Tennessee Tech Buries Eastern Kentucky 49-20 Despite a 95-yard Pick-six
Eastern Kentucky ran for 267 yards on 38 carries and lost by 29. Passing for 34 yards will do that to a good rushing day. Tennessee Tech put up 453 yards of its own, 215 through the air, and took the Colonels apart 49-20 to move to 6-1.
It did not start that way. Tech struck first, a 36-yard touchdown from Jax Leatherwood to Tre' Holloway, and then Jeffrey Kinley took an interception back 95 yards to tie it at 7-7 late in the first quarter. That was the last time Eastern Kentucky was level. Tech then ripped off 42 straight points: Qua Ashley scored from two yards out, Jameson Wharton answered the Kinley pick-six with a 21-yard interception return of his own (44 seconds later on the clock, 7-21), Leatherwood hit Eric Weatherly from 19 yards with 22 seconds left in the half, and M.J. Flowers and Ashley (a 42-yarder) made it 42-7 in the third quarter.
The giveaways tell you the ugly part. Eastern Kentucky threw two interceptions and Tech threw one, yet the Tech pick went for six and so did one of the Colonels' two. Neither team lost a fumble, and each defense had one sack. Leatherwood finished 22 of 30 for 199 yards and three touchdowns, with the last one a 4-yard toss to Holloway early in the fourth to make it 49-7.
Eastern Kentucky did get something out of the fourth quarter. Ryder Hooks broke an 18-yard touchdown run, and Blake Kendall Jr. punched in a 1-yard score as time ran out. Hooks had 10 carries for 166 yards, which is more than half of the team's 267. The Colonels fall to 2-4.
For fantasy purposes, Holloway (two touchdowns) and Leatherwood were the expected names. Hooks, who had 3.5 points in his other five games, is the surprise at number three.