GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum Pioneers are back at home this Saturday as the Black & Orange host long-time foe Emory & Henry at the Niswonger Sports Complex and Pioneer Field for a South Atlantic Conference battle. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. and it will be Greene County Partnership Day.
Tusculum (1-2, 0-2 SAC) is coming off a disappointing 30-0 loss at undefeated Anderson last week. The Pioneers were held to 88 total offensive yards and eight first downs as TU was shut out for the first time since 2016.
Emory & Henry (2-1, 1-1 SAC) nearly pulled off a rally for the ages last Saturday night in Hickory. The Wasps trailed 21st-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne 28-3 at halftime, but scored 25 straight points including 18 in the fourth quarter to knot the score at 28-28. But the Bears milked the final 5:35 off the clock and capped it with a game-winning 32-yard field goal as LR prevailed 31-28.
The last two meetings between the Pioneers and Wasps have come down to the final possession, with Emory & Henry winning a 27-24 overtime thriller in 2023 and followed with last year's 23-21 victory in Greeneville.
Tusculum will be in quest of its first SAC win of the season, while also looking for its first home win of the 2025 campaign.
SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
The Tusculum Pioneers enter this week's action with a 1-2 overall record including winless in South Atlantic Conference.
Tusculum boasts the No. 2 rushing offensive in the league averaging 257.0 yards per game which is also listed 11th-best in NCAA Division II.
Sophomore running back Lex Dinwiddie is Tusculum's top rusher where he has totaled 253 yards, which are the fourth-most in the conference and 16th-best in the nation. He is averaging 8.43 yards per carry, which is the top average in the SAC and third highest in the country. He rushed for a career-high 145 yards in this year's season-opening win at Bluefield State.
Junior running back John Celestin is second on the squad with his 168 yards (8th in SAC) on 28 carries and a touchdown. Celestin ran for a career-best 128 yards and a score at Bluefield State.
Junior Otasowie Dion is fourth on the roster in rushing with 84 yards on his 14 carries, which includes a TD rush. He has also been credited with one reception for 14 yards.
Redshirt freshman Jerome Newland has rushed for 74 yards on 15 carries including a touchdown. He also hauled in a 55-yard reception at Bluefield State.
ETSU transfer Javon Richardson has the team-lead with four catches for 66 yards including his acrobatic 38-yard catch two week ago against Lenoir-Rhyne.
Senior wideout Ashton Hagans had a pair of catches for 17 yards at Bluefield State, including an 11-yard touchdown reception against the Big Blues.
Senior Richard Hunter earned his first start at quarterback last week at Anderson. He has rushed for 29 yards on 14 carries (2.1 ypc) and has passed for 52 yards. Hunter took over for junior transfer Buddy Taylor, who started against Bluefield State and Lenoir-Rhyne. Taylor was injured in the third quarter of the LR game and dress at Anderson. His status is day-to-day.
Sophomore quarterback Lavante Adams made his collegiate debut last week at Anderson where he saw action in the fourth quarter.
The offensive line is anchored by SAC Player to Watch Gabe McLamb. The 6-3, 295-pound sophomore has made 12 career appearances in the offensive trenches including three this season.
Junior Nehemiah Storey is the starting center as the 6-1, 285-pound native has played in 14 career outings as well as three appearances this year.
Junior tackle Chris Sweeney is slated to make his fourth start of the season while seeing action in his 16th career games. while sophomore Ramirez Young made his first collegiate start at Anderson last week.
Redshirt freshman Matt Nunley will get his fourth straight start at right tackle this week for the Pioneers
Junior guard Jeff Linton has missed the last two games after getting injured in the first half of the season-opener at Bluefield State. His progress continues and may return to the line-up this week. He has played in seven games in his collegiate career.
In 2025, Tusculum's defensive depth chart has included a healthy blend of returners from last year to go along with an infusion of 10 transfers including six Division I players.
Junior linebacker Rashad Watson leads the Pioneers once again in tackles where he has 24 stops to go along with 3.5 for loss (-16 yds) and two sacks (13 yds). He has also been credited with two quarterback hurries and a break-up. During his 22-game career, Watson has totaled 97 tackles including 9.0 for loss and three sacks. Has five career passes defended including an interception which came in 2024.
Senior transfer defensive back Tre Mobley is second on the club in tackles with his 22 stops which include a hit behind the line of scrimmage. He is the team-leader with four pass break-ups (3rd in SAC) to go along with a QB hurry. The 6-1, 200-pound Ocala, Florida native played the last two seasons at Webber International where he recorded 98 career tackles with a dozen hits for loss, one sack, nine passes defended, one interception, forced two fumbles, recovered a pair of fumbles and blocked a kick.
Senior free safety Jahaad Scales is tied for third on the team with his dozen tackles including a game-high 11 hits last week at Anderson. He also posted a pass break-up against the Trojans. The 6-0, 195-pound native of Winston-Salem, N.C. played the previous two seasons at Wofford College and started his playing career at Old Dominion University.
Sophomore DJ Dailey also has 12 tackles to his credit this year. He tied a TU single-game record with his two interceptions in the season-opener at Bluefield State. His two picks are tied for the most in the SAC with Emory & Henry's Shawn Collins, which are also the 16th-most in NCAA II.
Dailey, a transfer from Missouri Valley, recorded 19 tackles last year to go along with his two interceptions and two pass break-ups.
Junior Dylan Horne is fifth on the TU roster with 11 tackles and is tied with Watson for the team-lead with 3.5 tackles for loss. Horne has also posted two QB hurries in 2025.
Xavier Gunn has totaled 10 tackles including eight solo hits in his three starts this season. Gunn has two passes defended to his credit including his first career interception, which he returned for a 34-yard touchdown in the SAC-opener vs Lenoir-Rhyne.
Greeneville native Quinton Brandon is Tusculum's starting punter. The 6-0, 175-pound sophomore signed with ETSU out of Greeneville High School where he did double-duty at punter and kicker for the Greene Devils. He was the 2023 Region Specialist of the Year as he averaged 40 yards per punt while going 4-of-6 in field goals with a long of 48 yards. He also went 52-of-59 on his extra points and recorded 49 touchbacks on kickoffs. In 2025, Brandon is averaging 36.5 yards per punt (5th in SAC) including a season-long 61-yarder against Lenoir-Rhyne two weeks ago. He has pinned the opposition inside the 20 on two occasions and has forced four fair catches. Tusculum's punt return defense is currently the sixth-best in the country where the opposition is averaging minus 0.25 yards per return (2nd in SAC).
Redshirt freshman Max Turan is the place kicker for the Pioneers as he has gone a perfect 8-of-8 on his extra points. The Science Hill High School product went 4-of-6 in field goals in his senior season with the Hilltoppers. He also went 37-of-39 on extra points during that 2023 season.
Senior Caleb Swinehart handles the long-snapping duties for Tusculum for a second straight season. He has recorded 18 career outings on TU's special teams' unit.
SCOUTING EMORY & HENRY
The Emory & Henry Wasps provide the opposition for this week's South Atlantic Conference battle at in Greeneville.
Head coach Quintin Hunter enters his second season at the helm of the Wasps program. He had an outstanding debut season in 2024 where he led E&H to a 9-2 record and a runner-up finish in the SAC Mountain Division.
Emory & Henry opened the season with back-to-back wins. The Wasps posted a 45-17 road victory at Glenville State before opening at home with a 35-7 dismantling of Catawba. Last week, E&H fell behind 28-3 at halftime to 21st-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne in Hickory. But the Wasps battled back with 25 unanswered points including 18 in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 28-28.
LR would break their hearts with a 15-play drive which took the final 5:35 of the game. With three seconds left, LR called a timeout and attempted a 37-yard field which was no good. But E&H was whistled for being offsides on the try setting another chance for the home team. Lenoir-Rhyne capitalized on the opportunity and connected on the game-winning 32-yard field goal.
Emory & Henry is averaging 36.0 points per game (3rd in SAC / 31st in NCAA II) while the defense is allowing just 18.3 points per contest (4th in SAC / 30th in NCAA II).
Leading the Wasps offense is senior quarterback Charles Mutter III. Mutter is responsible for seven touchdowns (5 rush, 2 pass) in his two outings. He has rushed for 145 yards on 20 carries with a SAC-best five TD runs. He has also passed for 281 yards and two scores. He did not play in last week's Lenoir-Rhyne game.
During his 27-game career at E&H, Mutter has thrown for 3,228 yards and 35 touchdowns. He also rushed for 694 yards on 179 career carries including 12 rushing scores. He passed for 256 yards and a TD in last year's meeting with Tusculum where he was sacked three times.
Abingdon, Virginia junior Cole Lambert got the start under center last week for the Wasps at Lenoir-Rhyne where he went 14-of-30 for 225 yards and a touchdown. In 2024, he threw for 1,190 yards with nine touchdowns.
Senior running back Jordan Jackson leads the team in rushing with his 315 yards (2nd in SAC / 10th in NCAA II) on 59 carries and four touchdowns (2nd in SAC / 7th in NCAA II). He opened the season with 226 rushing yards on 26 attempts in the win at Glenville State. Included in that performance was a 67-yard touchdown run. He ran for 62 yards and two touchdowns last week at Lenoir-Rhyne and posted another TD the week before against Catawba.
Jackson rushed for 1,036 yards and six touchdowns in 2024 for Emory & Henry. He eclipsed the century rushing yardage mark five times last year including his 111-yard performance at Tusculum.
E&H's top receiving target is senior Cam Peoples. The two-time All-SAC Mountain Division honoree at both receiver and return specialist, leads the charge with his eight receptions for 150 yards. He is one of the most dangerous return specialists in the country. He is averaging 28.0 yards (2nd in NCAA II) on his four punt returns including his 83-yard return against Catawba.
During his stellar 36-game career at Emory & Henry, he has posted 119 receptions for 1,573 yards and 12 touchdowns. He has totaled a whopping 3,576 career all-purpose yards which also includes 494 punt return yards and 1,407 kickoff return yards.
Senior defensive back Tyreon Porter leads the team in tackles with his 21 stops to go along with his two pass break-ups.
Senior linebacker A.J. Burgess is second on the roster with his 20 tackles including 1.5 for loss and a fumble recovery. Senior linebacker is third with 17 tackles, while trio of Joshua Gooding, Jarrell Harrison and Trey McBride have all posted 14 tackles apiece.
Junior defensive lineman Ean Rhea leads the team with his 6.0 tackles for loss (-30 yds) which includes 2.5 sacks (15 yds). Rhea has 13 total tackles.
Senior defensive back Shawn Collins has posted two interceptions this year while also tallying two pass break-ups and forced a fumble.
Emory & Henry leads the SAC in fourth-down defense (20% - 18th in NCAA II) and interceptions (4 - 17th in NCAA II). The defense has forced a SAC-best six turnovers while E&H's +4 turnover margin is second in the league and 25th in NCAA II.
Senior kicker Trace Butcher is having a perfect season for the Wasps. He is a perfect 3-for-3 on his field goals and 13-of-13 on PATs for his 22 points. The two-time SAC All-Mountain Team honoree has scored 234 points in his collegiate career. He has going 40-of-55 in field goals and 114-of-121 in his extra points. His 42-yard field with 5:27 left in the fourth quarter in last year's match-up at Tusculum proved to be the game-winner.
Sophomore punter Brennan Hanley is averaging 38.7 yards per punt this year (4th in SAC) which includes a season-best 65-yarder and has pinned the opposition three times inside the 20 with five fair catches.
THE SERIES
Tusculum and Emory & Henry continue a football rivalry which dates back to 1915.
This week will be the 20th meeting between the two schools in a series where the Wasps own a 15-4 lead including wins in 10 of the last 11 meetings.
TU and the Wasps were once members of the Smoky Mountain Athletic Conference.
The series began on Oct. 25, 1915 as the Pioneers posted a 28-0 win over the Wasps in Greeneville. TU would win two of the first three meetings, before Emory & Henry ran off five straight wins from 1920-25. Tusculum snapped that run in 1926 with a 14-3 win.
The teams met again in 1927, and would not face off again until 1940 and 1941 before halting the series due to World War II.
The teams met again four more times from 1946-1950 before the series would take a 72-year hiatus before meeting in 2022 in Greeneville as Tusculum posted a 35-9 homecoming win over the Wasps in the first contest as South Atlantic Conference members.
The last two meetings have come down to the wire. In 2023, Emory & Henry took advantage of seven Tusculum turnovers and edged the Pioneers 27-24 in overtime as the Wasps ran its record to a perfect 11-0 at home vs TU. in 2024, E&H blocked a field goal on the final play of the game to preserve a 23-21 win in Greeneville.
WHAT'S GOING ON OUTSIDE THE GAME
This Saturday is Greene County Partnership Day at Pioneer Field.
The Pioneer Club Tailgate is located under the big tent at the corner of Shiloh Road and Pioneer Way on the outdoor basketball courts. Pioneer Club Tailgate starts at 12 p.m. and for more information, please contact Rasmus Nylander, Director of Athletic Development & Revenue Generation at (423) 636-7331 or email: pioneerclub@tusculum.edu. The official meal provider for all Pioneer Club Football Tailgates is Texas Roadhouse of Greeneville.
The "Pioneer Walk" will start in front of the Niswonger Student Commons and proceed down Pioneer Way, crossing Shiloh Road and will turn right at the service road between Pioneer Field and the Nichols Tennis Complex. The Pioneer Walk will begin at 12 p.m.
At halftime, we will have the Jersey Mike's Field Goal Challenge. One lucky fan will have a chance to win some prizes, courtesy of Jersey Mike's of Greeneville.
TICKETS
Fans may purchase tickets on-line through HomeTown Ticketing on the Tusculum Athletic web site at: www.TusculumPioneers.com/Tickets.
All ticket purchases (on-line and in-person) are CREDIT CARD ONLY. Cash WILL NOT be accepted at the gate. Gates open this Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET.
Admission for Tusculum home football games is $15 for all entrants. Admission is $10 for adults 65 and older and for children ages 6-12. Children 5 and under will be admitted free. Tusculum students will be admitted free and valid Tusculum ID is required.
Spectators using HomeTown Ticketing can choose to print tickets at home or use mobile entry tickets at the gate.
PARKING
Parking for Tusculum football games is FREE and on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Tusculum students and fans are asked to utilize the main stadium parking lot behind Pioneer Field and Pioneer Park as well as other available parking lots on campus.
VISITING FANS are asked to utilize the South parking lot by the Indoor Practice Facility. Visiting fans will have easier access to the South Entrance and the visiting grandstand area.
Fans are asked to utilize the clearly marked spots in the parking lot. Parking is not permitted at curbside or in grass areas.
FOLLOW THE GAME
If you can't make it to Saturday's game, fans can watch the action on-line at www.TusculumPioneers.com on the Pioneer Sports Network and FloSports.com, the official video stream provider of the South Atlantic Conference.
The "Voice of the Pioneers" Brian Stayton along former Tusculum quarterback Matthew Palazzo '25 will describe all the action with the radio pre-game show beginning at 1 p.m.
The radio call of the game will be available locally on WSMG Radio on 95.5 FM and 1450 AM, as well as online at https://jewel955.com/listenlive.
