JOHNSON CITY – Maybe it was because of the long-running series between the two teams. Or that it was the Southern Conference opener. But East Tennessee State opened up the offensive playbook with some fresh looks and a couple of tricks while routing Western Carolina 58-31 on Saturday.
Suderian Harrison, one of the most prolific receivers for the Bucs (3-2, 1-0) this season, completed a pass to quarterback Mason Mims that gained 20 yards. Later, ETSU running back Jason Albritton took the ball on a direct snap out of a wildcat. The Bucs also had some new personnel groupings and formations, running out a jumbo package with different configurations of talent on the line and splitting out receivers in what looked to be novel groupings.
“I think for us offensively you hope to have three or four wrinkles each and every week that you haven’t seen,” ETSU coach Will Healy said.
It’s not the first time Harrison has thrown the ball in a college game. Previously at Virginia, he threw an incompletion last year in the Cavaliers’ dramatic win at home over Florida State. The season before, Harrison connected with UVA QB Anthony Colandrea on a completion that helped secure a win against Pitt.
“I mean Sudie’s got an absolute cannon,” Healy said, joking, “Mason looked like he was running about a 6 [second] flat 40 and I think we got a first down off it.”
Mims said it was his first-ever catch in a game.
“Thought I heard footsteps. I was worried I was going to drop it,” Mims said.
As for the crack about running slow, Mims just smiled and said he’d need to work with Rodney Hill, who oversees the strength and conditioning for the football team, on improving his speed this offseason.
Both Healy and Mims had high praise for Brian Blackmon, who’s approaching the midpoint of his first year as offensive coordinatormfor the Bucs.
“It’s one thing to kind of force a flea flicker. It’s another to say okay, we got them on their heels. I think it’s a great opportunity for us to call this play,” Healy said, adding “That’s who we want to be on offense, whether we execute it or not, or whether it’s there is a different story.”
“Coach Blackmon’s done a great job. I think the whole offensive staff’s done a great job,” Mims said. “It’s good to just be on the same page with him throughout the week and on Saturdays, just knowing what’s going through his head when he called certain plays. So just getting in there Friday afternoon, like yesterday, just going through the script, what he’s thinking, when he’s going to call this play. So I think just being around him and being on the same page with him, it just makes everything easier for the offense.”
Big Play Browder
One of the shrewder calls by Blackmon was on the short touchdown pass from Mims to sixth-year tight end Charlie Browder right before the first half ended. Browder, a Kingsport native, was all by himself on the right side of the end zone. He arguably was even more open than he was on the route up the middle of the field for a touchdown in ETSU’s 48-14 win against Tusculum on Sept. 5.
“Coach Blackmon, I felt like he was setting that play up for a minute there for a couple possessions,” Mims said. “I knew the look. I knew it was gonna be a touchdown. But him being 6-7 or whatever he is makes it easy.”
Johnson ‘near perfection’
Placekicker Ewan Johnson, who also was one of the four game captains for the Bucs, booted a 49-yard field goal that became his new career long. Johnson also made field goals of 43 and 33 yards, and booted four of his 11 kickoff attempts for touchbacks.
“I thought he was near perfection,” Healy said. “The only one that he missed was the kickoff that went out of bounds and that was really, really close. … Just been exceptional for us all year long. And I thought he kicked the ball great. Some big field goals that just kept like taking the air out of their sails. It was just kind of body blows.”
Next Level Locals
In addition to Charlie Browder, who finished with two catches for 23 yards and was targeted five times, Browder’s younger brother, Sam Browder, started a fifth consecutive game at left tackle for the Bucs. Mason Ball, an Elizabethton native, saw time at defensive tackle and made a pair of tackle assists. And freshman Tyler Grizzle, a Kingsport native and Dobyns-Bennett alum, made his collegiate debut late in the game.
Buc Bites
ETSU RB D’Marius Rucker had a strong day offensively, running it six times for 68 yards and a touchdown and also catching a pair of passes for 28 yards. … Sophomore RB Jaiden Daniels scored his first collegiate touchdown in the fourth quarter. … Jason Albritton became the first Buc to run for three touchdowns in a game since Bryson Irby scored thrice against North Dakota State in 2024. … ETSU scored on each of its first seven possessions and was a perfect 8-for-8 inside the red zone. … The Bucs host Chattanooga Saturday at 3:30 p.m., back at William B. Greene Jr. Stadium.