GAME NOTES | Game 7 -- at UT Martin (PDF)
By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
MARTIN, Tenn. – It's almost surprising how quickly the eight weeks for the 2020-21 Ohio Valley Conference football season have passed by. From ice and snow on the Tucker Stadium turf on the first week to spring weather on the final week, it's been an interesting ride.
Even as soon as this spring slate wraps up, it won't be long before the Tennessee Tech football team gets back out on the field and gets ready for the next season.
But before it gets to that point, the Golden Eagles have one last order of business before a well-deserved break – beat UT Martin.
Kickoff for the season finale at Hardy M. Graham Stadium is set for 3 p.m. Roger Ealey and Dylan Vazzano will provide the broadcast on 98.5 KISS FM, while Tom Britt, Chris Brinkley and John Hatker will cover the streaming duties on ESPN+ (subscription required).
While the Golden Eagles (2-4) have already earned at least a share of the Sergeant York Trophy – and will hold the trophy at the end of the season by virtue of a tiebreaker if they don't win this weekend – Tech isn't resting on that laurel, insisting they want to win the trophy outright.
Officially, the Golden Eagles have won the trophy three times – 2009, 2011 and 2016; the latter two shares of the title with the tiebreaker sending the trophy elsewhere. Regardless, head coach Dewayne Alexander's plan is to bring Sergeant York back home to Cookeville, just under an hour away from York's hometown of Pall Mall.
To do that, Tech will be in for a challenge. UT Martin has won seven straight games in the series, the last Golden Eagle win coming in 2012 in Cookeville – a 45-44 overtime victory.
The Skyhawks' last win over the Golden Eagles certainly hasn't been forgotten. UTM scored 48 straight points with Tech adding two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to avoid the shutout. UTM had 553 yards of offense, including 331 yards and five touchdowns for quarterback John Bachus III. That also had five catches for Colton Dowell for 154 yards and two touchdowns, while Peyton Logan rushed for 107 yards and a score.
Despite only collecting a similar 2-4 record, the Skyhawks see these same players making impacts this season. Bachus is averaging 238.7 passing yards a game as he has thrown for 1,432 yards and 11 touchdowns. Dowell has 354 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 34 catches, while Donnell Williams has 445 yards and three touchdowns on 29 catches. Rodney Williams leads the team with four touchdown catches.
The Skyhawks haven't utilized the run game as much, averaging 70.3 yards on the ground per game, led by Logan with 327 yards and two touchdowns.
On defense, Deven Sims leads UTM with 53 tackles and a forced fumble, while John Ford has 35 tackles and two interceptions and JaQuez Akins has 33 stops with two fumble recoveries and another forced.
UTM ranks fifth in scoring offense, averaging 22.5 points per game, while ranking fifth in scoring defense, giving up 24.5 points a game.
In contrast, Tech ranks sixth in scoring offense, putting up an average of 22.2 points, while standing fifth in scoring defense, allowing 24.3 points. Tech is also sixth in total offense (301.0 yards per game) and third in total defense (303.7 yards per game, a sharp decrease from the 2019 campaign). Defensively, the Golden Eagles rank first in pass defense (170.5 yards per game) and second in opponent first downs with 95 (15.8) average.
That latter number is helped by the Golden Eagles' time of possession as Tech has been able to play defense with its offense by eating up clock. Tech averages 34:48 of possession time, the top team in the conference in that statistic.
Willie Miller has grown comfortable in his role at quarterback as each week passes. For the season, he's thrown for 668 yards and four touchdowns, while also rushing 55 times for 224 yards and four more scores. Thirteen Golden Eagles have caught passes this season, led by Kurt Taylor Jr., in catches with 19 and Metrius Fleming in yardage with 187 yards and a touchdown. Jordan Brown has made an impact in his first campaign, catching five passes for 42 yards and two touchdowns.
On the ground, Tech is averaging 125.7 yards per game, with Taylor leading the way with 249 yards and a score on 61 carries, averaging 41.5 yards per game.
Hayden Olsen, also a true freshman, leads the Golden Eagles in scoring with 37 points, going 7-for-11 on field goals – including a career-long 52-yarder last week against Tennessee State. Olsen is also a perfect 16-for-16 on PATs.
Defensively, Seth Carlisle leads the Golden Eagles with 45 tackles, while also recording an interception, two pass breakups and two fumble recoveries. Jack Warwick has 38 tackles, two sacks, an interception, three pass breakups and a QB hurry. Josh Reliford and Marcus McMeans both have 33 stops, while Reliford has two interceptions and four breakups, McMeans a breakup and a fumble recovery.
