By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – As the Tennessee Tech football team heads into Ohio Valley Conference play with its first 3-1 start since 2011, the Golden Eagles added some accolades on Sunday after coming home in the wee hours of the morning from their 38-24 win over Western Illinois.
Bailey Fisher was named the Ohio Valley Conference's co-Offensive Player of the Week, splitting the honor with Jacksonville State wide receiver Josh Pearson (149 yds. on seven catches, three touchdowns), while Fisher also earned FCS National Player of the Week honors from the College Sports Madness website for his second national honor this season.
Sophomore linebacker Seth Carlisle was named the OVC's Defensive Player of the Week, while true freshman wide receiver/return specialist Metrius Fleming has named the conference's Newcomer of the Week for the third time in four weeks.
Fisher ended the Western Illinois game with 404 yards of total offense and five total touchdowns (three rushing and two passing as he helped lead the Golden Eagles to its first non-conference road win since 2013, completing 23 of 37 passes for 314 yards with a 31-yard touchdown pass to Darrius Stafford and a 17-yard touchdown pass to Tavin Kilpatrick. In the second half, Fisher had touchdown runs of six, one and 26 yards, the latter icing the game.
Fisher currently ranks third in the Football Championship Subdivision in rushing touchdowns with seven and fifth in total touchdowns. He also ranks 15th in points responsible for (18.0 per game) and scoring (11.0 per game), 25th in total passing (979) and 27th in total offense (274.8 per game).
Carlisle, a sophomore product from Macon County High, picked off two passes, including one on the final Leatherneck drive of the game, helping seal the victory. The first came in the second quarter and led to a field goal to extend Tech's lead. Carlisle also had three tackles.
He is one of four players this season in the OVC with multiple interceptions in a game.
Fleming didn't find the end zone in this game, but he still put together one of the best Golden Eagle receiving performances in program history as he caught seven passes for a career-high 165 yards, the 13th best performance for Tech wideouts. He also had an 18-yard kickoff return to finish the game with 183 all-purpose yards.
Fleming ranks 35th nationally in all-purpose yards (132.0 per game) and is averaging 50.0 yards per kickoff return.
It marks the first time since Nov. 20, 2016, that Tech had three OVC weekly awards with Dontez Byrd winning offensive and newcomer honors and Nick Madonia won the specialist award following the Tennessee State contest. It is the first time since Oct. 19, 2014, following the Eastern Kentucky game, that Tech had three different players win OVC weekly awards with Darian Stone (offensive), Marty Jones (defensive) and Ladarius Vanlier (specialist) recognized.
The Golden Eagles return to action on Saturday as they open OVC play at Eastern Illinois. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m.
