Getty Tyler Riddell looks to lead East Tennessee State to a 6-0 mark on Saturday.
East Tennessee State (5-0), ranked No. 12 in the FCS, looks to keep things rolling at home against The Citadel (2-2) on Saturday.
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The game (4:30 p.m. ET start time) will be televised on Nexstar, but if you don’t have that, anyone in the US can watch The Citadel vs East Tennessee State live on ESPN+:
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The Citadel vs East Tennessee State Preview
East Tennessee has a historic season going, but the Buccaneers will face a Citadel team coming off a big rivalry win.
The Citadel beat VMI 35-24 to win the Military Classic of the South on Oct. 2. Quarterback Jaylan Adams and running back Logan Billings both post 100-yard rushing days against VMI. Adams ran for 188 yards and a touchdown plus throwing for 114 yards and a score for the Bulldogs. Billings added 112 yards rushing and two touchdowns.
The Buccaneers likewise come into Saturday’s game following a big win — downing Wofford for the first time in 23 years according to the Times News’ Joe Avento. ETSU can go 6-0 for the first time since 1969 with a win, Avento noted. Success has evaded the Bucs program for years with an all-time winning percentage of .453, two FCS/Division I-AA playoff appearances since 1978.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Bucs running back Quay Holmes said per Avento. “We have a target on our back. We know that teams playing against us can see that we’re ranked. Everybody wants to be that spoiler team. That’s actually fun, too.”
Holmes has a strong season going with 617 yards and seven touchdowns. He averages 5.9 yards per carry.
ESTU also has running back Jacob Saylors making plays. He leads the team in rushing with 307 yards and five touchdowns on a 5.8-yard per carry average.
Bucs quarterback Tyler Riddell has a solid season going with 1,035 yards passing, eight touchdowns and two interceptions. He completes 63.6% of his passes.
Wide receiver Will Huzzie leads the Bucs in receiving with 28 catches for 390 yards. Malik Murray has been another go-to receiver for Riddell with 16 receptions for 187 yards and two touchdowns. Isaiah Wilson likewise has two touchdowns, and he has 184 yards on eight catches.
ETSU has a solid run defense, allowing 94.4 yards per game, but the pass defense gives up 253.8 yards per contest. Linebacker Jalen Porter has tormented opposing offenses with six sacks, an interception, a pass deflection, and an interception.
The Bucs will need to contain Adams, who averages 103 yards on the ground and has three touchdowns this season. Adams has a 55.9% completion rate with 414 yards passing and two touchdowns and a pick this season.
Citadel uses a stable of running backs with Nathan Storch, Emeka Nwanze, and Billings all rushing for more than 100 yards this season. Leading receiver Raleigh Webb can run the ball, averaging 16 yards per carry with two touchdowns. He has 10 receptions for 248 yards and two scores, too.
The Bulldogs defense allows 429.8 yards of total offense per game, but they have some players who can cause significant disruption. Defensive back Destin Mack has two interceptions this season, but the Bucs won’t be able to ignore linebacker Andy Davis, who tallied three picks last year. Linebacker Marquise Blount is a solid pass rusher with 3.5 sacks, 23 tackles, a fumble recovery and three quarterback hurries this season.