The ETSU football team hosted the Shorter Hawks Saturday. The Bucs had an early start and came away with a 48-10 victory.
The Bucs came out with a strong showing in the first half. Their first four possessions ended in points.
The first drive by the Bucs had a powerful showing, but a penalty cost them from getting into the end zone. However, the Bucs were in good field position to put up a field goal, gaining the first lead at 3-0.
The Bucs’ defense put tons of pressure on the Hawks’ offense, forcing a turn over on downs. The Bucs took another possession and drove down the field in five plays and ended with 12-yard run by sophomore running back Jacob Saylors (Jasper, Tennessee).
The Bucs kept the momentum rolling when redshirt freshman linebacker Jalen Porter (Gallatin, Tennessee) forced a fumble and gained possession of the ball.
The Bucs capitalized on the turnover with one play when redshirt freshman quarterback Trey Mitchell (Knoxville, Tennessee) connected with sophomore tight-end Nate Adkins (Knoxville, Tennessee) for a 16-yard pass pushing the lead to 17-0.
The Bucs drove in another score before closing out the half when Mitchell connected with fullback redshirt freshman Jawas Martin (Decatur, Tennessee) for a 5-yard score. The Bucs then opted for two with another Mitchell pass to redshirt senior Nasir Player (Columbia, South Carolina).
Shorter struggled against the Bucs’ defense. They closed out the first half with a 36-yard field goal.
Momentum kept rolling in the Bucs’ favor in the second half. Salyers recorded his longest run of his career with a 61-yard rush. A couple plays later, he entered the end zone for another score.
The Bucs shined again on the defensive side when defensive lineman redshirt senior Jason Maduafokwa (Seymour, Tennessee) forced a safety. The next possession saw redshirt quarterback Cameron Lewis (Mcdonough, Georgia) enter the game and run for a 28-yard score. Lewis then later connected with graduate tight end Jordan Anderson (Knoxville, Tennessee) for a 1-yard pass.
Shorter finally scored a touchdown in the closing minutes of the game.
Mitchell finished the game with two touchdowns and passing for 173 yards. Last week against Appalachian State, he stepped up to the quarterback position due to senior Chance Thrasher’s (Suwanee, Georgia) injury sustained during the game.
“I thought he [Mitchell] did well,” said head coach Randy Sanders. “I feel like he read the offensive plays well.”
The Bucs host the next two games on the schedule. The first game on Sept. 14 against VMI, and the next against Austin Peay on Sept. 21.
