COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – With some sun and heat instead of the dark and rain, Saturday's football scrimmage at Tucker Stadium saw a lot more positives for the Tennessee Tech football team.

 

There were fewer mistakes, more explosive plays and plenty to make Golden Eagle fans salivate about the start of the 2017 campaign.

 

Still, there's still a long way to go before the first game of the season on August 31 against Football Championship Subdivision No. 25 Western Illinois, but head coach Marcus Satterfield was thrilled with what the Golden Eagles put together on Saturday.

 

"It was better than Monday from an energy standpoint, the execution was better and – we still have to watch the film – but it was physical," Satterfield said. "The sun came out and when they started getting tired, they started playing harder. That's all we've been talking about. It's still not going to perfect right now and it doesn't have to be. I really liked the competition today and it was fun to watch."

 

One of the bright spots was quarterback play as all of Tech's pass throwers put together great series. Hayden Rettig, the transfer from Rutgers and LSU, put together three touchdown drives as he threw two strikes to Dontez Byrd, then broke off a 40-yard scamper for another.

 

But it wasn't just him.

 

"The quarterbacks looked much better," Satterfield said. "We've coached them really hard and added some depth there. The guys are stepping up, and I think the competition there is forcing them to get better – either you're going to play good and take care of the ball and do what you're supposed to do on every down, or you're not playing."

 

Tech also saw some bright spots on the running game as Yeedee Thaenrat, the Golden Eagles' preseason selection to the all-Ohio Valley Conference team, rushed for a 46-yard touchdown to open the day's scoring, while Rodrick Napper put together some solid runs.

 

However, the defense was still making big plays, especially in the secondary. Mackell Pippen picked off two passes and narrowly missed a third, while converted wide receiver Josh Cunningham also saw a pass sail into his hands.

 

But it wasn't a knock on the quarterbacks – it's a testament to the skill in Tech's secondary unit.

 

"Yeah, they're running to the ball, they're deflecting passes," Satterfield said. "We try to get at least 10 guys in the frame on every play. They're running to the ball and it's getting tipped. They're getting interceptions and creating turnovers, which is crucial. Anytime you want to have a really good season and move forward with your program, you've got to do a great job creating turnovers, and when they come your way, execute with them."

 

"We'll start looking at Western Illinois a little bit," he said. "We'll try to get the guys' legs back and get some guys who are banged up back out here. Nothing's really changing. It doesn't matter if it's the last week of camp or the first week of spring, we don't care. We come out and demand the coaches to coach as hard as they can, the players play as hard as they can and when somebody tells us we can't do it anymore, then we see where we are."

 

Season tickets for Golden Eagle football are on sale now. To order, call the ticket office at (931) 372-3940, visit the Hooper Eblen Center ticket office or log on to TTUsports.com.