GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum Pioneers will open their 25th South Atlantic Conference football season this Saturday night when they travel to Irwin Belk Stadium to take on the Wingate Bulldogs. Kick-off is set for 6 p.m.
Both teams are coming off single-digit losses last week on the road and both had to sit out two-plus hour weather delays before the games even started.
Tusculum (0-2, 0-0 SAC) fell behind by two touchdowns at undefeated Virginia State last Saturday where the Pioneers gave up a 91-yard kickoff return to open the game and a pick-six. The TU defense held the Trojans at bay and Pioneer offense scored a pair of third quarter touchdowns to tie the game at 14-14. VSU regained the lead with a TD and Tusculum would get a career-long field goal by John-Aiden Pittman to make it a 21-17 contest. The Pioneers blocked its second punt of the game with under a minute remaining and had two cracks from the VSU 10 before time ran out on the Black and Orange.
Wingate (1-1, 0-0 SAC) jumped out to a 10-0 lead at halftime over host Mars Hill, but the Lions scored 15 unanswered points with two touchdowns in the fourth quarter including a 55-yard scoop and score with 5:55 left. Mars Hill would prevail 15-10 in the non-conference thriller.
THE SERIES
Tusculum and Wingate renew a rivalry which dates back to 1996. The Bulldogs lead the all-time series 17-9 and have won the last four meetings.
Wingate won the first four games of the series (1996-1999) before Tusculum answered with four wins in a row from 2000-2003. The Bulldogs won eight of the next 10 meetings from 2004-2013.
The Pioneers followed by winning three of four contests from 2014-2017 including a 14-10 victory at Wingate in 2014. In that game, TU quarterback Kyle Dickey came off the bench and threw a pair of TD passes to rally the Pioneers from a 10-0 deficit and snap a five-game losing streak at Belk Stadium. Dickey is in his third season as offensive coordinator with the Pioneers.
Tusculum upset 23rd-ranked Wingate, 26-17 in the 2015 meeting in Greeneville. Two years later, TU spoiled the Bulldogs' bid for an undefeated regular season with a 25-17 upset win over No. 12 Wingate.
Ten of the 26 previous meetings have been decided by 10 points or less including four of the last five which have been by eight points or fewer including 43-35 victory by Wingate in TU's last trip to Irwin Belk Stadium.
SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
The Sons of Davy Crockett will be wrapping up their season-long three-game road trip this week as the Pioneers venture to Wingate. TU is looking to avoid its first 0-3 start since 2016 and will also be looking to snap a four-game losing streak dating back to last year where the 8-3 Pioneers dropped its final two outings, both on the road.
Starting with next week's home-opener against Catawba, Tusculum will play three of its next four contests at the familiar confines of Pioneer Field.
Head coach Jerry Odom is in his eighth season at the helm of the Pioneer program, two years removed from winning the South Atlantic Conference title and following last season's runner-up performance in the SAC Mountain Division.
Tusculum committed five turnovers including four interceptions in its season-opening 38-7 loss at NCAA-FBS bound Kennesaw State. In that game, the Pioneers led 7-0 after the first quarter, trailed 10-7 at halftime and were within a possession of the lead late in the third quarter.
The Pioneers got off to a slow start, both offensively and on special teams in last week's game at Virginia State. TU came up with a pair of interceptions and blocked two punts including one which was returned for a 20-yard touchdown by rookie Bam Hendrix. Trailing 21-17 with a minute remaining, the Pioneers blocked a second punt to give TU new hope. The Pioneers drove deep into Virginia State territory and got to the 10 yard-line with 10 seconds remaining. But a pair of tossed to the end zone were unsuccessful as time ran out.
Junior linebacker Earnest Johnson III is the league's top tackler averaging 10.5 stops per game (17th in NCAA II). He tallied a career-high 11 tackles in the season-opener at Kennesaw State and followed with 10 hits last week at Virginia State including the 100th of his Tusculum career. The Preseason All-Conference selection enters this week's contest with 101 tackles in his 26 career games including 18 for loss.
All-SAC linebacker Wesley Scott is second on the team with his 14 tackles including one for loss with a pass break-up. He is coming off an eight-tackle performance last week at Virginia State which included a TFL and pass break-up. He led the Pioneers with his 96 total tackles in 2022 earning him All-Conference first team accolades. Including his two seasons at Keiser University where he also garnered All-League distinction, Scott has amassed 229 tackles in his 34 career performances.
Redshirt freshman Gavin Rowell has been a made quite a mark at defensive end for the Pioneers. He is tied for third on the roster with his 12 tackles including a team-best five for loss (4th in SAC / 29th in NCAA II). He opened the year with seven tackles with two for loss and a sack at Kennesaw State. Last week, he finished with five hits including three behind the line of scrimmage.
All-SAC defensive back Ryan Dolce also has a dozen tackles to his credit for the Pioneers. He has made seven solo stops and five assists including one for loss. He made seven tackles at Virginia State including six solo hits. The University of New Haven transfer finished third on the team last year 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 three collegiate seasons, he has totaled 111 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 134 tackles in his collegiate career while his seven interceptions are tied for seventh in TU history. He posted pick No. 7 last week at Virginia State and has tallied eight tackles in his two games in 2023.
All-SAC defensive lineman Joslyn Mira is sixth on the roster with his eight total tackles including two for loss with a sack and a quarterback hurry. 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 last October. Mira has recorded 63 career tackles in his 24 games.
The defensive lint quartet of Dajavon White, Jamichael Wilson, Jahari Clemons and Trejen Fox-Birdwell each have five tackles apiece.
White is an All-SAC first team selection as he accounted for 37 tackles last season including 12 for loss and a team-best six sacks. He has made two hits behind the line of scrimmage this season, giving him 26 for his career with 11 sacks.
At 6-3, 325 pounds, Wilson is a dominating presence up front where he has made two tackles for loss with a sack and a pass break-up.
Clemons is second on the team with his three tackles for loss, including two last Saturday at Virginia State where he also forced a fumble.
Fox-Birdwell has made a tackle for loss and has a pass break-up this season. Last year, he made 34 tackles including 10 for loss with four sacks and five QB hurries. The two-sport standout has shined as a pitcher out of the Tusculum bullpen the last two springs.
Senior cornerback Ty'Korian Brown also has five tackles to his credit which includes a sack. Brown made two interceptions last year to give him four for his career. Brown's 21 career passes defended are the 10th most in school history. In his 30 career outings, he has been credited with 92 total tackles.
Andrae and Adrian Robinson continue to patrol the TU secondary and are one of three sets of twin brothers on this year's roster. The Robinson's 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. 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 110 tackles in his 33-game collegiate career for the Pioneers. In 2022, he finished with 31 stops including one for loss, two pass break-up and an interception.
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 24 career outings, he has totaled 61 tackles with four interceptions and nine pass break-ups.
Senior cornerback Marquel Pittman saw action in 10 games in his debut season on the TU football team where he played in the secondary as well as the kickoff return unit. He is averaging 32.3 kickoff return yards for his eight career attempts including a 96-yarder for a touchdown against Erskine last October. 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.
Veteran defensive back Raynell Killian missed the 2022 season due to injury and has already posted 76 tackles in his 17 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.
Slated to lead the Tusculum offense this week is Greeneville sophomore quarterback Matthew Palazzo who will be making his first collegiate start in this year's SAC lid-lifter. Palazzo takes over for redshirt freshman Preston Roberts who is out due to injury after earning the start in the season's first two games.
Palazzo saw action in this year's season-opener where he played in two series in the fourth quarter. He had a decorated prep career locally at Chuckey-Doak High School where he was a three-time All-Region performer including 2019 where he was the TSSAA Region I-3A Player of the Year. This summer, he was named a nominee for the AFCA Good Works Team.
The top target for the Pioneers this season continues to be junior Tyler Burke. In 2023, he has made nine catches for 85 yards including a 33-yard touchdown catch last week at Virginia State. 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. In his 23 career games, he has made 67 catches for 868 yards with nine 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.
Junior Kemani Brown finished third on the team with 17 catches last season for 215 yards and three touchdowns, but has yet to make a catch in 2023. Brown, who originally signed with the University of Tulsa out of high school, played quarterback at Northwestern High School in Miami, Florida.
Eleven different players have recorded a reception this season including five by freshman Tyreik Thorpe and three apiece by Joe Robustelli, Ethan Stinnett, Corey Moraux and running back Jalen Hunt.
Hunt has rushed for 76 yards on his 22 carries for a 3.5 average. Converted receiver Lanadrick Bradley is second on the club with 18 rushes for 70 yards (3.9 ypc). Freshman Jojo Restall, who saw action late against Kennesaw State, is also expected to see some action in the offensive backfield for the Pioneers.
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 two outings. The 6-2, 280-pound product has made 11 appearances on the line with nine career starts.
Adrian Gumm (6-5, 295), Chris Sweeney (6-6, 300) and Reggie Jackson (6-5, 280) are set to make their second straight starts this week. Senior Tyrone Kelsey (6-5, 340) played in seven contests last year including a pair of starts in wins over St. Augustine's and Carson-Newman. Also set to see action on the line are freshmen Jeff Linton (6-5, 305) and Nehemiah Storey (6-1, 285).
Veteran tight end Will Shellenback returns for his final Tusculum campaign. The 6-6, 250-pounder has 30 games under his collegiate belt where he has made 23 receptions for 249 yards and four touchdowns. In 2022, he posted nine grabs for 73 yards and two scores.
Sophomore Reginald Hunter appeared in nine games at tight end in 2022 as he posted four receptions for 52 yards. He posted a seven-yard catch last week at Kennesaw State.
Shorter University transfer Nicholas Pope gets his third start at punter this week and is averaging 38.9 yards per boot which is the fourth-best average in the league. In his TU debut, he averaged 36.6 yards on his seven punts including a long of 46 yards and pinned the Owls at the one-yard line. Last week at Virginia State, he punted nine times and for 40.8 average including one downed at the two-yard line. Pope played four seasons for the Shorter Hawks where he did double-duty as placekicker and punter. In his 101 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.
Junior placekicker John Aiden Pittman returns and has 19 career games of college kicking experience. He has made 45-of-48 of his career extra points for a .938 PAT percentage which is the third-best in program history. Last season, he was a perfect 15-of-15 on extra points and has made 21 in a row dating back to 2021. He scored five points last week including a career-long 35-yarder at Virginia State.
Junior Josh Curray is in 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 37th 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 (3rd in SAC / 21st in NCAA II) including a 61-yarder for a touchdown in last year's season-opener.
FOLLOW THE GAME
The Tusculum radio call of Saturday's contest with Wingate will be available on the Pioneer Sports Network with the "Voice of the Pioneers" Brian Stayton and Joe Byrd calling the action on WSMG Radio (95.5 FM and 1450 AM). The Tusculum broadcast is also available online at: www.TusculumPioneers.com.
Live video will be provided by Wingate University and on the SAC Digital Network, powered by FloSports. Video links are available at: www.TusculumPioneers.com.
Live stats and links will be available on-line at: www.TusculumPioneers.com.
