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SAMFORD GAME NOTES | TENNESSEE TECH GAME NOTES
By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Every time Tennessee Tech faces Samford at Tucker Stadium, it tends to be a shootout. Across 12 meetings in Cookeville, the Golden Eagles have scored 362 points to Samford's 288, leading to an average score of Tech 30, Samford 24.
Of course, those numbers are bolstered by the last two meetings in Tucker Stadium – a 59-52 victory by the Bulldogs in their final season in the Ohio Valley Conference in 2007, then the thrilling 59-58 double-overtime victory by the Golden Eagles in 2019.
So when Tech and Samford square off on Saturday night, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the scoreboard lighting up like a Christmas tree.
Kickoff on Saturday night is scheduled for 6 p.m. Roger Ealey and Frank Harrell will handle the radio call on 98.5 KISS FM, while Dylan Vazzano and Sam Brooks will tackle the broadcast duties on ESPN+ (subscription required).
The game is part of Family Weekend at Tennessee Tech. Following the contest, the Golden Eagles will take their open week before opening OVC play October 1 at preseason favorite UT Martin.
Tech (1-1) isn't looking for that break just yet as the Golden Eagles would love to avenge a 52-14 defeat last season in the opener against the Bulldogs in Birmingham. With Samford under the direction of Chris Hatcher, the Bulldogs can score. In his era, Samford is averaging 34.7 points a game – more than college football legends Bobby Bowden (28.57) and Terry Bowden (27.92) did in their time or Bill Gray (25.68) and Pat Sullivan (25.50) in the OVC era and beyond.
Samford can also score quickly – the Bulldogs under Hatcher's direction have 166 scoring drives of under two minutes and 71 of a minute or less.
Last weekend, Samford lost the battle of the Bulldogs in Athens, falling 33-0 to defending FBS national champion Georgia. The hosts scored 30 points in the first half with seven of their first eight drives ending in scores or scoring tries (in the case of a missed field goal early in the second half). The lone exception was the clock running out for the half.
Samford, meanwhile, had just three drives extend past the initial chain length and only one that ended in Georgia territory midway through the fourth quarter.
To get a better feel for what Samford can do, however, you have to cast your gaze on its season-opener against then-No. 8 Kennesaw State. In the doghouse at Seibert Stadium, the Bulldogs saw a 14-7 lead evaporate to a 17-14 deficit in the third quarter. Chandler Smith caught two touchdown strikes in the fourth quarter from Michael Hiers – from his four on the night – with a 15-yarder with 12:40 remaining and a 31-yarder with 5:04 left to take the 27-17 victory over the Owls.
Hiers ended the game with 289 yards on 18-of-24 passing. Kendall Watson was his favorite target, hauling in nine chunks for 187 yards and two touchdowns. Smith had three catches for 67 yards.
As a team, Samford rushed for 113 yards, 90 coming off the feet of Jay Stanton – who has rushed for 102 yards on the season. Hiers, Watson and Smith also only had miniscule additions to their season totals last week at Georgia.
For the season, Isaiah Richardson leads the Bulldogs' defense with 15 tackles, while Noah Martin has 12.
The Golden Eagles escaped with a narrow 26-25 victory over Texas A&M-Commerce last week, a Lions team that showed tremendous skill and talent on their roster – including several Division I and Power 5 transfers.
Willie Miller caught the go-ahead touchdown from Jeremiah Oatsvall with two seconds remaining. Tech took a knee on the two-point try to avoid a potential score leapfrog by TAMUC, then O.J. Ross recovered a fumble on the kickoff's lateral tries to snuff out any chance of a Lion score.
Oatsvall presently stands as both Tech's leading passer and rusher, completing 30 of his 44 passes for 302 yards and three touchdowns, while running 32 times for 107 yards in two games. Tech ran for 228 yards against the Lions, led by David Gist with 67 yards on nine carries. Gist averaged 7.4 yards per tote, while Ross averaged 6.3 per carry and Quinton Cross on his lone tow.
Metrius Fleming leads all Tech receivers with eight carries for 96 yards, but it is a balanced aerial assault with 13 players catching at least one pass through the first two games.
Defensively, Seth Carlisle leads the way with 14 total tackles, two pass breakups and a quarterback hurry, while Josh Reliford has 10 stops, half a tackle-for-loss and two pass breakups. Dominic Howard leads the Golden Eagles in sacks, while Jacquez McGowan has an interception, Cameron Hudson, Aaron Swafford and Ross have fumble recoveries.
Tickets for Saturday's game are on sale now – call (931) 372-3940, visit the Hooper Eblen Center ticket office or visit TTUsports.com to order now.
Photo | Emily Armstrong
