CHARLESTON, S.C. (Oct. 9, 2026) – The ETSU football team will hit the road for the first time in SoCon play this weekend when it visits The Citadel. Kickoff for Saturday's contest has been moved up to a Noon start time from the original game time of 2 p.m.
 
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, October 10
Time: 12:02 p.m. ET
Location: Charleston, S.C. | Johnson Hagood Stadium
Teams: No. 24/RV ETSU (4-2, 2-0 SoCon) vs. The Citadel (2-3, 0-2 SoCon)  
Weather: 62 degrees, overcast
Live Video: ESPN+/Nexstar
TV Crew: Pete Yanity (PxP), Jay Sonnhalter (analyst), Dave Friedman (sideline)
Live Audio: WXSM-AM 640
Radio Crew: Jay "Voice of the Bucs" Sandos (pbp), Mark Hutsell (analyst), Matt Wilhjelm (sideline)
Live Stats: etsubucs.com (Sidearm Stats)
X: @ETSUFootball
 
THINGS TO KNOW – Please click HERE for all the "Things to Know" for Saturday's matchup with the Bulldogs, presented by Citizens Bank.
 
LAST TIME OUT – The Bucs picked up their second rivalry-game trophy in as many weeks on Saturday as they downed Chattanooga in the annual Rail Rivalry game, 14-3. Saturday's victory, which was ETSU's first against the Mocs since 2018, improved ETSU's overall record to 4-2 this season and 2-0 in conference play.
 
STREAKING IN SOCON PLAY - Saturday's win was ETSU's sixth consecutive conference victory (dating back to last season). That is ETSU's longest in-conference winning streak since 1996, when it also won six. The Buccaneers have never won seven straight SoCon games since becoming a football-playing member of the conference in 1979.
 
ETSU HAS BEEN TERRIFIC ON THIRD DOWN - The Bucs continue to succeed on third down. After converting 7 of 17 chances against Chattanooga, the Bucs have now moved the chains on 52.4 percent of their third downs in 2026. Only Illinois State (58.0), Dartmouth (57.5), and Youngstown State (56.1) have converted third downs at a higher rate than the Bucs.
 
BACK IN THE NATIONAL POLLS - For the first time in 2026, the Bucs are ranked in one of the major FCS Top 25 polls. ETSU, No. 24 in this week's Stats Perform Poll, hasn't appeared in the Stats or Coaches' Poll since Week 2 of the 2025 season (No. 24 in the Coaches' Poll).
 
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS - Citadel will enter Saturday's clash with the Bucs at 2-3 overall, with a 0-2 mark in SoCon play. Despite the losing record, the Bulldogs have pulled off arguably the SoCon's top two wins so far. The Citadel downed FBS foe Charlotte, 43-41, in triple overtime back on September 5. They then downed No. 12/15 South Carolina State on the road this past Saturday, 34-31.
 
SERIES REWIND VS. THE CITADEL - Saturday will mark the 35th all-time meeting between the Bucs and Bulldogs. ETSU holds the edge, winning 21 of the previous 34 matchups. The Blue and Gold have knocked off the Bulldogs three straight times, including a 28-26 win to close out the 2025 season. If the Bucs win on Saturday, it'll be their first four-game winning streak against Citadel since 1993-96.
 
For more information on Buccaneer football, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the football tab.