CHICAGO (Sept. 6, 2016) – Coming off its thrilling 20-17 double-overtime win at Kennesaw State last Saturday night, the ETSU football team earned STATS FCS Team of the Week honors, which was released on Tuesday.



The Bucs – who earned their first Football Championship Subdivision victory since 2003 – won on sophomore kicker JJ Jerman’s (Seymour, Tenn.) walk-off 24-yard field goal in overtime.



Each week during the season the crew at STATS FCS releases its weekly awards. Below is what was said about the Bucs earning the Team of the Week honor…



Go outside the FBS upsets and our FCS Team of the Week is East Tennessee State. Yeah, go figure after the Buccaneers didn't beat a Division I team last year when they returned to football after a 12-year break. Talk about a reversal. Kennesaw State opened its 6-5 startup season a year ago with a rout at East Tennessee State, but a year later, the Bucs went down to Georgia and posted a 20-17 double-overtime victory. J.J. Jerman's 24-yard field goal was the difference for coach Carl Torbush's squad, whose next game will be a return to the Southern Conference schedule Sept. 17 against Western Carolina at Bristol Motor Speedway.



Following the game-winning field goal, Jerman earned Southern Conference Special Teams Player of the Week honors, while sophomore linebacker Dylan Weigel (Pickerington, Ohio) was tabbed SoCon Defensive Player of the Week by College Sports Madness.



In addition to earning the attention from STATS FCS, the Buccaneers were also highlighted by HERO Sports in its weekly FCS round-up. Below is the FCS Weekend Wrap by Brian McLaughlin…



East Tennessee State hadn't beaten an FCS/I-AA level program since Nov. 22, 2003 when it knocked off The Citadel in Johnson City, Tenn. It finally happened again on Sept 3, 2016--nearly 13 years later. After the football program was disbanded following the 2003 season, the Buccaneers didn't play football again until last fall. Playing against what is expected to be a strong Kennesaw State program that also returns 20-plus starters because it also cranked up football last fall, the game went to overtime. J.J. Jerman kicked a 24-yard field goal in extra time to serve as the winning points. Austin Herink threw for 214 yards in the big win for the Bucs.



ETSU – who is in its open week – returns to action on Saturday, Sept. 17 when the Bucs host Western Carolina in its conference opener at Bristol Motor Speedway. For tickets, please call 423-BRISTOL.



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