ETSU football set to face Mississippi State in season finale

Published 10:49 am Friday, November 18, 2022

STARKVILLE, Miss. – The ETSU football team closes out the 2022 season Saturday afternoon when the Buccaneers travel to Starkville, Miss. to take on Mississippi State. Kickoff is set for Noon ET inside Davis Wade Stadium.

ETSU is 2-13 all-time against Power-5 opponents; however, the Bucs opened the 2021 season with a 23-3 win at Vanderbilt … Prior to that win, the Bucs’ last Power-5 win came on Nov. 7, 1987 when the Blue & Gold toppled North Carolina State in the first-ever meeting, besting the Wolfpack by the final score of 29-14 in Raleigh, N.C. … In ETSU’s 15 matchups versus Power-5 opponents, the Bucs have allowed 562 points (37.5 avg.) and have scored 115 (7.7 avg), having been shutout six times … The most points that ETSU has scored against a Power-5 is 29 (N.C. State), while the most surrendered is 66 (Miami).

There is one common theme in ETSU’s two Power-5 wins, Billy Taylor … In the 1987 win at NC State, Taylor was a linebacker and team captain for that game, while last year Taylor was the Bucs’ defensive coordinator … In the 1987 game, Taylor had nine tackles, one tackle for loss and two pass break ups … ETSU fell behind 7-0, but then scored 27 unanswered to go up 27-7 following a 56-yard interception return … In last year’s win at Vandy, the Buccaneer defense limited the Commodores to 85 rushing yards, while also forcing three turnovers, including a 27-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Stephen Scott.

This year, eight FCS teams have defeated FBS opponents – William & Mary beat Charlotte (41-24, Sept. 2), Delaware beat Navy (14-7, Sept. 3), Eastern Kentucky beat Bowling Green in seven overtimes (59-57, Sept. 10), Holy Cross beat Buffalo (37-31, Sept. 10), Incarnate Word beat Nevada (55-41, Sept. 10), Weber State beat Utah State (35-7, Sept. 10), Southern Illinois beat Northwestern (31-24, Sept. 17) and Sacramento State beat Colorado State (41-10, Sept. 24)

For the second straight year, senior running back Jacob Saylors eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing … After going off for a season-high 245 yards and three touchdowns at Wofford, Saylors eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark for a second straight season … Saylors enters his final collegiate game with 1,264 rushing yards on 211 carries this season … Last season, Saylors ran for 1,019 yards and 10 touchdowns as he and Quay Holmes became the first-ever Buccaneer teammate tandem to run for over 1,000 yards as Holmes rushed for 1,553 yards and 17 touchdowns … Saylors and Holmes became the first teammates from a SoCon school to rush for over 1,000 yards since Chattanooga’s Derrick Craine (1,251) and Jacob Huesman (1,244) accomplished the feat in 2015 … Saylors’ 1,264 rushing yards this season rank fourth among FCS players.

ETSU placekicker Tyler Keltner made history three weeks ago at Wofford as he broke two ETSU career records in that game … After connecting on a pair of field goals, Keltner moved his career total to 55, passing previous great JJ Jerman … Also, after going 5-for-5 in PATs, Keltner became ETSU’s all-time leader in extra-points with 128, passing the legendary Jerry Chapman (123 PATs) … Last Saturday, Keltner was 1-of-1 in field goals and 2-of-2 in extra-points, moving his career total to 56 made field goals and 130-of-130 in extra-points … Keltner now has 298 career points and is nine points shy of breaking the all-time record, set by Quay Holmes … Keltner is among the active FCS leaders in PAT percentage (1st, 1.000), made field goals (third), extra-points (seventh), points per game (7th, 7.3) and field goal percentage (18th, .767).

Through 10 games this season, the Bucs are averaging 31.6 points per game … The single-season program record for points per game is 32.7, which was set last season … The 31.6 points per game currently second-most in single season history … ETSU is 17-for-22 in field goal attempts … The 17 made field goals on the season rank third-most in single-season program history … In 2018, the Bucs set the single-season record with 19, while last year the Bucs made 18, which is second-most … Also, in special teams, ETSU is averaging 19.7 yards per punt return, which would set the single-season record and the 41.9 average per punt currently puts the Bucs third all-time in single-season history … On the season, ETSU is averaging 381.9 yards per game (175.3 rushing/206.6 passing), while averaging 5.8 yards per play … The 381.9 yards currently ranks sixth-most in single-season history, the 5.8 yards per play is tied for third in single-season history, and the 206.6 passing yards per game is just shy of moving into 10th (206.8, 2018 ranks 10th) … The Bucs are averaging 5.0 yards per run, which ranks second-most in program history – last year the Bucs averaged 5.37 yards per carry.

Jacob Saylors’ 1,264 rushing yards are the fourth-most in program history … He needs 40 yards to pass Brandon Walker for third-most and 61 to pass George Searcy for second-most in Buccaneer single-season history … Saylors’ 15 rushing touchdowns rank third most in ETSU single-season history and he needs two in order to tie the program record, set by Quay Holmes last year and George Searcy in 1989 … Saylors’ 96 points are the fourth-most among ETSU single-season leaders, while Tyler Keltner’s 88 points are seventh-most … Saylors’ 16 touchdowns are the third-most among ETSU single-season leaders … Will Huzzie has six touchdown receptions and needs one more touchdown reception to move into a tie for eight among Buccaneer single-season leaders … Keltner’s 17 made field goals and 37 PATs rank third-most in single-season history … Keltner, who already holds the school record with 105 points last year, ranks third among kickers in scoring with 88 this year and his 69 points in 2019 rank fourth … Tyler Riddell’s needs three more passing attempts to move into the top-10 among Buccaneer single-season leaders and 10 completions to crack the top-10 … Riddell’s 15 passing touchdowns are tied for sixth-most in single-season program history.

On Oct. 1, against Chattanooga, Saylors also hit another milestone as he went over 5,000 all-purpose yards for his career … Saylors now has 5,999 career all-purpose yards in 50 games played, averaging 120.0 yards per game … To go with his 3,808 rushing yards, Saylors has added 779 receiving yards and 1,412 kickoff return yards … Saylors’ 5,999 all-purpose yards lead all FCS active leaders, his 6.4 yards per rush ranks fourth among all active FCS leaders and his 3,808 rushing yards is second-most.

Mississippi State is coming off a 45-19 loss to No. 1 Georgia in Starkville

The Bulldogs are 6-4 overall and 3-4 in the SEC … Mississippi State has won five of its six games at home with the lone setback being Saturday’s loss to Georgia

Mississippi State is 3-0 in non-conference play this season, outscoring Memphis, Arizona and Bowling Green, 133-54

Mississippi State is averaging 31.2 points per game and allowing 26.1

The Bulldogs are posting 396.4 yards per contest – 319.1 through the air and 77.3 on the ground … Mississippi State has thrown 27 touchdowns to just five interceptions, while rushing for 10 more scores

To go with their five interceptions, the Bulldogs have put the ball on the turf 16 times and lost eight of them … On the flip side, Mississippi State’s defense has recorded 17 takeaways – 11 interceptions and six fumble recoveries

Mississippi State is outscoring opponents 76-21 in the first quarter and 164-87 in the first half, while being outscored 174 to 142 in the second half, including 103-84 in the fourth quarter

The Bulldogs are converting 37 percent on third down (50-137) and 54 percent on fourth down (14-26) … Opponents are hitting on 37 percent on third down (52-141) and 40 percent fourth down (8-20)

Quarterback Will Rogers is completing 67% of his passes (329-490) for 3,173 yards and 27 touchdowns

Rogers has completed touchdown passes to nine different players with Caleb Duckling leading the team with eight

Seven different Bulldog players has made at least one reception over 30 yards on the season and three with at least one catch over 45 yards

Dillon Johnson and Jo’quavious Marks lead the team in rushing … Johnson has a team-best 415 rushing yards with three scores, while Marks leads the Bulldogs in carries (84) and rushing touchdowns (7)

Defensively, Emmanuel Forbes has five of MSU’s interceptions with two of them being returned for touchdowns

Zavion Thomas is a special teams threat with 12 punt returns for 170 yards and one touchdown, while having one kickoff return for 21 yards … Lideatrick Griffin has 18 kickoff returns for 561 yards (31.2 per return) and one touchdown

Nathaniel Watson and Jett Johnson are the top two Bulldog tacklers as they have combined for 178 tackles, 14 TFLs and five sacks … Watson leads the club with 94 hits (8 TFLs/4 sacks) and Johnson has 84 (6 TFLs/1 sack)

As a unit, Mississippi State’s defense has registered 54 tackles for loss and 21 sacks

Saturday marks the second all-time meeting between ETSU and Mississippi State as the teams met on Oct. 17, 1998 with the Bulldogs winning 53-6 in Starkville … ETSU led 3-0 on a 42-yard field goal by Jerry Chapman with 6:59 remaining in the first quarter; however, the Bulldogs went on to score 39 straight points before Chapman connected on a 46-yard field goal with 9:24 remaining in the third quarter … Overall, ETSU totaled 142 yards of offense with 115 coming on the ground (46 carries) … Brian Edwards had 23 carries for 73 yards, while Jamey Chadwell was 4-of-8 for 21 yards … ETSU turned the ball over twice in the game – one fumble and one interception, while the Buccaneer defense also forced one fumble and one interception … Kevin Peterson led the Blue and Gold with 12 tackles … Mississippi State finished with 427 yards of offense (233 rushing/194 passing) … The Bucs won the time of possession, 35:35 to 24:25.

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

BSN begins its pregame programing one hour and 30 minutes prior to kickoff with the 30-minute Tennessee Lottery Tailgate Show, followed by the George Quarles Pregame Show presented by Tommie’s Plumbing which will lead up to 30 minutes prior to kickoff. The Appalachian Orthopedic Countdown to Kickoff will then lead into the final moments before kickoff.

The broadcast team of “Voice of the Bucs” Jay Sandos, analyst Robert Harper and stat-man Don Helman will provide ETSU fans all the information they need to complement their game-day activities.

At halftime, the crew will have the Mr. Electric Halftime Show, while fans can tune into the Mullican Flooring Post Game Show for a full wrap up, with game statistics, players and coach interviews and other post-game information.

Saturday’s game will also be broadcast on ESPN+ with the team of Mike Corey (play-by-play) and Brian Kinchen (analyst) and Tera Talmadge (sideline) on the call.

Fans can also follow live stats via StatBroadcast

Date: Saturday, Nov. 19

Location: Starkville, Miss. | Davis Wade Stadium

Teams: ETSU (3-7, 1-7) at Mississippi State (6-4, 3-4)

Weather: 52°; Sunny, Winds NNW @ 4mph

Live Stats: HailState.com (StatBroadcast)

Live Video: ESPN+

TV Crew: Mike Corey (play-by-play); Brian Kinchen (analyst); Tera Talmadge (sideline)

Live Audio: WXSM-AM 640 |104.9 NASH ICON

Radio Personnel: Jay “Voice of the Bucs” Sandos, Matt Wilhjelm (analyst), Robert Harper (sideline), Don Helman (stats)

Twitter: @ETSUFootball

Game Sponsor: First Horizon

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