Monday, January 28, 2008

                                                             

2008 TUSCULUM FOOTBALL SCHEDULE RELEASED

 

Head Coach Frankie DeBusk                GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum College has released its 2008 football schedule announced Pioneer head coach and director of athletics Frankie DeBusk.  Tusculum will play a 10-game regular-season schedule, including six home contests.

 

                Tusculum will open the season Aug. 30 when the Pioneers host the University of Charleston (W.Va.) in the first of three consecutive home games.  It will be the second meeting between the Pioneers and Golden Eagles.  Charleston won last year’s inaugural meeting, 27-23 en route to posting an 8-3 record.

 

                Following an open date, the Pioneers return to action on Sep. 13 when they host Southeast Region opponent Elizabeth City State University in the first meeting between Tusculum and the Vikings.  ECSU went 5-5 last season, including 5-2 in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

 

                Another new face on the Tusculum schedule is Urbana University of Ohio, who the Pioneers will host on Sep. 20.  The Blue Knights posted a 6-5 record in its final season as a NAIA member.  Urbana will be competing as a NCAA Division II opponent in 2008

 

                Tusculum will open South Atlantic Conference play on Sep. 27 when the Pioneers travel to Wingate University (7-4, 2-4 SAC).  TC defeated the Bulldogs 31-28 in this past season’s league lid-lifter.  It will be the 13th meeting in the series that began in 1996, which Wingate holds a 7-5 advantage.

 

                On Oct. 4, the Pioneers will travel to Lenoir-Rhyne College in the 12th encounter between TC and the Bears (2-9, 0-6 SAC).  Tusculum has won the last two meetings, including a 31-15 victory in 2007.  The Pioneers lead the all-time series 8-3, in a series that began in 1924.

 

                The Pioneers return home on Oct. 11 when they host Brevard College, the newest member of the SAC.  Tusculum has won the last two meetings with the Tornado (2-9 in 2007), including a 30-7 victory over BC this past October.  Tusculum leads the series 4-1.

 

                Tusculum ventures to SAC co-champion Catawba College on Oct. 18.  The Pioneers handed the Catawba Indians (11-2, 5-1 SAC in 2007) their only league blemish of 2007 when TC posted a 31-28 home win.  When the two teams meet again in 2008, it will be the 13th meeting in a series that started in 1996.

 

                The Pioneers are back at home on Oct. 25 when Tusculum hosts Newberry College (9-2, 4-2 SAC) for homecoming.  It will be the 11th meeting in a series that began in 1998.  Tusculum leads the series 6-4, but has lost the last three times against the Indians, including a last second 17-14 set back at Newberry.  It will also be the second time Newberry has been a homecoming opponent for the Pioneers (2003 – TC 39, Newberry 9).

 

                The Pioneers will be at Mars Hill College on Nov. 1 in Tusculum’s first visit to the newly renovated Meares Stadium.  It will be the 25th contest between the cross-mountain rivals.  Tusculum leads the series 14-8-2 and has won the last five meetings, including a 15-12 decision in 2007.

                                           

                The regular season slate concludes on Nov. 8 as the Pioneers host in-state foe Carson-Newman College.  The Eagles, who won a share of the SAC title, posted a 10-1 record in 2007, including a victory over Tusculum.  C-N leads the series 27-9-2 with the Pioneers that is the second oldest gridiron rivalry in the State of Tennessee.

 

                The 2008 schedule will mark only the second time in school history that Tusculum has played six home games in a season.  The last time the Pioneers hosted six home games was in 2001.  TC won all six en route to an 8-2 record.  Tusculum posted a perfect 5-0 record at Pioneer Field in 2007.

 

                After starting the season 0-3, Tusculum rebounded by winning six of its last eight contests, including 4-2 in the league, tying for second place in the South Atlantic Conference.

 

                Tusculum College, located in Greeneville, Tenn., is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and is a NCAA Division II member of the South Atlantic Conference which is comprised of nine colleges and universities in Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina.

 

- TC –

 

2008 Tusculum College Football Schedule

Date

Opponent

Time

Series

Sat. Aug. 30

CHARLESTON (W.Va.)

1:30 p.m.

UC leads 1-0

Sat., Sep. 6

Open Date

 

 

Sat., Sep. 13

ELIZABETH CITY STATE

6 p.m.

1st Meeting

Sat., Sep. 20

URBANA

1:30 p.m.

1st Meeting

Sat., Sep. 27

at Wingate*

1:30 p.m.

WU leads 7-5

Sat., Oct. 4

at Lenoir-Rhyne*

2 p.m.

TC leads 8-3

Sat., Oct. 11

BREVARD*

1:30 p.m.

TC leads 4-1

Sat., Oct. 18

at Catawba*

1:30 p.m.

CAT leads 8-4

Sat., Oct. 25

NEWBERRY* (HC)

2 p.m.

NC leads 6-4

Sat., Nov. 1

at Mars Hill*

1:30 p.m.

TC leads 14-8-2

Sat., Nov. 8

CARSON-NEWMAN*

1:30 p.m.

C-N leads 27-9-2

* South Atlantic Conference Game

HC – Homecoming Game

Home Games in BOLD

All Times Eastern & Subject to Change