JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Sept. 30, 2016) – After playing a pair of road games and a game at Bristol Motor Speedway, the ETSU football team is set to make its season debut at Kermit Tipton Stadium Saturday afternoon as the Bucs host No. 3 Chattanooga. Kickoff is set for noon. 

TOP THINGS TO KNOW FOR SATURDAY’S GAME

No. 1 – Game time is set for noon on Saturday, with the traditional Buc Walk set for 10:15 a.m. During the year, the Buc Walk will take place one hour and 45 minutes prior to game time. In addition, the Food City Zone – a family tailgating area with kids’ activities – will open at 9 a.m., three hours prior to game time. 

No. 2 – Parking areas around Kermit Tipton will open at 7 a.m. for tailgating, and gates to the stadium will open at approximately 10 a.m. During the year, gates to the stadium will open two hours prior to kick. Please make sure to have your designated parking pass visibly displayed to access lots. Paid parking is also available in Lots C and I, as well as in the Terrace lots in front of Science Hill High School. 

No. 3 – The game sponsors for Saturday will be Farm Bureau Insurance and the American Cancer Society. Fans are encouraged to wear pink to this game in support of the fight against cancer. Pink shirts will be available for purchase pregame in the Food City Zone and during the game at the Fan Assistance booth on the west concourse. Shirts will be $10 each. 

No. 4 – ETSU will welcome home two athletic greats from the past on Saturday, as former NFL Pro Bowler Donnie Abraham and his wife Tunisia will be honored during the game, as well as former men’s golf standout Seamus Power, who recently made headlines around the world during the Summer Olympics in Rio. 

No. 5 – Only a few tickets remain for Saturday’s game. Get yours by visiting ETSUBucs.com and clicking on the ticket link, or by calling 423-439-ETSU (3878). Fans are reminded that there is no re-entry into Kermit Tipton Stadium. 

No. 6 - The Firehouse Country Breakfast with the Bucs ... Enjoy a delicious country-style breakfast buffet, catered by Firehouse Restaurant, at the Alumni Pavilion before the Bucs take on Chattanooga ... The breakfast begins at 10 a.m. and will end at 11:30 a.m ... Cost for the breakfast is $10 for adults and $5 for children under 10 years old ... Register here. 

BUC HITS

The Bucs – who posted a road win at Kennesaw State and opened Southern Conference play with a victory over Western Carolina at Bristol Motor Speedway – enter Saturday’s game 2-1, 1-1 in SoCon play. 

ETSU is coming off a 31-0 setback at Wofford last Saturday in Spartanburg, S.C. 

As a unit, ETSU’s defense totaled 103 total tackles (seven for loss) and one sack last weekend at Wofford … Junior defensive back Paul Hunter (Denton, Texas) paced the group with a season-high 11 tackles, while sophomore linebacker Kahlil Mitchell (South Pittsburg, Tenn.) had five tackles and one sack. 

The Bucs are playing a ranked team for the second straight year … ETSU faced then-No. 21 Montana State last Oct. 24 in Bozeman, Mont. … The last time the Bucs hosted a ranked team was Nov. 9, 2002 when ETSU took on No. 15 Wofford inside Memorial Center … ETSU’s last win over a ranked team was Oct. 27, 2001 when the Blue and Gold defeated No. 1 Georgia Southern, 19-16, inside Memorial Center. 

As a team, ETSU ranks among the national FCS leaders in several categories … The Bucs are tied for first in red zone offense (1.000) and passes had intercepted (0), rank 11th in third down conversion percentage (48.9), 14th in completion percentage (66.3), 22nd in passing yards allowed (176.3), 31st in fewest penalties (19) and 32nd in team sacks (2.33) … Individually, sophomore kicker JJ Jerman (Seymour, Tenn.) is tied for first among FCS players in field goal percentage (1.000) and ranks 15th in field goals per game (1.33) … Junior defensive back Daren Ardis (Bradenton, Fla.) ranks sixth in forced fumbles (0.67) … Sophomore quarterback Austin Herink (Cleveland, Tenn.) ranks 19th in completion percentage (65.9) and 37th in completions per game (18.67). 

JJ Jerman carries a pair of streaks into today’s SoCon game versus Chattanooga… The Buccaneer kicker – who was 22-for-22 in PATs a year ago – has made all six attempts this season (two at KSU/four at WCU) en route to extending his streak to 28 consecutive makes to start his collegiate career … Meanwhile, Jerman has also made all four of his field goal attempts this season, while ETSU is the only team in the SoCon who has not missed a field goal this year. 

Fourteen Buccaneers have caught at least one pass this season, while juniors Vincent Lowe (Chesapeake, Va.) and Dalton Ponchillia (Nashville, Tenn.) lead the team in receiving … Lowe leads the Blue and Gold with 11 receptions, while Ponchillia paces the offense in receiving yards (114). 

Sophomore running back Jajuan Stinson (Knoxville, Tenn.) has rushed for over 90 yards in two of his three games this season, while he has also scored touchdowns in two of the three games … Stinson leads the Bucs in all-purpose yards (220). 

Sophomore linebacker Dylan Weigel’s (Pickerington, Ohio) 25 tackles lead the Buccaneer defense, while Mitchell and red-shirt freshman defensive lineman Jason Maduafokwa (Seymour, Tenn.) both have two sacks this season … Ardis leads the group with three pass break ups and two forced fumbles. 

ABOUT CHATTANOOGA

Chattanooga is coming off a 41-21 win over Samford last weekend at home and enters this weekend 4-0, 2-0 in SoCon … The Mocs are off to their best start since opening the 1979 season, 5-0. 

Chattanooga currently ranks third in the FCS Coaches Poll and fifth in the FCS STATS Top 25 Poll… The No. 3 ranking ties its highest ranking in program history … The Mocs have been ranked in the top-10 for 13 straight weeks and have been ranked in the top 25 for 37 consecutive weeks, which dates back to Nov. 4, 2013 … UTC has been among the top 25 for 41 weeks in head coach Russ Huesman’s era (since 2009) … The Mocs are 27-15 when ranked under Coach Huesman. 

The Mocs are 47-9 when allowing less than 24 points under Russ Huesman (since 2009) and 43-8 when scoring over 24 points … Chattanooga is outscoring its opponents, 162-35. 

The Mocs lead the entire FCS in third down conversion defense (15.5) and scoring defense (8.8), rank second in total defense (220.5), third in rushing defense (57.8) and team passing efficiency (192.12), fourth in team sacks (3.75), ninth in passing yards per completion (15.72), 12th in scoring offense (40.5), 13th in completion percentage (66.7), passing yards allowed (162.8) and team passing efficiency defense (101.87), 14th in first downs defense (50), 16th in net punting (30.55), 17th in rushing offense (223.5), 19th in time of possession (33:05) and kickoff returns (25.00) 

Individually, senior running back Derrick Craine ranks fourth in FCS in rushing yards per carry (7.75), fifth in total rushing yards (457), 10th in rushing yards per game (114.3), 17th in rushing touchdowns (4) and 45th in all-purpose yards (118.75) … Junior quarterback Alejandro Bennifeld leads all FCS in passing efficiency (197.5), ranks second in points responsible for (84), third in passing touchdowns (11), fourth in passing yards per completion (16.24) and 40th in rushing touchdowns (3) … Senior wide receiver Xavier Borishade ranks fourth in receiving touchdowns (5), 12th in receiving yards (366) and 20th in receiving yards per game (91.5) … Senior defensive lineman Keionta Davis ranks sixth in sacks (1.25) and fellow senior defensive lineman Vantrel McMillan is 12th in sacks (1.00). 

SERIES HISTORY

Chattanooga leads the all-time series, 20-18-1, but the Bucs defeated the Mocs in the last meeting, 68-7, back on Nov. 15, 2003 inside Memorial Center. 

Today marks the 19th game played in Johnson City and the Bucs hold a 10-7-1 advantage in the previous 18 meetings. 

ETSU’s longest win streak in the series is five straight wins from 1992-96, while Chattanooga’s longest run is a four-game stretch from 1980-83. 

The Bucs’ largest win all-time against Chattanooga was the 68-7 victory back in 2003, while the Blue and Gold have won seven of the last 10 in the series. 

MORE ON THE CHATTANOOGA SERIES

ETSU’s 68 points scored in the last meeting against Chattanooga marked the most points put up by a Buccaneer team in program history … In that game, Allen Davis returned an interception 90 yards for a touchdown, which is the third longest interception return in school history. 

Donnie Abraham had a 73-yard interception return for a touchdown in the 38-9 win over the Mocs in 1995. 

In 1980, Ronnie Horton returned a kickoff 99 yards in the 26-14 setback at Chattanooga, which marks the second-longest kickoff return in program history. 

Chris Beatty’s 79-yard touchdown pass to David Rockhold helped propel the Bucs to a 27-24 win over the Mocs in 1992 – that pass is tied for the fifth longest scoring pass play in school history. 

Mark Williams threw for 336 yards against the Mocs in 1991, while Alan Chadwick passed for 308 yards and five touchdowns in the 35-0 win in 1972 … Chadwick’s five touchdown passes are tied for the single-game Buccaneer record, while his 308 passing yards rank 10^th. 

The Bucs also blanked Chattanooga, 35-0, in 1979 as Mark Hutsell threw four touchdowns in that shutout win. 

Wide receiver Cecil Moore recorded 12 receptions (tied for third in single-game history) in ETSU’s 24-22 win over the Mocs in 2000, while Brandon Walker (1999, W, 28-14) and George Searcy (1989, W, 24-23) rushed for three touchdowns in wins over Chattanooga … The three rushing touchdowns are tied for second-most in program history. 

COVERAGE

Fans can listen to the radio call on WXSM-AM 640 The Extreme Sports Monster or on 104.9 NASH Icon as “Voice of the Bucs” Jay Sandos will carry the play-by-play and Don Helman will be filling in for former Buccaneer quarterback Matt Wilhjelm as the color analyst. Jessica Larkin will be the sideline reporter.  

The Buccaneer Sports Network will launch its pregame broadcast one hour and 30 minutes prior to kickoff with the 30-minute long Eastman Credit Union Tailgate Show, followed by the Carl Torbush Pregame Show powered by Ford which will lead up to 30 minutes prior to kickoff. The First Tennessee Bank Countdown to Kickoff will then lead into the final moments before kickoff. An audio stream will be available via ETSUBucs.com or by clicking here.   

Saturday’s game will also be video streamed live on the SoCon Digital Network. Click here for live video.  

In addition to following the Bucs on your mobile device and/or tablet with live audio and video, fans can get up to the minute stats by following the action via StatBroadcast. Fans can access live stats on their computers or mobile devices via BucsStats.com or by clicking here.  

SOCIAL MEDIA

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ETSU fans wanting to receive Buccaneer news, score updates, in-game promotions and much more sent to their mobile device can do so by signing up for “Buc Updates.” Click here to sign up today! 

UP NEXT

The Bucs hit the road next week as ETSU heads up I-81 to take on VMI in Lexington, Va. … Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m. , at Alumni Memorial Field. 

For more information on Buccaneer football, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the football page.