Kickoff set for 2:30 p.m. in Lexington, Va.

LEXINGTON, Va. (Sept. 13, 2018)– The ETSU football team opens Southern Conference play this week as the Buccaneers head to Virginia to take on VMI Friday afternoon inside Foster Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. The game was moved in response to forecasts of Hurricane Florence and its potential impact on the East Coast this weekend.

BUCS SEARCHING FOR FIRST SOCON ROAD WIN

ETSU is looking to record its first SoCon road win since beating Western Carolina, 27-7, back on Sept. 28, 2002 … The Bucs have lost their last 15 SoCon road games since that win over the Catamounts … With a win today in Lexington, it would mark the Bucs’ first SoCon road win in 5,831 days.

ETSU’S DEFENSE LEADING THE SOCON

ETSU’s defense leads all SoCon teams in rushing defense as the Bucs are allowing 102 rushing yards through the first two games of the season … The Bucs held Mars Hill to 14 rushing yards in the season opener, which marks the lowest total by a SoCon team this year and the 10^thlowest total by a FCS team this season … Overall, ETSU ranks 22^ndin the FCS in rushing defense. 

EXPERIENCED FRONT SEVEN

When it comes to the Bucs’ starting front seven, the group of Nasir Player, Tremond Ferrell, Chris Bouyer, Dylan Weigel, Austin Gatewood, Blake Bockrath and Jared Folkshave combined for 896 career tackles, 90 tackles for loss and 26.5 sacks in 189 games played … Weigel leads all active FCS players with 341 tackles, while Gatewood (149), Ferrell (103) and Player (101) have all recorded over 100 career tackles … Ferrell and Player each registered their 100^thcareer tackle last week at Tennessee, while Bouyer is eight tackles shy of posting his 100^thcareer hit.

RUNNING WILD

Following their 125-yard rushing output last weekend at Tennessee, the Bucs accomplished a feat that hasn’t been clipped since November 2016 as ETSU marked its second straight game of rushing for over 100 yards … The Bucs, who ran for 238 yards against Mars Hill, totaled 105 rushing yards at Mercer (Nov. 5) and 238 yards against Cumberland on Nov. 12 … The last time ETSU totaled three straight games of over 100 rushing yards was earlier in the 2016 season when the Bucs ran for 103 yards at VMI, 131 yards vs. Furman and 323 yards vs. West Virginia Wesleyan … The 323 yards were the most since returning the program in 2015 … Since the program returned in 2015, when the Bucs have a player rushing for over 100 yards, the Blue and Gold are 5-1 in those contests.

TAKEAWAYS

ETSU has forced at least one turnover in 13 of its last 18 games and in 23 of its last 31 contests … The Bucs have registered nine games with at least two turnovers since restarting the program in 2015 – ETSU is 6-3 in those contests.

STREAKING

Despite only playing its fourth year of FCS football, three Buccaneers carry start streaks into the 2018 season … Matt Pyke(OL), Chris Bouyer(DL), and Dylan Weigel(LB) have started all 35 games for the Bucs since the program was restarted in 2015. 

WEIGEL MOVING UP THE RECORD BOOK

Following his team-leading 92 tackles in 2017, redshirt senior linebacker Dylan Weigelhas moved into the top-10 of the Buccaneer all-time tackle leaders … Following his 6-tackle performance at Tennessee, Weigel moved his career total to 341 tackles, which leads all active FCS players … Weigel ranks seventh all-time in program history in total tackles and needs 112 total tackles to beak Mario Hankerson record of 452, which was set from 1994-97 … Weigel needs seven tackles to move pas Marcus Huff (1989-92) for sixth all-time.

JERMAN KICKING WAY UP RECORD BOOK

Senior kicker JJ Jermanis also kicking his way up the ETSU record book … Jerman ranks third all-time in Buccaneer history in extra-points (65), is tied for third in field goals (35) and fifth in scoring (169) … Jerman needs three field goals to beak the program record, while Jerman is eight PATs away from passing Shoun for second … Jerman is five points away from passing George Searcy for fourth all-time on ETSU’s scoring chart … In addition, Jerman’s 14 field goals last season were the fourth-most in single-season history.

MORE ON THE CAREER NUMBERS

Two Bucs are among the FCS career active leaders list … Dylan Weigelleads all FCS players in total tackles (341), total tackles per game (9.7) and solo tackles (174), while ranking second in solo tackles per game 4.97) … JJ Jermanranks fourth among FCS active kickers in field goals made (35), ninth in field goals per game (1.43) and is 23rd field goal percentage (.700).

JERMAN NAMED TO FRED MITCHELL WATCH LIST

JJ Jermanwas named to the Fred Mitchell Award Watch List last month … Jerman was one of 34 kickers to earn a spot on the list … The annual Fred Mitchell Outstanding Place-Kicker Award (also known as the Fred Mitchell Award) is provided to the nation’s top collegiate place-kicker among more than 750 FCS, Division II, III, NAIA and NJCAA football teams … The Award is named for Fred Mitchell, the record-setting place-kicker, Wittenberg University Athletic Hall of Famer, author, philanthropist and Chicago Tribune sports columnist.

FIVE BUCS EARN PRESEASON ALL-SOCON HONORS

ETSU returns 19 starters from last season (seven offense, eight defense and four specialists) … Of those 19 starters, five earned preseason all-SoCon honors – redshirt junior defensive lineman Nasir Player (Columbia, S.C.),redshirt senior linebacker Dylan Weigel (Pickerington, Ohio),redshirt senior offensive lineman Matt Pyke (Clinton, Tenn.),senior kicker JJ Jerman (Seymour, Tenn.)and redshirt junior return specialist Quan Harrison (Greeneville, Tenn.).

ABOUT VMI

VMI has dropped back-to-back games to open the 2018 campaign as the Keydets fell 66-3 to open the season at Toledo, while dropping a 59-14 decision this past weekend at No. 7 Wofford

The Keydets have lost 19 straight games and are searching for their first win since Oct. 8, 2016 when defeating ETSU, 37-7, in Lexington, Va.

Friday marks the home opener for the Keydets

VMI is being outscored 125-17 this season, while being outgained 1,275 to 595 … The Keydets are allowing 329.5 rushing yards and 308.0 passing yards per game this season … VMI is averaging 297.5 yards of total offense – 219.5 passing and 78 rushing yards per game

The Keydets are being outscored by a combined 80-0 in the first and third quarters

Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Matt Blaser and freshman wide receiver/tight end Jakob Herres have recorded VMI’s touchdowns this season – both receiving touchdowns … Senior wide receiver Mason Dermott leads the team with 11 receptions, while sophomore wide receiver Kris Thornton and junior wide receiver Javeon Lara lead the team with 86 receiving yards … Redshirt junior running back Quan Myers is the team’s leading rusher with 16 carries for 92 yards

VMI has had four players complete a pass this season with sophomore quarterback Reece Udinski leading the team with 46 completions for 331 yards and one touchdown

Defensively, redshirt sophomore linebacker Devin Carper leads the team with 15 tackles, while freshman linebacker Ethan Caselberry and sophomore defensive back A.J. Smith have totaled 12 tackles in the first two games … Sophomore defensive lineman Chuck Weatherman has totaled one sack and nine tackles, while Caselberry and freshman linebacker Liam Kauthen have combined for the sack Keydet sack

VMI, who is coached by Scott Wachenheim, was picked to finish ninth by the league coaches and media  … Wachenheim is in his fourth year at VMI

SERIES HISTORY

ETSU leads the all-time series, 14-9, and the Bucs have won eight of the last nine and 10 of the last 12 meetings.

Friday marks the 12th game played in Lexington and VMI holds a slight 7-5 advantage, including a 37-7 win in the Bucs’ last trip to VMI in 2016 … ETSU’s longest win streak in the series was snapped following that 30-point setback as the Bucs won the previous seven meetings … VMI’s longest run is a four-game stretch from 1979-85 ... The Bucs’ largest win all-time against VMI was a 38-0 victory back in 1996. 

COVERAGE

Friday’s game will be streamed live on ESPN+

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the premium multi-sport, direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment in conjunction with ESPN. It offers fans thousands of additional live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks. Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time. 

Programming on ESPN+ includes hundreds of MLB, NHL and MLS games, thousands of college sports events (including football, basketball and multiple other sports from more than 15 conferences), exclusive Top Rank boxing, UFC (beginning in 2019), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby, cricket, new and exclusive documentary films and series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films. 

CLICK HERE FOR ESPN+ BROADCAST

The Buccaneer Sports Network (BSN) will provide ETSU fans with complete pregame, in-game and postgame coverage on the radio. Games air live on the Bucs’ flagship station WXSM-AM 640 and affiliate station 104.9 FM NASH ICON.     

The BSN begins its pregame programing one hour and 30 minutes prior to kickoff with the 30-minute long ETSU Football Tailgate Show, followed by the Randy Sanders Pregame Show Powered by Ford which will lead up to 30 minutes prior to kickoff. The Appalachian Orthopaedic Countdown to Kickoff will then lead into the final moments before kickoff.       

The broadcast team of “Voice of the Bucs” Jay Sandos, color analyst and former ETSU quarterback Mark Hutsell, and studio hosts Mike Gallagher, Trey Adams and Don Helman will provide ETSU fans all the information they need to complement their game-day activities.      

At halftime, the crew will have the Zaxby’s Halftime Show, while fans can tune into the General Shale Post Game Show for a full wrap up, with game statistics, players and coach interviews, and other post-game information.       

CLICK HERE FOR LIVE AUDIO

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 VMIKeydets.

CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STATS 

UP NEXT 

ETSU returns home to open a three-game home stand beginning Saturday, Sept. 22 when the Bucs host Furman … Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. inside Greene Stadium.

SOCIAL MEDIA 

For complete information on ETSU Football, follow the program via social media on Twitter (@ETSUFootball), Instagram (@ETSUFootball), Snapchat (@ETSUFootball) and on Facebook (ETSU Buccaneer Football). 

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