League hopes to build off solid start
Close calls. Near misses. Big wins.
The Southern Conference got off to a solid start in the first weekend of football season, earning five wins that included victories over Ohio Valley and Big South conference opponents, which could bode well come playoff time.
East Tennessee State, in its second season of football after an 11-year absence, may have had the biggest win of the weekend, defeating Kennesaw State 20-17 in double overtime in Kennesaw, Ga. The Owls were picked third in the Big South preseason poll, while the Buccaneers were the consensus choice to finish last in the SoCon.
ETSU quarterback Austin Herink from Cleveland High School threw for 214 yards and made some clutch plays. None were bigger than his 20-yard completion to Hank Black on third-and-17 in the second extra period, setting up J.J. Jerman’s 24-yard winning field goal.
“Win or lose, I would have felt great about the effort we played with tonight,” ETSU coach Carl Torbush said afterward. “We were so much better. We have more size, maturity and are a more physical football team this year.
“We are both entering our second year as programs, and both have improved as football teams. Kennesaw State is going to win some ballgames this year, and it was a great environment.”
Wofford defeated OVC member Tennessee Tech 21-7 in Cookeville. Will Gay, Lorenzo Long and new quarterback Brad Butler combined for 290 of the Terriers’ 346 yards on the ground, and the defense limited the Golden Eagles to 41 yards rushing and sacked quarterback Michael Birdsong five times.
“I am proud of the way that our defense responded and proud of our offense taking care of the ball,” Wofford coach Mike Ayers said postgame. “We had a great camp and had our guys ready for the game.”
The Citadel, the 16th-ranked team in the FCS, needed a late field goal by Cody Clark to defeat SoCon rival Mercer 24-23 in Macon, Ga., while the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (66-0 over Shorter) and Samford (77-7 over Mars Hill) posted lopsided victories against NCAA Division II teams.
While ending up on the losing end, Furman and Virginia Military Institute had solid performances. Furman’s Paladins trailed FBS 12th-ranked Michigan State 21-13 in the fourth quarter with the ball, but quarterback P.J. Blazejowski threw an interception and the Spartans, who were in the College Football Playoff final four last season, scored to put the game away. VMI trailed Akron only 26-24 after three quarters but lost quarterback Al Cobb in the fourth quarter and the Zips were able to score 21 unanswered points for a 23-point victory.
Wofford’s Roach better
Wofford linebacker Michael Roach, who collapsed during Thursday’s win at Tennessee Tech, returned to the Spartanburg, S.C., campus over the weekend.
He has been diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and had a procedure Friday for an implantable cardioverter defibrillator.
“This was an undiagnosed heart condition that I have had most likely since I was born, as it is caused by a genetic mutation,” Roach said. “It causes the heart walls to thicken, and during exercise it can result in a loss of blood flow and the rhythm to get off beat.”
Roach was on the field during a 13-play drive by the Golden Eagles and said his heart was “beating very fast, but not pumping blood.” He went into cardiac arrest and had no pulse and wasn’t breathing for 45 seconds.
He was transported to Cookeville Regional Medical Center, where he was alert and responsive. He stayed there Thursday and Friday nights and was released Saturday morning.
Players of the week
The Citadel’s Tyler Renew and Wofford’s Jaleel Green were the SoCon offensive and defensive players of the week, respectively.
Renew had 27 carries for 146 yards and a touchdown in the Bulldogs’ 24-23 win over Mercer. His 70-yard TD run came on the game’s second play. He also caught a pass for 15 yards.
Green had a fourth-quarter interception that helped the Terriers preserve their win in Cookeville. He had five tackles, three solo.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @gene henleytfp.