Badgers plan to be Tech savvy by season's second week

By foxsports
Published

This is the second in a 12-week Friday series looking at the Wisconsin football team's 2013 opponents. 

Wisconsin fans waiting for the day when FCS teams disappear from the Badgers' schedule for good likely won't be pleased with this Sept. 7 matchup against Tennessee Tech. The Golden Eagles will earn a fat check for coming to Camp Randall Stadium in exchange for a presumed drubbing.

Right now, it's simply the way of the college football world. But Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez has assured everyone the Big Ten will stop the FCS madness, possibly as soon as 2016.

Tennessee Tech will likely earn somewhere between $450,000-$500,000 based on past games. Last year, Oregon paid Tennessee Tech $500,000 to play in Autzen Stadium. Wisconsin, meanwhile, paid FCS opponent Northern Iowa $450,000 for a home game — one of the rare instances in which the Badgers nearly lost to a lower-tier team.

This game shouldn't include the same type of nail biting from Badgers fans. Tennessee Tech finished just 3-8 last season and ranked 111th out of 121 FCS teams in total defense (466.0 yards allowed per game). The Golden Eagles also are 0-29 against FBS teams.

Personnel: Junior quarterback Darian Stone is Tennessee Tech's best offensive threat. Last season, he played in nine games and completed 70 of 143 passes (49.0 percent) for 786 yards with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also was the team's leading rusher, carrying 89 times for 553 yards with a touchdown.

Stone's completion rate isn't particularly good, but he did throw for a touchdown last season in a road game against Oregon, for what it's worth. During Tennessee Tech's spring game in April, he completed 9 of 13 passes for 181 yards and two touchdowns.

The Golden Eagles also have senior running backs Bud Golden (327 yards, two touchdowns last season) and Doug Page (173 yards, eight touchdowns) returning in 2013. Golden, who transferred from Illinois, rushed for 70 yards and a score during the team's spring game.

Tennessee Tech loses its top wide receiver threat from a year ago, Da'Rick Rogers (893 yards, 10 touchdowns), who recently signed a free-agent contract with the Buffalo Bills. But the Golden Eagles return their next three top receivers, led by Cody Matthews (477 yards receiving, four touchdowns).

Defensively, Tennessee Tech's top two tacklers are back: Tra'Darius Goff (101 tackles) and Austin Tallant (94 tackles).

Fun fact No. 1: Tennessee Tech plays in Tucker Stadium, which has a seating capacity of 16,500. That number is roughly one-fifth the size of the seating capacity at Camp Randall Stadium (80,321).

Fun fact No. 2: The Golden Eagles have played at least one top-level FBS opponent every season since 2008. The average score over the course of those eight games is 48-7. Here is the full list:

2012: Oregon 63, TTU 14
2011: Iowa 34, TTU 7
2010: Arkansas 44, TTU 3; TCU 62, TTU 7
2009: Kansas State 49, TTU 7; Georgia 38, TTU 0
2008: Louisville 51, TTU 10; Western Michigan 41, TTU 7

Up-tempo attitude: If nothing else, Tennessee Tech just might be one of the most entertaining teams in the FCS because of an up-tempo spread offense that keeps opponents on their toes.

It began during a November 2010 game against Jacksonville State when Tennessee Tech came back from a 24-7 fourth-quarter deficit and scored 28 unanswered points in the season finale for a stunning victory. Golden Eagles coach Watson Brown switched to a no-huddle spread during the comeback, and the system has remained in place ever since.

Last season, the Golden Eagles ranked 115th out of 121 FCS teams in scoring defense (39.4 points per game). They also ranked 29th in scoring offense (31.6 points). Tennessee Tech has dubbed its offense as "The Fastest 60 Minutes in Football," but it's easy to envision the Golden Eagles grinding to a halt against a defense as talented as Wisconsin's.

Prediction: Wisconsin 49, Tennessee Tech 7

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