By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech football is starting to gain a little traction nationally as the Golden Eagles received votes in this week's American Football Coaches Association Poll for the Football Championship Subdivision.
That marks the first time the Golden Eagles have been in or received votes in one of the two major FCS polls since receiving votes in the AFCA Poll in 2016 following a 33-30 win over Eastern Kentucky. Tech last appeared in the STATS FCS poll in 2014.
Tech was last ranked in the Top 25 in the final polls of the 2011 season, standing 21st in the STATS FCS Poll and 19th in the FCS Coaches Poll after winning the Ohio Valley Conference's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs that season.
Though there is still plenty of work to do to enter the Top 25, the Golden Eagles are no stranger to the polls, being ranked in the Top 25 in 13 different seasons, including as high as No. 3 in the Associated Press Division II Poll on Nov. 2, 1977, before the NCAA realignment to I-A/I-AA, as well as No. 8 in the final three UPI polls of the 1972 campaign.
In addition to the polls, the Golden Eagles also added two more national honors on Monday as STATS FCS granted national player of the week honorable mention selections to sophomore quarterback Bailey Fisher and freshman wide receiver/return specialist Metrius Fleming.
Fisher was an honorable mention for National Offensive Player of the Week, after ending 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.
He 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).
Fisher shared the OVC's Offensive Player of the Week award with Jacksonville State receiver Josh Pearson, who had 149 yards and three touchdowns on seven catches against North Alabama. He was also named the STATS FCS National Offensive Player of the Week following week one's double-overtime win over Samford and was this week's FCS National Offensive Player from College Sports Madness.
Fleming was named an honorable mention for National Freshman of the Week for the second straight week after catching seven passes for a career-high 165 yards – the 13th most yards in a single game for a Tech wideout in school history -- and adding an 18-yard kickoff return. He currently ranks 35th in all-purpose yards nationally.
He also won this week's OVC Newcomer of the Week award.
The Golden Eagles, 3-1 for the first time since 2011, return to action this week as they open conference play against 0-4 Eastern Illinois in a game slated as the ESPN3 OVC Game of the Week with Kevin Ingram and Bob Belvin. Kickoff from Charleston, Ill., is scheduled for 4 p.m.
Photo by Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
