Posted: Sep 29, 2016
By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It's been nearly an entire month since the Tennessee Tech football team last played in the friendly confines of Tucker Stadium.
And in the three weeks since, the Golden Eagles picked up a big win over Austin Peay to open Ohio Valley Conference play, then took tough losses at Mercer and UT Martin.
Now, the Golden Eagles (1-3, 1-1 OVC) are back home on Saturday, taking on an Eastern Kentucky (1-2) team that is looking for its first Division I win of the season as the Colonels open up their OVC slate. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
The Colonels took losses to Football Bowl Subdivision foes Purdue and Ball State, sandwiching their lone victory against the University of Pikeville.
The biggest player of note for EKU is a notable one as former Missouri quarterback Maty Mauk transferred to the Richmond, Ky., campus during the summer. In his two starts, Mauk has thrown for 303 yards and one touchdown as he completed 21 of his 39 passes.
Bennie Coney, who threw for 351 yards against the Golden Eagles last season in a game played at Georgetown College after the game had to be moved there following a security threat, has thrown in two games, collecting 159 yards and a touchdown on 14-of-27 passing.
The Colonels have also employed Tyler Swafford and James Smith at quarterback, giving EKU a lot of versatility at the position.
Speaking of versatility, in the three games the Colonels have played this season, 13 different players have caught at least one pass in their offensive scheme. Devin Borders leads the way with 12 catches for 159 yards and a touchdown.
On the ground, Henry Enyehihi has rushed for 108 yards on 21 carries with one touchdown. He averages 36 yards a game. The Colonels, as a whole, average 154.3 rushing yards a game.
One thing the Golden Eagles should watch out for though – the Colonels can score points off of turnovers. EKU has turned takeaways into 52 points out of its total of 93 on the season. The Colonels have forced 10 fumbles, taking away five, and picked off five passes.
It's a concern as Tech has fumbled seven times in four games, losing five, and has three interceptions against.
Tech's offense, however, isn't any slouch. The Golden Eagles are averaging 346.3 yards of offense per game, including 251.3 passing yards.
Quarterback Michael Birdsong leads the conference in yardage, throwing for 1,009 yards and six touchdowns this season.
Yeedee Thaenrat leads the Tech rushing attack with 202 yards and two touchdowns on 58 carries, and Kip Patton leads the receiving effort with 17 catches for 195 yards and one score.
Defensively, Josh Poplar leads the Golden Eagles with 36 tackles – an average of nine per game – with two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and a pass break-up.
Roger Ealey and Buddy Pearson will handle broadcast duties on the Golden Eagle Sports Network and 98.5 KISS FM. Tim Scruggs and Sam Brooks will cover the game for WCTE.
Tickets for Saturday's game are available at the Tech ticket office at the Hooper Eblen Center. Fans can also call (931) 372-3940 or visit www.ttusports.com.
