Looking back and looking ahead at ETSU's season

East Tennessee State came back from a disappointing season opener to being one of the hottest teams in FCS during its bye week. The Bucs are 5-2 overall and 3-0 in the Southern Conference with the highest-scoring offense at 32.7 points per game. ETSU is currently 20th in the Stats FCS rankings and riding a four-game winning streak. LOOKING BACK Campbell 49, ETSU 37 ETSU was favored against the Camels in the season opener at Greene Stadium. The Bucs were playing at home against a program which finished 2-10 the previous season. ETSU quickly found out this wasn't the same team as the year before. The Camels returned veteran quarterback Kamden Sixkiller, who threw for 343 yards and four touchdowns. Campbell scored on seven of 11 possessions against an ETSU defense that gave up 514 total yards. The bright spot for the Bucs was the play of freshman quarterback Mason Mims, who threw for 373 yards as the offense piled up 528 yards. Fast forward and the Camels are 5-1 and No. 16 in the FCS rankings. ETSU 48, Tusculum 14 The offense continued to flourish against the Division II Pioneers. The Bucs had a balanced attack with 259 passing yards and 225 rushing yards. Tusculum, coached by former ETSU defensive coordinator, put up an inspired effort, and trailed by just six points late in the second quarter. ETSU pulled away in the third quarter as T.J. Peyton led the Bucs with 200 all-purpose yards North Carolina 35, ETSU 3 The Tar Heels stymied the ETSU ground game, holding the Bucs to 77 rushing yards. ETSU kept the game competitive until late in the first half, but eventually fell to the Power 4 opponent. Dre Delinois had his third straight game with double-digit tackles. ETSU 35, West Georgia 27 ETSU's win streak began as the Bucs were able to avenge last year's loss to the Wolves. The Bucs actually blew an 11-point lead against West Georgia for a second straight year. However, Mike Jenkins' pick-six and Brandon Winton's 88-yard touchdown off a pass from Mims gave the Bucs the points they needed for the win. ETSU 58, Western Carolina 31 It was a record-setting day for the Bucs in the first of two big rivalry victories. The 58 points were the most ever scored against the Catamounts, and the most against a Division I opponent since football was brought back in 2015. ETSU piled up 542 yards of offense. It included a season-high 233 rushing yards, and 11 different receivers catching passes. It was ETSU's third straight win against Western and gave them a 28-27-1 all-time series lead. ETSU 14, Chattanooga 3 The Bucs had their best defensive effort of the season. In addition to the three points, they held the Mocs to 183 yards of offense and just 75 passing yards. Then, the offense came through late with a 20-yard touchdown off a screen pass from Mims to Peyton, and a nine-minute drive that consisted of 82 yards to end the game. Jason Albritton had 95 rushing yards and Jarvis Johnson racked up 13 tackles in the victory. ETSU 34, The Citadel 16 ETSU had touchdowns on defense and special teams to turn the corner after a fast start by the Bulldogs. Down 10-0, CJ Gilmore had a fumble recovery for a touchdown. After the Bucs had taken the lead in the third quarter, a blocked punt returned by Josh Buckhalter for a touchdown swung the momentum firmly in the Bucs' favor. Delinois had another 10-tackle day and the defense recorded a season-high five sacks. Peyton rushed for over 100 yards for the third time this season. LOOKING AHEAD The Bucs will be heavily favored when they travel next Saturday to face a winless VMI team, which is getting outscored by a 42-8 average score. ETSU has won five of the last six meetings in the series including last year's 45-10 blowout in Johnson City. One bright spot for the Keydets has Ben Shrewsbury as the former Daniel Boone High School standout is averaging 44.9 yards per punt. Tennessee Tech is the next home game opponent on Halloween. The Golden Eagles (6-1) won back-to-back OVC/Big South titles before joining the Southern Conference this season. They are currently at No. 15, the highest-ranked SoCon team. However, their lone loss was 44-20 at Western Carolina. ETSU plays its final home regular season game against Samford on Nov. 7. The Bulldogs (1-6) have struggled to get the ball in the end zone with 12 touchdowns through their first six games. They rank last in the league at 72 rushing yards per game. The Bucs head on the road for their final two games, starting at Wofford (5-3) which is on a three-game winning streak. The Terriers were blown out at Chattanooga, but lost by just four points to Tennessee Tech. Wofford has been balanced offensively, but the defense has struggled in stopping the run, giving up 166.7 yards per game. Two-time defending SoCon champion and preseason favorite Mercer (6-2) hosts ETSU in the regular-season finale. The No. 18 Bears defeated Samford 31-14 on Saturday, and their only league loss was 20-13 against Furman back on Sept. 12. Mercer has outscored opponents by a 14-point average behind a stout rushing attack that averages 250 yards per game. GOLF TOURNAMENT The Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate golf tournament returns to the Blackthorn Club on Monday through Wednesday after a two-year hiatus. ETSU shot a 27-under to win by 12 strokes over Charlotte the last time it was played in 2024. ETSU has won the team title three times and the individual title five times including Mats Ege in 2024.