ETSU to play Cade McNamara, Jacolby Criswell against Tennessee

ETSU will carry its two-quarterback system into Week 2 against Tennessee, sources tell On3. In Will Healy’s first season with the Buccaneers, ETSU picked up Iowa transfer Cade McNamara and North Carolina transfer Jacolby Criswell.

The two-quarterback system worked in Week 1 with a 45-17 win over Murray State. Now the former Power 4 quarterbacks will both play against Tennessee as they try to pull off the upset.

In Week 1, McNamara was 12 of 17 for 146 yards for a touchdown and interception. He also added 19 rushing yards. Criswell was mostly used as a running quarterback, finishing 5 of 8 for 34 yards through the air with 59 yards on the ground.

 “We’ll go down on Friday and compete our rear ends off,” Healy said Monday about playing at Tennessee. “We got a bunch of guys who have been in that arena before. It’s exciting. You’re getting to play in the Mecca of college football against a great staff. It’s a great opportunity for us as a staff to compete and scheme some of the best coaches in the country. It’s a great opportunity for our players to play against some of the best players in the country.

“It’s a one-week season for us. Fortunately for us, we don’t have to play the University of Tennessee to win a national championship or to win a conference championship. So, we’re just taking this week as a week of its own and we’re going to find ways for us to get better and to give ourselves the best chance to have some success on Saturday.”

Tennessee opened the season with a 45-26 win over Syracuse in the Aflac Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday in Knoxville. Tennessee has faced ETSU just once in program history, beating the Bucs 59-3 at Neyland Stadium on Sept. 8, 2018.