GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum Pioneers will face one of the top rushing teams in the country when the Barton Bulldogs come to town for a South Atlantic Conference football game at the Niswonger Sports Complex and Pioneer Field. Saturday's kick-off is at 2 p.m.
This Saturday is Tusculum's Breast Cancer Awareness Game as the Pioneers prepare to kick-off Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Fans are asked to wear their PINK in support of those who have battled for continue to battle breast cancer.
This will be the final non-divisional game for the Pioneers (2-2, 2-0 SAC) before starting SAC Mountain Division play next week. Tusculum is off to its first 2-0 start in the league since 2007.
TU quarterback Matthew Palazzo accounted for four touchdowns (2 pass, 2 rush) last Saturday as the Pioneers knocked off the Catawba Indians, 35-21 in Tusculum's home-opener. The TU defense forced five turnovers in the opening half resulting in 21 points for the Pioneers.
Barton (3-1, 1-1 SAC) opened the year winners of its first three games, but suffered its first loss of 2023 with a 16-14 decision at undefeated Mars Hill. MHU kicker Lon Teachy connected on three field goals including a 34-yarder with 9:19 remaining which proved to be the game-winner. Mars Hill rushed for 316 yards on the day and held the football for the final 6:06 of the game to preserve the victory.
Barton QB Jaquan Lynch rushed and passed for at least one TD for a fourth straight game. Meanwhile, running back Jordan Terrell, the nation's leading rusher heading into the contest, was held to just 47 rushing yards on 18 carries.
THE SERIES
Tusculum and Barton meet on the collegiate gridiron for the third time this week as the Pioneers and Bulldogs square off. TU won the 2021 inaugural meeting 41-17 in Greeneville during the Pioneers' homecoming game. Tusculum jumped out to a 27-0 lead and forced a pair of fumbles in the second half.
Last year's game in Wilson was the first time the two teams met in a South Atlantic Conference contest. Tusculum overcame a 13-0 halftime deficit, scoring two touchdowns in the second half. TU turned away a pair of potential go-ahead field goals in the final two minutes including a 50-yarder with 18 seconds left.
SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
The Tusculum Pioneers will be looking for its first 3-0 SAC start in 16 years when they face the Barton Bulldogs.
After an 0-2 start to the season with road losses at NCAA-FCS Independent Kennesaw State and 21-17 setback at Virginia State, TU head coach Jerry Odom has Pioneers heading in the right direction with back-to-back conference wins to start the SAC campaign.
Tusculum posted a 23-21 win at Wingate two weeks ago and followed with a 35-21 home win over Catawba.
After not forcing a turnover in its season lid-lifter at Kennesaw, the Pioneers have bounced back with a vengeance and have forced a SAC-most nine takeaways, which are 19th in NCAA II. TU's seven interceptions are first in the conference and seventh in NCAA Division II. Tusculum is averaging 3.75 sacks this season which is the fifth-best average in DII and second in the league.
Junior linebacker Wesley Scott leads the conference with his 38 tackles (14th in NCAA II) including a TU career-best 13 stops last week against Catawba. He also made three tackles for loss, two sacks, forced a fumble and recovered another to earn SAC Defensive Player of the Week recognition. For 2023, he has accounted for five tackles for loss with three sacks (6th in SAC).
In 2022, Scott led the Pioneers with his 96 total tackles last year earning him All-Conference first team honors. Including his two years at Keiser University, he has amassed 253 tackles in his 35-game career.
Junior linebacker Earnest Johnson III is second in the SAC with his 35 tackles (29th in NCAA II) including four for loss and two sacks. He tallied a career-high 11 tackles in the season-opener at Kennesaw and followed with 10 hits at Virginia State including the 100th of his Tusculum career. Last week against Catawba, he made nine tackles with two sacks and a quarterback hurry. The Preseason All-Conference selection 115 tackles in his 28 career games including 20 for loss.
All-SAC defensive back Ryan Dolce is third with 29 tackles including a SAC-high 20 for loss (32nd in NCAA II). 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 in last year's win at Catawba. In his three collegiate seasons he has totaled 128 career tackles.
Redshirt freshman Gavin Rowell continues to be a force on the defensive front. He is fourth on the roster with his 25 tackles including a team-best eight for loss (4th in SAC / 43rd in NCAA II). He tallied seven stops two weeks ago at Wingate including a sack for a safety. He followed with six tackles against Catawba including two for loss and a sack.
Senior defensive back Jermaine Witherspoon is fifth on the club with 21 tackles including a team-best five passes defended with an interception and four break-ups. He has been credited with 147 tackles in his collegiate career while his seven interceptions are tied for seventh in TU history. His 19 career passes defended (7 INT, 12 PB) are 13th in school history.
Dajavon White, the 2022 All-SAC first team selection, has made 16 tackles this year with five behind the line of scrimmage and three sacks including one resulting in a safety at Wingate and was named the SAC Defensive Player of the Week. His 14 career sacks are the eighth-most by a Pioneer.
All-SAC defensive lineman Joslyn Mira is seventh on the roster with his 15 total tackles including three for loss with two sacks and two QB hurries. Mira has recorded 72 career tackles in his 26 games.
Twin brothers Adrian and Andrae Robinson continue to patrol the secondary and have each accounted for 13 tackles this season. The Robinsons both shine in the classroom as well where they are honor students and both were named to the NCAA II Academic All-District first team in each of the last two seasons.
Senior cornerback Ty'Korian Brown has nine tackles to his credit which includes a sack. He has posted an interception in each of his last two games. His two interceptions are tied for third in the SAC and 34th in NCAA II. Brown's 25 career passes defended are the eighth-most in school history. In his 31 career outings, he has been credited with 94 total tackles.
At 6-3, 325 pounds, defensive lineman Jamichael Wilson is a dominating force up front where he has made two tackles for loss with a sack, two pass break-ups and recorded his first career interception last week against Catawba.
Offensively, the Pioneers posted their best numbers of the season in last week's victory over the Catawba Indians. TU racked up season-highs with 35 points and 455 yards.
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Matthew Palazzo has earned the start in the last two games, both resulting in wins for the Black & Orange. He rushed for a pair of touchdowns and threw a game-winning 46-yard TD pass with 2:59 remaining in a 23-21 win at Wingate, TU's first road win over the Bulldogs since 2014.
In last week's win over Catawba, he accounted for four touchdowns (2 pass, 2 rush) and accounted for 282 total offensive yards. He went 23-for-33 for 226 yards with a pair of touchdowns and was not sacked on the afternoon. He completed passes to 11 different receivers and rushed for 56 yards on 12 carries and two TDs. For his efforts he was named the SAC Offensive Player of the Week and the TSWA Offensive Player of the Week.
The top target for the Pioneers this season continues to be junior Tyler Burke. He has made 17 catches for 214 yards and two touchdowns. 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 25 career games, he has made 75 catches for 997 yards with 10 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.
Freshman Tyreik Thorpe is second on the team with his 10 receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown. Joe Rubustelli is second on the squad with his 134 receiving yards on eight catches and 47-yard TD grab last week vs Catawba.
Running back Jalen Hunt has rushed for 174 yards on his 41 carries for a 4.2 average. He ran for 86 yards with a touchdown. Freshman Jojo Restall is second on the team with his 98 rushing yards on 19 attempts (5.2 ypc). Converted receiver Lanadrick Bradley is third on the club with 18 rushes for 70 yards (3.9 ypc).
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 four outings. The 6-2, 280-pound product has made 14 appearances on the line with 12 career starts.
Adrian Gumm (6-5, 295), Chris Sweeney (6-6, 300) and Reggie Jackson (6-5, 280) are set to make their fourth 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 24 receptions for 258 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. In 2023, he has posted four receptions for 46 yards including a 39-yard performance at Wingate including his 25-yard reception to set up a short TD run for Palazzo for Tusculum's second touchdown.
Shorter University transfer Nicholas Pope has emerged as TU's starting punter and is averaging 37.8 yards per boot which is eighth in the league. His six punts inside the 20 are fifth in the SAC while is 11 fair catches are the most in the conference. Pope played four seasons for the Shorter Hawks where he did double-duty as placekicker and punter. In his 34 games as a kicker, he totaled 122 points including 19 field goals and 65 extra points.
Junior placekicker John-Aiden Pittman has made 53-of-56 of his career extra points for a school-record .946 PAT percentage which is the best in program history. Last season, he was a perfect 15-of-15 on extra points and has made 29 in a row dating back to 2021. He scored five points at Virginia State including a career-long 35-yard field goal.
Junior 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 Academic All-District team.
Eddie Watson is Tusculum's punt returner 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 home-opener. This season, he has returned six punts for an 8.3 yards per return average (3rd in SAC / 43rd in NCAA II).
Senior Marquel Pittman has been Tusculum's leading kickoff returner this season. He is averaging 21.3 yards on his six returns in 2023 with a long of 36 yards. Pittman returned a 96-yarder for a touchdown against Erskine last October. He has been showcasing his speed on the Tusculum track team where he earned All-America, All-Region and All-Conference distinction as a sprinter.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
The Barton Bulldogs are looking to rebound from its first loss of the season as the 360-mile trek to Greeneville to battle the Pioneers.
This will be Barton's second straight trip to the mountains after last week's 16-14 road loss to Mars Hill last Saturday.
BC coach Chip Hester, who is in his fourth season with the Bulldogs, brings his 3-1 club to Tusculum and looking for the program's first win over the Pioneers.
Barton opened the season with three straight victories including a thrilling 28-24 win over UVA Wise in its SAC opener. The Bulldogs stopped the Cavaliers on downs at the BC 5 with two seconds left to preserve the four-point victory and to open a season 3-0 for the first time in school history.
Barton opened the season with a 41-0 home win over Chowan and followed with a 33-31 road victory over NCAA-FCS Davidson.
The offensive attack starts with junior quarterback Jaquan Lynch who has accounted for 10 touchdowns in his four starts under center this season. He is averaging 176.3 passing yards per game while completing 54.4 percent of his passes with four touchdowns and one interception in his 79 pass attempts. Lynch is second on the team in rushing where he is averaging 32.8 yards per game and has run for a SAC-best six touchdowns.
Lynch's top receiver is Kameron Johnson who leads the Bulldogs with his 21 receptions (5th in SAC) for 333 yards (2nd in SAC / 33rd in NCAA II) and three touchdowns (3rd in SAC / 41st in NCAA II). He is averaging 83.3 receiving yards per game and is also a threat on special teams as both a kickoff (18.00 ypr – 7th in SAC) and punt returner (10.5 ypr – 2nd in SAC / 23rd in NCAA II).
The running game goes through junior Jordan Terrell who is averaging 157.2 rushing yards per game which is second in the nation. He has posted 629 rushing yards on 85 carries including four touchdowns. Two weeks ago, he ran for 256 yards against Barton including the game-winning 63-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter. He was named the D2Football.com National Offensive Player of the Week.
For his stellar career, Terrell has already rushed for 4,384 yards in his 30 contests (146.1 ypg) with 37 touchdowns. He ran for 171 yards in last year's meeting with the Pioneers with 95 of those yards coming on his first three touches including an 81-yard touchdown in the opening quarter.
On defense, Shane Perry leads the Bulldogs with his 33 tackles including two for loss and a sack. Dereck Barringer is second with 28 tackles while Matt Smith is third with 27 stops including 5.5 behind the line of scrimmage.
TICKETS
Fans may purchase tickets on-line through HomeTown Ticketing on the Tusculum Athletic web site at: www.TusculumPioneers.com/information/tickets.
All ticket purchases (on-line and in-person) are CREDIT CARD ONLY. Cash WILL NOT be accepted at the gate. Gates open this Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET.
Admission for Tusculum home football games is $15 for all entrants. Admission is $10 for adults 65 and older and for children ages 6-12. Children 5 and under will be admitted free. Tusculum students will be admitted free and valid Tusculum ID is required.
Spectators using HomeTown Ticketing can choose to print tickets at home or use mobile entry tickets at the gate.
GAME PROGRAMS
Game programs will be on-sale at each ticket window as well as the Tusculum Campus Store located on the stadium concourse behind the press box. Cost is $3 and sales are CARD ONLY.
PARKING
Parking for Tusculum football games is FREE and on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Tusculum fans are asked to utilize the main stadium parking lot behind Pioneer Field and Pioneer Park as well as other available parking lots on campus.
VISITING FANS are asked to utilize the South parking lot by the Indoor Practice Facility. Visiting fans will have easier access to the South Entrance and the visiting grandstand area.
Fans are asked to utilize the clearly marked spots in the parking lot. Parking is not permitted at curbside or in grass areas.
BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH KICK-OFF
This week's contest is Tusculum's Breast Cancer Awareness Game as fans are asked to wear pink as we prepare to kick-off October and Breast Cancer Awareness Month. During the game, Breast Cancer survivors will be recognized.
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.
The "Voice of the Pioneers" Brian Stayton along with Joe Byrd will describe all the action the radio pre-game show beginning at 1 p.m.
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.
