Austin Hicks

• Article
• November 21, 2019

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Twenty-one Tennessee Tech football players will put on their uniforms for the last time on Saturday as the Golden Eagles close out the 2019 campaign against Tennessee State. But the tears aren’t being shed just yet nor the memories being recollected as there’s still plenty of business at hand for Tech in this 12th and final game of the season. Kickoff from Tucker Stadium is scheduled for 1:35 p.m. Dylan Vazzano and Sam Brooks will handle play-by-play coverage on ESPN+ (subscription required), while Roger Ealey and Buddy Pearson will tackle radio duties on 98.5 KISS FM.

• Article
• October 24, 2019

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – By the time kickoff rolls around on Saturday, it will have been two weeks since the Tennessee Tech football team last took the field. The open date allowed the Golden Eagles to put a tough loss to UT Martin in the rearview mirror and look forward to the final five games of the 2019 regular season. After all, Tech has so much still to play for. The Golden Eagles host Austin Peay on Saturday afternoon with kickoff scheduled for 1:35 p.m. Dylan Vazzano and Sam Brooks will provide the call on ESPN+ (subscription required), while Roger Ealey and Buddy Pearson will handle the radio duties on 98.5 KISS FM.

• Article
• October 10, 2019

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Following last week’s 43-37 double-overtime loss to Football Championship Subdivision No. 23 Southeast Missouri, the loss was tough for the Tennessee Tech football team, but one couldn’t help but feel optimistic for the rest of the season. After all, the Golden Eagles had literally stood toe-to-toe with one of the favorites to win the Ohio Valley Conference championship and had a play here or there gone another way, could have seen the result come out the other way. Needless to say, the loss helped build confidence within the Golden Eagles. Through their work last season and this year to this point, Tech has shown itself to be a contender in the Ohio Valley, but its work is far, far from finished. The Golden Eagles will have to prove that this week as they host UT Martin Saturday night at Tucker Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.

• Article
• October 03, 2019

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – It’s been eight years since the Tennessee Tech football team has been in this position – four wins, one loss. That year, Tech opened the season with a 34-7 loss at Iowa, then fired off four consecutive wins, topping Maryville College and Southeast Missouri at home, then Eastern Illinois and UT Martin on the road. However, Tennessee State snapped the string with a 42-40 decision. The 2011 Golden Eagles, however, didn’t stay down long – they knocked off Jacksonville State and Eastern Kentucky on the road to help secure an Ohio Valley Conference championship and automatic berth to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

• Article
• September 28, 2019

CHARLESTON, Ill. – There must be something about O’Brien Field when it comes to quarterbacks. The field saw Tony Romo and Jimmy Garoppolo put up huge numbers. Even Grant Swallows, back in 2001, saw some magic there as he set the Tech single-season touchdown record there. The record, tied again by Swallows and by Stephen Britton in 2005, stood for 18 years, until Bailey Fisher also found some magic at O’Brien. The Golden Eagle sophomore threw for a school-record six touchdown passes as Tech improved to 4-1 for the first time since 2011, as well as broke a seven-game losing streak to Eastern Illinois with the last win coming in that same year with a 40-29 victory over the Panthers.

• Article
• September 19, 2019

MACOMB, Ill. – As the Tennessee Tech football team loads up the buses on Friday to hit the road for its longest road trip of the year – a visit to Western Illinois – the Golden Eagles know they’ll be in for a challenge as they close out the non-conference portion of the schedule. Tech will take on the Fighting Leathernecks at 3 p.m. on Saturday. The game will be broadcast on 98.5 KISS FM with Roger Ealey and Dylan Vazzano providing the call, while the game will also be streamed online on ESPN3, with Brendan Reidy and Michael Harms handling those duties.

• Article
• September 12, 2019

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Just because a team is a lower-division program, that doesn’t make the contest any less of a challenge. The Tennessee Tech football team has fallen into the trap before, last falling to a Division II team in 1988. That said, that Division II team was Liberty and they’re now in the Football Bowl Subdivision, as is Troy, who beat the Golden Eagles in 1978 and 1980. Then there’s also Jacksonville State (victors in 1979 and 1980) and Abilene Christian (the winner in 1987) who are now among the Football Championship Subdivision ranks.

• Article
• September 07, 2019

OXFORD, Ohio – Tennessee Tech head coach Dewayne Alexander took his players into the locker room Saturday afternoon following the Golden Eagles’ 48-17 loss to FBS school Miami (Ohio) and told them to keep their heads up. “On Monday, everything on this game is going in the trash,” he said. “This is a very good football team. We have so much left to play for.” And there is truth in his words.

• Article
• August 31, 2019

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – After watching an early 12-point lead disappear, the Tennessee Tech football team kept falling further and further behind. Late in the third quarter, the Golden Eagles trailed by 23 points. With 2:20 left in the contest, Tech was down by 16. Most prognosticators would probably have put the game squarely in Samford’s pockets. The Golden Eagles, however, weren’t listening. The total touchdowns ties the Tech record for touchdowns responsible for in a game. Tech’s 671 yards is also a new school record, breaking 644 yards against Valparaiso in 2002. After Samford scored on the first half of the second extra session, Andrew Goldsmith scored the final touchdown on a 14-yard run, then Fisher found David Gist in the end zone for the game-winning score.

• Article
• August 29, 2019

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It’s hard to believe it’s been 12 years since Tennessee Tech last faced Samford on the gridiron. It was a completely different scenario then – the Golden Eagles were 32 years removed since their previous Ohio Valley Conference championship (Tech later broke its drought four years later) and both teams were under the direction of new coaches (Watson Brown for the Golden Eagles facing long-time assistant Pat Sullivan across the way – who went on to become Samford’s all-time winningest head coach. Now, Dewayne Alexander enters his second year at the helm of the Tennessee Tech program, while a familiar foe comes into Tucker Stadium leading Samford as former Murray State skipper Chris Hatcher enters his fifth campaign as the Bulldogs’ top dog. Tech will open its 98th football campaign Saturday night at 6 p.m. from Tucker Stadium.

• Article
• August 17, 2019

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – As Tennessee Tech football wrapped up the annual Gathering of Eagles event, the last official scrimmage of fall camp, the countdown to August 31 is now officially on. Saturday wasn't the greatest showcase of the Golden Eagles' ability as the fatigue of camp, the sweltering summer heat and a busy day of events played their roles, but it wasn't the worst effort either as there were plenty of highlights. That said, there were several procedural penalties that cropped up and stalled drives as the Tech offense was handcuffed a few times from putting more points on the board. The Golden Eagle defense also played its part, creating a goal-line stop and forcing a couple of big turnovers to keep the offense at bay.