GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University football team will open South Atlantic Conference divisional play on Friday night when the Pioneers travel over Sam's Gap to face cross-mountain rival Mars Hill University. Kick-off time is at 6 p.m. at the Ammons Family Athletic Center and Meares Stadium.
During this unique spring football season, Tusculum and Mars Hill are competing in the SAC's Mountain Division, along with Carson-Newman, Limestone and UVA Wise. The winner of the Mountain Division will face the top-team from the SAC's Piedmont Division on April 17 in the SAC Spring Championship game.
The Pioneers (0-1) will be looking to bounce back from last Saturday's 21-6 non-conference loss at Newberry. Tusculum had three promising scoring drives halted in the first half due to untimely penalties and a turnover. The TU defense held its own for most of the night, but the Pioneers surrendered a TD just before halftime and back-to-back scores in the final quarter proved damaging in the season-opening loss.
Friday will be the 2021 spring season opener for Mars Hill as the Lions are coming off a 5-6 overall record in 2019 including 4-4 in SAC play to tie for fourth place in the conference.
SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
TU head coach Jerry Odom is in his fifth year in Greeneville where he has led the Pioneers to finish fourth or better in each of his previous four Tusculum campaigns.
Offensively, Valdosta State transfer will be starting a quarterback for the Pioneers on Friday. The Valdosta State transfer made his TU debut last week where he went 18-for-27 for 170 yards and a touchdown. He completed passes to eight different receivers including a 46-yard touchdown to fellow VSU transfer Justice Parham.
Wells, a 6-4, 230-pound graduate student from Fort Mill, South Carolina, has a 28-4 career record in his 32 career starts. While at Valdosta, he led the Blazers to a pair of Gulf South Conference titles (2018 & 2019) and perfect 14-0 undefeated season and the 2018 NCAA Division II National Championship. Wells was named GSC Offensive Player on two occasions (2018 & 2019) and was a two-time national finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy.
During his collegiate career, he has accounted for 9.218 total offensive yards including 1,954 rushing yards and 7,300 passing yards in his 35 career contests. He has accounted for 95 career touchdowns including 70 passing and 25 rushing.
Junior running TJ Jones recorded 15 all-purpose attempts in last week's opener at Newberry. The Georgia Military College transfer rush for 51 yards on 10 carries and posted a team-best five receptions for 22 yards. Junior Maurice Gomillion ran the ball seven times for 22 yards for the Pioneers. In his 18 career outings, he has rushed for 544 yards on 123 carries and a touchdown.
All-South Atlantic Conference receiver Tory Ponder posted two catches for 12 yards last week at Newberry. The 6-0, 190-pound junior led the Pioneers last year with 35 receptions for 571 yards and six touchdowns. Also slated to get the start at receiver are Raphael Williams and Justice Parham. Williams tallied two grabs for 28 yards in his collegiate debut last week, while Parham's lone catch was his 46-yard TD for Tusculum's lone score.
Tusculum newcomer Craig Watts led the defense last week with a game-high 10 tackles including nine solo stops and accounted for three tackles for loss (-23 yards). The Valdosta State transfer linebacker was a member of the Blazers' 2018 NCAA title team where he posted 70 stops with an interception. He also played 12 games at NCAA FBS South Florida.
Sophomore defensive back John Smith was second on the team with his eight tackles (7 solos) at Newberry which included a fumble recovery, setting up a Tusculum scoring drive.
All-SAC senior linebacker Jackson Cauthen posted six tackles including one behind the line of scrimmage. Raynell Killian also tallied six stops in his Tusculum debut. Cauthen, a 6-1, 225-pounder led the Pioneers in 2019 with 15 tackles for loss, which are tied for the 10th-most in TU history. He made 75 tackles last season and scored a TD on an interception return.
Two-time All-SAC linebacker Ivan Hogans finished the Newberry game with five tackles and a sack. He has recorded at least two tackles in each of this 32 career outings, where he has totaled 235 for his career. He has also amassed 33 tackles for loss for the 2018 All-Region selection.
Killian, a transfer rover back from Valdosta State, played two seasons with the Blazers where he appeared in 24 games and finished his VSU career with 52 tackles, including 34 solo hits and five pass break-ups.
Defensive tackle Logan Cowart made five solo tackles including three for loss (-19 yards) and a sack (-15 yards) at Newberry.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Tusculum returns both its starting punter and placekicker from a season ago. Junior Andrew Cantrell averaged 34.1 yards per punt in his seven attempts at Newberry including two inside the 20-yardline. Sophomore Eli Shepherd led Tusculum in scoring in 2019 with his 49 points which are tied for the 10th in school history. He has gone 25-of-27 in his career on extra points and 8-of-10 in field goals.
TUSCULUM / MARS HILL SERIES
The 37th renewal of the Tusculum/Mars Hill football series will be held this week as the Pioneers travel to North Carolina for the Battle of Sam's Gap. Tusculum leads the series 21-13-2 including a 24-7 win by the Pioneers in 2019.
Since 2000, the Pioneers have won 14 of the last 20 meetings with the Lions. MHU captured a thrilling 23-20 overtime win in the 2012 meeting. In 2010, the Lions outlasted TU in a shootout, 45-39. Prior to that, TU rattled off seven consecutive wins in the series, including three times at Mars Hill.
Tusculum won seven of the first eight games in the series that started in 1922. The Lions posted eight consecutive victories from 1936 to 1999 (Teams did not meet on the gridiron from 1939-1993).
From 2000-2009, Tusculum went 9-1 against the Lions, including a stretch of seven in a row from 2003-2009. MHU won three straight from 2010-2012.
Twenty (20) of the 36 previous meetings have been decided by seven points or less. Nine of the last 14 have been by six points or fewer.
FOLLOW THE GAME
The "Voice of the Pioneers" Brian Stayton is in his 24th consecutive year broadcasting on the Pioneer Sports Network. Joining Stayton in the booth in the booth is former Greeneville Sun assistant sports editor Joe Byrd. Fans can listen to the game on WSMG Radio at 95.5 FM and 1450 AM. An on-line audio feed is available at https://jewel955.com/listenlive. Live video and live statistics for Friday night's game are also available at www.TusculumPioneers.com.
NEXT FOR TUSCULUM
Tusculum returns to action Thursday, March 25 when the Pioneers travel to UVA Wise for a SAD Division match-up with the Cavaliers beginning at 6 p.m. (ET).
