GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The 52nd edition of the Battle of US 11-E will be held this weekend when the Tusculum Pioneers make the short trip to Jefferson City to take on their long-time arch-rival Carson-Newman at Burke-Tarr Stadium. Saturday's kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. (ET).
South Atlantic Conference Mountain Division play begins this week as well, starting a five-week grind which will determine the division's representative in the SAC Championship Game on November 11th.
The Tusculum Pioneers (2-3, 2-1 SAC) won two of its first three league outings, but had its momentum halted with a disappointing 17-14 home loss to Barton last Saturday. TU overcame a 14-0 halftime deficit and tied the game with a Matthew Palazzo TD run, followed by a two-point conversion pass to Will Shellenback). But a field goal with five seconds left sent the Pioneers to their first SAC loss of 2023 and ended a four-game home winning streak.
Carson-Newman (2-3, 1-2 SAC) snapped a three-game losing streak with last week's 34-21 victory at Newberry, the Eagles first win at Setzler Field since 2010 and posted back-to-back victories over the Wolves for the first time in 10 seasons.
The Eagles trailed 14-6 at halftime but C-N answered with some momentum changing plays including a 13-yard interception return for a touchdown and a 65-yard punt return for a score.
THE SERIES
The Tusculum/Carson-Newman football rivalry began in 1904, making it the second oldest collegiate gridron series in the State of Tennessee (The Tennessee/Vanderbilt rivalry is the oldest as the Volunteers and Commodores first met in 1896). C-N has dominated the all-time series and leads 35-14-2.
Carson-Newman won the first two meetings in 1904 and 1913, before Tusculum reeled off six consecutive wins from 1914-1920. On Oct. 11, 1919, the Pioneers scored a program-record 103 points in a 103-0 shutout of the Eagles.
C-N would go 6-0-2 in the next eight meetings before Tusculum ended the drought with a 3-0 win over the Eagles in Jefferson City en route to capturing the Smoky Mountain Athletic Conference football title, the Pioneers' first league crown in program history.
Carson-Newman would run off a string of 13 consecutive wins including 10 straight from 1935-1950 and then three in a row from 1998-2000 when the Pioneers became South Atlantic Conference members. Eight of those C-N wins during the streak were by shutout.
Tusculum ended the losing streak with a thrilling 37-36 win over Carson-Newman on Oct. 13, 2001 in the Eagles' first-ever trip to Pioneer Field. Aaron Claridy scored go-ahead touchdown with 35 seconds left. C-N answered 21 seconds later when Shane Kelley hit Alvin Sanders with an 18-yard TD pass to pull the Eagles to within one. Carson-Newman went for the two-point conversion and the victory, but Antwon Oliver was stopped shy of the goal-line by Michael Anderson to preserve the TU victory.
Two years later, Tusculum would post a 27-18 triumph over Carson-Newman as the Pioneers captured its second conference championship and its first in the SAC.
The Eagles would win the next four meetings, before Tusculum would get back in the win column. On Nov. 8, 2008 in the regular-season finale, the Pioneers jumped out to a 17-point lead in the first half and led 38-24 midway through the third quarter. C-N quarterback Alex Good rallied the troops with TD runs of one and 80 yards to tie the game in the fourth quarter. With 4:24 left in the game and C-N driving Jeremy Thompson scooped up a fumble went 55 yards for the go-ahead touchdown. Good completed a 43-yard TD pass to Otis Miller with 1:49 on the clock. But the game-tying extra point was blocked by TU's Brandon Kelley as the Pioneers won 45-44. The win secured a three-way tie for the SAC Championship and earned TU its first NCAA Division II Playoff appearance.
The Eagles won the next seven meetings including a 49-48 victory in the 2010 season-finale which arguably is considered the most exciting game in the history of the rivalry. In a game which featured 10 lead changes including with 5:50 remaining when LiRonta Archie put the Pioneers back in front 48-41 with his 26-yard fumble return for a touchdown. C-N responded with a 14-play, 77-yard drive as Tyron Douglas scored on one-yard TD with 35 seconds remaining. After a C-N timeout, the Eagles elected to go for the lead and Doug Belk's successful two-point run gave the visitors a one-point lead (49-48). With only one timeout remaining the Pioneer moved into C-N territory and with six seconds left, All-American kicker Gareth Rowlands set up for a 53-yard field goal try. His kick was plenty long enough but hit the left upright on the game's final play.
The 2016 game was another thriller as Tusculum scored the first 20 points of the game only to see Carson-Newman rally and tie the game at 23-23 in the fourth quarter with nine minutes left in regulation as the contest would go into overtime, a first in the history of the rivalry. Carson-Newman scored on its first possession and kicked the extra point to go up 30-23. After two incomplete passes on its first two plays of its possession, Luke Lancaster completed a 20-yard strike to Rodnell Cruell for the first down. Tony Belle would run it in for a three-yard touchdown. TU head Jerry Odom, who was in his first season with the Pioneers, elected to go for two and the win. Lancaster rolled out to his right and completed a pass in the flat to Jordon Shippy who would dive and extend the ball over the goal line for the game-winner (31-30).
Carson-Newman would win the next two in Jefferson City to extend its streak to 16 in a row in home wins over the Pioneers dating back to 1934.
TU would post a 41-28 win in the 2018 meeting at Pioneer Field. The Pioneers have won four in a row over C-N at Pioneer Field including last year's 34-6 win over the Eagles.
SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
After an 0-2 start to the 2023 season with road losses at NCAA-FCS Independent Kennesaw State and 21-17 setback at Virginia State, TU head coach Jerry Odom has Pioneers heading in the right direction winning two of its next three games.
Tusculum posted a 23-21 win at Wingate last month and followed with a 35-21 home win over Catawba in the Pioneers' home-opener.
After not forcing a turnover in its season lid-lifter at Kennesaw, the Pioneers have bounced back with a vengeance and have accounted for 10 takeaways (3rd in SAC / 37th in NCAA II).
TU's eight interceptions are first in the conference and 14th in NCAA Division II. Tusculum is averaging 3.80 sacks per game this season which is the sixth-best average in DII and second in the league.
Junior linebacker Wesley Scott leads the conference with his 47 tackles (9.4 tpg - 14th in NCAA II) including a TU career-best 13 stops against Catawba. He also made three tackles for loss, two sacks, forced a fumble and recovered another to earn SAC Defensive Player of the Week recognition. For 2023, he has accounted for six tackles for loss with four sacks (4th in SAC / 44th in NCAA II).
In 2022, Scott led the Pioneers with his 96 total tackles earning him All-Conference first team honors. Including his two years at Keiser University, he has amassed 262 tackles in his 36-game career including 143 stops as a Pioneer (16 games).
Junior linebacker Earnest Johnson III is second in the SAC with his 44 tackles (19th in NCAA II) including four for loss and two sacks. He tallied a career-high 11 tackles in the season-opener at Kennesaw and followed with 10 hits at Virginia State including the 100th of his Tusculum career. He has posted nine tackles each in his last two games against Catawba and Barton. The Preseason All-Conference selection has made 124 tackles in his 29 career games including 21 for loss.
All-SAC defensive back Ryan Dolce is third with 40 tackles including a SAC-high 27 solo hits (18th in NCAA II). The University of New Haven transfer recorded a career-high 11 tackles last week against Barton. In his three collegiate seasons he has totaled 139 career tackles.
Senior defensive back Jermaine Witherspoon is fourth on the club with 28 tackles including five passes defended with an interception and four break-ups. He has been credited with 154 tackles in his collegiate career while his seven interceptions are tied for seventh in TU history. His 19 career passes defended (7 INT, 12 PB) are 13th in school history.
Redshirt freshman Gavin Rowell continues to be a force on the defensive front. He is fifth on the roster with his 25 tackles including a team-best eight for loss (6th in SAC). He tallied seven stops at Wingate including a sack for a safety. He followed with six tackles against Catawba including two for loss and a sack.
Dajavon White, the 2022 All-SAC first team selection, has made 21 tackles this year with five behind the line of scrimmage and three sacks including one resulting in a safety at Wingate and was named the SAC Defensive Player of the Week. His 14 career sacks are the eighth-most by a Pioneer.
All-SAC defensive lineman Joslyn Mira is seventh on the roster with his 19 total tackles including three for loss with two sacks and two QB hurries. Mira has recorded 76 career tackles in his 27 games as a Pioneer.
Twin brothers Adrian and Andrae Robinson continue to patrol the secondary. Andrae has made 15 tackles with a sack and an interception. Adrian has made 14 hits and forced a fumble. The Robinsons both shine in the classroom as well where they are honor students and both are CSC All-District first team selections in each of the last two seasons.
Senior cornerback Ty'Korian Brown has recorded an interception in three straight games including one last week. His three picks are third in the league and 17th nationally. Brown's 27 career passes defended and seven career picks are the seventh-most in school history. In his 33 career outings, he has been credited with 99 total tackles.
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Matthew Palazzo is expected to get the start under center when the Pioneers travel to Carson-Newman this week. In his three starts, he has a 2-1 record where he has passed for four touchdowns and rushed for five.
He rushed for a pair of scores and threw a game-winning 46-yard TD pass with 2:59 remaining in a 23-21 win at Wingate, TU's first road win over the Bulldogs since 2014.
In the home win over Catawba he accounted for four touchdowns (2 pass, 2 rush) and posted 282 total offensive yards. He went 23-for-33 for 226 yards with a pair of touchdowns and was not sacked on the afternoon. He completed passes to 11 different receivers and rushed for 56 yards on 12 carries and two TDs. For his efforts he was named the SAC Offensive Player of the Week and the TSWA Offensive Player of the Week.
Last week against Barton, he was a responsible for both touchdowns (1 pass, 1 throw) and completed a two-point conversion pass. On the season he has a completion percentage of .576 for 598 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions. He is averaging 2.7 yards per rush and has scored five touchdowns on the ground.
The top target for the Pioneers this season continues to be junior Tyler Burke. He has made 21 catches for 241 yards and two touchdowns. The 2022 All-SAC standout has played in 26 career games, recording 79 catches for 1024 yards with 10 touchdowns. For his career on special teams, he is averaging 26.9 yards per kickoff return and posted a school-record 100-yarder in his 2021 rookie campaign against Carson-Newman.
Kemani Brown is second on the team with his 11 receptions for 149 yards and a touchdown, coming last week against Barton. He made four grabs for 70 yards including an 8-yard TD from Palazzo for Tusculum's first score.
Freshman Tyreik Thorpe is third on the team with his 10 receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown. Joe Rubustelli is third on the squad with his 145 receiving yards on nine catches and 47-yard TD grab vs Catawba.
Running back Jalen Hunt has rushed for 206 yards on his 48 carries for a 4.3 average. He ran for 86 yards with a touchdown against Catawba. Freshman Jojo Restall is second on the team with his 154 rushing yards on 24 attempts (6.4 ypc). Last Saturday vs Barton, Restall rushed for 56 yards on five carries.
Palazzo is third with his 104 rushing yards (2.7 ypc), while converted receiver Lanadrick Bradley is fourth on the club with 18 rushes for 70 yards (3.9 ypc). Bradley has missed the last two games due to injury.
All-Conference tackle Ben Shellenback anchors the offensive line for the Black and Orange. The 6-5, 300-pound graduate student has been a starter in the TU trenches for the past three years.
Sophomore Levi Gould has been the starting center for the Pioneers in the season's first five outings. The 6-2, 280-pound product has made 15 appearances on the line with 13 career starts.
Veteran tight end Will Shellenback has 33 games under his collegiate belt where he has made 25 receptions for 274 yards and four touchdowns. In 2023, he has posted three grabs for 31 yards.
Sophomore Reginald Hunter appeared in nine games at tight end in 2022 as he posted four receptions for 52 yards. In 2023, he has posted four receptions for 46 yards including a 39-yard performance at Wingate including his 25-yard reception to set up a short TD run for Palazzo for Tusculum's second touchdown.
Shorter University transfer Nicholas Pope has emerged as TU's starting punter and is averaging 38.8 yards per boot which is sixth in the league. His nine punts inside the 20 are fourth in the SAC while is 16 fair catches are the most in the conference. Pope played four seasons for the Shorter Hawks where he did double-duty as placekicker and punter. In his 34 games as a kicker, he totaled 122 points including 19 field goals and 65 extra points.
Junior placekicker John Aiden Pittman has made 53-of-57 of his career extra points for a school-record .930 PAT percentage which is the third-best in program history. Last season, he was a perfect 15-of-15 on extra points and made 29 in a row before his streak ended last week against Barton. He scored five points at Virginia State including a career-long 35-yard field goal.
Junior Josh Curray is in his third season as Tusculum's long-snapper. He earned All-SAC Mountain Division recognition last year and earned a spot on the Academic All-District team.
Eddie Watson is Tusculum's punt returner as he established a single-season record with 32 return attempts, which were the most in the country (NCAA II) in 2022. The 2023 Preseason All-SAC Mountain Division honoree averaged 9.47 yards per punt return (3rd in SAC / 21st in NCAA II) including a 61-yarder for a touchdown in last year's home-opener. This season, he has returned seven punts for a 7.1 yards per return average (6th in SAC / 45th in NCAA II).
Senior Marquel Pittman has been TU's top kickoff returner this season. He is averaging 21.2 yards on his eight returns in 2023 with a long of 36 yards. Pittman returned a 96-yarder for a touchdown against Erskine last October. He has been showcasing his speed on the TU track team where he earned All-America, All-Region and All-SAC distinction as a sprinter.
FOLLOW THE GAME
If you can't make it to Saturday's game Jefferson City, fans can watch the action on-line at www.TusculumPioneers.com on FloSports.com, the official video stream provider of the South Atlantic Conference.
The "Voice of the Pioneers" Brian Stayton along with Joe Byrd will describe all the action on the Pioneer Sports Network with the radio pre-game show beginning at 1 p.m. The radio call of the game will be available locally on WSMG Radio on 95.5 FM and 1450 AM, as well as online at https://jewel955.com/listenlive.
