Tusculum University will kick off its 75th football season this Thursday night when the Pioneers travel to Georgia to take on Kennesaw State University at Fifth Third Bank Stadium. Game time is slated for 7 p.m. from the Kennesaw, Georgia campus.
Thursday will be the inaugural meeting on the gridiron between Tusculum and Kennesaw State, who is in a transition year and will be moving up to the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and Conference USA next fall (2024).
Tusculum head coach Jerry Odom, who is entering his eighth season with the Black and Orange, returns 59 lettermen and 17 starters from last year’s 8-3 club which finished runner-up in the South Atlantic Conference Mountain Division. TU’s eight victories were tied for the third-most in school history, while its six SAC wins were tied for the most by a Pioneer football team.
The Pioneers will play their first three games of 2023 away from Greeneville. TU will next travel to Virginia State University on Sep. 9 before opening its 25th SAC campaign on the road at Wingate University on Sep. 16.
Tusculum returns the bulk of its defensive unit including nine of its top-10 tacklers. Coach Odom’s defense finished as SAC statistical champions in four categories including: four defensive touchdowns (8th in NCAA II), 19 interceptions (3rd in NCAA II), 93.02 pass efficiency defense (4th in NCAA II) and forced 25 turnovers (16th in NCAA II). Nationally, the team finished 15th in pass defense (159.6 ypg), 18th in total defense (282.4 ypg), 26th in team tackles for loss (7.7 tpg), 35th in third down defense (.328) and 47th in turnover margin (+4).
Seven starters are back from last year’s offense which averaged 30.5 points (2nd in SAC / 50th in NCAA II) and 396.5 yards per game (2nd in SAC / 49th in NCAA II).
But gone are three All-SAC performers including All-American center Tommy Mahoney and running back Mekhai Johnson who were lost to graduation. All-Conference quarterback and two-year starter Tre Simmons was a NCAA Portal casualty and transferred at NCAA Division I McNeese State.
Edinboro University transfer Anfreenee Williams is slated to contribute at the running back position. He earned All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference accolades at Edinboro and runs for 1,351 yards and 11 touchdowns in his 25 games with the Fighting Scots.
The Tusculum radio call of Thursday’s season-opener at Kennesaw State will be available on the Pioneer Sports Network with the “Voice of the Pioneers” Brian Stayton calling the action on WSMG Radio (95.5 FM and 1450 AM). The Tusculum broadcast is also available online at: www.TusculumPioneers.com.
