LINDENWOOD AT TENNESSEE TECH
Nov. 2, 2024 | 1:30 p.m. | Tucker Stadium | Cookeville, Tenn.
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By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – As the calendar page turns from October to November and the final month of the 2024 Tennessee Tech football season begins, the temperatures are getting cooler and the fall colors are starting to shine through.
That must mean it's time for Homecoming in Cookeville.
The Golden Eagles will entertain Lindenwood for the 93rd edition of Tech's Homecoming. Kickoff is slated for 1:30 p.m. Dylan Vazzano and Sam Brooks will have the call on ESPN+ (subscription required), while Roger Ealey and Marcelo Metzelar will narrate the action on 106.1 The Eagle.
Tech is 1-1 against the visiting Lions with the home teams taking the victories. The Golden Eagles topped Lindenwood 35-34 in Cookeville on Nov. 5, 2022, in a Homecoming contest, then the Lions shut out Tech 23-0 last season in St. Charles, Mo.
Lindenwood (4-5, 3-2 Big South-Ohio Valley Conference) stands tied with the Golden Eagles (3-5, 3-2 Big South-OVC) with both teams standing behind 3-1 Tennessee State and UT Martin, while Southeast Missouri holds on to the top spot at 5-0. With the last four regular-season games ahead, there's still potential for some late-season shakeups.
To take advantage of that, however, the Golden Eagles are going to have to find a way to slow down Lindenwood's offense. As a team, the Lions are averaging 194.2 yards on the ground and 192.8 through the air per game.
Last week, in Lindenwood's 49-38 win over Western Illinois, the Lions rushed for 389 yards on 38 carries – an average of 10.2 yards per carry albeit skewed by a 93-yard run during the game. The bulk of that came on the shoulders of Steve Hall, who ran for 259 yards and four touchdowns – just 13 yards away from breaking the single-game program rushing record.
Hall currently leads the team in rushing with 675 total yards and five touchdowns, while Cortezz Jones had 485 yards and five scores. Quarterback Nate Glantz (235 yards) also has four rushing touchdowns.
With the 389-yard outburst, the Lions have three straight games of over 200 rushing yards and four total this season.
One could hope that with the rushing attack surging that the passing would suffer. It hasn't – while the Lions aren't hitting the 283-yard heights it did at Eastern Illinois a month ago, they're still consistently around the 200-yard mark on passing.
Glantz has thrown for 1,620 yards on 121-of-211 passing with 13 touchdown passes. His primary target has been Jeff Caldwell, who has caught 35 passes for 784 yards and nine touchdowns. Reece Thomas is second on the receiving chart with 22 catches for 249 yards and two scores.
On the bright side, the Golden Eagles have done well slowing down the run this season with their opponents averaging 98.1 yards on the ground per game, bolstered by a rushing shutout on Tennessee State as the visiting Tigers ended with exactly zero rushing yards in the contest, while also holding South Carolina State to 53 and No. 6-ranked Southeast Missouri to 37.
The obstacle will be also stopping the multifaceted Lions as they can throw. Tech held Charleston Southern to 213 passing yards last week in the victory over the Buccaneers. The pass defense has consistently been in the mid-200s, but the numbers are elevated from the contests against South Carolina State and Southeast Missouri.
Dylan Laible is up to 455 yards passing as he prepares for his third game back from injury, slinging three touchdown passes. Jordyn Potts has thrown for 965 yards and six touchdowns. D.J. Linkins leads the receivers with 35 catches for 463 yards and two touchdowns, while Ashton Maples has three touchdown catches.
On the ground, Jalen Mitchell leads the way with 87 carries for 445 yards and three scores, while Tremel Jones also has two rushing touchdowns.
Turnovers will be key in this contest. The Golden Eagles have created 15 – 11 interceptions and four fumbles – but have given up 15 – eight interceptions and seven fumbles. Lindenwood, meanwhile, has created 13 turnovers – six interceptions and seven fumbles – but have only lost 11 – seven interceptions and four fumbles. Tim Coutras has three interceptions for Tech, while Omari Philyaw and Caldra Williford each have two. Myles Parker has two fumble recoveries.
Tech and the Lions have both been similar upfront as Lindenwood has also yielded 25 sacks and 54 tackles-for-loss, on pace with the 21 sacks and 53 TFLs the Golden Eagles have given up. Tech has 17 sacks, led by Theron Gaines with 3.5, and 48 TFLs, led by Kanstin Brooks with six. The Lions' Donnie Wingate leads the team in sacks with five, while Vincent King leads the team in total tackles with 88 and 8.5 tackles-for-loss.
In addition to the contest, Tech Athletics will host a surplus sale from 9:30 until game time. Tech Football alumnus and The Voice season 17 winner Jake Hoot will perform in the 98.5 KISS FM Tailgate Park, which opens at 10:30 a.m.
Tickets for Saturday's contest are on sale now – call (931) 372-3940, visit the Hooper Eblen Center ticket office or order online at TTUsports.com.
Photo | Jim Dillon
