By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – As the combined effort of the Big South and the Ohio Valley conferences join together for the first season of their alliance, the Tennessee Tech football team is expected to make a little bit of noise this season as the Golden Eagles were picked fourth in the 10-team group.
In a vote of the league's coaches, Tech garnered a first-place vote while collecting 58 points overall.
Southeast Missouri took six first-place votes and were selected either first or second in all 10 ballots to earn 96 total points for a first-place preseason projection. Gardner-Webb, coached by former Golden Eagle standout Tre Lamb, was selected second in the poll with two first-place votes and three second-place votes.
UT Martin, with a first-place nod, was picked to finish third, while Tech and Tennessee State – one point back from the Golden Eagles at 58 – rounded out the top five with the OVC side of the combined league taking four of the five top spots.
Bryant, Lindenwood, Eastern Illinois, Charleston Southern and Robert Morris round out the bottom half of the projections in order.
Tech hosts the top three teams in the poll as Southeast Missouri comes to Cookeville on October 21, Gardner-Webb on November 11 and UT Martin on November 4 for Homecoming.
Rather than the traditional Preseason All-OVC team, the combined leagues created a 64-player Preseason Watch List. Drawing from the postseason honors from last season, the Golden Eagles collected four on the preseason list with junior offensive lineman Nate Hodnett, graduate defensive lineman Kail Dava, sophomore linebacker Jacquez McGowan and junior punter Nick Bigelow.
Hodnett had a fantastic season for the Golden Eagles on the offensive front. In addition to setting up a crucial score against Texas A&M-Commerce, Hodnett helped the Tech accumulate 4,331 yards of offense and 34 touchdowns, while Golden Eagle quarterbacks were sacked only 14 times – barely over once per game – for 68 yards.
Dava was a second-team All-OVC selection last season after recording 24 tackles and 1.5 sacks with 5.5 tackles-for-loss. He also had a fumble recovery. McGowan was named to the OVC All-Newcomer Team after collecting 59 total tackles, with an interception and a pass breakup. Bigelow averaged 39.5 yards per punt with a season-long 53-yarder, while also pinning 14 inside-the-20. He punted 46 times for 1,816 yards.
