CHARLESTON SOUTHERN AT TENNESSEE TECH
Oct. 25 | 1:30 p.m. | Tucker Stadium | Cookeville, Tenn.
LIVE STATS | VIDEO | AUDIO | GAME NOTES
By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – After a tough two-game trek to Cape Girardeau, Mo., and Macomb, Ill., the Tennessee Tech football team is back home for the first of two straight contests as the Golden Eagles entertain Charleston Southern in a Big South-Ohio Valley Conference Football Association battle on Saturday.
Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Dylan Vazzano and Sam Brooks will have the broadcast on ESPN+ (subscription required), while Roger Ealey and Marcelo Metzelar will narrate the action on 106.1 The Eagle.
Charleston Southern, playing in its second season in the Big South-OVC but only its first meeting with the Golden Eagles, enter the contest with a 1-6 record overall, 0-4 in league play. The overall record is misleading though as the Buccaneers defeated Football Championship Subdivision No. 15 Furman on the road in a 24-20 victory.
Since then, CSU has lost five straight games, including a 38-0 loss at Richmond, a 13-9 loss at Tennessee State, a 31-20 loss to Western Illinois, a 29-14 loss at Lindenwood and last week's 26-13 defeat at No. 8 Southeast Missouri – a game the Buccaneers actually held an early lead in.
CSU is averaging 14.4 points per game on offense, but allowing an average of 25.57 points on defense. The Buccaneer offense is fairly split between rushing and passing with an average of 142.3 on the ground and 138.1 through the air. They give up a little more on average on defense with 151.0 rushing yards and 193.0 passing yards per game.
Quarterback Rob McCoy Jr. has thrown for 670 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions in six games, while Kaleb Jackson has 216 yards and two touchdowns in four games. Zolten Osborne, in one game behind center, threw for 81 yards, but was picked off twice.
Noah Jennings has been the top target with 27 catches for 273 yards and three touchdowns, while Chris Rhone has 335 yards and two touchdowns on 24 catches.
On the ground, Autavius Ison has carried for a team-best 672 yards of their 996 total with four of the Buccaneers' five rushing touchdowns. He also leads the team in scoring with 24 of its total 101 points.
Defensively, CSU has not created a lot of takeaways with four interceptions and two fumble recoveries, collecting one each for a touchdown with Trayson Fowler returning a pick-six and Ja'Kobe North delivering a scoop-and-score.
Reid Montgomery is 4-for-4 on field goals and has hit six of CSU's eight PAT tries with Patrick Fisher-Butler going 0-for-2 on field goals and 3-for-3 on PATs.
Defensively, Steve Zayachkowsky leads the team with 48 tackles – 33 solo and 15 assisted – with two for-loss and one sack, while hurrying the quarterback twice and forcing a fumble. Fowler is second on the team in tackles with 33, while Davion Williams has 32. Darrius Bell leads the team in tackles-for-loss with six and a team-best two sacks.
The Golden Eagles, meanwhile, took two tough games on the chin with a 34-3 loss at Southeast Missouri and a 37-21 loss last week at Western Illinois. Tech (2-5, 2-2 Big South-OVC) is averaging 21.1 points on offense and allowing an average of 29.7.
Tech has outgained its opponents 1,134 to 861 on the ground, but has allowed 2,108 passing yards to its own 1,263. Opponents have rushed for seven touchdowns on the ground, but passed for 18 with Tech combining for 16 total touchdowns. The season average on passing yards allowed hit 301.1 following the WIU game and is a 364.7 average over the course of Tech's current three-game losing skid.
Tech also allowed a season-high 186 rushing yards last week against the Leathernecks, even though the Golden Eagles have held opponents to under 100 rushing yards three times this season. In the current losing streak, opponents are rushing for an average of 92 yards, allowing 53 to South Carolina State and 37 to Southeast Missouri.
Dylan Laible returned from injury last week and threw for 262 yards and a touchdown against Western Illinois, completing 23 of his 33 passes, but was sacked five times and threw two interceptions. He did complete passes to 12 different receivers, including an 84-yard performance for D.J. Linkins.
Tremel Jones almost surpassed 200 yards of total offense last week as he had 165 kick return yards in the contest, bolstered by a 53-yard return.
For the season, Jordyn Potts leads the way passing with 865 yards and six touchdowns, while throwing five interceptions. Linkins has 32 catches for 357 yards and one touchdown, while Ashton Maples has caught the most scoring passes with three among his 10 catches for 111 yards. Jalen Mitchell leads Tech rushing attack with 351 yards and a team-best three touchdowns on 72 carries.
Kicker Dom LeBlanc leads the team in scoring with 30 points, going 5-for-8 on field goals and 15-for-15 on PATs since taking over for injured starter Hayden Olsen.
Defensively, Tech has nine interceptions – led by two each from Tim Coutras and Caldra Williford – and four fumble recoveries with Myles Parker picking up two and Eric Taylor and Daniel Rickert picking up the other two.
Cayman Spaulding leads the team with 40 total stops – 12 solo and 23 assisted – with five for-loss, a sack and a pass breakup. Jalin Shephard has 33 with a breakup. Kanstin Brooks leads the team with six tackles-for-loss, followed by Theron Gaines with five, while Gaines leads the team in sacks at 3.5.
Following Saturday's visit from Charleston Southern, the Golden Eagles will host Lindenwood next week for Homecoming, then will return to the road for two straight weeks for a non-conference contest at Samford on Nov. 9 and a trip to UT Martin on Nov. 16.
Tickets for Tennessee Tech Football are on sale now – call (931) 372-3940, visit the Hooper Eblen Center ticket office or order online at TTUsports.com.
Photo | Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
