GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum Pioneers will hit the road one final time this season as the Black & Orange makes the short trip over the mountain to face the Mars Hill Lions in a South Atlantic Conference contest. Kick-off from the Ammons Family Athletic Center and Meares Stadium is slated for 1 p.m. (ET).
The Pioneers (4-5, 2-4 SAC) nearly pulled off a comeback for the ages, but dropped a 31-28 decision last weekend at Catawba. TU committed four turnovers including three in the opening half as the Pioneers trailed 21-0 early in the first quarter and were behind 31-7 at halftime. TU outscored the Catawba Indians 21-0 in the second half and the defense limited the hosts to 100 yards in the final two quarters.
Mars Hill is the hottest team in the league are a tied atop the conference standings. The Lions (7-2, 5-1 SAC) are riding a five-game winning streak including last week's 49-23 win at Carson-Newman. MHU is tied with Newberry, who they defeated last month in overtime. The Lions are ranked sixth in the latest NCAA Division II Super Region 2 Poll.
THE SERIES
The 38th renewal of the Tusculum/Mars Hill football series will be held this week as the Pioneers travel to their cross-mountain rival in the Battle of Sam's Gap. Tusculum leads the series 22-13-2.
Since 2000, the Pioneers have won 15 of the last 21 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. The Pioneers are currently riding a four-game winning streak against the Lions including a 58-20 win this past March in the COVID-abbreviated spring campaign.
Twenty (20) of the 35 previous meetings have been decided by seven points or less. Seven of the last nine meetings have been by six points or fewer.
SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
Tusculum enters this week's action seventh in the SAC standings as TU will be looking to play the role of spoiler when they take on conference-leader Mars Hill this Saturday afternoon.
If the Pioneers are to post back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2007 and 2008, they will have to win out including Saturday's clash with MHU.
Prior to last week's disappointing loss at Catawba, TU notched back-to-back home wins against UVA Wise (37-21) and Barton (41-17). Tusculum's other two victories this season came in the opener at St. Augustine's (58-14) and the SAC lid-lifter against Limestone (24-21). TU's five losses have all been by a single possession including Chowan (46-38 OT), Newberry (24-19), Wingate (43-35), Lenoir-Rhyne (38-31) and Catawba (31-28).
In what proved to be the deciding factor, Tusculum lost the turnover battle to Catawba, committing four miscues to Catawba's one. The Indians scored 17 first half points on TU's three turnovers in the opening 30 minutes.
Tusculum is minus-2 in its turnover margin, falling behind in that category for the first time this year. The TU defense has forced 16 turnovers this year resulting into 69 points including four touchdowns directly scored by the Pioneers, which are the most in the SAC and fifth in the nation.
Tusculum is listed third in the league in total defense allowing 312.1 yard per game, including 184.8 passing yards per contest which are second fewest in the SAC and 38th in NCAA II. The TU defense is also third in the conference averaging 3.00 sacks per game (25th in NCAA II) and fourth in team tackles for loss per game (8.00 – 19th in NCAA II).
Sophomore defensive back Jermaine Witherspoon remains the team leader with 52 tackles including a 31 solo hits to go along with three tackles for loss, one forced fumble, two interceptions (9th in SAC) and four pass break-ups.
Senior Raynell Killian is second with on the roster with 49 tackles with five for loss, one sack, a fumble recovery, one interception and two pass break-ups. Killian posted a team-best eight tackles in last Saturday's game at Catawba where he made seven solo stops.
Junior free safety John Smith is third with 42 tackles while junior cornerback Ty'Korian Brown is fourth with 41. Senior linebacker Craig Watts is fifth with 50 tackles including five for loss and three quarterback hurries.
Sophomore cornerback Jordan Taylor is next with 36 tackles including three for loss and a team-best six pass break-ups to go along with an interception. He has also been credited with a forced fumble and blocked a field goal try in the second half last week at Catawba.
Senior linebacker Jahaud Russ is next with 35 tackles with five for loss, four QB hurries and returned a fumble for a 49-yard touchdown in the SAC opener against Limestone.
Junior defensive end Nelson Louis is tied for the team lead with nine tackles for loss, including a SAC-best seven sacks. He has been credited with 30 tackles this year, giving him 94 total for his career. His 20 sacks are also the second most in school history and is four sacks away from matching the school record of 24, held by Tracy Branner (1997-2000). Louis has forced two fumbles this season which are fourth-most in the league and 43rd in NCAA II.
Senior defensive lineman Ryan McIntyre is second on the squad with eight tackles for loss including four sacks, four QB hurries and three pass break-ups to go with his 28 tackles. Freshman defensive tackle Dajavon White is tied with Louis for the team-lead with his nine tackles for loss and is second with five sacks.
The Tusculum offense continues to listed amongst the SAC leaders as the Pioneers are third in 34.6 points per game (32nd in NCAA II) and fourth in total offense with 411.7 yards per game (43rd in NCAA II). TU is posting 255.2 passing yards per game which are third in the SAC and 37th nationally. TU's 194 first downs are third in the conference and 37th nationally.
Junior receiver Justice Parham has been the top target in the TU aerial assault where he has made 41 receptions (4th in SAC) for 689 yards (3rd in SAC / 44th in NCAA II) and seven touchdowns (2nd in SAC / 38th in NCAA II). He eclipsed the 1,000 receiving yard plateau at Tusculum last week at Catawba to become the 22nd Pioneer to achieve the feat. The Valdosta State transfer did it in just 14 games.
Senior Derrick Wright is second on the team with 26 catches for 341 yards and two touchdowns. Wright has also emerged as one of the top specialists for the Pioneers where he is averaging 11.7 yards on his six punt returns and has a 23.7 yards per return average on kickoffs.
TU senior running back Maurice Gomillion is third on the squad with his 22 receptions for 198 yards and two TD grabs. Gomillion is second on the roster in rushing with 274 yards on 67 carries including three touchdowns. In last week's game at Catawba, he recorded a TD rush and a TD catch. He also moved to within 42 yards of becoming the 13th player in school history with 1,000 rushing yards.
Junior Cortney Jackson is TU's leading rusher with 502 yards and seven rushing touchdowns, which are second in the league and 47th in NCAA II. He is averaging 55.8 rushing yards per game this season including 81.3 ypg in his last four outings.
Graduate student Ivan Corbin has been TU's starting quarterback for every game this season where he has accounted for 2,003 passing yards (3rd in SAC / 38th in NCAA II) for 14 touchdowns (5th in SAC) and eight interceptions. He has a completion percentage of 51.2 percent and has rushed for 250 yards and four touchdowns.
Corbin was replaced at halftime of last week's game by true freshman quarterback Tre Simmons. Simmons has seen action in seven of nine games this year but saw his most significant playing time at Catawba where he went 16-of-24 for 205 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 44 yards on 12 carries including an 11-yard TD to open the third quarter. So far this year, he has completed 62.9 percent of his pass for 251 yards and four touchdowns. He has also rushed for 112 yards and two scores.
Junior punter Andrew Cantrell had a solid outing last week where he averaged 44 yards on his four punts, including three inside the 20-yard line. He is averaging 39.7 yards per punt this year, which ranks him third in the SAC and 31st in the nation. Of his 41 punts this season, 12 have been inside the 20-yard line and a SAC-best 17 have been fair caught.
Freshman John Aiden Pittman has been handling the placekicking duties of late where he has made 20 of his 22 extra points and has gone 2-of-4 for his 26 points.
FOLLOW THE GAME
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. The "Voice of the Pioneers" Brian Stayton and Joe Byrd will describe all the action. The Pioneer Pre-Game Show begins at 12 p.m. (ET). Stayton is in his 25th season as the broadcast voice of Tusculum University Athletics.
Mars Hill will also provide a video stream of Saturday's contest and those links will be available at www.TusculumPioneers.com and on SAC Live (SAC Digital Network).
