Saturday, October 10
Charleston, S.C.
12:00 PM
The Citadel
vs
ETSU
Photo by: Aaron Beswick / The Citadel Athletics
The Citadel Welcomes No. 24 ETSU for SoCon Showdown, Hosts Bucs Saturday
10/9/2026 3:27:00 PM | Football
CHARLESTON, S.C. -- The Citadel (2-3, 0-2 SoCon) returns home for a Southern Conference clash against No. 24/RV ETSU (4-2, 2-0 SoCon) on Saturday, Oct. 10, hosting the visiting Buccaneers for a 12 p.m. kickoff at Sansom Field at Johnson Hagood Stadium. For full coverage, tune in live via the ESPN+ or follow along via social media -- @CitadelFootball.
GAMEDAY CENTRAL
THE CITADEL (2-3, 0-2 SoCon) at No. 24/RV ETSU (4-2, 2-0 SoCon)
Saturday, Oct. 10 | 12 p.m.
Sansom Field at Johnson Hagood Stadium | Charleston, S.C.
Game Notes: The Citadel | ETSU | Southern Conference
Follow Live: Live Stats | Watch | Listen | Tickets
WEEKLY SOCIAL SYNC
SERIES INFO
Series Results: 21-13, ETSU
Last Time: L, 26-28 (11/22/2025)
Last at JHS: L, 17-34 (9/28/2024)
Streak: L3
KEY GAME NOTES
HOMEGROWN TALENT
Highlighted by multiple offseason additions on the recruiting trail, the Bulldogs continue to showcase the strong football tradition of the greater Charleston area on the roster, including:
- LB Chase Anderson, LS Tommy DiLiegro, DL Andrew Jackson, OL Frank Schmidt, TE Whit Hobgood, LB Robert Mallard III & TE Jude Claborn, Charleston, S.C.
- RB Dorvensky Reichley, Moncks Corner, S.C.
- DB Jammall Fludd, North Charleston, S.C.
- DB Ryland Mitchell, OL Andrew Tumbleston & LB Tim Miller Jr., Summerville, S.C.
- P Jack Weil & LB Jameson Bell, Mount Pleasant, S.C.
POUND THE ROCK
Fueled by seven 200-yard-plus rushing performances over the course of the past nine games, including 2025 vs. VMI (329), vs. Wofford (201) and at ETSU (218) plus 2026 at Wofford (227), at Charlotte (268), vs. Charleston Southern (235) and at South Carolina State (235), the Bulldogs' ground game has evolved into one of the offense's most reliable weapons under third-year OC Lamar Owens. From the national perspective, The Citadel slots in as one of the top rushing attacks in the FCS, currently ranking seventh nationwide and second in the SoCon behind a 229.4 yards per game mark. Individually, Gavin Garcia paces the pack behind a 103.2 yards per game average, good for eighth nationally and first league-wide, with six touchdowns off 92 total carries. Quentin Hayes slots in second on the squad with 255 yards on 72 attempts for the year, including a team-long 60-yard burst to set up the Bulldogs' first touchdown of the day at SC State.
THE SHARK HUNTER (YES, LITERALLY)
The offseason addition of RB Gavin Garcia has created additional avenues of opportunity for The Citadel offense, as the Kent State transfer brings a wealth of experience from four years of #MACtion. A multi-year contributor in the backfield for the Golden Flashes, Garcia logged 146 rushes for 647 yards and three touchdowns in 2025, good for 4.4 yards per carry. All-in-all, when the Pennsylvania product entered the portal, The Citadel proved an attractive option for more than just football -- Charleston, and even more specifically, Charleston beaches. A longtime gamesman and fisherman, Garcia has recently turned his focus to shark hunting, working the reel directly off the shore or from a chartered vessel. Unsurprisingly, he has transformed the pursuit into a burgeoning social media presence via his @gghooksnhorns handle, and currently runs his own shark fishing charters in the spare time between graduate school and football commitments.
MILITARY DISCIPLINE
In spite of the mascot, The Citadel managed to avoid the doghouse often during the 2025 season, ranking ninth FCS-wide with 4.42 penalties per game while sitting 19th nationally with just 42.42 penalty yards per game. Five games deep into the 2026 campaign, the Bulldogs continue their displined approach, ranking first nationally and first in the SoCon (naturdally) with just 3.00 penalties per game as well as second in the FCS and second league-wide with 28.60 penalty yards per game.
WORLD WAR Z
A lead-by-example centerpiece for The Citadel defense, Dartmouth transfer Zyion Brown has made his presence felt throughout the 2026 campaign, registering a team-best 43.0 total tackles thus far, good for 36th in the FCS and fourth in SoCon, with 23.0 logged as solo takedowns, slotted as 19th nationally and second league-wide. The Ohio native also serves as the team's top backfield disrupter behind 5.0 tackles-for-loss.
#DISRUPTORS
In spite of the rivalry loss to Charleston Southern, the Bulldogs' defense logged a season-best 6.0 sacks during the contest, setting the Buccaneers back a combined 60 yards total. Notably, the 6.0-sack performance serves as the most for the program since 2022 against Virginia-Lynchburg (6.0) as well as the top mark against a Division I opponent since a 2019 victory over Western Carolina (6.0). Additionally, The Citadel compiled 13.0 tackles-for-loss against Charleston Southern as well, a first since Virginia-Lynchburg in 2022 (15.0) and the best showing against a Division I adversary since, coincidentally, a 2018 win over Charleston Southern (13.0). As a unit, the defensive front has proven difficult for opposing offenses to properly deal with in terms of penetration, racking up 2.20 sacks per game en route to the No. 35 position on the FCS leaderboard as well as fifth conference-wide. Individually, Zyion Brown (5.0 TFLs; 3.0 sacks), Jalen Wright (4.0 TFLs; 2.0 sacks), Maurice Bonneau Jr. (3.5 TFLs; 2.0 sacks), David Alexander (3.0 TFLs) and Beau Shugarts (3.0 TFLs; 0.5 sacks) have served as the primary threats for The Citadel on the season, combing for 18.5 TFLs thus far.
NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP
After dominating the time-of-possession in three of the opening four contests, The Citadel offense has managed to average a daunting 32:32 minutes of possession on the year, good for 19th nationally and first within the Southern Conference. Further, the Bulldogs have proven effective at retaining possession, surrendering just five total giveaways -- three fumbles & two interceptions -- for the season, good for 29th overall in the FCS and third league-wide. A year ago, The Citadel set a new program record for fewest turnovers, giving up 11 en route to No. 17 in the national rankings and second amongst SoCon brethren.
CONVERSION KINGS
Across four games thus far, The Citadel offense has demonstrated a consistent ability to find the first-down marker, ranking 23rd nationally for third-down conversion percentage (.431; 31-of-72) as well as 35th in the FCS for fourth-down conversion percentage (.625; 5-of-8), good for third and fourth within the Southern Conference, respectively. As for how the Bulldogs manage their first down conversions, the ground game continues to act as the primary workhorse, accounting for 56-of-87 new sets of downs.
RED (HOT) ZONE
Through five games, The Citadel offense has risen to the challenge within the red zone, garnering points on 14-of-15 visits (.933), good for the 11th-best conversion rate in the FCS and third within the league. When within striking distance, the Bulldogs have set their sights on the end zone as well, punching in TDs on 11 of their 14 successful attempts inside the 20-yard line.
SECONDARY SWAGGER
Defensively, the Bulldogs have proven a difficult unit for opposing offenses to crack thus far into the season, notably ranking 27th nationally in passing yards allowed, good for fourth in the Southern Conference, via a 183.2 yards per game average. Further, four of the team's five takeaways were generated off interceptions, including a pair each in the opening two games courtesy of J'hari Mosley, Temarcus Elam, Zyion Brown & Zeb Stroup.
DEGREES OF DISTINCTION
Amongst the multitude of offseason additions for The Citadel, head coach Maurice Drayton managed to sign a number of college graduates to the program, adding considerable depth and experience for the Bulldogs. Within the group, though, four standouts hail from prestigious academic institutions ranked inside the Top 40 colleges & universities via U.S. News & World Report, including LB Zyion Brown (Dartmouth, t-No. 13), WR Derek Kee (Vanderbilt, t-No. 17), QB Nick Billoups (UCLA, t-No. 17) and WR Ismael Zamor (Boston College, t-No. 36).
(NORTH) AMERICAN MADE
The Citadel 2026 roster hails from across the United States and even into Canada, spanning 19 states coast-to-coast and one Canadian province:
- South Carolina: 49
- Georgia: 16
- Florida: 8
- North Carolina: 7
- Alabama: 4
-California: 3
- Ohio: 3
- Tennessee: 3
- Texas: 2
- Connecticut: 1
- Illinois: 1
- Kentucky: 1
- Louisiana: 1
- Maryland: 1
- Massachusetts: 1
- Mississippi: 1
- Nebraska: 1
- New Jersey: 1
- Pennsylvania: 1
- Quebec: 1
GAMEDAY CENTRAL
THE CITADEL (2-3, 0-2 SoCon) at No. 24/RV ETSU (4-2, 2-0 SoCon)
Saturday, Oct. 10 | 12 p.m.
Sansom Field at Johnson Hagood Stadium | Charleston, S.C.
Game Notes: The Citadel | ETSU | Southern Conference
Follow Live: Live Stats | Watch | Listen | Tickets
WEEKLY SOCIAL SYNC
Happy 50th birthday to our fearless leader -- head coach @KoachDrayton 🫡🎉 #FireThoseCannons https://t.co/YBRPCyITYt
— The Citadel Football (@CitadelFootball) October 5, 2026
On the heels of the program's first ranked win since 2022, HC @KoachDrayton caught up w/ the local CHS media to discuss the SC State victory as well as prep for upcoming adversary ETSU 🫡 Full presser ⤵️ 🎥: https://t.co/YqOvOkEFEM #FireThoseCannons https://t.co/AjAyUO3O9r
— The Citadel Football (@CitadelFootball) October 5, 2026
Another brilliant performance, another slate of honors for our very own Gavin Garcia 🫡 The fifth-year RB scored his second @SoConSports Offensive PotW recognition following his strong outing at SC State ⚡️🔥 Additional details ⤵️ 📰: https://t.co/L5XZFDYJoh #FireThoseCannons https://t.co/WL0AmstoLW
— The Citadel Football (@CitadelFootball) October 5, 2026
ICYMI: The full episode from last night's edition of Beyond the Barracks is now available on all our usual podcast channels 📻 🎙️: https://t.co/gjSipdEpgf #FireThoseCannons
— The Citadel Football (@CitadelFootball) October 6, 2026
🎬 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐝: 𝐀 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤-𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐰𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐎𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐠 🏆🍊 A full look back at a top 15 win in the Lowcountry Bulldog Classic ⏮️📼 #FireThoseCannons https://t.co/IuZTNMMPpr
— The Citadel Football (@CitadelFootball) October 6, 2026
🎥 We caught up with senior defensive back Khaleb Bridges following a strong performance in the secondary 💪 Nine tackles and four pass breakups in the win over SC State 📈 #FireThoseCannons https://t.co/WQIsYpyVrr
— The Citadel Football (@CitadelFootball) October 6, 2026
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 🦈😤 🔥 𝗚𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗶𝗮 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 5️⃣ 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀: - 2x SoCon Offensive Player of the Week - 509 rushing yards - Six touchdowns - 5.5 yards per carry - 101.8 yards per game #FireThoseCannons https://t.co/5Oicm8mDSr
— The Citadel Football (@CitadelFootball) October 7, 2026
𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬' 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐝 🔵🧼 #FireThoseCannons https://t.co/VirdoV6nbW
— The Citadel Football (@CitadelFootball) October 7, 2026
𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐚𝐯𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐮𝐜𝐬! 🫡🥋 #FireThoseCannons https://t.co/6jafzUXhb1
— The Citadel Football (@CitadelFootball) October 7, 2026
I spy one @evankiely7 🏈🫡 #FireThoseCannons
— The Citadel Football (@CitadelFootball) October 7, 2026
𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐚𝐭 𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐠 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐝 🔜⏳ #FireThoseCannons https://t.co/ruWyl9v1Gq
— The Citadel Football (@CitadelFootball) October 8, 2026
Due to the expected impact of Hurricane Isaias on the greater Charleston area over the weekend, The Citadel and ETSU have opted to adjust Saturday afternoon's kickoff to 12 p.m. at Johnson Hagood Stadium. Additional details ⤵️ 📰: https://t.co/q316wfjD5e #FireThoseCannons https://t.co/kRIIw7JUZe
— The Citadel Football (@CitadelFootball) October 9, 2026
SERIES INFO
Series Results: 21-13, ETSU
Last Time: L, 26-28 (11/22/2025)
Last at JHS: L, 17-34 (9/28/2024)
Streak: L3
KEY GAME NOTES
HOMEGROWN TALENT
Highlighted by multiple offseason additions on the recruiting trail, the Bulldogs continue to showcase the strong football tradition of the greater Charleston area on the roster, including:
- LB Chase Anderson, LS Tommy DiLiegro, DL Andrew Jackson, OL Frank Schmidt, TE Whit Hobgood, LB Robert Mallard III & TE Jude Claborn, Charleston, S.C.
- RB Dorvensky Reichley, Moncks Corner, S.C.
- DB Jammall Fludd, North Charleston, S.C.
- DB Ryland Mitchell, OL Andrew Tumbleston & LB Tim Miller Jr., Summerville, S.C.
- P Jack Weil & LB Jameson Bell, Mount Pleasant, S.C.
POUND THE ROCK
Fueled by seven 200-yard-plus rushing performances over the course of the past nine games, including 2025 vs. VMI (329), vs. Wofford (201) and at ETSU (218) plus 2026 at Wofford (227), at Charlotte (268), vs. Charleston Southern (235) and at South Carolina State (235), the Bulldogs' ground game has evolved into one of the offense's most reliable weapons under third-year OC Lamar Owens. From the national perspective, The Citadel slots in as one of the top rushing attacks in the FCS, currently ranking seventh nationwide and second in the SoCon behind a 229.4 yards per game mark. Individually, Gavin Garcia paces the pack behind a 103.2 yards per game average, good for eighth nationally and first league-wide, with six touchdowns off 92 total carries. Quentin Hayes slots in second on the squad with 255 yards on 72 attempts for the year, including a team-long 60-yard burst to set up the Bulldogs' first touchdown of the day at SC State.
THE SHARK HUNTER (YES, LITERALLY)
The offseason addition of RB Gavin Garcia has created additional avenues of opportunity for The Citadel offense, as the Kent State transfer brings a wealth of experience from four years of #MACtion. A multi-year contributor in the backfield for the Golden Flashes, Garcia logged 146 rushes for 647 yards and three touchdowns in 2025, good for 4.4 yards per carry. All-in-all, when the Pennsylvania product entered the portal, The Citadel proved an attractive option for more than just football -- Charleston, and even more specifically, Charleston beaches. A longtime gamesman and fisherman, Garcia has recently turned his focus to shark hunting, working the reel directly off the shore or from a chartered vessel. Unsurprisingly, he has transformed the pursuit into a burgeoning social media presence via his @gghooksnhorns handle, and currently runs his own shark fishing charters in the spare time between graduate school and football commitments.
MILITARY DISCIPLINE
In spite of the mascot, The Citadel managed to avoid the doghouse often during the 2025 season, ranking ninth FCS-wide with 4.42 penalties per game while sitting 19th nationally with just 42.42 penalty yards per game. Five games deep into the 2026 campaign, the Bulldogs continue their displined approach, ranking first nationally and first in the SoCon (naturdally) with just 3.00 penalties per game as well as second in the FCS and second league-wide with 28.60 penalty yards per game.
WORLD WAR Z
A lead-by-example centerpiece for The Citadel defense, Dartmouth transfer Zyion Brown has made his presence felt throughout the 2026 campaign, registering a team-best 43.0 total tackles thus far, good for 36th in the FCS and fourth in SoCon, with 23.0 logged as solo takedowns, slotted as 19th nationally and second league-wide. The Ohio native also serves as the team's top backfield disrupter behind 5.0 tackles-for-loss.
#DISRUPTORS
In spite of the rivalry loss to Charleston Southern, the Bulldogs' defense logged a season-best 6.0 sacks during the contest, setting the Buccaneers back a combined 60 yards total. Notably, the 6.0-sack performance serves as the most for the program since 2022 against Virginia-Lynchburg (6.0) as well as the top mark against a Division I opponent since a 2019 victory over Western Carolina (6.0). Additionally, The Citadel compiled 13.0 tackles-for-loss against Charleston Southern as well, a first since Virginia-Lynchburg in 2022 (15.0) and the best showing against a Division I adversary since, coincidentally, a 2018 win over Charleston Southern (13.0). As a unit, the defensive front has proven difficult for opposing offenses to properly deal with in terms of penetration, racking up 2.20 sacks per game en route to the No. 35 position on the FCS leaderboard as well as fifth conference-wide. Individually, Zyion Brown (5.0 TFLs; 3.0 sacks), Jalen Wright (4.0 TFLs; 2.0 sacks), Maurice Bonneau Jr. (3.5 TFLs; 2.0 sacks), David Alexander (3.0 TFLs) and Beau Shugarts (3.0 TFLs; 0.5 sacks) have served as the primary threats for The Citadel on the season, combing for 18.5 TFLs thus far.
NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP
After dominating the time-of-possession in three of the opening four contests, The Citadel offense has managed to average a daunting 32:32 minutes of possession on the year, good for 19th nationally and first within the Southern Conference. Further, the Bulldogs have proven effective at retaining possession, surrendering just five total giveaways -- three fumbles & two interceptions -- for the season, good for 29th overall in the FCS and third league-wide. A year ago, The Citadel set a new program record for fewest turnovers, giving up 11 en route to No. 17 in the national rankings and second amongst SoCon brethren.
CONVERSION KINGS
Across four games thus far, The Citadel offense has demonstrated a consistent ability to find the first-down marker, ranking 23rd nationally for third-down conversion percentage (.431; 31-of-72) as well as 35th in the FCS for fourth-down conversion percentage (.625; 5-of-8), good for third and fourth within the Southern Conference, respectively. As for how the Bulldogs manage their first down conversions, the ground game continues to act as the primary workhorse, accounting for 56-of-87 new sets of downs.
RED (HOT) ZONE
Through five games, The Citadel offense has risen to the challenge within the red zone, garnering points on 14-of-15 visits (.933), good for the 11th-best conversion rate in the FCS and third within the league. When within striking distance, the Bulldogs have set their sights on the end zone as well, punching in TDs on 11 of their 14 successful attempts inside the 20-yard line.
SECONDARY SWAGGER
Defensively, the Bulldogs have proven a difficult unit for opposing offenses to crack thus far into the season, notably ranking 27th nationally in passing yards allowed, good for fourth in the Southern Conference, via a 183.2 yards per game average. Further, four of the team's five takeaways were generated off interceptions, including a pair each in the opening two games courtesy of J'hari Mosley, Temarcus Elam, Zyion Brown & Zeb Stroup.
DEGREES OF DISTINCTION
Amongst the multitude of offseason additions for The Citadel, head coach Maurice Drayton managed to sign a number of college graduates to the program, adding considerable depth and experience for the Bulldogs. Within the group, though, four standouts hail from prestigious academic institutions ranked inside the Top 40 colleges & universities via U.S. News & World Report, including LB Zyion Brown (Dartmouth, t-No. 13), WR Derek Kee (Vanderbilt, t-No. 17), QB Nick Billoups (UCLA, t-No. 17) and WR Ismael Zamor (Boston College, t-No. 36).
(NORTH) AMERICAN MADE
The Citadel 2026 roster hails from across the United States and even into Canada, spanning 19 states coast-to-coast and one Canadian province:
- South Carolina: 49
- Georgia: 16
- Florida: 8
- North Carolina: 7
- Alabama: 4
-California: 3
- Ohio: 3
- Tennessee: 3
- Texas: 2
- Connecticut: 1
- Illinois: 1
- Kentucky: 1
- Louisiana: 1
- Maryland: 1
- Massachusetts: 1
- Mississippi: 1
- Nebraska: 1
- New Jersey: 1
- Pennsylvania: 1
- Quebec: 1
-- #FireThoseCannons --
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