Tennessee Tech vs Monmouth

Jax Leatherwood threw four touchdown passes and the Tennessee Tech defense clamped down after the first half to power the No. 15/14 Golden Eagles past No. 23/22 Monmouth 38-14 in the 2026 season opener at Tucker Stadium.

Leatherwood completed 24 of 36 passes for 289 yards without an interception, spreading the ball to seven different receivers. The Golden Eagles racked up 395 total yards while holding Monmouth to 304 and controlling possession for 37:55 — nearly 16 minutes more than the Hawks.

Tennessee Tech struck first, marching 38 yards in nine plays on its opening drive. Leatherwood found Gabe Nunez on a 2-yard touchdown pass with 9:56 left in the first quarter, converting three of four third downs on the possession.

Monmouth answered midway through the second quarter when Elijah Jennings punched in an 11-yard touchdown run to knot the game at 7-7 with 4:45 remaining in the half.

The tie lasted just over three and a half minutes. Leatherwood connected with Qua Ashley on an 18-yard touchdown with one minute left in the half, and Carter Brown added a 40-yard field goal as time expired to send Tennessee Tech into the break ahead 17-7.

The Golden Eagles never looked back. M.J. Flowers capped a five-play, 75-yard drive with a 6-yard touchdown run to open the third quarter, stretching the lead to 24-7. Leatherwood added two more scoring strikes in the fourth — a 16-yard pass to Maury Sullivan and a 23-yarder to Ashley — before Monmouth scored a consolation touchdown with 1:50 remaining.

After Monmouth tied the game at 7-7 in the second quarter, Tennessee Tech answered in just 3:45 with a touchdown drive. The sequence — score, stop, score — flipped momentum permanently. But the decisive blow came out of halftime: a 75-yard touchdown drive in 2:19 that pushed the lead to 24-7 and forced Monmouth to abandon its running game.

Jax Leatherwood, QB, Tennessee Tech — Player of the Match. 24/36 passing, 289 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT. Zero sacks taken. With a 141.0 passer rating, he was accurate, decisive and mistake-free in his season debut.

Gabe Nunez, WR, Tennessee Tech — 6 receptions, 118 yards, 1 TD. Averaged 19.7 yards per catch, including a 56-yard reception that set up the Golden Eagles' second-half opening touchdown.

Qua Ashley, RB, Tennessee Tech — 2 receiving touchdowns (18 and 23 yards), 61 all-purpose yards. His ability to score in the passing game kept Monmouth's defense off-balance.

Elijah Jennings, RB, Monmouth — 12 carries, 78 yards, 1 TD. Averaged 6.5 yards per carry in a losing effort, accounting for Monmouth's first score.

Tre' Holloway, WR/PR, Tennessee Tech — 86 punt return yards on three returns (28.7 average), including a 47-yard return. His field position flipping changed the hidden-yardage battle.

Tennessee Tech's 395-304 yardage advantage looks modest on paper, but the game flow tells a different story. The Golden Eagles' 37:55 time of possession — nearly 16 minutes more than Monmouth — reflects sustained drives (four of four in the red zone, all touchdowns) and third-down efficiency (7-of-15, 47%). Monmouth managed just 22:05 of possession and committed two turnovers.

The 289-179 passing yard gap was the decisive stat line. Leatherwood threw for 110 more yards than Monmouth's Frankie Weaver while attempting a similar number of passes, averaging 8.0 yards per attempt to Monmouth's 4.4. Tennessee Tech's defensive secondary broke up 10 passes and collected one interception (Will Johnson) and one fumble recovery (Omari Philyaw).

Tennessee Tech (1-0) opened as the No. 15/14 team in FCS and looked the part, controlling a ranked opponent from start to finish. The Golden Eagles travel to Chattanooga next Saturday, September 5, to face the Mocs (1-0) in a key early-season SoCon test.

Monmouth (0-1), ranked No. 23/22 entering the season, now faces an uphill climb. The Hawks host Sacred Heart on September 5 in their home opener at Kessler Stadium, needing to correct a defense that allowed 38 points and 395 yards. Since 2019, Monmouth is now 8-25 against ranked opponents.

A decisive, wire-to-wire win for a Tennessee Tech team that looks every bit a Top-15 program. Leatherwood's efficiency and the defense's second-half shutout (until garbage time) suggest the Golden Eagles have conference-title aspirations. Monmouth's offensive limitations — 179 passing yards and two turnovers — exposed the gap between a good CAA team and a legitimate FCS contender.