September 3, 2011; Iowa City, IA, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes receiver Keenan Davis (6) catches a pass over Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles defender Richmond Tooley (21) in the second quarter at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-US PRESSWIRE
Here’s a quick look at the numbers from last season’s OVC champions, taking a look at their play so far this season, and how one-sided this matchup could be.
Golden Eagles’ 2011 season…
- Finished with 7-4 overall record (6-2 in Ohio Valley Conference).
- Won conference tiebreaker over Jacksonville State .
- FBS opponents: vs Iowa (34-7 loss).
- Best win: at Jacksonville State (21-14 win).
- Outside of Iowa game, won all four road games.
- Led conference in rushing defense and total defense.
So far this season…
- 41-31 win over Hampton and 42-14 win over North Greenville (neither team has won a game yet this season).
- Have held opponents to 256 net yards rushing combined and three touchdowns.
- Also have held opponents to just 250 yards in the passing game, best in the conference.
- Opponents have more tackles on Tennessee Tech (197-183).
Oregon is…
- 12-2 in September under Chip Kelly
- Both losses were against opponents ranked in top 20 (Boise State, LSU)
- Last FCS opponent: last season against Missouri State (56-7 win)
For the bettors…
- There is no official line for FBS vs FCS games.
In summary…
Despite Tennessee Tech’s success in the Ohio Valley Conference, this one will still get out of hand early UNLESS the Golden Eagles force mistake. One edge they have is a strong rushing offense, and letting their defense hold the scoring down helps.
Who are some players to watch on both sides of the ball? Who was important that was lost from last season to now? Check back to Autzen Zoo for continuous coverage.
Brian Spaen is the lead editor for Autzen Zoo. See his banter with other FanSided writers and love for his favorite west coast professional teams by following him on Twitter.
Read his other work on the Iowa State blog, Clones Confidential, and Lacrosse the Web.