COOKEVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Tech turned a 7-7 game into a rout on Saturday afternoon, piling up 42 unanswered points on the way to a 49-20 football win over Eastern Kentucky at Tucker Stadium.
The victory lifts the Golden Eagles to 6-1 overall and 3-1 in league play. Eastern Kentucky fell to 2-5.
Quarterback Jax Leatherwood threw three touchdown passes. He found Tre’ Holloway from 36 yards out on the opening drive, hit Eric Weatherly for a 19-yard score with 22 seconds left in the first half and connected with Holloway again from 4 yards in the fourth quarter.
The Colonels pulled even late in the first quarter when Jeffrey Kinley picked off a Leatherwood pass and ran it back 95 yards. That was their last answer for a long stretch. Qua Ashley scored on a 2-yard run, Jameson Wharton took an interception 21 yards to the end zone, and Tech went to the locker room ahead 28-7.
The second half belonged to the Tech ground game. MJ Flowers scored from 7 yards and Ashley broke a 42-yard touchdown run to make it 42-7 after three quarters.
Tennessee Tech outgained the visitors 453 to 301, ran up 29 first downs to 14 and kept the ball for 35:18. Eastern Kentucky freshman Ryder Hooks ran for 166 yards on 10 carries, including an 18-yard touchdown, and the Colonels added a late 1-yard score as time ran out.
The balance showed up across the stat sheet. Tech threw for 215 yards and ran for 238, and it converted 7 of 10 third downs. Eastern Kentucky leaned almost entirely on the run, finishing with 267 rushing yards but only 34 through the air, as quarterback Jordyn Potts went 5 of 12 with two interceptions.
Linebacker Cam Jessee led the Colonels defense with 11 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. Eastern Kentucky stays home next Saturday for its homecoming game against West Florida, with a 3 p.m. Eastern kickoff.
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