David Gist

• Article
• March 19, 2021

CHARLESTON, Ill. – As the first three weeks of spring football for the Ohio Valley Conference have progressed, Eastern Illinois keeps climbing closer, but the Panthers haven’t quite hit paydirt yet. EIU (0-3) saw Southeast Missouri hang 47 points on them in the season opener in Charleston, but in the last two weeks on the road, the Panthers have made huge strides, falling by a pair of touchdowns at UT Martin two weeks ago, then Tennessee State knocked off EIU on a last-second field goal for a 21-20 defeat. Now the Panthers will try their luck against the Golden Eagles as Tennessee Tech heads up north to take on Eastern Illinois on Sunday. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. Dylan Vazzano will provide the broadcast on 98.5 KISS FM, while Mike Bradd and Jack Ashmore will handle the broadcast duties on ESPN+ (subscription required). As the Golden Eagles (1-2) enter the program’s 984th contest and 13th at O’Brien Field, the trips to Charleston have not been kind to Tech. EIU is 9-4 against the Golden Eagles on its home turf, with only three of those wins coming in Ohio Valley play – 1999, 2011 and 2019. But, to be fair, Tech only has five wins over EIU in the OVC era for the Panthers, adding an overtime win in 2004 and a 2010 win at Tucker Stadium into the mix.

• Article
• March 12, 2021

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Dean Hood era at Murray State is off to a strong start. There’s no question about his ability to win in the Ohio Valley Conference – after all, he had plenty of success as the head coach at Eastern Kentucky. Now as the head jockey in the stable, Hood has the Racers storming out of the gate, picking up victories over UT Martin and Southeast Missouri to open the spring football slate. On Sunday, their focus is on Tennessee Tech.

• Article
• February 28, 2021

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – Defensive players got the spotlight on Sunday as Tennessee Tech and Jacksonville State combined for five turnovers in their final Ohio Valley Conference matchup from Burgess-Snow Field at JSU Stadium. The Golden Eagles had five turnovers, the Gamecocks three as both teams were able to convert into 13 points. However, the JSU defense was able to stall the Golden Eagles on the scoreboard as well, taking a 24-10 victory. Tech falls to 1-1 in the spring OVC schedule and will have an open date next Sunday, scheduled for the OVC Basketball Tournament in Evansville, Ind. JSU (4-1, 1-0 OVC) will make up its postponed game at Tennessee State next Sunday.

• Article
• February 26, 2021

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – The last time Tennessee Tech entered a football game ranked in one of the FCS Top 25 polls was November 26, 2011. The game was the Golden Eagles’ first trip to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs facing Central Arkansas. Ten years later, the Golden Eagles are ranked again, earning the No. 23 spot in the latest Stats Perform FCS Top 25. Another interesting thing happened in 2011 – Tech toppled Jacksonville State on the road 21-14, the Golden Eagles’ only victory on the road in the Ohio Valley Conference series between the two teams since the Gamecocks joined the league in 2003. It was just days over 10 years since Tech had last won in Jacksonville when Grant Swallows helped lead the Golden Eagles to a 35-27 victory in 2001. 2001. 2011. 2021? Could it be fate? Coincidence? Who knows?

• Article
• February 23, 2021

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – With a big win over Austin Peay on Sunday to open the 2020-21 football season, the Tennessee Tech football team took away three Ohio Valley Conference honors when the league announced its awards on Tuesday. Junior running back David Gist was named the Offensive Player of the Week, junior linebacker Seth Carlisle was named the Defensive Player of the Week and freshman kicker/punter Hayden Olsen was the Specialist of the Week as the Golden Eagles took three of the four weekly awards, as voted on by the conference’s sports information contacts.

• Article
• February 21, 2021

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Sunday was certainly worth the wait for the Tennessee Tech football team. It had been nearly 15 months since the last time the Golden Eagles took to the field, and while it took a little time to get the offense going in the 2020-21 season opener against Austin Peay, Tech certainly finished with a flourish. Trailing 14-3 midway through the third quarter, the Golden Eagles rifled off 24 straight points, then held on in a wild finish, knocking off defending Ohio Valley Conference champion Austin Peay 27-21 at Tucker Stadium on Sunday.

• Article
• February 18, 2021

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It’s been a long wait for football season to arrive. Heck, the last game was in the previous decade. But on Sunday, football is back at Tucker Stadium, ending a nearly 15-month drought of gridiron action, as Tennessee Tech plays host to Austin Peay. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Roger Ealey will provide the radio call for 98.5 KISS FM, while Dylan Vazzano and Sam Brooks handle broadcast duties for ESPN+ (subscription required).

• Article
• September 01, 2020

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – As we enter what was originally scheduled to be the first week of Tennessee Tech’s 2020 football slate, it’s a different landscape. Instead of preparing for the week’s opponent, it’s preparing for the spring, hopeful to get the season underway even if it is a few months later than normal. With the calendar switching into these cool autumn months that would have been filled with the pageantry of college football and the 99th season for the Golden Eagles, it gives time to reflect back through the years. Tech’s first scheduled opponent of the 2020 season was Samford. A brief member of the Ohio Valley Conference from 2003 to 2007, the Golden Eagles have battled the Bulldogs to a near-even series, 11-12 in favor of Samford.