Bucs dominate; Saylors named player of the week

After opening the season on the road with a 23-3 win at Vanderbilt, the Bucs returned home to a record-breaking crowd of 9,720 fans packed inside of William B. Greene Jr. Stadium as the Bucs faced the UVA-Wise Highland Cavaliers.

The Bucs put on a show under the lights for the crowd as the offense totaled 528 yards in the 45-14 victory on Saturday, and, for the first time since the 2016 season, the Bucs begin their season with a 2-0 record.

The first quarter began with a strong drive by the Highland Cavaliers as they marched 61 yards down the field quickly before missing a 30-yard field goal. The Bucs offense struggled early with back-to-back three and outs before the Bucs defense would steal the momentum when DB Tyree Robinson (Gainesville, Ga.) would intercept a pass and return the ball for 22-yards setting up the Bucs for a 3-yard run into the endzone by RB Quay Holmes (Powder Springs, Ga.).

The following drive for the Highland Cavaliers would see QB Lendon Redwine throw another interception, this time to Jalen Porter (Gallatin, Tenn.), that would set the Bucs up for a 51-yard field goal opportunity that was eventually missed.

The Bucs’ next drive would see a 64-yard TD following an intentional grounding call against the Bucs QB Tyler Riddell (Tampa, Fla.). A quick screen pass to Jacob Saylors (Jasper, Tenn.) put the Bucs up 14-0 as they entered the second quarter.

The Bucs never looked back as their offense would control the second quarter, putting up 17 more points by way of Saylors and Holmes both finding the endzone again and capping off the dominant quarter with a 26-yard field goal made by Tyler Keltner (Tallahassee, Fla.).

The Bucs entered the third quarter with a 31-6 lead which would soon grow as the Bucs marched down the field and Riddell connected with Malik Murray with an 8-yard TD pass putting the Bucs up 38-6. The Highland Cavaliers would eventually answer late in the third with a TD and two-point conversion to make the score 38-14.

Entering the fourth, with QB Brock Landis (Hoschton, Ga.) under center the Bucs would score once more early into the quarter on a 14-yard TD pass from Landis to WR Will Huzzie (Duluth, Ga.) to reach the final score of 45-15.

On Monday, Saylors was named SoCon player of the week, following his strong outing.

The dual-threat running back gained 75-yards on six carries and had one TD on the ground and one in the air as well as 75-yards on 3 receptions. “Jacob’s certainly stepped up and made a lot of big, big plays,” said head coach Randy Sanders.

“It has to start with sharing the backfield with Quay [Holmes]…a running back like him, like coach Sanders said ‘he’s accomplished so much here,’ I just take advantage of the small opportunities I do get…trying to be the best football player I can be,” said Saylors following the announcement of the weekly honor.

The Bucs will be suiting up again at home when the Delaware State Hornets come to town on Sept. 18. The kick-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at William B. Greene Jr. Stadium.