ETSU football returned William B. Greene Jr. Stadium, as the Bucs opened their unprecedented spring season Feb. 20 when they took on the Samford Bulldogs.
Samford came out strong with the first two touchdowns in the first quarter, but the Bucs fought back, earning their first touchdown of the season in the second quarter, trailing by the score of 14-7 at halftime.
During the third quarter, the Bucs scored a touchdown and Samford made a field goal, making the score 17-14 in favor of Samford. The Buccaneers pulled ahead during the fourth quarter when redshirt sophomore Juliun Lane-Price (Mosheim, Tennessee) scored a 59-yard touchdown, which ultimately put the game away.
Playing regular-season football in the spring is out of the ordinary for the Bucs, causing an adjustment for players and coaches.
“The only thing different is it’s a little bit colder, I’m definitely not used to that,” said ETSU quarterback Tyler Riddell (Tampa, Florida), who made the start. “Once you get out there football is just football, honestly.”
A fan-base is always something that gets the athletes excited, and between the scheduling adjustments and new rules due to Covid-19, William B. Greene Jr. Stadium ultimately could not be as full as it used to be — still, that made no difference to the Bucs.
“The people that were there I thought were very supportive, I thought they were very vocal,” said head coach Randy Sanders. “I was certainly very glad to see them and have them there.”
Saturday was the second time that the Bucs have defeated Samford since ETSU’s return to the Southern Conference in 2016. Coming out of the first game strong can be a big confidence booster for a football program.
“The confidence going into the game was already high, so it just boosted up the team morale even more,” said Bucs’ linebacker Donovan Manuel (Ellenwood, Georgia). “We’re still not where we need to be, but the best is yet to come. We are looking forward and looking for our next opponent.”
Following a bye-week Feb. 27, ETSU’s football team will travel to Wofford on March 6 to take on the Terriers.
