TENNESSEE TECH AT MIDDLE TENNESSEE
Aug. 31 | 6 p.m. | Floyd Stadium | Murfreesboro, Tenn.
GAME NOTES | LIVE STATS | VIDEO | AUDIO
By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – On the very day, almost to the very minute, when Tennessee Tech introduced Bobby Wilder as the new head coach of the Golden Eagle football team, Middle Tennessee was introducing Derek Mason as the new head coach of the Blue Raiders.
It was purely coincidence, but it almost seemed fitting that the two coaches open their first seasons at the helm on the opposite sidelines.
Tech travels to Middle Tennessee on Saturday for the season opener in Murfreesboro with kickoff slated for 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ (subscription required) with Jake Rose (play-by-play), Jeremy Kellem (analyst) and Justin Beasley (sideline reporter) on the call, while Roger Ealey (play-by-play) and Dylan Vazzano (analyst) will have the Tech call on 106.1 The Eagle (also on 780 AM).
It is a fresh start for both teams after the Blue Raiders went 4-8 last season, including a 3-5 Conference USA mark, while the Golden Eagles went 4-7 for the second consecutive year with a 2-4 record in the Big South-Ohio Valley Conference Football Association.
With that, both programs went in new directions.
Middle Tennessee opted for Mason. While his 27-55 overall record might create pause, it was still seven seasons at Vanderbilt, facing some of the toughest competition in the country in the Southeastern Conference. Under his tenure in Nashville, he guided the Commodores to two bowl appearances – plus three straight wins over Tennessee from 2016 to 2018.
Wilder's resume at Old Dominion in relaunching a program that was dormant for nearly 70 years and guiding the Monarchs to success was impeccable. The team started winning immediately in one of the toughest Football Championship Subdivision conferences, then ODU made the jump to the Football Bowl Subdivision and saw success there, including a victory in the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl. Wilder enters Saturday's game with a 77-56 overall record, but was 46-14 on the FCS level.
Both Tech and Middle Tennessee share a similar situation as each squad sees plenty of new faces for the 2024 season with the Golden Eagles bringing in 55 newcomers and the Blue Raiders 58. Looking at MTSU's returning starters, just two return on defense, while five are back on the offense.
MTSU has depth in the running game and receiver corps with four returning letterwinners in the backfield with Jaiden Credle, Jekail Middlebrook, Frank Peasant and Terry Wilkins as well as receivers Jacob Coleman, Mitchell Howell, Javonte Sherman, Kellen Stewart, Taharin Sudderth and Holden Willis coming back for another campaign.
Quarterback Nick Vattiato passed for 3,092 yards and 23 touchdowns as he completed 286 of his 428 passes with 13 interceptions. Vattiato also rushed for 397 yards and two scores. Credle led the team in rushing with 427 yards on 90 carries with two scores, while Peasant had a team-best four rushing scores with 306 yards on 81 totes. Willis is the Blue Raiders' top returning receiver with 697 yards on 46 catches with five touchdowns.
MTSU's leading scorer from a year ago – kicker Zeke Rankin – returns for another campaign in 2024. He had 65 points for the Blue Raiders as he was 10-for-14 on field goals with a season-long 38-yard kick made against UTEP and missing twice from a season-long distance of 47. He also went 35-for-37 on extra points.
The Blue Raiders lost their top three defenders in Sam Brumfield (81 tackles, 3.5 sacks, two fumbles forced), Jakobe Thomas (71 tackles, one fumble recovery, one blocked kick) and Tra Fluellen (64 tackles, three interceptions) with Parker Hughes (53 tackles, 2.5 sacks, one fumble recovery) and Devyn Curtis (45 tackles, one sack, one fumble recovery) standing as the top defenders returning.
For the Golden Eagles, they have two strong options at quarterback with sophomore Jordyn Potts and Missouri transfer Dylan Laible. Potts threw for 1,132 yards and eight touchdowns in eight games last season, while also rushing for two more scores.
It's the inverse of Middle Tennessee as it's the offense where the Golden Eagles will see a lot of new faces, especially at running back and wide receiver. Through the staff's tireless efforts in the offseason to bolster the roster, Tech has a lot of options to choose from with Torin Baker, Jalen Mitchell, Obie Sanni, D.J. Linkins, Jay Parker, Tremel Jones, Ashton Maples and Hunter Barnhart – just to scratch the surface.
The Tech defense was among the top units in the Big South-OVC last season and they return several players who played big roles there, including defensive back Tim Coutras, linebacker Aaron Swafford and defensive lineman Daniel Rickert – all primed to improve on what breakout seasons in 2023.
On kicking, the Golden Eagles have Hayden Olsen back for another campaign. Olsen was 7-for-11 on field goals, while going 24-for-24 on PATs to retain his perfect 90-for-90 string in his career – already a Tech record, but approaching the OVC record set by Middle Tennessee's Garth Petrelli between 1991 and 1993.
Following the season opener at Middle Tennessee, the Golden Eagles hit the road to SEC country to take on No. 1-ranked Georgia for what could be Tech's first gridiron meeting against a No. 1-ranked team in program history. Tech will then take its bye week before opening Big South-OVC play at home against Tennessee State on Sept. 21.
Season tickets for Golden Eagle football are on sale now – call (931) 372-3940, visit the Hooper Eblen Center ticket office or order online at TTUsports.com.
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Photo | Jim Dillon
