SoCon Week 1: Measuring Stick Saturday

Gardner-Webb (0-1, 0-0 OVC/Big South) at Wofford (1-0, 1-0 SoCon)

Date: Sept. 5, 2026

Location: Spartanburg, S.C./Gibbs Stadium

Time: 1:30 P.M. EST

How To Watch: ESPN+

Gardner-Webb Head Coach: Pete Bennett (interim Head Coach) 

Wofford Head Coach: Shawn Watson (17-25/4th Season at Wofford)

Series: 26th meeting/Wofford Leads 18-7

Players To Watch For Gardner-Webb: QB Cole Pennington (Offense)/LB Cahari Haynes (Defense)

Players To Watch For Wofford: QB JT Fayard (Offense)/DB Eli Coleman (Defense)

Previewing the Matchup: Wofford enters Saturday's home matchup against Gardner-Webb looking to improve to 2-0 on the young season, matching its start to the 2024 campaign, which interestingly enough also involved a win over Gardner-Webb. The Terriers face a Bulldogs team reeling a bit after the news it received this week, as first-year coach Kris McCullough was removed from his head coaching duties after a brief investigation into an undisclosed matter caused him to be fired as the head coach after coaching just one game.

The Bulldogs opened the season last week with a 35-17 setback to No. 18 Austin Peay in what would turn out to be McCullough's final game as the head coach. The Bulldogs were a solid football team a year ago and weren't all that far away from making an appearance in the FCS Playoffs. 

The Bulldogs finished with a 7-5 record last season, which included a pair of wins of SoCon foes, in Western Carolina (W, 52-45) and The Citadel (W, 23-13). The Bulldogs finished the season 5-3 in the OVC/Big South, which was good enough for a third-place finish in the league standings.

The Bulldogs return some continuity on the offensive side of the ball, with quarterback Cole Pennington back leading the offense this fall. In the season opener against the 18th-ranked Austin Peay Govs last Saturday. In the season-opening loss against the Govs, Pennington completed 27-of-49 passes for 312 yards, with one touchdown and an INT. 

In 2025, Pennington saw action in 10 games, connecting on 126-of-208 passes for 1,601 yards, with seven TDs and five INTs. Last season, the Bulldogs averaged 28 PPG and had 400 or more yards of total offense on four occasions.  

Wide receiver Kory Jones was the leading target for Pennington in the Gardner-Webb offense in the season-opening loss in Clarksville, as he was able to haul in nine passes for 102 yards, averaging 11.3 YPR. Christian Vann led the Bulldogs' rushing effort, rushing for 15 of the team's total of 35 rushing yards in the contest on four carries, averaging 3.8 yards-per-tote.

Defensively, the Bulldogs looked solid at times in the season opener, as the unit recorded 10 tackles-for-loss and three sacks in the losing effort. The Runnin' Bulldogs also caused one turnover, which was an interception by defensive back Ty Sanders. 

Wofford's season opener couldn't have gone much better, as the Terriers posted a 42-14 Southern Conference win over The Citadel in what was the lone SoCon game of week zero. Wofford got a decent performance out of starting quarterback back JT Fayard, as he connected on 18-of-26 passes for 176 yards, with two TDs and two INTs. 

Gerald Modest Jr. turned in his best game as a Wofford running back, finishing with 105 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while also turning in a team-high tying four catches for 39 yards. Colby Alexander also had four grabs for 35 yards and hauled in both of Fayard's touchdown tosses. The Terriers actually ended up getting outgained in the season opener, with The Citadel posting a 351-341 edge in total offense.

Defensively, the Terriers were led by linebacker Wyatt Ward, who finished with 12 tackles and is coming off a 2025 season, which saw him register 55 tackles, 5.5 tackles-for-loss, a couple of sacks, forced two fumbles and had a fumble recovery. Ward entered the season as a second-team All-SoCon selection and didn't disappoint with his performance in the season opener.

Javario Tinch is a guy that just has a nose for the football and seems to always be in the right place at the right time to make the big play, and his big recovery of an Elijah Washington forced fumble was one of several key plays that turned the Terriers momentum in a positive direction in the second quarter of last Saturday's game. 

The other big play came on special teams, as freshman running back Davis Penn recovered an Eli Campbell blocked punt and returned it 33 yards for a score to give Wofford an early 14-0 lead in the second quarter. Campbell, a transfer from Appalachian State and preseason first-team All-SoCon pick, also turned in a strong start to the season, as he finished with seven tackles, one tackle-for-loss and a pass breakup to go along with his blocked punt.

Given all that has gone on surrounding this game, it's hard to imagine that won't have some effect on Gardner-Webb as a football team. It could also serve as a rallying cry or an extra bit of motivation that they might not have ordinarily had if everything hadn't transpired the way it has over the course of the week with an off-the-field situation with its now former head coach during the week.

I think Gardner-Webb probably keeps this one close for a half, but in the end this Wofford team might be the best one Watson has had during his four seasons as the head coach, and one that appears, at least after week one, is a dark horse in the SoCon title race this fall. Dating back to last season, the Terriers have won five-straight and seven of their last eight dating back to the end of last season. 

FINAL PREDICTION: WOFFORD 31,  GARDNER-WEBB 13

No. 24 Western Carolina (1-0, 0-0 SoCon) at Campbell (1-0, 0-0 CAA)

Date: Sept. 5, 2026

Location: Buies Creek, N.C./Barker-Lane Stadium

Time: 3:30 P.M. EST

How To Watch: FLOSports

Western Carolina Head Coach: Kerwin Bell 125-64 in 17th Yr/32-26 in 6th Yr at WCU)

Campbell Head Coach: Braxton Harris (19-47 in 7th Yr/6-19 in 3rd Yr at Campbell)

Players To Watch for Western Carolina: QB Lex Thomas (Offense)/DB Ken Moore Jr. (Defense)

Players To Watch for Campbell: QB Kamden Sixkiller (Offense)/DE/Edge DeVonyae Pettis (Defense)

Previewing the Matchup: Suddenly the intra-state battle between Western Carolina and Campbell has suddenly this game has taken on added importance given the performance of the Camels on the road in their win against ETSU last week.

Campbell quarterback Kamden Sixkiller put on quite a performance, as did Western Carolina's signal-caller Lex Thomas. Both ended up garnering their respective conference's player of the week honor. Sixkiller ended up accounting for 438 yards of total offense, and that included a career-high 343 yards passing to go along with a pair of passing scores. Sixkiller showed his overall versatility under center, as he also finished the contest with 95 rushing yards and another couple scores.

In the preseason, not much was expected of the Camels were picked to finish eighth in the 13-team league.

Western Carolina's Lex Thomas garnered SoCon Offensive Player of the Week honors by hitting on 27-of-35 passes for 320 yards and three touchdowns, as he helped the Catamounts open the 2026 season in style, as the Catamounts overcame a 14-10 halftime deficit to get an impressive 45-21 win over Eastern Kentucky. Fittingly, it would be Thomas that would seal the contest with a 15-yard run in the fourth quarter and led the Catamounts in rushing in the game with 69 yards on the ground.

What makes Thomas' performance even more remarkable is that he passed for just 67 yards in the first half, despite hitting on 10 of his first 11 passes. Both Thomas and Sixkiller lived life at the power four level for a while, as Sixkiller started his college career at Oklahoma before finding his way to the FCS,first at McNeese State, then found his way from a Lake (Lake Charles) to a Creek (Buies Creek) while playing for a school that has a mascot that thrives in an environment with no water. Go figure.

Thomas on the other hand is playing for just his second program after starting his career at North Carolina State as a backup for the Wolfpack under center. Now the two face each other in a huge game on Saturday.

A win for the Catamounts could be enough to catapult the Catamounts further up the ladder in the Top 25 polls and start to get some buzz going about the WCU potential being a SoCon title contender once again this season. The Catamounts have not won a league title in this their 50th season as an official league member.

It's never easy for SoCon teams to go into Buies Creek, N.C., and come out victorious, however, that is exactly what a pair of Southern Conference programs were able to do last season, as both Furman and Western Carolina were able to go in steal wins at Barker-Lane Stadium a year ago.

For Western Carolina, its 42-35 win over the Camels marked the only win of the non- conference season, and was the first-ever win posted by the Catamounts in series history after losing each of the first three times the two old North State programs strapped it one against the other, including a 24-16 home loss by WCU in 2024, which was a setback that likely costs Kerwin Bell's club a spot in the FCS postseason.

With that said, last season's 42-35 road win by the Purple and Gold marked the lone non- conference win of the season for WCU, which started the campaign with an 0-3 start to 2025 campaign, with starting quarterback and Walter Payton Award candidate Taron Dickens sidelined due to a suspension. 

The Campbell game marked the return for the then redshirt sophomore quarterback, who passed for 427 yards and four scores in a game, which the star quarterback showed little, if any, rust.

Dickens led the explosive Catamount offense to a total of 564 yards, while WCU needed every bit of that offensive output to escape the 35 points and 437 yards of total offense put up by the Camels against a porous Catamount defensive unit a year ago.

The Catamounts held as much as a 25-point lead (35-10) at one point early in the third quarter of that contest before having to hold on for dear life to secure the win, as the Camels outscored WCU 22-7 over remaining 26 minutes of game clock. 

This game will feature plenty of offense once again and it may well end up being the most exciting game of the day in the league. In my initial preseason schedule prediction for the Catamounts, I had WCU winning a 28-26 game. I think it will be just as close only a little more high scoring.

FINAL PREDICTION: WESTERN CAROLINA 38, CAMPBELL 35                                             

Furman (1-0, 0-0 SoCon) at No. 18 Tennessee (0-0, 0-0 SEC)

Date: Sept. 5, 2026

Location: Neyland Stadium/Knoxville, TN

Time: 3:30 P.M. EST

How To Watch: SEC+

Furman Head Coach: Clay Hendrix (61-43/10th Yr at Furman)

Tennessee Head Coach: Josh Heupel (45-20/6th Yr. at Tennessee/73-28 in 9th Yr overall)

Series: This will mark the third all-time meeting between the two programs, with Tennessee having won the previous two matchups in 1941 (W, 32-6) and '42 (W, 52-7)

Players To Watch for Furman: QB Jake Garcia (Offense)/DE Joshua Stoneking (Defense)

Players To Watch for Tennessee:  RB De'Sean Bishop (Offense)/CB Ty Redmond (Defense)

Previewing The Matchup: Previewing The Matchup: The Furman Football team returns to action Saturday afternoon and will take on Tennessee in the first matchup between the two since 1942. Furman got off to a 1-0 start to the season with a 20-3 win over NCAA Division II foe Anderson in the first-ever meeting between the two programs.

Tennessee enters the 2026 season ranked No. 20 in the Associated Press to start the season, and the Vols are coming off an 8-5 season a year ago, dropping the Music City Bowl, 30-28, to Big Ten member Illinois in what was one of the best bowl games of the bowl season.

This is the start of a brutal stretch for Furman, which begins Saturday against Tennessee, which is followed by three-straight ranked FCS teams in the current poll, with on No.15/19 Mercer on the road in the conference opener and then followed by a visit from No. 21/22 South Carolina State, which is followed by trip to No. 23/RV Richmond to end up the month of September. 

The opening game in October will see Furman host its first Southern Conference foe, in RV/RV Wofford, who claimed a 42-14 win over The Citadel and has won its last three games against the Paladins. The stretch closes on Oct. 10 with a trip to the highest ranked SoCon team, as the Paladins face off against current No. 12/13 Tennessee Tech.

Last season, the Paladins played just one ranked team on the entire schedule, with the only ranked foe on the entire schedule having been No. 13 Mercer. Needless to say this is part of a brutal stretch to open the season for the Paladins.  Few reprieves exist on the 2026 schedule; it's not unlike the 2022 team, which entered the season with high expectations, seeking a return to the postseason for the first time in three seasons. That 2022 Paladins team faced five ranked teams, including FBS AP No. 5 Clemson.  

The Paladins have posted a 6-35-1 record against FBS programs, having faced Tennessee twice in school history, losing both. The Paladins dropped what was a 52-7 contest to Tennessee back in 1942, and a year earlier, it was the Vols that also claimed the first meeting between the two a year earlier, posting what was a 32-6 win by the Vols in 1941. General Robert Neyland would have been the coach during both of those seasons; however, he was busy serving our great country in World War II.

Furman’s 20-3 win over Anderson in the season opener was defined by its play on the defensive side of the football, as the Paladins limited the NCAA Division II Trojans to just 160 yards of total offense, and a total of just six rushing yards for the entire contest. The Paladins notched seven tackles-for-loss and a pair of sacks in the season-opening win over the Trojans last Thursday night.

Furman’s defense is led by none other than Joshua Stoneking, who enters the season as one of the frontrunners for the Buck Buchanan Award, which is given annually to the top defensive player in FCS football, as the talented defensive end finished the 2025 season with 79 tackles, 23 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks, with his tackles-for-loss and sacks total leading all of FCS football last fall. In the season-opener against Anderson, Stoneking found himself battling plenty of double teams and was held to two tackles, one tackle-for-loss and a quarterback hurry.

Stoneking isn’t a one-man show on the defensive side of the football, however, as the Paladins figure to be one of the top defenses in SoCon and the FCS this fall. Teaming with Stoneking as his partner in crime in getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks is ‘Bandit’ outside linebacker/edge Eli Lipscomb. 

Lipscomb was a Freshman All-America selection at Wingate last season. With so much focus and attention on Stoneking in the season opener, it opened things up a bit for Lipscomb, who finished the season opener with six tackles, three tackles-for-loss, one sack, two quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery.

The Paladins platoon guys along the defensive front, especially in at defensive tackle and nose guard. Demetrius Baldwin and Garrison Butler are interchangeable at defensive tackle, while Caldwell Bussey and Ty Kauserud will do the same at nose tackle. 

Baldwin was a SoCon All-Freshman pick last season, while Bussey turned in what was an outstanding performance in the season-opening win over the Trojans, as he finished with one of Furman’s two sacks in the game and was credited with a pass breakup.

Helping form a solid nucleus for that Furman defense are linebackers Ryan Earl and Caleb Ellison, while Raleigh Herbert is one of the more athletic players on the defensive side of the ball having posted a 48-yard INT return in a conference win at Samford last season. Herbert tied for the team lead in tackles in the season opener, as he joined Lipscomb atop the tackles chart with six stops against Anderson.

The biggest question mark on the defensive side of the ball is at cornerback where the Paladins were young last season and gave up some chunk plays towards the latter portions of the season on the perimeter. The Paladins really only surrendered one in the season opener against Anderson, which led Anderson’s only points of the night. The Paladins are solid at all three safety spots, highlighted by veterans AK Burrell and all-league selection Billy Lewis, while true freshman Braylin Peebles won the starting job in fall camp.

On offense, Furman churned out 268 yards on the ground in the season opener, led by a comprehensive effort on the ground, as CJ Nettles, CJ Stokes, Ben Croasdale and quarterback Jake Garcia to account for Furman’s top three rushing totals in its week zero win. Croasdale scored both of Furman’s touchdowns against Anderson and finished with 67 yards on 11 attempts. Nettles led the Furman ground attack with 10 rushes for 99 yards, which was highlighted by a 47-yard run to set up a Paladin score in the second quarter of the win.

One of the big question marks coming into the season was the offensive line, as the Paladins have three new starters along the unit coming into the season, but its veterans Chris Luna at center and Eli Brasher at left tackle that highlight the unit.

Finally, there is a lot of optimism surrounding an expected offensive improvement this fall due to the addition of 5th year senior quarterback Jake Garcia, who has spent time at Miami, Missouri, East Carolina and Michigan prior to his arrival at Furman. He finished his opener with modest passing totals, as he played essentially his first game in two years, finishing his debut as a Paladin by connecting on 15-of-28 passes for 183 yards with one INT. He also rushed for 51 yards on nine attempts against the Trojans.

Furman was hit hard by the transfer portal at wide receiver, but added some nice pieces to the unit, in Daniel Haughton from Dartmouth and Luke Shields from Tennessee Tech, with Ethan Harris and tight end Jackson Pryor being among the veteran leaders that represent reliable options that have returned from last season. Haughton led the Paladins in the opener against the Trojans with five catches for 87 yards.

The Vols enter the season with high expectations, which has been re-ignited under sixth-year head coach Josh Heupel. The former Oklahoma signal-caller has become Knoxville’s favorite son raised by another program, as he’s really embraced the fanbase and really become one of the Big Orange Nation during his time as the head coach of the Vols. 

A lot of that has to do with his transparency as a head coach, as well as not being scared to show the human side of the job rather than how most coaches do at large programs, which is compartmentalize coaching and real-life situations as two different things. Part of why Tennessee has had so much success is that family feel that Tennessee has lacked really since Phil Fulmer was at the helm of the program throughout the 1990s and early 2000s.

That said, it’s been a task to get Tennessee to get back to where it wants to be as a consistent national title contender, and that’s still a work in progress, however, there’s no doubt things are different under Heupel’s leadership, as he enters his sixth season at the helm.

Offensively, the Vols will look to All-SEC running back DeSean Bishop, who is coming off a campaign that saw him rush for 1,076 yards and 16 TDs on 182 rush attempts (5.9 YPC) last season. The big news to come out of fall camp for Tennessee is the Vols would be starting a freshman under center this season, with Greensboro, N.C., native Faizon Brandon winning the starting job in the preseason. 

Brandon was a star at Grimsley HS, as the five-star quarterback helped guide his program to an astounding 35-1 record in his three years as a starter. It will mark the fifth-straight season the Vols have started a season with a new quarterback, and all have been solid.

The strength of the Tennessee offense, however, is its offensive line, which is highlighted by offensive guard Wendell Moe Jr., center Sam Pendleton and offensive tackle David Sanders Jr. Wideout Braylon Staley is a Biletnikoff Award candidate, as he is part of the preseason ‘Watch List’ and is coming off a sophomore season, which saw him haul in 68 passes for 837 yards and six scores.

Tennessee’s defense will be installing a new scheme under new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, as he comes aboard following spending the past four seasons in the Big Ten coaching defenses at both Penn State and Ohio State (2022-24). Part of the reason for change at the top defensive spot is a unit that surrendered nearly 400 YPG (397.2 YPG) last season to rank 91st in the FBS in total defense last fall.

This game is what it is for most SoCon teams these days. ETSU and Chattanooga faced the Vols in each of the previous two campaigns, with the Bucs taking a 77-17 loss last season in Neyland Stadium, while Chattanooga dropped a 69-3 contest two years ago. 

It’s probably going to be a similar type of afternoon for Furman as it was for ETSU and UTC, as the Paladins will play before a sellout crowd of better than 102,000 fans at Neyland Stadium on Saturday, but maybe it won’t be as bad as the 76-0 loss the Paladins suffered vs. Ole Miss two years ago to open the season. 

Even if it is, this is a better football team that Furman has than two years ago, and the result of this game and the loss margin matter very little in a season in which Furman expects to be among the title contenders in the SoCon.

The expected crowd of better than 102,000 fans will mark the largest crowd it has ever played in front of in its previous 120 seasons of football. The previous largest crowd to see a Furman football game, came back in 2013 at LSU, as the Paladins played before a crowd of 92,554 on Oct. 26, 2013.

FINAL PREDICTION: TENNESSEE 57,  FURMAN 10

The Citadel  (0-1, 0-1 SoCon) at Charlotte (0-0, 0-0 SEC)

Date: Sept. 5, 2026

Location: Charlotte, N.C./Jerry Richardson Stadium

Time: 3:30 P.M. EST

How To Watch: ESPN+

The Citadel Head Coach: Maurice Drayton (9-27 in 4th season at The Citadel)

Charlotte Head Coach: Tim Albin (1-10 in 2nd Season at Charlotte/59-48 overall in 9th season)

Series: The Citadel leads 1-0/defeated Charlotte 63-56 in OT in 2014

Players To Watch for The Citadel: QB Quentin Hayes (Offense)/LB Jalen Wright (Defense)

Players To Watch for Charlotte:  QB Cole Gonzales (Offense)/LB Kaden Schmitz (Defense)

Previewing The Matchup: The Citadel lived a nightmare in Spartanburg last Saturday in the 42-14 season and SoCon opening loss to Wofford. 

The primary focus will be getting back to doing the things that has not only made the football program successful over the decades, but an element that has the school recognized nationally. What I am talking about is discipline.  The Bulldogs lacked that in key moments in last Saturday's loss, as they lacked it when adversity reared its ugly head in the second quarter, as Wofford used a blocked punt, a muffed punt, and a Bulldogs fumble inside the five-yard line to all but put the game away last weekend.

With that said, the other thing that the Bulldogs could not do is turn Wofford's mistakes into a payoff, as both of JT Fayard's were of no consequence, and that's just not The Citadel football. Mistakes aside, the Bulldogs did hat least showed a few moments of potential future success on offense, and actually outgained the Terriers, 351-341, in the game. 

When there were turnovers and blocked punts to look to, there were needless penalties that aided Wofford, which was no doubt the better team without all the Bulldogs' miscues, however, the game could have closer and the perception different heading into week two.

The good news is The Citadel usually responds well to adversity from a broader perspective, and they'll have to when it faces the first of two FBS foes, with this one coming against Group of Five member Charlotte. The Bulldogs have eight wins over FBS foes in their history, which is the most among current SoCon members.

Quentin Hayes looked good at times in the opener, but also made a critical mistake on a throw early in the third quarter, which came right after Wofford extended its lead back to 21 points, which was the margin at the half. On the first play of the ensuing drive, his pass in the flats was picked off and returned to The Citadel's eight-yard line and two plays later the Terriers were ahead 35-7. 

That said, if the running game gets going, Hayes can get going throwing it. He finished last Saturday's game solid rushing the football, as he led the Bulldogs with 91 yards on 18 attempts, while new running back--Gavin Garcia who transferred in from Kent State,looked like a solid addition to the mix, as he finished with 68 yards rushing on 11 attempts. 

The defense was very much bend but don't break in the opener, but the young secondary looked good most of the night, highlighted by a Temarcus Elam interception and return of 67 yards inside Wofford territory only to see the Bulldogs drive deep into Wofford territory late in the half only to fumble inside the 10. 

Charlotte is a program that hasn't enjoyed much success in its history, and restarted the program its program following a 65-year hiatus in 2013, playing its first two seasons as an FCS member. 

The Bulldogs and 49ers have only faced each other once, and that came in 2014, which was a season befoe the Bulldogs went through one of its best two-season spans in the modern era, as the Bulldogs won back-to-back SoCon titles in 2015 and '16. A year earlier, the Bulldogs would win a 63-56 overtime thriller over Charlotte. The 49ers are under the direction of Tim Albin, who is in his second season leading the Charlotte football program after having previously served as the head coach at Ohio (2021-24). 

This Charlotte team will be much different, as the 49ers are now at the FBS level and one looking to improve upon a 1-10 mark of a year ago. There will at least be a familiar under center for Bulldog fans and some players, as former Western Carolina signal-caller Cole Gonzales will be the starter under center. The 6-0, 200-lb quarterback also spent some time in Norman, OK., as the backup quarterback at Oklahoma and at Pittsburgh before making his way to Charlotte.

Gonzales left Western Carolina with 6,682 passing yards and 51 touchdowns, accounting for 7,244 yards of total offense, including being named the 2024 SoCon Offensive Player of the Year. He was also a two-time Walter Payton Award finalist during his time as a Catamount. He finished his career at WCU with a 2-1 record against the Bulldogs.

Gonzales' top offensive weapons will be running back Chance Williams, who transferred into Charlotte after having spent time at both Cincinnati and Grambling State, while the top wideout is transfer Jaden Barnes, who spent time at both Austin Peay and App State before making his way to the Queen City.

On defense, linebacker Kaden Schmitz is a team captain and the leading returning tackler for the 49ers, having record 66 stops last season and played in 10 of 11 games for Charlotte last season.

The Citadel will play better than it did against Wofford, but unfortunately that won't be enough even against a Group of 5 team.

FINAL PREDICTION: CHARLOTTE 38, THE CITADEL 21

Tusculum (1-0, 0-0 SAC) at East Tennessee State (0-1, 0-0 SoCon)

Date: Sept. 5, 2026

Location: Johnson City, TN/William B. Greene Jr. Stadium

Time: 5:30 P.M. EST

How To Watch: ESPN+

Tusculum Head Coach: Billy Taylor (3-18/3rd Yr at Tusculum)

ETSU Head Coach: Will Healy (35-51 in 9th Yr/7-6 in 2nd Yr at ETSU)

Series: 25th meeting/ETSU leads 17-4-3

Players To Watch for Tusculum: QB Tedros Gleaton (Offense)/LB TJ Jingozian (Defense)

Players To Watch for ETSU:  QB Mason Mims (Offense)/LB Dre Delinois (Defense)

Previewing The Matchup: ETSU returns to the gridiron following last Saturday's disappointing season-opening loss, which saw the Bucs surrender 49 points in what was a 49-37 setback to CAA member Campbell. Giving up 49 points would have been something that would have been rare under one of Johnson City's favorite sons, in former longtime ETSU defensive coordinator Billy Taylor, who is now leading Tusculum's football program as its head coach. Interestingly it will mark the first meeting between the two programs on the football gridiron in 76 years, despite being located in such close proximity to each other. 

Taylor is a former linebacker and graduate of the school located just 26 miles up the road, starring for the ETSU defense before eventually going on to lead the program as the Bucs' defensive coordinator. Taylor, who starred at linebacker from 1985-87 and is an '88 graduate of ETSU, was the defensive coordinator at ETSU in two different stints, first serving the program from 1997-2003 and then after the program was reinstated, served as the Bucs' defensive coordinator from 2015-23. 

After being passed over for the head coaching position three times during his tenure as the Bucs' defensive coordinator, Taylor eventually moved on to Tusculum to become the school's head coach, where he is in his third season leading the Pioneers.

Unlike ETSU's disappointment in its season-opening loss to the Camels, the Pioneers started the 2026 season in style, downing Bluefield State, 49-7, which included scoring a school-record 35 points in the second quarter, while the Pioneers defense caused four turnovers on the day. 

Tedros Gleaton, who started his career at the Naval Academy before transferring to Carson-Newman, where he played two seasons for new VMI head coach Ashley Ingram, will be the starter for Tusculum on Saturday against ETSU. He played just one half against West Alabama, posting nine carries for 74 yards and went 2-of-3 passing for 51 yards and a touchdown before coming out of the game at the half. 

Former Carson-Newman teammates Cam Ferguson and Keithan Washington will team with Gleaton as a part of a three-headed monster in the ground attack for the Pioneers. The leading target when the Pioneers go to the air will be Ashton Hagans, who hauled in a 43-yard scoring pass in last week's lopsided win over Bluefield State.

On the defensive side of the ball, keep an eye on linebacker TJ Jingozian, who is one of the holdovers on that side of the ball from a year ago. In 2025, Jingozian posted 21 tackles and a pair of sacks in nine games last season. In 28 career games for the Pioneers, Jingozian posted 59 tackles, nine tackles-for-loss and three sacks.

ETSU's offense wasn't the issue last week, as new starter Mason Mims set a program record with 33 completions in his debut, leading a Bucs offense that amassed over 500 yards in their season-opening loss. All told, the former Louisville signal-caller posted a great debut, connecting on 33-of-41 passes for 373 yards and a pair of TDs, as he completed passes to eight different receivers in the 49-37 loss.

Jason Albritton is an all-conference running back but had just four carries for 14 yards and a touchdown in the season-opening loss. The Bucs were led on the ground in the opener by TJ Payton, who had a nice debut running the football, finishing the contest with 15 rush attempts for 80 yards and a touchdown. Sunderian Harrison will be ETSU's top deep threat, and he comes off a season opener, which saw him haul in five passes for 99 yards, while Charlie Browder proved to be once again more than a reliable option at tight end, hauling in a team-best seven catches for 56 yards. Brandon Winton and Trey Weary accounted for both scoring catches for the Bucs last Saturday. 

The Bucs defense surrendered 514 yards to go along with those 49 points in the season opener, as well as failing to cause a turnover. The Bucs were tied for second in the league in INTs (12) and ranked third in the league in turnovers caused (18) last season. Linebacker Dre Delinois, who led the Bucs with 11 tackles in the opener, will look to lead ETSU's hopes for improvement on Saturday. 

Improvement will have to start in the secondary, which has been a problem spot for ETSU each of the past two seasons, and with Jivon Oggs, Jimmy Bowdry and Mike Jenkins also back as starters, it is surprisingly one of the most experienced units on either side of the ball. 

I expect ETSU to get in the win column for the first time in 2026 on Saturday, but it certainly won't come easily.

FINAL PREDICTION: ETSU 42, TUSCULUM 28

No. 12 Tennessee Tech (1-0, 0-0 SoCon) at Chattanooga (1-0, 0-0 SoCon)

Date: Sept. 5, 2026

Location: Chattanooga, TN/Finley Stadium

Time: 6 P.M. EST

How To Watch: Local Nexstar Affiliate/ESPN+/SoCon Game of the Week/Pete Yanity (play-by-play), Cole Neely (Analyst), Dave Friedman (Sideline)

Tennessee Tech Head Coach: Bobby Wilder (96-63 in 14th Yr as a head coach/19-7 in 3rd        Yr at TTU)

Chattanooga Head Coach: Rusty Wright (43-34 in 7th Yr at Chattanooga)

Series: 42nd meeting/Chattanooga leads 30-11

Players To Watch for Tennessee Tech: RB MJ Flowers (Offense)/CB Cee Rhodes (Defense)=

Players To Watch for Chattanooga: QB Battle Alberson (Offense)/LB Zion Rutledge (Defense)   

Previewing The Matchup: Tennessee Tech heads to Chattanooga to take on the Mocs in a non-conference game, and when these same two teams played each other last season, it was pretty much all Golden Eagles, who claimed what was a 45-17 win over the Mocs last season at Tucker Stadium.

The Mocs come into the matchup beginning what will be their 29th season at Finley Stadium, which has seen the Mocs post a 17-11 mark all-time in such games. Both of these teams opened the 2026 football season with impressive wins, as the Golden Eagles were able to post a 38-14 win at home against Monmouth, while the Mocs were 24-10 victors on the road against West Georgia.

While the 10-point road win over West Georgia was big for the Mocs in their efforts to rise back to the top of the Southern Conference on the gridrion this fall, a win Saturday night over the Golden Eagles on Saturday night would go a long way in officially announcing themselves as a certified contender for the league title this fall.

Leading the Mocs under center is junior quarterback Battle Alberson, who looked good in the season-opening win, as he ended that contest by connecting on 9-of-17 passes for 180 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Kevin Lalin looked really good running the football, as he posted 128 yards and a TD on 30 attempts in the season opener, while Ashton Schumann proved to be a significant pickup as a deep threat in the passing game, finishing his debut in the Mocs Blue and Gold, hauling in four passes for 100 yards, which included a 72-yard scoring catch. Even more impressive than Alberson's performance and a UTC offense that had a solid 329 yards of total offense in the season-opening win was a defense that ended the night allowing just 219 yards of total offense against the Wolves, as well as just 10 points. The Mocs defense allowed a meager 38 yards on the ground over the course of the game.

Defensive back Kam Baah-Slay showed why he is one of the top defensive players in the SoCon, as he finished the game with eight tackles for the Mocs. Chattanooga also featured a much-improved defensive front, which help UTC post five tackles-for-loss, including three sacks in the game.

Ky Tayo and Myles Mayes are key members of that much improved defensive interior, and the duo combined for four tackles, two tackles-for-loss and two sacks in the impressive performance put on by a Chattanooga defense that ranked 100th nationally just last season. 

Tennessee Tech was equally impressive if not even more than the Mocs were when it opened the newly renovated Tucker Stadium Saturday evening, playing under a new conference affiliation for the first time since 1949. The Golden Eagles may have started a little slow but finished with a flurry in getting what was a 38-14 win over CAA perennial power and No. 22 ranked Monmouth.

Behind new starting quarterback Jax Leatherwood, the Golden Eagles looked even more potent offensively in its new league than it did in its final season in its old one, as the Golden Eagles posted 395 yards of total offense, which included 289 through the air and 106 on the ground, as the Golden Eagles claimed their 17th win in their last 18 outings against FCS competition dating back to the middle of the 2024 season.

Leatherwood, a graduate transfer from SEMO, finished his debut for Tennessee Tech by connecting on 24-of-35 passes for 289 yards, with four TDs and no INTs. Gabe Nunez, a transfer wide receiver from Southern Utah, ended up being Leatherwood's favorite target in the passing game, hauling in six passes for 118 yards and one TD.

It was a somewhat muted performance from redshirt senior transfer running back and preseason Walter Payton Award candidate MJ Flowers, but he still managed to lead the Golden Eagles by ground, as he finished the game with 58 yards and a rushing touchdown on 15 attempts.

Defensively, the Golden Eagles were a top 10 unit in the FCS last season, ranking ninth in the country and surrendering just 296.7 YPG in 2025. The Golden Eagles weren't quite that stingy in the season opener, but were pretty close, allowing just 304 yards and just 14 points to an offense that was among the best in the country last season.

The Golden Eagles had 17 players make at least two tackles, with no one recording more than six tackles in over the course of the four quarters of football, as Tennessee Tech showed both its depth and quality in the season-opening win. Linebacker Greg Turner III led the way with six tackles and half-a-tackle-for-loss, while Virginia Tech graduate transfer added two tackles and an INT in his debut. 

I expect this game to be close and low scoring, but I like the Golden Eagles to continue their strong start as the SoCon's newest member with a narrow win in the Scenic City. Should the Golden Eagles prove successful for a second-straight year in a series that has been dominated by UTC since its inception in 1938, it would mark the first time Tennessee Tech has won consecutive games in the series since winning three-straight in the series from 2002-04.

FINAL PREDICTION: TENN TECH 21, CHATTANOOGA 17

Presbyterian (1-0, 0-0 PFL) at No. 15 Mercer  (1-0, 0-0 SoCon)

Date: Sept. 5, 2026

Location: Macon, GA./Five Star Stadium

Time: 6 P.M. EST

How To Watch: ESPN+,

Presbyterian Head Coach: Matt Rahl (1-0 in 1st Year at PC)

Mercer Head Coach: Joel Taylor (13-10 in 3rd Yr/1-0 IN 1st Yr at MU)

Series: 18th meeting/Mercer leads 11-6

Players To Watch for Presbyterian: QB Landon Sharpe (Offense)/DE Bryce Stringer (Defense)

Players To Watch for Mercer: WR Brayden Smith (Offense)/DE Kobe McInnis (Defense)

Previewing The Matchup: If ever there was a wish for a rematch and revenge its for Mercer to have a rematch against a team that arguably handed the Bears their worst embarrassment on the gridiron since returning to the gridiron following a 72-year hiatus back in 2014.

Now winners of the past two SoCon titles, the Bears figured when they met on Aug. 30 of last season in the home and season opener after the first game was declared a "no contest" due to a long weather delay, it would be a night that would be more of a coronation rather than an actual competitive game. 

After all, the Bears had defeated the Blue Hose 63-10 to open the 2024 season. Plus, the Bears were going to be publicly recognized for their 2024 title, receiving their rings and unveiling a banner. So the team they had beaten by 53 points to start the '24 quest towards a first-ever SoCon crown seemed like the perfect opponent to fill the spot of "home opener" on the schedule.

However, Steve Englehart and the Blue Hose had other plans, handing the Bears a 15-10 setback and the loss was not only an embarrassment for Mercer, it was seismically altering loss for the Southern Conference--a loss which the league seemingly wouldn't recover from, as the Blue Hose went on to defeat fellow SoCon member Furman, 39-38, in overtime the following week, which all but resigned the league to one qualifier for the FCS postseason for a second-straight season.

Englehart is now at West Georgia along with many of the players that helped the non-scholarship Blue Hose to an unprecedented 10-win season since originally making the move to FCS in 2007 have moved on. 

Likewise, more than half of Mercer's roster which won a second-straight SoCon title in dominant fashion last season last fall, as well as head coach Mike Jacobs (now the head coach at Toledo) have also moved on. As a result of that domino effect, it would lead Joel Taylor back to Macon after two seasons as the head coach at West Georgia. Taylor, of course, served as Mercer's defensive coordinator (2020-23) under former head coach Drew Cronic, who is now the offensive coordinator at Navy. Taylor's replacement at UWG this season ended up being Englehart, bringing us full circle.

Matt Rahl is now the head coach at PC, and both he and Taylor won their debuts as head coaches in their new destination. The Blue Hose were a 47-37 winner over NCAA Division II UVA-Wise, while the Bears held off a furious rally from East Texas A&M to get a 23-15 win after jumping out to a 23-0 lead and owning a 23-7 advantage after three quarters.

The Bears did struggle a bit on the offensive side of the ball in the opener, but the defense's stellar effort made up for it, and fittingly it would be the Mercer defense that would keep the Lions out of the end zone late in the game to preserve the win.

Defensive back Cameron Goggins provided one of Mercer's touchdowns in the eight-point win, as his 38-yard return for a score gave the Bears their final score of the night, allowing Mercer to take a 23-0 lead to half. It would end up proving to be the game-winning score for the Bears, and along with that highlight, the grad transfer cornerback ended garnering SoCon Defensive Player of Week honors.

On offense, the Bears were led by a familiar face to SoCon football fans, as Jaylen King won the starting quarterback job in the preseason and its also a full circle moment for him as well. Taylor was Mercer's defensive coordinator when King quarterbacked Gardner-Webb in a playoff game back in 2023, which saw the Bears claim a 17-7 win--the first playoff win in school history. He also struggled against Mercer in 2024 throwing a pair of INTs, including one returned for a score, as the Bears held off No. 23 ETSU for a 37-31 win to take a step closer to a first league title.

In a case of "if you can't beat them join them" King spent one season at Florida State after one season at ETSU and eventually made his way to Macon during the off-season to play for the two-time defending SoCon champions. His performance was modest in the season opener, as he completed 17-of-30 passes for 189 yards with one TD and no INTs, while also adding 34 rushing yards.

The Bears got a solid debut from Pittsburg State transfer running back Zahmari Palode-Gary, who finished with 87 yards on eight carries, including a 62-yarder to set up the Bears' first TD of the season late in the first quarter of last week's season-opening win. 

The leading pass-catcher is Brayden Smith, which is one of the veterans that has been part of the past two championship teams and is one of four returning starters for Mercer. The preseason SoCon Offensive Player of the Year had a brilliant start to his final season in the Orange and White, hauling in a career-best nine passes for 131 yards. All told, Mercer has 73 newcomers and had to replace 46 lettermen lost. 

Like Mercer, Presbyterian also turned over almost entire roster, and the fact that the Blue Hose struggled in its season opener against a lower division foe raised more than a few eyebrows. 

Leading the way offensively for the Blue Hose is quarterback Landon Sharpe, who put together the best performance by a PC starter in a season-opener in school history in the 10-point win over the Cavaliers last Thursday night, as he connected on 30-of-43 passes for 367 yards and three touchdowns, while adding 94 rushing yards and another score on the ground to finish the game with 461 yards of total offense and four touchdown responsibilities.

This game won't and shouldn't be close, as the Bears will make it 22 wins in their last 26 games at Five Star Stadium and will head into their SoCon opener looking to make it 23 in 27 at home against Furman next Saturday.

FINAL PREDICTION: MERCER 45, PRESBYTERIAN 3

VMI (0-1, 0-0 SoCon) at Virginia Tech (0-0, 0-0 ACC)

Date: Sept. 5, 2026

Location: Blacksburg, VA/Lane Stadium

Time: 7:30 P.M. EST

How To Watch: ACC Network

VMI Head Coach: Ashley Ingram (16-7 in 3rd Yr overall/0-1 in 1st Yr at VMI)

Virginia Tech Head Coach: James Franklin (128-60 in 16th Yr/1st Yr at Virginia Tech)

Series: 80th meeting/Virginia Tech leads 49-25-5

Players To Watch for VMI: QB Chandler Wilson (Offense)/LB Isaiah Grevious

Players To Watch for Virginia Tech: WR Ayden Greene (Offense)/DL Kemari Copeland (Defense)

Previewing The Matchup: The campuses of VMI and Virginia Tech are separated by about 83 miles down I-81, and despite meeting for the 80th time in the gridiron, and it's mildly hard to believe the two haven't met since 1984.

As far as the history of the series is concerned, the photo above is from one of the biggest wins in the rich history of VMI football, which came in the 1974 Tobacco Bowl, as the Keydets scored 22 points against Virginia Tech for a second-straight season, winning a 22-17 contest at City Stadium in Richmond. The Hokies had been looking to avenge what was a 22-21 setback in '73. 

In the '74 clash, Tech rallied from a 20-3 deficit to make it a 20-17 game in the fourth quarter, however, the VMI defense, which was led AP National Defensive Player of the Week John Willison, would close out the game in emphatic fashion following a punt by Keydets punter Ron Bongiovanni, which pinned the Hokies inside their own two and it would eventually lead to a safety by VMI defensive end Terry White inside the final two minutes to seal the win. 

An interesting note from that game is that the Hokies starting quarterback is former legendary NFL coach and Super Bowl Champion Bruce Arians, who was knocked out the game with an injury in the first half.

Adding a little more intrigue for the upcoming matchup, which will likely feature much less drama than those in the 1970s is the fact that Danny Rocco, VMI's coach from 2023-25--is a senior defensive analyst for the Virginia Tech offense. 

In a matchup of first-year head coaches, there are high expectations for James Franklin at Virginia Tech and more muted ones for Ashley Ingram in year one at VMI. A lot has changed in college football, and it started changing even three decades before that in VMI's ability to compete in these types of games. Even more so than other programs in the league.

A sellout crowd is expected to fill the Lane Stadium stands for the 7:30 p.m. contest. This game won't be close unfortunately.

FINAL PREDICTION: VIRGINIA TECH 66,  VMI 7