Golden Eagles take on another FBS foe, visit Western Michigan
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- For the second time in three weeks, the
Tennessee Tech football team will play up in the ranks, facing
their second Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponent when they
travel north to face the Western Michigan Broncos.
It will be the first-ever meeting on the gridiron between the two
schools. Kickoff in WMU's Waldo Stadium is 6 p.m. CDT.
Golden Eagles fans have a couple of options to follow Tech at
Western Michigan, including listening to the broadcast on the
Golden Eagle Sports Network. In addition to the flagship station
WHUB and the network affiliates, the game may also be heard on
either the telephone or the Internet on Teamline.
Another option is to watch the web stream of the game, being
produced by Western Michigan, and available on OVCsports.TV. For
information, or to subscribe, visit OVCsports.com.
Tech and Western Michigan have identical 2-1 overall records, and
each is 1-0 in conference play. Western Michigan opened the year
with a 47-24 loss at Nebraska, and rebounded with a 29-26
Mid-America Conference victory over Northern Illinois. Last week,
WMU defeated Idaho, 51-28.
The Golden Eagles opened with a 28-12 win over Gardner-Webb, before
falling at FBS Louisville, 51-10. Last Thursday, Tech rebounded
from that loss with a 29-27 Ohio Valley Conference win at Southeast
Missouri.
The two schools have one other thing in common -- Gary Darnell
served as head coach of both teams. Darnell directed Tech from 1983
to 1985, and wound up as head coach at WMU several years later
after stops at Florida, Texas and Notre Dame.
Current Golden Eagle coach Watson Brown posted his 100th career
victory as a head coach when Tech downed Southeast Missouri.
Runningback Henry Sailes and placekicker Justin Kraemer each earned
OVC Player of the Week honors for their roles in the win at SEMO.
Sailes was named the OVC Offensive Player of the Week, while
Kraemer earned Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
Some of the items included in this week's game
notes:
HIGH-RANKING -- Tech leads the Ohio Valley
Conference in two categories -- rushing defense and fewest sacks
against. Tech is allowing a league-low 132.7 yards per game on the
ground. The Golden Eagles are ranked second in total defense (345.7
ypg) and second in kickoff returns 25.6 ypc). Tech is third in
punting, first in fourth down conversions and second in quarterback
sacks.
** Individually, Henry Sailes ranks first in the OVC in receptions
per game, fourth in all-purpose yards and eighth in rushing. Justin
Kraemer is first in the league in field goals per game and field
goal percentage, and third in scoring among kickers.
** Defensively, Corey Reed ranks fourth in the OVC in tackles per
game and Maurice Smith ranks seventh. Taron Ryce is second and
Corbin Miles is fourth in passes defended.
GRADE A--Two returning Golden Eagles earned
academic honors last season -- defensive tackle Bradley Thompson
and offensive lineman Taylor Askew earned first-team Academic
All-District honors, sponsored by ESPN The Magazine. In addition,
Thompson was named to the 10th annual Football Championship
Subdivision Athletics Directors Association Academic All-Star
Team.
NOW FOURTH--Junior quarterback Lee Sweeney has
climbed into fourth place in career passing yards with 4,267 yards,
and needs just 54 yards to catch Mike Jones in third place. He's
367 yards shy of Grant Swallows in second place. The record of
6,032 by Robert Craft is also within his grasp during his career --
he needs 1,765 in the next two years to break that standard. To put
those numbers in perspective, Sweeney passed for 2,292 yards in 11
games as a freshman and 1,453 yards in his injury-shortened
sophomore season.
LOWERY LOWDOWN -- Backup quarterback Josh Lowery
was pressed into service at Southeast Missouri and led Tech for the
finish of the game-winning scoring drive. Lowery took over for an
injured Lee Sweeney and connected on a couple of passes, setting up
the winning TD. He finished the game 4-for-5 for 30 yards. This
season, the junior has completed 76.9 percent of his passes
(10-for-13) for 80 yards and one touchdown. Last season, before
being sidelined with a hand injury, Lowery played in three games
including two as the starter. He finished up a win against Murray
State when Sweeney was injured, then started and led Tech to a
13-10 win at UT Martin. He started agianst APSU and had Tech in
command before being injured, and the Golden Eagles went on to lose
the game. Lowery is 1-1 as Tech's starter.
MULTI-PURPOSE MAN -- Sophomore Henry Sailes had
171 all-purpose yards in the opening game against Gardner-Webb and
164 all-purpose yards at Southeast Missouri. Last season he earned
a spot on the OVC All-Freshman team after ranking third in the
league in kickoff returns with 26.4 yards per try. He was second on
the team in rushing yards (222) while averaging 10.9 yards per
carry. He was also third in receiving with 20 catches for 119
yards. He finished with 919 all-purpose yards. He had a 76-yard
touchdown scamper and a 67-yard return against Auburn. He accounted
for 183 all-purpose yards against Murray State, then topped that
with 212 all-purpose yards ? on only six plays ? against Tennessee
State. In that game, he had 98 yards on three rushing attempts,
caught one pass for 23 yards, and returned kicks for 45 and 46
yards. His 71-yard run against TSU was Tech's longest run of the
2007 season. In the first three games this season, Sailes has 357
all-purpose yards, and ranks fourth in the OVC with 119 yards per
game.
ALREADY THERE -- With 20 catches in three games,
Henry Sailes has matched his 2007 season total of 20
receptions.
STEPPING IN and UP -- Redshirt freshman Scott
Schweitzer started at tackle for Tech at Southeast Missouri, and
true freshman Malcolm Jones played most of the game at center in
place of starter Peter Taylor, who suffered a first quarter hand
injury.
RUN STOPPERS -- Tech ranked third in the OVC in
rushing defense and fourth in total defense last year. After three
games this year, Tech is first in the league against the run
(132.7) and second in total defense (345.7). The Golden Eagles held
their opponents to 147.8 yards per game on the ground, and 375.4
yards per game in total offense in 2007. Tech held two opponents to
less than 100 rushing yards last year ? Concordia had 51 yards on
43 attempts and Murray State tried 23 times and gained 66 yards.
This season, Tech limited Gardner-Webb to just 45 rushing yards on
34 attempts. It was the 35th time since 1999 that Tech has held its
opponent under 100 rushing yards in a game.
REED MY LIPS - Senior linebacker Corey Reed posted
his fourth career double-digit game in tackles, making 12 stops at
Southeast Missouri. He also opened the year with 12 tackles against
Gardner-Webb. His career-high is 15 stops last year against
Tennessee State. At Louisville, Reed led Tech with seven tackles
and recovered a fumble. He leads the team and ranks fourth in the
league with 31 tackles in three games.
TARON'S A TERROR -- Junior cornerback Taron Ryce
tied a school record when he broke up four passes at Southeast
Missouri. He also had a career-high eight tackles against the
Redhawks. Ryce had two interceptions at UT Martin last season,
giving him three for his career. He had 48 total tackles last
season and a blocked PAT attempt. He led the team with six passes
defended and tied for the team-lead with two interceptions.
INTRODUCTIONS, PLEASE -- Two true freshmen filled starting
roles at Southeast Missouri and played well in their first career
starts. Kedrick Towles was the starter at an outside linebacker
position and made two tackles, while Richmond Tooley started at a
corrnerback spot and made three tackles.
MMM GOOD STUFF -- Freshman punter Nick Campbell
only kicked twice at SEMO, but he managed 44.5 yards in the two
kicks, including a crucial 49-yard kick late in the game that
pinned the Redhawks deep in their own territory. Campbell has now
punted 11 times, and has avaeraged 37.1 yards per kick.
THAT'S THE WAY, DONTEY -- With just 18 seconds to play
before halftime and the game tied at 17-17, true freshman Dontey
Gay returned a SEMO kickoff 63 yards from his own four-yard line,
giving the Golden Eagles the opportunity to take the lead into
intermission after Justin Kraemer's 51-yard field goal.
