Monday, August 19, 2002

Johnson City, Tenn. (Aug. 19, 2002) - East Tennessee State's football team continues to receive preseason recognition in the preseason polls as the Bucs were listed among the other team receiving votes in the first ESPN/USA Today top-25 poll. ETSU totaled 75 points in the poll, placing them 32nd among the 60 teams listed in the poll. Led by No. 2 Appalachian State, a total of six Southern Conference teams have their names in the poll, with No.5 Georgia Southern and No. 6 Furman also appearing in the top-10. ETSU was the next highest vote getter in the poll, followed by Western Carolina and Wofford. Ranked a combined 26th in the preseason magazine polls, ETSU enters the 2002 season with 13 starters back from last season's 6-5 squad, including all 11 starters on defense. Wide receiver Cecil Moore (Morristown, Tenn.) and cornerback Tony Tiller (Lithonia, Ga.) are both preseason All-America picks and highlight a group of six Bucs that were selected to the preseason All-Southern Conference team recently. Currently in the middle of two-a-day's, ETSU is scheduled to scrimmage again Wednesday evening at 7:00 p.m. in Memorial Stadium in Johnson City. The Bucs open the season on August 31 when they play at North Carolina State at 7:00 p.m.

ESPN/USA Today Division I-AA Preseason Top-25 Poll

 1. Montana (46) (15-1)	        1,270
 2. Appalachian State (1) (9-4)	1,113
 3. Northern Iowa (11-3)	1,016
 4. Eastern Illinois (1) (9-2)	  989
 5. Georgia Southern (12-2)	  976
 6. Furman (3) (12-3)	          905
 7. Lehigh (11-1)	          903
 8. Youngstown State (8-3)	  747
 9. Grambling (10-1)	          737
10. William & Mary (8-4)	  692
11. McNeese State (8-4)	          636
12. Eastern Kentucky (8-2)	  630
13. Hofstra (9-3)	          624
14. Florida A&M (7-4)	          581
15. Maine (9-3)	                  559
16. Sam Houston State (10-3)	  549
17. Portland State (7-4)	  471
18. Western Kentucky (8-4)	  413
19. Northwestern State (8-4)	  343
20. Northern Arizona (8-4)	  273
21. Delaware (4-6)	          217
22. Montana State (5-6)	          214
23. Harvard (9-0)	          161
24. Hampton (7-4)	          155
25. Villanova (8-3)	          125

Others Receiving Votes: Steven F. Austin 121,
 Tennessee Tech 93, Colgate 93, Jacksonville St. 87, 
North Carolina A&T 85, Jackson St. 81, East Tennessee St. 75, 
Rhode Island 68, Massachusetts 68, Western Carolina 60, 
Tennessee St. 59, Southern 47, Murray St. 40, 
Penn. 38, Western Illinois 30, Bethune Cookman 30, 
Eastern Washington 28, Alabama St. 21, South Carolina St. 20, 
Richmond 19, St. Mary's (Calif.) 15, Idaho St. 15, 
Wofford 14, SW Missouri St. 13, Cal Poly 12, 
Illinois St. 9, SW Texas St. 7, Texas Southern 6, 
Brown 5, Alcorn St. 4, Alabama A&M 4, 
Nicholls St. 3, Elon 3, Dayton 2, James Madison 1.