By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The 'I's are dotted and the 'T's are crossed, the lines are signed and the contracts are back in. While it may only have been just a handful of weeks since the Tennessee Tech football team finished its 2020-21 campaign, the paperwork is complete on the 2021 schedule.
Times and additional special events will be announced at a later date.
The Golden Eagles will kick off the slate with a return trip to Samford on Thursday, Sept. 2. Tech was scheduled to make the return trip in the 2020 season before the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the sports schedules. The Bulldogs certainly want the chance to pay back the Golden Eagles for a double-overtime defeat in the 2019 season opener.
The Bulldogs finished 4-3 in the 2020-21 season, an all-Southern Conference slate, picking up wins over Western Carolina, Wofford and The Citadel.
Jay Stanton led the team in rushing with 89 carries for 479 yards and eight touchdowns. Liam Welch averaged 373.7 yards per game passing as he finished the year with 2,242 yards and 12 touchdowns. Welch was the starting quarterback against Tech in 2019 before Chris Oladokun came on in relief. Oladokun threw for 221 yards and a touchdown in the spring campaign. Ty King caught 33 passes for 609 yards and three touchdowns to lead Samford, while Montrell Washington had four touchdown catches among his 406 yards on 27 completions. Nathan East had a team-best 68 tackles, while Chris Edmonds intercepted four passes.
The Golden Eagles are 11-12 all-time against Samford, including a 4-6 record in Birmingham.
Tech will open the home portion of the schedule the following week as fellow Southern Conference foe Furman comes to Tucker Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 11. It'll be the first contest between the Golden Eagles and the Paladins since a pair of games in 1975 and 1976. The two games were split 1-1, the visiting team winning the previous meetings.
The Paladins went 3-4 this past season, beating Western Carolina, Samford and East Tennessee State.
Devin Wynn led Furman in rushing with 511 yards and five touchdowns, while Hamp Sisson threw for 1,258 yards and 12 touchdowns. Ryan DeLuca caught 24 passes for 441 yards and a touchdown, while Ryan Miller hauled in six touchdowns among his 15 catches for 254 yards. Nick Kuzemka led the team in tackles with 49.
Tech makes its annual sojourn to the Football Bowl Subdivision on Saturday, Sept. 18, as the Golden Eagles make a return to Neyland Stadium to take on the Tennessee Volunteers. Tech last faced the Vols in 2016, ending a 65-year absence from their schedule. The Golden Eagles are 0-6 against Tennessee in program history.
The Vols finished 3-7 last season in an all-Southeastern Conference schedule. Josh Heupel, previously the head coach at UCF, was named Tennessee's new head coach on Jan. 27, and the Golden Eagles will be his third opponent before opening SEC play the following week.
Last season, Eric Gray led the Vols in rushing with 772 yards rushing with four touchdowns. Jarrett Guarantano passed for 1,112 yards and six touchdowns, then transferred to Washington State after the end of the year. Josh Palmer caught 33 passes for 475 yards and four touchdowns. Henry To'o To'o led the team in tackles with 76.
The Ohio Valley Conference portion of the schedule begins on Sept. 25 as Tech hosts Eastern Illinois and Southeast Missouri in back-to-back weeks. The Panthers finished 1-5 in 2020-21, while the Redhawks went 4-4.
On October 9, Tech then hits the road again to Durham, N.C., to take on North Carolina Central, the first meeting between the two teams in program history. The Eagles did not play a 2020 season as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference suspended fall sports, then NCCU opted out of spring competition.
In their last completed season in 2019, the Eagles went 4-8, 3-5 in MEAC play. Isaiah Totten rushed for 636 yards and three touchdowns, Davius Richard threw for 2,020 yards and 12 touchdowns, and Ryan McDaniel caught 39 passes for 368 yards and three touchdowns. Deonta Fair led the team with 85 tackles.
Tech continues the road trip the following week with a brief return to OVC play as the Golden Eagles take on Tennessee State on Oct. 16.
The Tigers finished 2-5 in Spring 2021 and recently hired former Tennessee Titans great and Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George as their new head coach.
Tech returns home for a non-conference contest against Virginia-Lynchburg on Oct. 23, the first meeting between the two schools. The Dragons opted out of 2020 competition and finished 0-9 in their last completed campaign. Tomas Newman rushed for 337 yards, Jeffrey Richardson threw for 850 yards and six touchdowns, and Johnny Rembert caught 42 passes for 593 yards and seven touchdowns. John Templar led the team with 61 tackles.
After an open date on October 30, the Golden Eagles hit the road to Murray State, before coming home on Nov. 13 for the UT Martin matchup, selected as Tech's 2021 Homecoming game. Tech finishes the season with a trip to Clarksville to take on Austin Peay on Nov. 20.
The Racers finished Spring 2021 with a 5-2 record, the Skyhawks 3-4 and the Governors 4-5.
Season tickets for Tennessee Tech football are on sale now. Call (931) 372-3940, visit TTUsports.com or visit the Hooper Eblen Center ticket office to order.