By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The fall air, the changing of the leaves, the cheer of the Saturday afternoon crowds. It's an exciting time when college football season comes back around and as the 2017 Tennessee Tech football season opens, the Golden Eagles will host five contests in the friendly confines of Tucker Stadium.
"Fall is always an exciting time in collegiate athletics with the start of new seasons," said Tech Director of Athletics Mark Wilson. "It's hard to find many spectator experiences better than college football, with the pageantry, the fan interactions and the game itself."
Tech will host five home contests this season, starting with an August 31 visit from Western Illinois to open the campaign. That game is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start.
The Fighting Leathernecks finished the 2016 season with a 6-5 record, 3-5 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. Steve McShane, who will be a junior when the team travels to Cookeville, led WIU in rushing with 917 yards and eight touchdowns. Junior quarterback Sean McGuire threw for 2,914 yards and 20 TDs, while Isaiah LeSure is their top-performing returner in the receiver corps with 30 catches for 425 yards and five touchdowns. Senior Brett Taylor led the Leathernecks in tackles with 134, while he also had 8.5 for-loss, four sacks and an interception.
Tech will then open Ohio Valley Conference play at home as the Golden Eagles entertain defending champion Jacksonville State on Sept. 30. The game is also slated for a 6 p.m. start.
The Gamecocks went 10-2 last season, including an unblemished 7-0 mark in conference play before falling to Youngstown State in the opening round of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
JSU, however, will be without quarterback Eli Jenkins after he wrapped up a career where we had 11,448 yards of total offense – second in OVC history only to former Eastern Illinois star Jimmy Garoppolo – ran for 43 touchdowns and threw for 7,508 yards. He was 25-0 against the OVC.
Tech then hosts Tennessee State on Oct. 28 for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff. The Tigers finished 7-4 last season, 4-3 in the OVC.
The Golden Eagles earned a 44-16 victory over the Tigers last season at Hale Stadium, which could add some fuel to the fire in this hotly contested series.
Tech then has two home games in November as the Golden Eagles host Austin Peay on Nov. 4 for Tech's annual Homecoming contest, while it will host UT Martin in the regular-season finale on Nov. 18. Both games are slated as 1:30 p.m. kickoffs.
The Governors, despite showing plenty of improvement as the team progressed under first-year head coach Will Healy, finished 0-11, 0-8 in the OVC. The Skyhawks, meanwhile, finished 7-5, 6-2 in league play.
"This is a very exciting schedule at home," said Tech head football coach Marcus Satterfield. "After a season coaching in this league, it's not hard to see that there are a lot of strong rivalries in the OVC and home-field advantage is a major factor. We need the fans out here, coming out in droves, cheering these guys on. Last season was just the start of the process and these guys are on the verge of building something very special with this program."
Season tickets for Golden Eagle football are now on sale for $36 each, with youth and senior season tickets priced at $25. A Family Plan ticket is also available for $75 with general admission seating for two adults and three children. Tech also offers a "Back the Golden Eagles" package for businesses which provides 10 season tickets and a display plaque for $200. Tech employee season tickets are $20 each, with a limit of four per person. Individual game-day tickets are $10 each.
For more information on tickets, call (931) 372-3940, visit the ticket office at the Hooper Eblen Center or visit TTUsports.com.
Photo by Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
