CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – The Campbellsville football team opens its 2017 season and 30th season in program history on Thursday against University of Pikeville.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET from Citizens Bank Field at Finley Stadium with the Tiger Tailgate Show airing at 6:30.
 
The Tigers are looking to rebound from its 2016 season, where they finished 2-8 overall and 0-5 in the Mid-South Conference West Division.
 
Campbellsville posted the best passing attack in the NAIA last season averaging 385.4 passing yards a game. The 492.1 yards of total offense in 2016 was sixth-best in the nation. Coming into the new season, Campbellsville returns most of the core on offense from last season.
 
The major hole head coach Perry Thomas is going to have to fill from last season is the loss of former Tiger Tyus Alcorn at wide receiver. Alcorn had 1,095 receiving yards and 16 touchdown catches in 2016. However, the Tigers return six of their top seven receivers to help fill the void this season.
 
Hunter Brown is also back for his final season and he led the country with 377.6 passing yards per game. Brown also has an experienced offensive line in front of him with five starters back from last season, which have a combined 34 starts under their belt. In the backfield, senior running backs Chantz Goodman and Wade Holtsclaw return to carry the load in the running game.
 
After having a young defensive core last season, Campbellsville is much more experienced on defense this season with many starters back from last season. In 2016 only 11 players started in at least five games with six carrying freshman or sophomore status. The Tigers also had 12 freshman and sophomore appear in at least seven games last year.
 
Highlighting the return defenders are seniors Elmer Barron and Khalil Baker. Barron has shifted to the defensive end position this season after recording 45 tackles in seven games last year. Baker is also shifting positions to start the season as he takes over the Monster on Thomas' defense. Last year, Baker compiled 74 tackles in eight games to finish third on the team.
 
Reining MSC West Defensive Freshman of the Year Justin Manning returns for his sophomore season at linebacker to help anchor the Campbellsville defense. Manning led the Tigers with 106 total tackles – which was also the most among MSC West defenders.
 
It is going to be a battle of strengths to start the season with Pikeville having the second-best pass defense in the nation last year. The Bears allowed the opposition to throw for just 133.7 yards per game last season. However, Pikeville's only game where it allowed over 200 yards passing last year was against Campbellsville, when the Tigers threw for 373 yards.
 
Allan Holland, Jr., is tasked to replace Jack Hopkins as he led the Bears with 91 tackles in 2016. Pikeville returns just one First Team All-MSC East performer from last season in tight end Braxton Whitmore. Whitmore led the Bears with 35 receptions and 531 receiving yards. Sani Warren returns this season after playing in just the first three games last season. In those games, Warren threw for a total of 717 yards and completed 71.2 percent of his passes. He also threw for a career-high 364 yards against the Tigers last season.
 
In this matchup last season, Pikeville edged out Campbellsville at home, 41-34. After the Tigers took and early lead in the game, the Bears rallied to take the lead just before halftime and they never looked back. Campbellsville pulled within seven points with less than two minutes to go in the game, but the Tiger rally fell short as Pikeville moved to 2-0 on the year and Campbellsville dropped to 0-2.
 
The Tigers have a slight edge on the Bears in the all-time series with a record of 7-6 all-time. However, in games played at Campbellsville, the Bears have won five of the seven matchups. Pikeville has also won three of the last four matchups between the two programs.
 
This season, the Campbellsville football program embarks on its 30th year since the programs reinstatement in 1987. Overall, the Tigers have compiled a record of 147-163-1. In home games, Campbellsville is 78-74-1 all-time. During its first 29 years of action, the Tigers have won four Mid-South Conference championships, has appeared in the NAIA Football Championship Series four times and won the 2011 NCCAA Victory Bowl.
 
Campbellsville has also produced five NAIA First Team All-Americans, five second-team honorees and 11 honorable mentions. A total of 49 student-athletes have earned Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete designations. Within the MSC, 107 individuals earned First Team All-MSC honors, 87 were named to the second team, 130 were recognized as honorable mentions and a total of 125 student-athletes garner All-MSC Academic accolades.
  
 
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