The Bucs evened their record last Saturday against UT-Chattanooga to and will try to complete their second consecutive winning season Saturday night against Charleston Southern.
The Bucs came back from a 15-3 deficit at halftime to score three unanswered touchdowns and go on to defeat the Moccasins 24-22, evening their record at 5-5, 4-4 in the conference.
ETSU Head Football Coach Paul Hamilton was pleased with the team’s effort, particularly the leadership shown by the seniors.
“I really feel like our seniors had a great deal to do with our winning that game,” he said. “I commend them for the leadership they showed at halftime.”
“We came out in the second half all cylinders pumping,” said Russ Lindgren, senior linebacker. “We’re glad we won so we have a chance of a winning season Saturday.”
The Bucs came out to play in the second half, outscoring the Mocs 21-3, with two touchdowns and a two-point conversion by sophomore receiver Cecil Moore.
“I’m proud of the way Cecil Moore competed,” Hamilton said. “I feel he’s an All-Conference receiver. He ranks high in all the receiving categories. He was the difference- maker in that game.”
Moore currently ranks third in Southern Conference receptions with 57, second in receiving yards per game (85.6) and is tied for second in touchdown receptions (7).
Although the Bucs look forward to another winning season, they had better not look past the Buccaneers of Charleston Southern, whom Hamilton said are much improved from the team ETSU met two years ago.
“They have 27 seniors,” he said. “They’ve played Wofford well, they dominated against Liberty, they held them to minus yards rushing.
“We won’t be a big shock to them. They know what to expect from us,” he said.
Hamilton will look to All-Conference candidate linebacker Rahim El Amin to lead a defensive attack that ranks third in conference passing defense, giving up only 174.8 yards per game.
“Rahim El Amin has been one of the most consistent, steady football players at this university,” Hamilton said. “He’s been a tremendous leader.”
As El Amin leads the defense, All-Conference candidate quarterback Todd Wells will lead the offensive attack and continue his assault on the ETSU record books.
Wells, who became the Bucs’ all-time total offense leader with 8,488 yards last week, has 2,734 total yards this season and is close to the total offense record for a single season of 2,763 yards he set as a freshman.
Wells is also only 171 passing yards shy of Greg Ryan’s single season passing record of 2,595.
The kickoff against Charleston Southern is set for Saturday at 7 p.m. in Memorial Center.

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