GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum Pioneers (4-4, 4-2 SAC) will play its final regular season road contest of 2023 as the Sons of Davy Crockett venture to the Palmetto State to take on the Erskine Flying Fleet at J.W. Rabb Stadium in Greenwood, South Carolina.
The Pioneers will be looking to rebound from last week's disappointing 27-24 overtime loss at Emory & Henry. The Pioneers committed a school-record seven turnovers including a TU-worst five interceptions. TU jumped out to a 14-0 lead but the Wasps scored 18 straight points to erase the two touchdown deficit.
Tusculum dominated E&H statistically, outgaining the Wasps by a 445-261 margin in total offensive yardage.
The Flying Fleet (0-8, 0-6 SAC) dropped a 34-23 SAC outing at UVA Wise for Erskine's 17th consecutive loss. Despite being winless this year, the Flying Fleet has played in three games decided by a touchdown or less including both of its home outings this year in setbacks to Newberry (24-17) and Carson-Newman (14-10).
Last week's game at UVA Wise saw the Fleet score a season-high 23 points including the game's first two touchdowns to race out to a 14-0 lead.
THE SERIES
This week will be the third meeting on the collegiate gridiron between Tusculum University and Erskine College.
The inaugural meeting came on Mar. 27, 2021 during the COVID shortened spring campaign. The game itself came on short notice as TU's scheduled game with UVA Wise was cancelled due to COVID protocols involving the Cavs team. Erskine's opponent that particular week also cancelled so the two schools agreed to meet in Greenwood, South Carolina.
Tusculum amassed over 600 yards offensively while scoring the games first 47 points en route to a 47-7 victory.
In last year's SAC match-up in Greeneville, Ryan Dolce recorded two interceptions and TU scored the final 35 points in a 49-14 decision at Pioneer Field. TU amassed a season-high 547 yards including 352 aerial yards.
SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
Despite the loss last week at Emory & Henry, the Pioneers still have control their South Atlantic Conference Championship destiny. Regardless of any other outcomes, Tusculum knows that a win this week at Erskine and a victory at home next week against Mars Hill would give the Pioneers the right to host the SAC Football Championship Game on Nov. 11 at Pioneer Field.
But first, the Pioneers must look to overcome last week's turnover-laden performance and battle back with a solid effort at Erskine.
The Pioneers played its first three games on the road to open the 2023 campaign and got off to a disappointing 0-2 start with a 38-7 loss to future NCAA-FBS and Conference USA member Kennesaw State. TU followed with a 21-17 loss at Virginia State, who fell from the ranks of the unbeaten last week against Elizabeth City State.
The Pioneers overcame the 0-2 beginning of the campaign and responded with a 23-21 win at Wingate and followed with a convincing 35-21 home win over Catawba. Tusculum rallied with 14 second half points against Barton, but a last second field goal sent the surging Bulldogs to a 17-14 win in Greeneville.
Tusculum bounced back with a 27-21 win at arch-rival Carson-Newman for the Pioneers' first victory in Jefferson City in 89 seasons. TU posted its second straight victory with its convincing 35-7 win over UVA Wise.
The Pioneers 4-3 Division II record has Tusculum on the outside, looking in for a possible NCAA II Playoff bid.
The Tusculum defense is amongst the national leaders in takeaways forcing a SAC-leading 18 turnovers, which are 18th-most in the nation. TU has recovered three fumbles and have recorded a SAC-leading 15 interceptions, which are the fourth-most in the country.
Tusculum is also averaging 3.62 sacks per game this year which is the sixth-best average in Division II and second in the league behind Wingate (3.75 spg). TU is also third in the conference in team tackles for loss (8.1 tpg - 19th in NCAA II) and fourth in total defense (311.8 ypg - 45th in NCAA II).
Junior All-SAC linebacker Wesley Scott leads the team with his 67 tackles (8.4 tpg - 4th in SAC / 29th in NCAA II). He is tied for second on the team with 10 tackles for loss (10th in SAC) including a team-high five sacks (9th in SAC).
Including his two years at Keiser University, he has amassed 282 career tackles in his 39-game career and 163 stops as a Pioneer (19 games).
Junior linebacker Earnest Johnson III is sixth in the league with his 58 tackles including a team-high 11 for loss and four sacks. He leads the team with his eight quarterback hurries including a career-high four at Carson-Newman. He has made 138 tackles in his 32 career games including 27 for loss.
All-SAC defensive back Ryan Dolce leads the team with his 10 passes defended which are second in the conference and 25th in NCAA II. He posted a career-best six pass break-ups against Carson-Newman which are tied for the second-most in program history.
Dolce is third at TU with 53 tackles including a team-high 36 solo hits (6th in SAC). The University of New Haven transfer recorded a career-high 11 tackles against Barton and in his three collegiate seasons he has totaled 152 career tackles. In last year's game with Erskine, he accounted for a pair of interceptions.
Senior defensive back Jermaine Witherspoon is fourth on the team with 39 tackles including nine passes defended (6th in SAC / 41st in NCAA II) with three interceptions (5th in SAC / 44th in NCAA II) and six break-ups. He has been credited with 162 tackles in his collegiate career while his nine interceptions are tied for fourth in TU history with Cameron Thomas (2013-16), Jay Boyd (2016-18) and current TU teammate Ty'Korian Brown. His 23 career passes defended (9 INT, 14 PB) are ranked 10th in school history.
Redshirt freshman defensive lineman Gavin Rowell is fifth on the roster with his 37 tackles including 10 for loss. 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. He also made six tackles last week at Emory & Henry with a sack.
Junior Dajavon White, a 2022 All-SAC first team defensive lineman, has made 35 tackles this year with nine behind the line of scrimmage and four sacks including one resulting in a safety at Wingate. He has been credited with 93 tackles in his 29-game career including 32 tackles for loss with 15 sacks which are the eighth-most in school history.
All-SAC defensive lineman Joslyn Mira is seventh on the team with 33 total tackles including seven for loss with four sacks and four QB hurries. Mira has recorded 90 career tackles in his 30 games.
Senior cornerback Ty'Korian Brown leads the conference with his five interceptions, which are the sixth in NCAA II. He has recorded an interception in five of his last six games including his ninth career pick last weekend at Emory & Henry. He posted an interception in four straight games this season matching the feat by TU All-American and NFL standout Ricardo Colclough during the 2003 season.
Brown's 31 career passes defended are tied for the fifth-most in school history with former TU standout (Rashaun Strickland, 1998-2001), while his nine career interceptions are tied for fourth in the TU record book. Brown's 10 passes defended this year are tied for first on the team, third in the conference and 25th in NCAA II. In his 36 career outings, he has been credited with 103 total tackles.
The Tusculum offense, which averaged 261 yards per game in its first three games of 2023, the Pioneers have been putting up 414 yards per game ever since. TU has surpassed 400 yards offensively in each of its last three outings including four of its last five.
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Matthew Palazzo has been the Pioneers starting field general in the last six games where he has a 4-2 record with SAC victories over Wingate, Catawba, Carson-Newman and UVA Wise.
He has passed for 1,543 yards, averaging 255.7 yards per game in SAC contests (3rd in SAC). His 17.4 points responsible per game average leads the SAC and is 16th in NCAA II. He has passed for 14 touchdowns (3rd in SAC / 37th in NCAA II) including 10 in his last three outings (4 vs Carson-Newman, 3 vs UVA Wise, 3 vs Emory & Henry).
But in the Emory & Henry game, Palazzo was picked off a school-record five times including an interception to end the game in last week's 27-24 overtime loss to the Wasps. He has completed 53.1 percent of his passes this year and is the only player in the SAC who ranks in the top-five in passing touchdowns and rushing touchdowns (6 - 3rd in SAC).
Palazzo threw for a career-best 370 yards going 26-for-39 with four touchdowns and two interceptions at Carson-Newman earlier this month. He threw for 314 yards with three touchdowns and also ran for a TD in Tusculum's Homecoming win over UVA Wise two weeks ago.
The top target in the Pioneer aerial attack this season continues to be junior Tyler Burke. The All-SAC pick has made 39 catches (5th in SAC) for 588 yards (5th in SAC / 34th in NCAA II) and four touchdowns (8th in SAC). He established career highs with seven receptions for 151 receiving yards at Carson-Newman. He followed with five grabs for 115 yards and two more touchdowns, including a 70-yard TD catch vs UVA Wise.
The 2022 All-SAC honoree has played in 29 career games, recording 96 receptions for 1,371 yards (15th in TU history) with 12 touchdowns. For his career on special teams, he is averaging 26.5 yards per kickoff return and posted a school-record 100-yarder in his 2021 rookie campaign against Carson-Newman.
Senior Joe Robustelli is second on the team with his 20 grabs for 475 yards with a TU-high six touchdown receptions (3rd in SAC / 27th in NCAA II). In this year's home opener, he made five catches for 88 yards and a touchdown against Catawba. He tallied five receptions for 89 yards including a pair of TDs. In the UVA Wise game, he posted a 114 yards including a 73-yard TD reception. Last week at Emory & Henry, he added two more touchdown grabs as he finished the game with a season-high 127 yards including a 68-yard TD reception.
Running back Jalen Hunt has rushed for 361 yards on his 87 carries for a 4.1 average. He ran for a season-best 86 yards with a touchdown against Catawba. He's also made 12 receptions for 31 yards including his two TD catches against Carson-Newman.
Freshman Jojo Restall is second on the team with his 325 rushing yards on 50 attempts (6.5 ypc). He ran for season-best 79 yards on 13 carries against Catawba. He is coming off a 67-yard performance at Emory & Henry.
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 was the starting center for the Pioneers in the season's first six games but missed most of the game against Carson-Newman due to injury. The 6-2, 280-pound product has made 17 appearances on the line with 14 career starts. Sophomore Bryson Ridge stepped in and played well in the Carson-Newman game in relief and earned the start at center vs UVA Wise. Adrian Gumm (6-5, 295) and Reggie Jackson (6-5, 280) are set to make their eighth straight starts this week.
Veteran tight end Will Shellenback has 36 games under his collegiate belt where he has made 29 receptions for 320 yards and four touchdowns. In 2023, he has posted seven catches for 77 yards.
Sophomore tight end Reginald Hunter has posted seven receptions for 62 yards including his first collegiate touchdown last week at Emory & Henry.
Shorter University transfer Nicholas Pope has emerged as TU's starting punter and is averaging 39.7 yards per punt which is sixth in the league. His 14 punts inside the 20 are tied for second in the SAC while is 24 fair catches are the most in the conference. Pope played four seasons at Shorter where he did double-duty as placekicker and punter. In his SU career he totaled 122 points including 19 field goals and 68 extra points.
Three weeks ago at Carson-Newman, he averaged 44.2 yards per punt with two inside the 20 with a long of 52 yards. He also connected on all three of his extra point attempts. He followed with averaging 40 yards per punt including three inside the 20, earning him SAC Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
Pope handled field goals and extra points last week at Emory & Henry were he went 3-of-3 on extra points and connected on a 28-yard field on the final play of regulation to send the game into overtime.
Junior placekicker John Aiden Pittman has gone 58-of-63 for his career extra points for a .921 PAT percentage which is the fifth-best in program history. He scored five points at Virginia State including a career-long 35-yard field goal. He went a perfect 5-of-5 on his PAT tries two weeks ago against UVA Wise.
Senior 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 CSC Academic All-District team.
FOLLOW THE GAME
If you can't make it to Saturday's game, fans can watch the action on-line at www.TusculumPioneers.com on the Pioneer Sports Network and FloSports.com, the official video stream provider of the South Atlantic Conference.
Jim Miller and Joe Byrd will describe all the action with the radio pre-game show beginning at 12 p.m.
The radio call of the game will be available locally on WIKQ 103.1 FM and on-line HERE
