EAST TENNESSEE STATE
› Head coach: Carl Torbush (2-9 at ETSU, 22-35 in six years overall)› Date against UTC: Oct. 1 at Johnson City, time TBA› 2015 record: 2-9› Returning starters: 11/11/4› Projected order of finish (Coaches/Media): 9/9› Quick fact: ETSU lists eight players from the Chattanooga area› Coming Sunday: Furman
The East Tennessee State football team learned a lot last year, its first as a program since 2003. But the second step may be even bigger than the first.
The Buccaneers return to Southern Conference competition.
They went 2-9 in 2015 with a team made up entirely of underclassmen. ETSU may be the only college team in the country returning all of its starters but still has just three seniors, with only one - defensive back Ryan Powers - projected in the two-deep rotation.
"We learned a lot last year," running back Falon Lee said Wednesday at SoCon media day. "For a lot of us, it was the first year playing college football and we didn't know what to expect. We didn't know the speed of the game going from the high school and the college level, but we learned what it's going to take to compete at the highest level."
Coach Carl Torbush said the only thing he expects from his team this year is to "show improvement."
"But does that mean 3-8? Absolutely not," he said. "What I want to see this program and this team do is be competitive week after week and have a chance to win every week we play. Last year we played Montana, Charleston Southern and Mercer - which is probably the closest thing we got to compare what we're about to get into in the SoCon. Quite honestly, we did OK, but we've got everybody back, and we're bigger, stronger, faster, more mature and older.
"I told the guys that once that peach fuzz turns into whiskers, we'll be a better football team, a bigger football program. We're moving up to what I consider a big-boy league, and it's a great opportunity, a challenge. Our players are looking forward to it, and it's going to be interesting to see what they can do."
The offense will be led by sophomore quarterback Austin Herink from Cleveland High School, who after splitting time at the position in 2015 has the controls all to himself. He completed 60 percent of his passes for 1,261 yards and six touchdowns while playing what Torbush called "under duress" most of the 2015 season.
"I feel very good about him," Torbush said. "He's very mature, one of the best leaders and a hard worker. I think we're going to see a lot of improvement."
The season begins on Sept. 3 at Kennesaw State. Their SoCon opener will be on Sept. 17 against Western Carolina at Bristol Motor Speedway - the same site of Tennessee against Virginia Tech a week earlier - with the official home opener against the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on Oct. 1 at Kermit-Tipton Stadium, where Science Hill plays. The team's new stadium is expected to open in 2017.
"There's a high level of excitement around campus, the locker room and the coaching staff," linebacker Dylan Weigel said.
"The staff knows the level of competition we're going to play week in and week out, and we think we've worked hard enough each week to get ready to play in the SoCon. We have to have guys that have bought into the football program, so the next couple of weeks is when we'll dial in and come to practice every day ready to get better.
"There are some big weeks coming up for our program to see what we can do."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.