. Jacksonville State enters the game with a No. 10 ranking in the STATS Football Championship Subdivision poll, No. 9 in the American Football Coaches Association's FCS Coaches poll.
Roger Ealey and Dylan Vazzano will provide the call on the Golden Eagle Sports Network and 98.5 KISS FM. The game will also be Tech's first game on the ESPN+ streaming package (subscription required), with Mickey Shadrix and Gerhard Mathangani providing the play-by-play and color online.
The level of difficulty Alexander has faced on his first season as the Golden Eagles is extraordinary as Tech has faced two top-10 FCS programs and playoff contenders, a resurgent Chattanooga team that is receiving votes in the FCS polls and a Utah State team that made a bowl game last season and could be on pace for reaching another one this season.
"It's tough, especially with a new staff and a lot of young players at key positions," Alexander said. "We have a true freshman at quarterback and four freshman on the offensive line. We have certainly played some really good football teams. A lot of times, these games are scheduled out in advance, so you're not sure how teams are going to be, but these first four teams are all outstanding. We will have played two nationally-ranked FCS teams. I saw Chattanooga last year when I was coaching at East Tennessee State and they're much improved from where they were last season.
"It's a tough schedule to start out, but I know this – it has made our guys get better. Coming into this game, we're 0-0 just like everybody else. I'm a firm believer in that you get better in competitive situations and we have been in three games with very tough competition. That can only make us better. It's helped our young guys grow up a lot. It won't be any kind of shock going down to Jacksonville State. They're a very good football team, but we've already played on the road twice against very good teams."
Tech's first four opponents have a combined win-loss record of 8-3, while all of Tech's opponents, including the OVC, are 14-19 on the season.
And Jacksonville State head coach John Grass even complimented the Golden Eagles, noting how much the Tech squad has improved since the last time they squared off.
"They've probably had as tough of a schedule as anyone else in the country," Grass said. "Coach Alexander has done a great job coaching a bunch of young guys. They are improving every game and finding identities in what they're doing.
"The thing that jumps out at me the most is that they're not looking at the scoreboard. They're playing hard and playing physical. What you have to do to build a program, they're doing those things – they're playing a bunch of young guys. The more snaps those guys get as their careers go on, they're going to get better and better and better.
Grass continued, "I think Tech is doing things the right way. They're getting their kids to play hard and extremely physical, which is the way you've got to play the game. I see a lot of improvement – it may not be showing up in the win column, but they've had a tough schedule early."
In Jacksonville State's last game two weeks ago, the Gamecocks blanked Mississippi Valley State 71-0, so it definitely brings some nervous feelings, especially after coming off of a 73-12 loss at FBS Utah State -- the most points the Golden Eagles have given up since 75 against King College in the program's second season in 1923.
"I was the offensive line coach here under Coach (Watson) Brown from 2013-2015 and the staple of the Jacksonville State team has always been its offensive line," Alexander said. "They've had very big and physical running backs and quarterbacks. Defensively, they've always been really hard to run the football on.
"You turn on the tape and start watching them again and it's the same thing – they run the football well, they have a fantastic offensive line, good backs and do some really nice things. They can beat you with a deep ball when they want to. They have a preseason all-conference kicker that kicks very well. Defensively, their front seven guys are very big, physical and active, which makes it tough to run the ball. Any time you can run the football or you can stop the other team from running, those are ingredients of good football at any level."
Jaelen Greene leads JSU in rushing with 130 yards on 23 carries, while Uriah West has three of the Gamecocks' eighth rushing scores. JSU averages 223 rushing yards per game. Quarterback Zerrick Cooper – a Clemson transfer – has passed for 531 yards in two games with four touchdown passes, completing 36 of his 55 passes. Josh Pearson has been the beneficiary, catching three touchdowns among his 10 receptions for 260 yards.
Tech is also running into the disadvantage of facing the Gamecocks after their bye week for the fifth time in the last six seasons. JSU has won the last six meetings, with Tech last winning in Jacksonville in 2011 – the season the Golden Eagles last won the OVC championship.
Alexander feels like his team has progressed a lot from the start of the season.
"We're accomplishing goals," he said. "We have seen a lot of good things on our team. Even in the Utah State game, we were able to cut out some clips that we were able to show our players the improvements they've made. We didn't have a false start penalty in this game where we had five the previous game. That's a big improvement, and I could go on and on. We're doing good things in the kicking game as our kickers and punters have been outstanding.
"There's a lot of good things happening each week. In college football, you don't get preseason games or scrimmages. In the NFL, you get preseason games. High school, you get scrimmages against other opponents. In college, you only practice against each other, especially with one-a-day practices now in fall camp. We didn't really get much practice time with a new coaching staff, so these games have helped us a lot and will definitely help prepare us for our conference schedule."
Andrew Goldsmith leads the Golden Eagles in rushing with 152 yards on 37 carries, while Tech has yet to post a rushing touchdown so far. Bailey Fisher has thrown for 357 yards on 34-of-70 passing, while Josh Cunningham Is the team's leading receiver with nine catches for 69 yards, with Goldsmith hauling in 97 yards on seven catches.
Tech currently ranks ninth in the NCAA in fewest penalty yards, so those haven't plagued the Golden Eagles, and Tech has actually gotten better in protecting the ball.
"Against Utah State, we had two turnovers and they had two turnovers," Alexander said. "We got the first turnover and turned it into a field goal, they converted two turnovers into touchdowns. Right now, that's where we've got to cut down on the turnovers. That's something we can control and take care of and we've got to get more consistency offensively, which we will. We have young guys there and injuries at receiver, but we're starting to get some guys back healthy. I do think we'll play much better.
"Our room for error right now is not very big. We have to play very well. We have to play smart. We're doing those things, but we're not playing well enough in situations and that's something we'll continue to work on."
