GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum Pioneers will host the Barton Bulldogs this Saturday afternoon for homecoming at the Niswonger Sports Complex and Pioneer Field in a non-conference gridiron contest. The inaugural meeting between TU and Barton is slated to kickoff at 2 p.m. (ET).
The Pioneers (3-4) are coming off last weekend's 37-21 home win over UVA Wise. The TU offense racked up 539 yards offensively while the defense recorded four sacks the even the all-time series with the Highland Cavaliers at 6-6. In the victory, TU quarterback Ivan Corbin passed for a career-high 378 yards and four touchdowns.
Barton (4-3), who is in their second season since resurrecting the football program after a 68-year hiatus, logged the biggest win in school history as the Bulldogs posted a thrilling 26-20 overtime win over eighth-ranked Wingate last Saturday in Wilson. Redshirt freshman running back Jordan Terrell ran for 183 yards and four touchdowns in the victory the previously unbeaten Wingate.
HOMECOMING HISTORY
Since 1936, the Pioneers are 15-22 all-time during their annual homecoming game including 3-2 during the Coach Jerry Odom era (2015-present). Since becoming a NCAA Division II member in 1998, TU owns a 12-10 record when playing before the "old grads."
SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
With last week's win over UVA Wise, Tusculum snapped a three-game losing streak. The last time TU endured a three-game drought was in 2019. Tusculum ended it was a 21-19 win at UVA Wise and followed with three more victories.
After this week's game, Tusculum will be on the road in back-to-back weeks at Catawba (Oct. 30) and Mars Hill (Nov. 6) before returning home on Senior Day when they host Carson-Newman (Nov. 13).
The Pioneers boast the top passing offense in the South Atlantic Conference averaging 264.0 yards per game (29th in NCAA II). TU is also second in the league in total offense (413.7 ypg – 42nd in NCAA II), scoring offense (34.6 ppg – 30th in NCAA II) and third in passing yards per completion (14.11 ypc – 36th in NCAA II).
Corbin, a graduate student from Warner Robins, Georgia, leads the league in both total offense (283.7 ypg – 21st in NCAA II) and passing yards per game (252.7 ypg – 27th in NCAA II). He is also tops in the SAC in total passing yards (1,789 – 23rd in NCAA II) and passing yards per completion (14.27 ypc – 23rd in NCAA II). In 2021, he has gone 124-for-241 with 11 touchdowns. He has also rushed for 217 yards on 60 carries for three scores. Of his 124 completions, 27 have been for 20 yards or longer.
He eclipsed the 4,000 passing yard plateau last week against UVA Wise. He has gone 332-of-648 for 4.167 passing yards and 33 touchdowns.
Junior Justice Parham has been Corbin's No. 1 target and leads the team in receptions (35), receiving yards (591) and touchdown receptions (6 – 2nd in SAC / 32nd in NCAA II). He is averaging 84.4 receiving yards per game (3rd in SAC / 39th in NCAA II). Parham has recorded a TD catch in seven of his last nine games and nine of his 12 outings as a Pioneer. Eleven of his 35 receptions this year have been for 20 or more yards. He has also thrown for one TD this season.
Senior Derrick Wright is second on the team with his 21 catches for 287 yards and two touchdowns. He is coming off of last week's 141-yard performance on eight receptions last week against UVA Wise which included a 68-yard touchdown to put the Pioneers in the lead for good just before halftime.
Tight end Bryce Moore has posted five receptions for 115 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for a pair of scores, but missed last week due to injury. He is expected to return this week. Sophomore Will Shellenback has started in all seven games this year at tight end where he has five grabs for 54 yards including a nine-yard TD posted against UVA Wise.
Junior Cortney Jackson is averaging 6.3 yards per carry and has totaled 319 yards on 51 attempts including five touchdowns. He posted a career-best 82-yard TD run two weeks ago at Lenoir-Rhyne, which is the fifth-longest in program history. He also had a key 21-yard run last week to set up a scoring drive.
Senior Maurice Gomillion is third on the team in both rushing and receiving. He has 179 rushing yards on 48 carries and a TD. He has also made 13 receptions for 144 yards and a touchdown catch. Gomillion needs 121 rushing yards to eclipse 1,000 for his career and become the 13th Pioneer to join that elite group.
Tusculum continues to lead the SAC with four defensive touchdowns, which are the fourth-most in the nation. TU is also second in the conference with seven fumble recoveries (30th in NCAA II) while its 13 turnovers gained are fourth in the league and 44th in the country.
Sophomore defensive back Jermaine Witherspoon is the team's leading tackler with 40 hits, including two for loss. Witherspoon has also forced a fumble, posted an interception and has four pass break-ups to his credit.
Senior Raynell Killian is second on the roster with his 38 tackles including five for loss, one sack, an interception, two pass break-ups and a fumble recovery for a touchdown.
Junior cornerback Ty'Korian Brown is third with 37 tackles including two behind the line of scrimmage. He has also made an interception with three pass break-ups. Junior free safety John Smith is fourth with 36 tackles which includes three for loss and two passes defended. Senior linebacker Jahaud Russ has made 35 tackles with five for loss, returned a fumble for a touchdown and leads the team with four QB hurries.
Senior linebacker Craig Watts is returning to form as he led TU with eight tackles last week to give him 28 on the season including three for loss, all coming against UVA Wise.
Junior defensive end Nelson Louis has made 27 stops including a team-best eight for loss (6th in SAC) and a SAC-leading seven sacks (14th in NCAA II). He enters this week's action with 20 career sacks to his credit, which are the second-most in program history. He is four sacks off the pace set by TU great Tracy Branner (24 from 1997-2000).
Senior nose guard Quaheim Glasgow has posted 22 tackles with five for loss and leads the SAC with two fumble recoveries (6th in NCAA II), including one he returned for a 20-yard touchdown in the season-opener at St. Augustine's.
On special teams, senior punter Andrew Cantrell leads the way for the Pioneers. Cantrell will be playing in his 33rd consecutive game and is averaging 39.9 yards per punt which is the third-best average in the SAC and 29th in the nation. Of his 32 punts, 13 have resulted in fair catches including eight inside the 20-yardline. His 48 career punts inside the 20 are the fourth most by a Pioneer.
Eli Shepherd and John Aiden Pittman have been manning the placekicking duties for the Pioneers. Shepherd is third on the team in scoring with 26 points on his four field goals and 14 extra points. He enters this week's game with 99 career points and needs one more to become the sixth kicker in school history to eclipse the century mark. He was sidelined last week against UVA Wise and played sparingly the week before versus Lenoir-Rhyne.
Pittman is 11-of-12 on extra points and has made two of his four field goal attempts including a 31-yarder last week.
Tusculum kickoff teams are ranked third both offensively and defensively. TU's kickoff teams are averaging 23.6 yards per return (25th in NCAA II) as Jarvis Jones is averaging 30.3 yards per return including his school-record 100-yarder at Wingate earlier this month. Tusculum's kickoff coverage team is allowing 16.8 yards per return which is 38th nationally.
SCOUTING BARTON
The Barton Bulldogs have emerged as one of the surprise teams of the 2021 fall campaign. Barton is playing this season as a SAC schedule alliance member as BC will play all nine conference teams. So far through their league-slate, the Bulldogs are 3-3 against SAC teams including last week's 26-20 overtime win over No. 8 Wingate. BC has wins over Limestone and Carson-Newman to their credit. Barton's other victory came against Erskine.
Veteran head coach Chip Hester is the architect of the resurgence of Barton's football program. He is no stranger to the SAC as he served 18 years on the coaching staff at Catawba College including the last 11 as head coach where he guided the Indians to a 70-47 record including three trips to the NCAA II Playoffs. In his 11 meetings against Tusculum as a head coach, Coach Hester is 7-4 all-time.
The Bulldogs are led by redshirt freshman running back Jordan Terrell, who is the nation's No. 2 rusher averaging 177.9 yards per game. In the win over Wingate, Terrell rushed for 174 yards on 31 carries including three touchdowns. He has rushed for over 100 yards in all seven games this year including a pair of 200-yard outings against Erskine (229) and Limestone (256). His nine rushing touchdowns this year are 11th in the country including eight TDs in his last four games. He has ran for 1,245 yards this season so far.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Jaquan Lynch is slated to get the start under center. He has passed for 1,098 yards and seven touchdowns. He has also rushed for 265 yards and seven scores on the ground.
Lynch's top target is redshirt freshman Kameron Johnson who has 26 receptions for 479 yards and four touchdowns.
Defensively, the duo of linebacker Shane Perry and free safety Kendarius Jenkins are leading the way. Perry has a team-best 63 tackles (38th in NCAA II) including 10.5 for loss and 3.5 sacks. Jenkins is second with 60 stops (45th in NCAA II) with two interceptions and two pass break-ups.
Junior kicker Jackson Brooks has accounted for 42 points including 7-of-10 on field goals and 21-of-22 on extra points. His seven field goals are 28th in the nation. Punter Jayden Lewis is averaging 38.6 yards per kick including a season-long 62-yarder.
PRE-GAME ACTIVITES
There are plenty of events and activities slated before Saturday's football game. Tusculum's annual homecoming parade will begin at 12 p.m. The parade route will begin at the "Old College" and end at the stadium.
The Pioneer Tailgate will be held in the parking lot area between the stadium and the Meen Center. There will be a special tailgate for parents and family members of current Tusculum football players in the grassy area between the football and baseball stadiums.
The TU women's basketball team, who went 19-4 during the COVID shortened 2020-21 season and won its second straight SAC Championship, will be recognized.
Tusculum men's basketball guard Trenton Gibson, who was the 2021 SAC Player of the Year, will also be honored with the presentation of the SAC Presidents Award, the highest honor bestowed to a league student-athlete.
The 2021 TU Sports Hall of Fame class of Aaron Claridy (football), Lydia Taylor Panke (basketball) and Brad Hawkins (golf) will be recognized and will serve as honorary captains for Saturday's game.
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets for Tusculum home football games are $15 for fans. Children ages 12 and under will be admitted free. Tickets go on sale at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday and are available at both the north main entrance and the south visitors' entrance.
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 the SAC Digital Network. The radio call of the game will also be available locally on WSMG Radio on 95.5 FM and 1450 AM, as well as online at https://jewel955.com/listenlive.
The "Voice of the Pioneers" Brian Stayton and Joe Byrd will describe all the action for both the radio and video broadcasts. Stayton is in his 25th season as the broadcast voice of Tusculum University Athletics.
