WISE - - Dane Damron will become the fourth man to coach a football game at UVa-Wise when his Cavaliers battle the Tusculum College Pioneers Thursday. Damron was hired last winter to turn around a program that has posted five wins over the last three years. The former Eastern Kentucky University assistant intends to play up-tempo and has employed a staff of 10 assistant coaches to improve the Cavs.
Like UVa-Wise, Tusculum is under the direction of a first-year coach. Former Florida Gator Jerry Odom is the 17th head coach in Tusculum history and inherits a team that posted a 4-7 mark in 2015.
Thursday's contest will feature two of the best defensive players in the country. UVa-Wise linebacker
Zachary Blair was an Honorable Mention All-American after leading the nation in tackles for loss with 28.5 in 2015 while Tusculum cornerback Cameron Thomas earned All-America accolades after picking off five passes and breaking up 15 more a year ago. In last season's meeting, both players stood out. Blair posted eight tackles, while recovering a fumble and blocking a kick. Thomas had three pass break-ups and an interception in the contest.
In addition to Blair and Thomas, both clubs have key returners on the defensive side of the ball. Honorable Mention All-MEC performer
Ben Funny is back at nose tackle for the Cavs as is Honorable Mention All-MEC honoree
Andre Hamilton in the secondary. The Pioneers bring back Preseason All-SAC selections Brandyn Bartlett and L'Keith Brown at linebacker.
On offense, Tusculum returns Preseason All-SAC selection Issac Robinson. The junior running back gained 855 yards as a sophomore, including a school-record 250 yards against Brevard a year ago. The Pioneers also return their quarterback Luke Lancaster who tossed for 477 yards and four touchdowns in last year's game in Wise. On the offensive line, Richmond native
Truvell Wilson will make his first start in his first collegiate game at left tackle while sophomore
Connor Patton is slated to start at right tackle. At left guard sophomore
Will White will be making his 11th consecutive start on the offensive line dating back to last season. At wide receiver, UVa-Wise will have to replace all-region receiver
Terrence Younger who was lost to graduation. To replace Younger, UVa-Wise will look to juniors
Cedrick Watkins and
Jacob Cousins who both have been impressive in preseason practices. Behind center, the Cavs will start either senior
Jeremy Eubank or EKU transfer
Brycen Lee. Eubank passed for 1,170 yards and six scores in eight games in 2015. Lee sat out last year at EKU after completing 67 percent of his passes as a high school senior en route to all-state honors.
Both teams should be strong in the kicking game, Tusculum placed long snapper Ian O'Grady and place kicker Will Tommie on the Preseason All-SAC squad while UVa-Wise has a pair of NCAA Division I transfers handling its kicking duties. Marshall University transfer
Trent Martin is the team's place kicker while Middle Tennessee State transfer
Trevor Owens will handle the team's punting responsibilities.
