GOLDEN EAGLE FOOTBALL Game #2
Big plays, excitement rule the evening as Golden Eagles roll to victory September 8, 2011
Tucker Stadium / Cookeville, Tenn. / Attendance: 7,232 COOKEVILLE, Tenn. — The Golden Eagles scored 42 first-half points and racked up 566 yards of total offense, entertaining a crowd of 7,232 with plenty of big plays on both sides of the ball as the Golden Eagles earned a 56-7 victory over Maryville in the home opener. Tech’s 566 yards of offense was the most recorded in a game during the five-year tenure of head coach Watson Brown. Quarterback Tre Lamb threw four touchdown passes, going 11-for-14 for 222 yards and running back Dontey Gay notched his secondconsecutive 100-yard game, carrying 19 times for 155 yards and a score. It was the fourth 100-yard game of Gay’s career. Wide receiver Tim Benford was electric in the early going, scoring two touchdowns on six catches and racking up 131 total receiving yards. It was Benford’s seventh 100-plus-yard game. Tennessee Tech set the tone early as Cody Forbes returned the opening kickoff 59 yards to the Maryville 33-yard-line and Lamb found Benford for a 25-yard touchdown pass on the Golden Eagles’ second play from scrimmage. After forcing Maryville three-and-out, Tech turned the ball over to Gay on its second possession, and the running back racked up 66 yards on four carries, including a 19-yard touchdown scamper up the middle. Then Tech opened up its bag of big plays, first getting a 71-yard touchdown pass when Benford caught a short delivery from Lamb, then reversed field and ran all the way to paydirt.
Maryville (0-2) Tennessee Tech (1-1)
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n the Golden Eagles’ next offensive possession, sophO omore Doug Page caught a pass over the middle from Lamb at the Maryville eight-yard-line, then absorbed a hit that jarred the ball loose. Fortunately for Tech, freshman receiver Ron Durbin was there to pick up the ball and take it the rest of the way for a touchdown, putting the Golden Eagles firmly in control with a 28-0 lead. Tech racked up 342 rushing yards on the night and accumulated 224 yards through the air. Three Golden Eagles gained more than 50 rushing yards, with backup quarterback Darian Stone racking up 80 yards on just three carries and Cody Forbes carrying for 67 yards on eight rushes. Tech was impressive on special teams as well — junior Caleb Mitchell returned four punts for 72 yards, averaging 18 per return, and placekicker Zach Sharp was a perfect 8-for-8 on extra points. On defense, Tech was paced by eight tackles from Tra’Darius Goff. Dwight Evans and Blake Adams each notched seven tackles. Travis Adkins intercepted a second-quarter pass at the Maryville 11-yard-line and ran it into the end zone, putting Tech up 35-0 with just more than 10 minutes left to play in the half. The Golden Eagles’ final score of the half came when Lamb scrambled out of trouble, then hit fullback Charlie Stevens over the middle and the fifth-year senior raced 38 yards and dove across the line for his first career TD. Stevens bulldozed his way past a defender inside the five-yard-line and dove over the line to give Tech a 42-0 halftime lead. Tech’s second half points came on a 74-yard run by redshirt freshman Darian Stone, and a 38-yard interceptions return by Corey Watson. It was the first career TD for each.
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1 14:20 Tennessee Tech - BENFORD, Tim 24 yd pass from LAMB, Tre. (SHARP, Zach kick is good). Drive: 2 plays, 33 yards in 0:40. 0-7 1 10:38 Tennessee Tech - GAY, Dontey 19 yd run. (SHARP, Zach kick is good). Drive: 5 plays, 67 yards in 1:38. 0 - 14 1 06:13 Tennessee Tech - BENFORD, Tim 71 yd pass from LAMB, Tre. (SHARP, Zach kick is good). Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards in 0:37. 0 - 21 1 01:17 Tennessee Tech - DURBIN, Ron 5 yd pass from LAMB, Tre. (SHARP, Zach kick is good). Drive: 7 plays, 76 yards in 2:15. 0 - 28 2 10:21 Tennessee Tech - ADKINS, Travis 11 yd interception return. (SHARP, Zach kick is good). 0 - 35 2 00:00 Tennessee Tech - STEVENS, Charli 38 yd pass from LAMB, Tre. (SHARP, Zach kick is good). Drive: 5 plays, 72 yards in 1:03. 0 - 42 3 14:36 Tennessee Tech - WATSON, Corey 38 yd interception return. (SHARP, Zach kick is good). 0 - 49 3 05:51 Tennessee Tech - STONE, Darian 74 yd run. (SHARP, Zach kick is good). Drive: 3 plays, 81 yards in 1:19. 0 - 56 4 02:45 Maryville (Tenn.) - CONNER, Tim 3 yd run. (NOBOA, Andrew kick is Good). Drive: 14 plays, 81 yards in 6:16. 7-56
Team Statistics.................TTU......... Maryville First Downs................................21......................10 Yards Rushing......................... 342....................74 Com-Att-Int.......................... 12-15-1...........22-42-2 Yards Passing........................... 224...................159 Total Offense........................... 566...................233 Punts/Avg...............................3/44.0..............9/39.8 Possession Time....................23:15................36:45 Leading Rushers Tech: Gay (155 yards on 19 carries) Maryville: Felder (71 yards on 11 carries) Leading Passers Tech: Lamb (11-of-14 for 222 yards) Maryville: Conner (13-of-22 for 108 yards)
2012 GOLDEN EAGLE FOOTBALL F PURPLE PRIDE
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