Usually, by the fourth week of a football season, a coaching staff has a pretty good handle on its team.
What its players do well. Where they struggle. Strengths and weaknesses.
Getting an accurate determination of how East Tennessee State (1-2) stacks up heading into Saturday’s game against West Georgia (0-3) at William B. Greene Stadium (Noon, ESPN+) is a little trickier. That’s because the Bucs have played their first three games against teams from three different classifications.
They opened against fellow FCS program Campbell during Week 0, losing 49-37 at home. Then the Bucs faced Division II Tusculum, posting a 48-14 win in a game that stayed close for most of the first half. Last week, the big test, at North Carolina, with the Tar Heels winning 35-3 in a game where, much like the Tusculum contest, the margin stayed close for much of the opening half.
“You know, it’s hard to believe that you’re going to play somebody else the rest of the year that’s going to invest as much in a roster as what Carolina did,” ETSU coach Will Healy said at his weekly press conference on Monday. “So I would say that from just a top to bottom, talent and coaching staff, you’re not going to be challenged more than you were this past week. To me, that was the was the biggest test. And you know, in that environment and that kind of game, that was a massive opportunity for us to stack ourselves up against some of the best in the country.
“You know, I think the real honesty piece, and this is 100% coachspeak, is that we had our best Sunday practice [after the UNC game] we’ve ever had. So we’ve got their attention. They are doing the right things. We are getting better. I’m watching our communication on the defensive side of the ball and our execution on the defensive side of the ball. It’s drastically improved in three weeks. I’m watching our quarterback become the leader and the kind of the game manager that you would want him to be. I’m watching our wideouts from a consistency perspective, like, we’re just going to get better.
“That’s all I can ask,” Healy added. “And I think the end result of this thing is going to be awesome. I am beyond excited. Not that I’m in any way OK with sitting here at 1-2, but I know the end of this picture is going to look really good and I’m excited about what the guys are investing to make that reality. “
So far, the offense has been the unquestioned strength of this ETSU team. Even with getting held to a field goal by the Tar Heels, the Bucs average 29.3 points per game to go with a robust 422.3 yards per game of total offense. QB Mason Mims, as chronicled earlier this week on this site, is one of the top FCS quarterbacks statistically speaking this season. Mims has a solid corps of receivers at his disposal, with four players who already have grabbed 10 or more passes, including Kingsport native Charlie Browder at tight end. TJ Peyton (39 rush, 253 yards, 3 TD) and Jaiden Daniels (18 rush, 121 yards) have proven to be a strong combination running the football. The offensive line has been a strength.
Defensively, there have been problems. The Bucs have yet to force a turnover in 2026, making them one of only three FCS teams in that group through the first three games. ETSU has allowed opponents to convert 15 of 37 third downs and five of seven fourth downs. Both numbers must improve if the Bucs intend to contend in the Southern Conference. Avoiding busted coverages, another trend through three games, also is a concern.
West Georgia, meanwhile, has struggled to move the ball with consistency. The Wolves are averaging 208.3 yards per game, about half of ETSU’s output, although two of their three opponents have been Football Bowl Subdivision teams in Group of 5 leagues: Kennesaw State and Arkansas State. West Greene has committed six turnovers through three games and is averaging just 53 rushing yards.
Two quarterbacks have gotten the bulk of the work: Presbyterian transfer Colin Hurst (32-52-0 passing, 233 yards, 0 TD) and Georgia Southern transfer Colton FitzGerald (19-32-2, 164 yards, 1 TD). The depth chart from West Georgia lists FitzGerald as the No. 1 quarterback going into this game.
“I’m expecting West Georgia to come in here with a chip on their shoulder, going 0-3,” Bucs defensive lineman Josiah Mason said at Monday’s press conference. “It’s never gonna be easy. They’ve got a point to prove. They’re gonna come in here with their heads down, ready to work, and try and come out with the ‘W.’ We can’t let that happen.”
Buc Bits
For the fourth straight game, there are no changes to ETSU’s two deep. … The Buc Walk is slated to begin at 9:35 a.m. … This opens a three-game home stand for the Bucs, who begin conference play next week against Western Carolina then host Chattanooga. ETSU is playing five of its first six games of the season at home, for the first time ever. … Bucs’ LB Dre Delinois leads all SoCon defenders with 32 tackles. He’s reached double digits in each of the first three games, the first Buc to achieve that feat since Ray Coney in 2024. … West Georgia beat ETSU last year 35-31 in Carrollton, rallying in the fourth quarter to erase a double-digit lead. It was one of four games in 2025 where ETSU squandered a double-digit lead in the second half.