GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum University will kick off its 75^th football season this Thursday night when the Pioneers travel to Georgia to take on Kennesaw State University at Fifth Third Bank Stadium. Game time is slated for 7 p.m. from the Kennesaw, Georgia campus.

Thursday will be the inaugural meeting on the gridiron between Tusculum and Kennesaw State, who is in a transition year and will be moving up to the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and Conference USA next fall (2024).

Tusculum head coach Jerry Odom, who is entering his eighth season with the Black and Orange, returns 59 lettermen and 17 starters from last year's 8-3 club which finished runner-up in the South Atlantic Conference Mountain Division. TU's eight victories were tied for the third-most in school history, while its six SAC wins were tied for the most by a Pioneer football team.

The Pioneers will play their first three games of 2023 away from Greeneville. TU will next travel to Virginia State University on Sep. 9 before opening its 25^th SAC campaign on the road at Wingate University on Sep. 16.

Tusculum returns the bulk of its defensive unit including nine of its top-10 tacklers. Coach Odom's defense finished as SAC statistical champions in four categories including: four defensive touchdowns (8^th in NCAA II), 19 interceptions (3^rd in NCAA II), 93.02 pass efficiency defense (4^th in NCAA II) and forced 25 turnovers (16^th in NCAA II). Nationally, the team finished 15^th in pass defense (159.6 ypg), 18^th in total defense (282.4 ypg), 26^th in team tackles for loss (7.7 tpg), 35^th in third down defense (.328) and 47^th in turnover margin (+4).

All-Conference first team linebacker Wesley Scott led the team in 2022 with his 96 total tackles including a TU-best 15 for loss. He averaged 8.7 tackles per game which were third in the league and 39^th in Division II. Scott recorded 10 or more stops on three occasions and also finished with six quarterback hurries, two pass break-ups and an interception against Emory & Henry which he returned for a 35-yard touchdown.

Preseason All-SAC linebacker Earnest Johnson III is back as he finished second on the team with his 56 tackles. He also posted 11 tackles for loss, one sack, three QB hurries, forced two fumbles and recovered another. He enters this year with 80 tackles in his 24 career games, including 17 stops behind the line of scrimmage.

Defensive back Ryan Dolce returns to the TU secondary after earning All-SAC laurels in his inaugural TU campaign. The University of New Haven transfer finished third for the Pioneers with 55 tackles including six for loss and a sack. He tied for the team lead with three interceptions including a 72-yard pick-six at Catawba. He added four pass break-ups and four QB hurries to go along with a forced fumble and a recovery. In his two collegiate seasons, he has totaled 99 career tackles.

Senior defensive back Jermaine Witherspoon is coming off an All-SAC season where he made 48 tackles and recorded a pair of interceptions. He has been credited with 126 tackles in his collegiate career while his six interceptions for 104 return yards are both tied for the ninth-most in TU history.

Anchoring the defensive front is All-SAC first teamer Dajavon White. The 5-10, 295-pound junior accounted for 37 stops including 12 behind the line of scrimmage which included a team-best six sacks (7^th in SAC). He also recorded four QB hurries and blocked an extra point which proved to be the difference in a 14-13 road win at Barton. In his 23 career games, he has 23 tackles for loss and 11 sacks.

Also returning up front for the Black and Orange is All-SAC standout Joslyn Mira. The 6-2, 250-pound graduate student accounted for 34 tackles in 2022 including nine for loss, two sacks and tied for the team-lead with six QB hurries. He blocked a last minute field goal to preserve TU's 10-9 road win at UVA Wise.

Two-sport standout Trejen Fox-Birdwell posted 34 tackles a year ago, while also making 10 tackles for loss with four sacks and five QB hurries from his defensive line position. He has also shined as a pitcher for the past two springs on the TU baseball team.

The Robinson brothers are back in the Tusculum secondary once again. Andrae and Adrian Robinson, one of three sets of twin brothers on this year's roster, each recorded three interceptions in 2022 for the Pioneers. Andrae earned All-SAC accolades while recording 26 tackles including 24 solo hits. One of his picks was returned for a school-record 97-yard touchdown at Catawba, earning him SAC Defensive Player of the Week plaudits. Adrian had 21 tackles last year including one for loss. The Robinsons have also shined in the classroom and both are two-time Academic All-District honorees.

Veteran defensive back John Smith has recorded 107 tackles in his 31-game collegiate career for the Pioneers. In 2022, he finished with 31 stops including one for loss, two pass break-up and an interception.

Senior defensive lineman Jamichael Wilson was a steady force in the trenches for the Pioneers last season. He started in every game and totaled 27 tackles including eight for loss, two sacks and a QB hurry.

All-SAC defensive back Jordan Taylor was limited to eight games in 2022 where he posted 11 tackles including three for loss, two interceptions and two pass deflections. In his 22 career outings, he has totaled 59 tackles with three interceptions and nine pass break-ups.

Senior cornerback Ty'Korian Brown made two interceptions last season to give him four for his career. Brown's 21 career passes defended are the 10^th most in school history. In his 28 career outings, he has been credited with 87 total tackles.

Senior cornerback Marquel Pittman saw action in 10 games in his debut season on the TU football team where he saw action in the secondary as well as the kickoff return unit. He averaged a whopping 45.5 yards on his four kickoff returns including a 96-yarder for a touchdown against Erskine. He has been showcasing his speed on the Tusculum track team where he has earned All-America, All-Region and All-Conference distinction as a sprinter.

Back in the Tusculum lineup is veteran defensive back Raynell Killian. Killian missed the 2022 season due to injury and has already posted 73 tackles in his 15 games with the Pioneers. In 2021, he finished second on the roster with 56 tackles including six for loss with two sacks, two pass break-ups and an interception. He has been a part of three championship runs in his four collegiate seasons. He helped Valdosta State to a 2018 NCAA II National Championship to go along with a pair of Gulf South Conference titles. He was also instrumental in Tusculum's SAC Championship in the spring of 2021.

Also returning up front for the Pioneers are Chris Smith, Ryshawn Glinton, Jahari Clemons and Gavin Rowell. In the linebacker corps, senior Chris Stevenson has returned.

Seven starters are back from last year's offense which averaged 30.5 points (2^nd in SAC / 50^th in NCAA II) and 396.5 yards per game (2^nd in SAC / 49^th in NCAA II).

But gone are three All-SAC performers including All-American center Tommy Mahoney and running back Mekhai Johnson who were lost to graduation. All-Conference quarterback and two-year starter Tre Simmons was a NCAA Portal casualty and transferred at NCAA Division I McNeese State.

Edinboro University transfer Anfreenee Williams is slated to contribute at the running back position. He earned All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference accolades at Edinboro and runs for 1,351 yards and 11 touchdowns in his 25 games with the Fighting Scots.

Junior Lanadrick Bradley, who played in 11 games at receiver last year for the Pioneers, will see action in the TU backfield. In 2022, he posted 14 receptions for 195 yards and a touchdown.

Tusculum returns its top receiver from a year ago in junior Tyler Burke. He earned All-Conference honors in 2022 as he led the Pioneers with his 36 receptions for 578 yards, which were both fifth in the league. He accounted for five touchdown receptions as well and saw action on TU's kickoff return unit. He is averaging 26.9 yards per kickoff return and posted a school-record 100-yarder in his 2021 rookie season.

Junior Kemani Brown finished third on the team with 17 catches last season for 215 yards and three touchdowns, while sophomore Eddie Watson is expected to contribute his speed in TU's aerial assault.

Slated to get the start at quarterback is redshirt freshman Preston Roberts. The 6-2, 180-pounder will be seeing his first collegiate action in Thursday's opener against Kennesaw State. Roberts passed for over 6,000 yards during his prep career at Flagler Palm Coast High School in Florida where he was a two-time All-Area selection and led his team to three State Playoff appearances. In his senior season, he tossed for 1,800 yards and 22 touchdowns.

Joining the TU receiving corps is the trio of senior Joe Robustelli and rookies Zaron Collins, Martay McClendon and Tyreik Thorpe. Robustelli is a 6-2, 220-pound UCF transfer while McClendon was an All-County and All-Conference pick at Atlantic High School in Florida where he posted 52 catches for 704 yards and led his team to a 2022 State title. Collins made 30 receptions for 414 yards and six touchdowns in his final season at Monsignor Pace HS in Miami, Florida. Thorpe, a 5-11, 175-pound speedster from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was an All-State first team choice at Western High School as he accounted for 1,412 all-purpose yards as a senior including 958 receiving yards on 61 receptions for 11 touchdowns.

The Tusculum quarterback room also includes sophomores Matthew Palazzo and Brayden Phillips, along with Marshall University transfer Peter Zamora.

Palazzo, a local Greeneville product, saw spot action in 2022 for the Pioneers. The 6-4, 225-pounder posted a decorated prep career at Chuckey-Doak High School where he was a three-time All-Region standout including 2019 where he was Region Player of the Year.

Phillips, a 6-2, 195-pound sophomore, played in seven games last year as he passed for 181 yards and two touchdowns and completed 54 percent of his passes.

Zamora, a 6-0, 200-pound redshirt freshman, accounted for 5,000 career passing yards and 77 touchdowns during his prep career which included Westside HS in Anderson, South Carolina and Monarch HS in Florida. In 2021, he passed for 1,275 yards and 15 touchdowns as Westside won the Region title for the first time since 2016. At Monarch HS, he earned All-State honors in 2019 while passing for 2,164 yards and 26 touchdowns.

Three starters return on the offensive line for Pioneers including 2022 All-SAC selections Ben Shellenback and Joe Lock. Shellenback, 6-5, 300-pound graduate student has been a starter in the TU offensive trenches for the past two seasons at left tackle, while Lock, a 6-3, 300-pound senior, was the starting right tackle a year ago. Sophomore Levi Gould (6-2, 280) made 10 appearances as a true freshman last year including seven starts. Gould is slated to be TU's starting center when the season gets underway.

Senior Taylor Williams will earn the start at one of the guard positions for the Pioneers after battling injuries the past two campaigns. He got injured in last year's SAC opener, but returned to the line-up for the final two divisional contests. Williams, who came to Tusculum via Valdosta State, was a part of the Blazers' 2018 national championship team as a freshman.

Senior Tyrone Kelsey played in seven contests last year including a pair of starts in wins over St. Augustine's in last year's opener and against Carson-Newman. The 6-4, 300-pound veteran has been tapped to start at the other guard position.

The veteran group of Jordon Harmon (6-3, 290, Sr.), Colton Edwards (6-1, 300, Gr.) and Bryson Ridge will be looking to contribute for the Pioneers.

Newcomers Reggie Jackson (6-5, 280, Fr.), Nehemiah Storey (6-1, 285, Fr.), Adrian Gumm (6-5, 295, So.), Jeff Linton (6-5, 305, Fr.) and Chris Sweeney (6-6, 300, Fr.) will be vying for playing time on the offensive line as well.

Veteran tight end Will Shellenback returns for his final Tusculum campaign. The 6-6, 250-pounder has 28 games under his collegiate belt where he has made 22 receptions for 243 yards and four touchdowns. In 2022, he posted nine grabs for 73 yards and two scores.

Bryce Moore has played in 18 games at tight end during his TU career including 11 games last year with nine starts. In 2022, he finished with 12 catches for 115 yards and earned a spot on the All-SAC Mountain Division second team. He played his first two seasons at quarterback where he passed for 994 yards and seven touchdowns in his 13 games under center.

Sophomore Reginald Hunter appeared in nine games at tight end in 2022 as he posted four receptions for 52 yards.

For the first time in nine years, the last name of Tusculum's punter will not be Cantrell. The brother duo of Hunter Cantrell (2014-2017) and Andrew Cantrell (2018-2022) have served as TU's punter.

Shorter University transfer Nicholas Pope is slated to start at punter in the season-opener. Pope played the last four seasons for the Hawks where he did double-duty as placekicker and punter. In his 101 career punts, he averaged 38.5 yards per boot with 25 punts inside the 20 and five touchbacks. In his 34 games as a kicker, he totaled 122 points including 19 field goals and 65 extra points.

Also in the wings is junior punter and ETSU transfer Jackson McCurry. McCurry was a four-time All-Conference punter at A.C. Reynolds High School in Asheville, North Carolina where he averaged 43.6 yards per punt.

Junior placekicker John Aiden Pittman returns and has 17 career games of college kicking experience. He has made 42-of-45 of his career extra points for a .933 PAT percentage which is the third-best in program history. Last season, he was a perfect 15-of-15 on extra points and handled 56 of Tusculum's kickoffs.

Sophomore Juan Villasenor appeared in all 11 games last season for Tusculum. He finished second on the team in scoring with 45 points going 6-of-12 on field goals and 27-of-30 on extra points. He recorded a season-high 14 points in a road win at Catawba to earn him SAC Special Teams Player of the Week honors. He is also a member of the TU soccer team.

Junior Josh Curray enters his third season as Tusculum's long-snapper. He earned All-SAC Mountain Division recognition last season and earned a spot on the Academic All-District team. None of his long snaps resulted in a blocked punt last year as Tusculum boasted the No. 20 net punting team in the country (37.75) and were 37^th nationally in punt return defense (5.19 ypr).

Eddie Watson will be Tusculum's punt returner once again 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 (3^rd in SAC / 21^st in NCAA II) including a 61-yarder for a touchdown in last year's season-opener.

MORE ABOUT KENNESAW STATE

Kennesaw State has been competing as a NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) member for the past eight seasons (2015-2022). The first seven were as a member of the Big South Conference and last year in the Atlantic Sun Conference where the Owls finished fifth and ended the year with a 5-6 overall record.

Kennesaw head coach Brian Bohannon started the football program in 2015 and has posted a remarkable 68-24 record in his eight years with the Owls. He led KSU to three Big South titles (2017, 2018, 2021 and four trips to the NCAA FCS Playoffs. During its first five years of competition the Owls posted three consecutive 11-win seasons.

FOLLOW THE GAME

The Tusculum radio call of Thursday's season-opener at Kennesaw State will be available on the Pioneer Sports Network with the "Voice of the Pioneers" Brian Stayton calling the action on WSMG Radio (95.5 FM and 1450 AM). The Tusculum broadcast is also available online at: www.TusculumPioneers.com.

Thursday's game will also be video streamed on ESPN+ with links available at www.TusculumPioneers.com and www.KSUOwls.com.

Live statistics will be available on-line at: www.TusculumPioneers.com and www.TusculumStats.com.