We’ve got the broadcast loaded for the ETSU game with The Citadel.
The Bucs (4-2, 2-0) are looking for their fourth straight win and to remain the only undefeated team in the Southern Conference. The Bulldogs (2-3, 0-2) meanwhile are seeking their first league win.
Final: ETSU 34, The Citadel 16
That does it in Charleston. ETSU improves to 5-2 overall, 3-0 in conference and has won four in a row. The Bucs now have seven straight SoCon wins dating back to the tail end of last season. That’s the longest conference winning streak in program history.
ETSU is off next week and plays at VMI on Oct. 24.
Bucs ball
Citadel with the inside kick, but Suderian Harrison falls on it. ETSU has possession and the chance to run out the clock. More first-teamers back on offense on the line and TJ Peyton at running back, with Jadyn Davis still at QB.
What did I miss?
Here’s our ETSU and SoCon coverage from this week:
- Jarvis Johnson is the X factor for the Bucs defense. He’s also the reigning SoCon Defensive Player of the Week.
- Our report from Monday’s press conference
- The weekly FCS Briefing by Thomas Stokes
Double whammy
Tough play for the Bucs in more ways than one. First, ETSU whiffs on a tackle and Braylon Knauth takes the short pass and runs it down inside the red zone to the ETSU 11. Brenden LeBlanc shaken up on the play, but leaves the field under his own power. The open date next week is going to provide some valuable rest and recuperation for the Bucs going into the final five games of the season, as ETSU looks to maintain its status atop the SoCon standings.
Touchdown Citadel
Third-string QB Xavier Hill hits freshman WR Isaiah Johnson on a very nice fade route for the 15-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion attempt fails and the Bucs lead 34-16 with 3:55 to go in the game.
Jadyn Davis sighting
The Bucs go to backup QB Jadyn Davis and quite a few second-team guys on offense, and the drive ends abruptly when Davis gets leveled on a blitz and loses the ball. Citadel recovers at the ETSU 23 with 6:05 to go. Citadel has its third-team QB in the game, so it looks like the Bulldogs have all but conceded.
Be aware of Ware
Eugene Ware III with the big sack and The Citadel goes three and out again. Billoups came up favoring his left shoulder after the hit. It’s been a near total famine for the Bulldogs offensively since the end of the first quarter. Also, Suderian Harrison is back on punt return duty and has been on offense as well.
Touchdown ETSU
The Bucs cash in with a 2-yard TD pass from Mason Mims to Vashawn Nalls with 8:32 remaining in the game. The Ewan Johnson PAT makes it a 34-10 game, and ETSU looks like, well, a first-place team in the SoCon. That was an 11-play, 58-yard drive. Looks like you can write this result in ink.
Albritton gets it
The Bucs go for fourth and short, and Jason Albritton gets it done on the short run. Albritton has a couple of fun nicknames on the ETSU radio broadcast — sometimes he’s “Milk Truck”, sometimes he’s “Thud”, but I’m personally a fan of “Wrecking Ball” to describe his running style.
Turnover on downs
Citadel QB Nick Billoups slips the pass on fourth down and ETSU gets the ball back at its own 43. Citadel opens the drive with a jailbreak blitz and sacks Mason Mims for a 13-yard loss. The offensive line is having its worst game of the season overall, and you wonder if the absence of the regular starting center Maddox Radcliffe is part of that.
Big play coming
The Citadel’s ensuing drive off of the fumble recovery on the punt has stalled. It’s a fourth-and-11 coming out of this ETSU timeout. Also some question as to whether Suderian Harrison will be able to return, which would mean the Bucs are down to their third-string punt returner. Xavier Gaillardetz, who began the season in that role, is out indefinitely with a foot injury.
End of the third quarter: ETSU 27, Citadel 10
The Bucs dominated the third period much like the Citadel controlled the first. ETSU now has scored touchdowns three different ways: a fumble return, a punt block return, and a long run by TJ Peyton.
It’s not over yet
The Bucs force a three and out, but on the punt, Suderian Harrison gets hit hard, loses the ball, and the Citadel recovers. It’s Bulldogs ball at midfield, and Harrison was hurting after that hit.
Touchdown ETSU
There’s 3:05 to go in the third quarter and ETSU has taken total control of this game. TJ Peyton bounces an inside run to his own sideline, finds a lane and takes off, dashing for the 85-yard touchdown. QB Mason Mims had the key block to spring Peyton, and Brandon Winton stayed stride for stride with Peyton down the field. Make it 27 unanswered points for the Bucs, who now lead 27-10.
10 down, 10 up
What a start to the second half for ETSU. The Bucs get the ball to open the second half and get a field goal at the end of a 10-play, 66-yard drive. Then, ETSU forced a three and out, and Taylor McClure blocked the punt, which Josh Buckhalter pounced on and ran in for the short touchdown. That’s the second big special teams play by Buckhalter in this game; he tiptoed to cover a punt at the 1-yard line at the end of the half.
Bucs ball
ETSU forces a Citadel punt and gets the ball back looking to take the lead. The Bucs also will receive the second-half kickoff, so a chance to stack some points if the offense can get going. ETSU has 64 yards on 19 total plays so far this half.
We’re all tied up
A 25-yard field goal by Ewan Johnson and the Bucs have come back to tie the score at 10-all with 3:11 to go until halftime. Solid drive by ETSU: 11 plays for 44 yards, taking 5:06 off the clock. Some good gains by Jaiden Daniels on that drive. Once Jason Albritton chugged for a first down to the 12, the Bucs went to Jackson Byrd at quarterback for a designed run. Mason Mims back out for the third down and underthrows Jaiden Daniels in the flat, leading to the field goal.
Another fumble by The Citadel
The Bulldogs misplay the pitch reverse and ETSU DT Tyree’ke Robinson falls on the ball. ETSU has possession at its own 40 with 8:17 to go until half. If the pitch had been sound, that would have been a good play call. The Citadel’s Abijah Webb had a huge open lane to run.
Touchdown ETSU
We have a sudden change. The Citadel fumbles on the first play of the series, and CJ Gilmore with the scoop and score. Ewan Johnson’s PAT makes it a 10-7 game with 13:14 to go in the half.
The Bucs have forced three turnovers this season, and two of them have been for touchdowns. Mike Jenkins had a pick six for the go-ahead score in the win against West Georgia last month.
Bucs punt
ETSU forced to punt after Mason Mims’ pass to Tyler Griffin on third down goes incomplete. DK McGruder got away with a hold there on the pass defense on Griffin. The punt rolls down inside the 10-yard line, and there’s some discussion about whether the Citadel punt returner touched the ball.
First down
Jaiden Daniels, who might have the best straight-line speed in a strong running back room for ETSU, takes the screen and dashes 11 yards to the 34, as the Bucs move the sticks for the first time today.
End of the first quarter: Citadel 10, ETSU 0
The first quarter is in the books, and there’s no sugarcoating it: it was a bad one for the Bucs. ETSU trails 10-0, got outgained 120-10, and the Bulldogs commanded time of possession, keeping the ball for 12:16 in that period.
Field goal for the Citadel
Only 55 seconds remain in the first quarter, the Bucs have had three offensive plays, and now trail by 10 points. Citadel kicker Evan Kiely booted a 29-yarder after the Bulldogs’ drive stalled in the red zone. Seven plays for 51 yards, taking 3:47 off the clock that time. The Bulldogs curiously switched quarterbacks midway through the drive, going to fifth-year Nick Billoups, who got stood up on a QB draw to lead to the field-goal try.
Runs like Hayes
We saw ETSU struggle to contain runs by Campbell QB Kamden Sixkiller in the first game and right now Citadel’s Quentin Hayes is having similar success. Hayes tips off a 22-yard run. then Gavin Garcia bounces out for a 10-yard run, which gets 15 extra for a facemask penalty on the Bucs. Just like that, The Citadel is back in the red zone.
Three and out
It’s a quick first offensive series for the Bucs. A third-down run by TJ Peyton gets stuffed and ETSU gives it right back on the punt.
One note that Cal Grubbs was at center for ETSU. Maddox Radcliffe had started the first six games for the Bucs there, but was in a boot after the Chattanooga game. It’s the first ETSU start for Grubbs, a Maryville native who transferred in from Liberty.
Touchdown Citadel
The Citadel strikes first. Quentin Hayes on the QB keeper runs up the middle almost untouched, and had a huge lane. Not a good look for an ETSU defense that has been sound against the run. The Citadel converted a third down and two fourth downs on the drive. First, the third down: a 33-yard pass over the middle from Hayes to Abijah Webb gave The Citadel the first down near midfield. Then the Bulldogs converted a fourth-and-3 when Hayes dumped off a pass to RB Gavin Garcia. Dre Delinois slipped and couldn’t make the open field tackle in the wet conditions. Another fourth down, and Hayes made another pass, this time hitting Braylon Knayth for 7 yards. Hayes went high stepping into the end zone a couple of plays later.
That was a 13-play, 84-yard drive that took 8:29 off the clock. ETSU trails 7-0, and there’s just 6:31 remaining in the first period.
Under way
After a delay of about 30 minutes, the game has begun. The Citadel received the opening kickoff, fumbled, recovered, and got flagged for a hold. Then Bulldogs QB Quentin Hayes fumbled the snap on the first offensive play.
The Citadel is backed up. Can the Bucs capitalize? Stay tuned.
Weather Delay
Just as the game was getting ready to begin, both teams have gone to the locker room due to a lightning delay. This is after moving the kickoff up from 2 p.m. to noon because of expected weather. Looks like it’s raining pretty hard in Charleston.