COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee Tech welcomes Kentucky Christian University, along with the TTU Class of 2018 for the Running of the Freshmen, into Tucker Stadium Thursday for the 2014 Golden Eagle season opener at 7 p.m. The Tailgate Park opens at 4 p.m., and the Golden Eagle Walk is at 4:45 p.m.

It looks like perfect weather for a football game in Cookeville on Thursday night, with partly cloudy skies and a temperature around 80 at kickoff. It should cool off to around 72 by the fourth quarter. ENJOY!

Kentucky Christian Knights (0-0, 0-0 MSC)
at Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (0-0, 0-0 OVC)
Thursday, Aug. 28 • 7 p.m. CT
Tucker Stadium (16,500) • Cookeville, Tenn.

GAME NOTES: Tennessee Tech opens the season on Thursday night by hosting Kentucky Christian at Tucker Stadium. It marks the first-ever game for Kentucky Christian against a NCAA FCS opponent.

TRYING TO MAKE IT EIGHT - Tennessee Tech is 7-0 in home openers under head coach Watson Brown, aiming to make it a perfect 8-0 with the game against Kentucky Christian.

RUNNING OF THE FRESHMEN - Among the special events planned for Thursday is the second Running of the Freshmen, where the Class of 2018 is joined by President Phil Oldham (click to see Dr. Oldham's commercial for the game) in leading the team onto the field. The event was a resounding success last year, with aproximately 800 freshman charging onto the turf of Tucker Stadium before the opener with Cumberland University. Freshmen are asked to gather in the northeast corner of the stadium by 6:30. Each participant receives a free t-shirt commemorating the event, plus a memory that will last a lifetime!

ONLY NON-DIVISIONAL FOE - The game with Kentucky Christian is the only game on Tech's 12-game schedule that is not against an NCAA Division I FCS opponent. Tech will play 11 FCS foes for only the second time in school history (1996).

GOLDEN EAGLE WALK - Tech introduced a new tradition last year with the Golden Eagle Walk, as the entire team makes its way through fans in the 98.5 Kiss FM Tailgate Park after its pregame meal. Fans line the street to greet the players. This year, fans will notice a couple of new twists to the event. The walk occurs approximately 4:45 p.m.

NUMBER OF NOTE - Senior receiver Cody Matthews comes into the game with 977 career receiving yards, needing 23 yards to reach the 1,000-yard milestone.

SCOUTING KENTUCKY CHRISTIAN: Kentucky Christian will play its only non-conference game of the season in its first contest of the season. After this game the Knights will play the remainder of its schedule against Mid-South Conference opponents. The team is under the direction of second-year head coach Gene Peterson. The team was 3-8 in his first season with KWC.
 
SCOUTING TENNESSEE TECH: Tennessee Tech begins the eighth season under head coach Watson Brown with a new wrinkle for its offense. Brown has instituted a “QW” position that puts two quarterbacks on the field at all times. One quarterback will be the tradition under center signal caller, where the other will lineup in various formations to give the team numerous plays to take advantage of each player’s strengths. Sophomore Jared Davis (935 passing yards, 9 touchdowns) will serve in the traditional QB role while senior Darian Stone (1,008 passing yards, 523 rushing yards, 11 combined passing and rushing scores) will be in the QW role. Overall Tech returns 49 letterwinners from last year’s team. Defensively the squad returns a pair of Preseason All-OVC selections in senior linebacker Tra’Darius Goff and senior defensive back Marty Jones. Goff led the team with 101 tackles a season ago while also registering 8.5 tackles-for-loss, 3.0 sacks, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Jones was second on the team with 98 stops while also netting 5.0 tackles-for-loss, two interceptions, three pass breakups, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.