KANSAS GAME NOTES | TENNESSEE TECH GAME NOTES
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By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – As the day dawns on Tucker Stadium, the equipment truck is getting loaded and the Tennessee Tech football team is making its final preparations before loading up Thursday to fly to Lawrence, Kan., to take on their first opponent of the 2022 campaign – the Kansas Jayhawks.
Ladies and gentlemen, football season is here.
Kickoff for Tech's season opener at Kansas on Friday night is 7 p.m. Roger Ealey and Dylan Vazzano will provide the broadcast locally on 98.5 KISS FM, while Noah Reed and Jay Sonnhalter will handle the call on Big 12 Now/ESPN+ (subscription required).
The Golden Eagles are ready to play someone else other than themselves and see just what they're capable of. This is also a contest that is an enticing one for Tech as they look for that elusive win over a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent.
It's not out of question – the Ohio Valley Conference has defeated an FBS opponent in seven of the past 12 seasons and have 36 victories all-time. Kansas hasn't won more than three games in a season since 2009. Temper the expectations though: the Golden Eagles are 2-36 against FBS opponents and haven't won one since 1980.
This is a Kansas program that, while it only won two games last season – including a big one against Texas – is building inroads to improvement under the direction of Lance Leipold, a coach that had a lot of success as Buffalo and his alma mater Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Tech, celebrating the 100th anniversary of its first varsity game this season, is also looking at this season as a new beginning. While there is a lot of depth returning on this Golden Eagle squad, there are also a lot of exciting new faces to watch.
No question the tandem of quarterback Jeremiah Oatsvall and offensive coordinator Wes Satterfield is at the forefront, but equally exciting is the wealth of talent at the wide receiver position with Metrius Fleming, Bradley Clark, Quinton Cross, Ashton Maples, Willie Miller and Jalal Dean – all of them equally dangerous and explosive.
Then there's running back David Gist, who ranked fourth in the conference in rushing and had the most rushing yards for a Tech back since Dontey Gay in the Golden Eagles' OVC title run in 2011. Gist has some support from Jayvian Allen, who moved over from the defensive side of the ball, but has great speed and can make for a nice 1-2 punch.
With Hunter Barnhart and Davin Dyal at tight end, plus an experienced offensive line anchored by Spencer Stachyra, Trevor Stephens, Ellis Adams, Nate Hodnett and Isaac Cross, the Golden Eagles' offense should be a fun one to watch.
Defensively, the Golden Eagles took some hits up front from graduating Chris Tucker and Jale'n Gladney, but the hosses up front aren't rebuilding – they're reloading. The two-deep there lives up to the word deep as tackles Kail Dava, Christian Cantrell and Jacorrian Wrenn have all proven to be very talented at the position, while newcomer Ethan McLaurin had a great camp and could be a big addition.
Linebacker has been a strength for the Golden Eagles for a long time and the 2022 group is no exception. Led by Seth Carlisle, Tech's LBs are a talented group with Aidan Raines, K.J. Phillips and newcomer Jacquez McGowan.
The OVC has been a pass-heavy league – no surprise with the quarterbacks who have come through the member schools – which means you have to have a solid pass-protection unit and Tech has that indeed. Josh Reliford, the team's reigning Robert Hill Johnson Award winner, has consistently been among the team's leaders in tackles. With Jamal Boyd, Jyron Gilmore, Tai Carter, Trace Danley and Nyquan Washington among the defensive backs cruising the field looking to stop any offensive assault, opposing receivers are going to have to work.
In the special teams unit, kickers Hayden Olsen and Devin Parker are both solid options on field goals and Olsen is still perfect on PATs in his career. After long-stay Jarrett Key finished up at long snapper, two new options are there with Hayden Rigsby and Logan Weedman taking up the task.
The return game is stacked with Gilmore and freshman Quavel Thornton on punts and freshman Justin Pegues and Fleming on kicks. It's a fast and elusive group, with Thornton and Pegues impressing in the camp scrimmages.
On the other side of the ball, quarterback Jalon Daniels, who led Kansas in its win over Texas, was announced as its starter for the game against the Golden Eagles. He completed 81 of his 117 passes for 860 yards and seven touchdowns, while throwing three interceptions in six appearances. After the suspension of receiver Trevor Wilson, Daniels will still have big targets in Luke Grimm, Lawrence Arnold and Quentin Skinner. Arnold and Grimm each had three touchdown catches last season.
There's a lot of options in the backfield as the Jayhawks list Devin Neal, Daniel Hishaw, Ky Thomas or Sevion Morrison. Neal led the team with 707 yards and eight touchdowns on 158 carries.
On defense, Kenny Logan Jr. at safety led the way with an incredible 113 tackles, while also intercepting a pass, recovering a fumble and forcing two more. Linebacker Rich Miller had 79 stops and two sacks.
The Golden Eagles will return home next Saturday for Legends Weekend, Public Health and Safety and Military Appreciation Night and Tech Faculty and Staff Appreciation night as Texas A&M-Commerce comes to Cookeville.
Season tickets for Tennessee Tech football are on sale now. Call (931) 372-3940, visit the Hooper Eblen Center or visit TTUsports.com to order.
Photo | Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
