The Citadel
2-4 , 0-3
ETSU
5-2 , 3-0
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ETSU | 0 | 10 | 17 | 7 | 34 |
| The Citadel | 10 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 16 |
Second-Half Miscues Doom The Citadel Against No. 24 ETSU, 34-16
10/10/2026 4:57:00 PM | Football
POSTGAME PRESSER
We caught up w/ HC @KoachDrayton postgame for his thoughts on the tough loss against ETSU 🎥 Check out the full presser ⤵️ #FireThoseCannons https://t.co/qCei5oA1Fy
— The Citadel Football (@CitadelFootball) October 10, 2026
KEY NOTES
-- ETSU outgained The Citadel behind a 311-to-259 total yards mark
-- On the ground, the Bulldogs racked up just 126 yards, good for a season low; Gavin Garcia led all rushers with 70 yards on 19 carries while Quentin Hayes netted 37 yards with one touchdown behind eight attempts
-- Through the air, the Bulldogs closed out the day with 133 yards -- good for the first time in 2026 The Citadel passed for more yards than rushed -- on a 7-of-18 group performance; sophomore QB Xavier Hill paced the squad with 81 yards and one touchdown on 3-of-6 passing, including a 53-yard toss to Braylon Knauth and a 15-yard score to Isaiah Johnson; Hayes, meanwhile, wrapped up the day 4-of-8 for 52 yards through the air
-- For the receiving corps, Knauth set the tone with three receptions for 73 yards, notably breaking off the aforementioned 53-yard gash down the right sideline on a screen pass; additionally, Garcia reeled in two catches for 12 yards, Abijah Webb grabbed one reception on the opening drive for 33 yards and Johnson pulled down the lone TD of the day on a 15-yard fade
-- Defensively, Jalen Wright composed another strong performance via 9.0 total tackles, a team-best, along with one fumble recovery; Zyion Brown collected 8.0 tackles of his own, including a sack-fumble to set up Wright for the recovery; Andrew Jackson also logged a solid day from the edge, registering 7.0 total tackles
-- For the special teams, Jack Weil posted four punts on the day, averaging 49.5 yards per kick and sending one a season-long 60 yards; The Citadel also surrendered a punt block for a touchdown early in the third quarter, good for the team's second of the year and fifth total block for the season
-- The Bulldogs and Buccaneers evened out on turnovers for the game as each lost a pair of fumbles; notably, both The Citadel giveaways resulted in points for ETSU -- 10 total during the second quarter on back-to-back drives; meanwhile, the Bulldogs found the end zone following the Brown-Wright fumble in the fourth quarter, but failed to take advantage of a Bucs' fumble on a punt return earlier in the third period
-- Of special note, Johnson's 15-yard touchdown catch late in the fourth accomplished a pair of 'firsts' for the true freshman, serving as both his first collegiate reception and score
GAMEDAY SOCIAL SYNC
Quentin Hayes finds Gavin Garcia on a checkdown pass to pick up a crucial fourth-down conversion here on the opening drive of the game ⚡️🔥 💻: ESPN+ / https://t.co/lwSrI0pSqE 🎙️: 102.1 FM / https://t.co/z21BNXJeoU #FireThoseCannons https://t.co/PySZVTOE5C
— The Citadel Football (@CitadelFootball) October 10, 2026
QUENTIN HAYES ON THE QB DRAW!!! The senior QB calls his own number on a 17-yard sprint up the middle for the TD Bank touchdown, vaulting The Citadel to an early advantage 🫡🌊 💻: ESPN+ / https://t.co/0oAFsclroX 🎙️: 102.1 FM / https://t.co/7OyapBl1rE #FireThoseCannons
— The Citadel Football (@CitadelFootball) October 10, 2026
Evan Kiely nails a 29-yard REV Financial field goal to extend the Bulldogs' edge out to 10-0 as we approach the conclusion of the opening period 🫡🎯 💻: ESPN+ / https://t.co/lwSrI0pSqE 🎙️: 102.1 FM / https://t.co/z21BNXJeoU #FireThoseCannons https://t.co/xuJNQUuiAd
— The Citadel Football (@CitadelFootball) October 10, 2026
ZYION BROWN!!! The fifth-year grad student BLOWS UP the backfield for a sack fumble, setting up a Jalen Wright recovery for your Bulldogs 🫡🌪️ 💻: ESPN+ / https://t.co/0oAFsclroX 🎙️: 102.1 FM / https://t.co/7OyapBl1rE #FireThoseCannons
— The Citadel Football (@CitadelFootball) October 10, 2026
XAVIER HILL TO ISAIAH JOHNSON!!! The sophomore QB finds the true freshman wideout for a 15-yard TD Bank touchdown, good for the latter's first catch and score of his young career 🫡 💻: ESPN+ / https://t.co/0oAFsclZev 🎙️: 102.1 FM / https://t.co/7OyapBlzhc #FireThoseCannons
— The Citadel Football (@CitadelFootball) October 10, 2026
BRAYLON KNAUTH!!! The junior wideouts dodges & weaves his way through defenders en route to a 53-yard dash down the sideline, setting up The Citadel inside the red zone 🫡⚡️ 💻: ESPN+ / https://t.co/0oAFsclroX 🎙️: 102.1 FM / https://t.co/7OyapBl1rE #FireThoseCannons
— The Citadel Football (@CitadelFootball) October 10, 2026
Players Mentioned
Team Stats
ETS 0, CIT 7
CIT - Hayes,Quentin 17 yd run (Kiely,Evan kick), 13 plays, 84 yards, TOP 08:29
ETS 0, CIT 10
CIT - Kiely,Evan 29 yd field goal 7 plays, 51 yards, TOP 03:47
ETS 7, CIT 10
ETS - Gilmore,CJ 4 yd fumble recovery (Johnson,Ewan kick)
ETS 10, CIT 10
ETS - Johnson,Ewan 25 yd field goal 11 plays, 44 yards, TOP 05:06
ETS 13, CIT 10
ETS - Johnson,Ewan 26 yd field goal 10 plays, 66 yards, TOP 04:57
ETS 20, CIT 10
ETS - Buckhalter,Josh 9 yd punt return (Johnson,Ewan kick)
ETS 27, CIT 10
ETS - Peyton,TJ 85 yd run (Johnson,Ewan kick), 3 plays, 93 yards, TOP 00:46
ETS 34, CIT 10
ETS - Nalls,Vashawn 1 yd pass from Mims,Mason (Johnson,Ewan kick) 11 plays, 57 yards, TOP 05:44
ETS 34, CIT 16
CIT - Johnson,Isaiah 15 yd pass from Hill,Xavier () 4 plays, 23 yards, TOP 02:10
