​JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — ETSU quarterback Mason Mims delivered a record-setting performance in his first collegiate start, but the Buccaneers could not overcome costly mistakes in a 49-37 season-opening loss to Campbell on Saturday night.The Bucs piled up 528 yards of total offense but struggled to slow down the Camels and committed two costly fourth-quarter turnovers as they opened the 2026 season 0-1.“Disappointed, frustrated. I don’t know how many adjectives I have for us to lay an egg like we did in certain situations,” ETSU head coach Will Healy said. “We were just really inconsistent today. When we had chances to get off the field on defense, we didn’t do it.”Mims provided a bright spot in his first college start. The Louisville transfer completed 33 of 41 passes for 373 yards and two touchdowns, breaking ETSU’s single-game record for completions. His 373 passing yards also ranked fifth in program history.“I was just very excited to be able to play football again, just be able to go out there and compete with my brothers,” Mims said. “I wasn’t really nervous. I was more anxious. I was just ready to go.”ETSU took its first lead of the season in the second quarter behind rushing touchdowns from TJ Peyton and Jason Albritton, but Campbell answered with two scores before halftime to take a 28-24 advantage into the break.The Camels extended their lead to 42-24 early in the fourth quarter after an ETSU fumble was returned to the 1-yard line. The Bucs responded with 13 unanswered points, including a touchdown pass from Mims to Brandon Winton, to cut the deficit to five.Campbell quarterback Kamden Sixkiller ultimately put the game away with a touchdown run in the final two minutes. Sixkiller also threw for 343 yards in the win.Despite the loss, Healy came away encouraged by what he saw from his young quarterback.“I was very proud of our freshman quarterback. I think he’s got a chance to be really good,” Healy said. “My plan was to not drop back and throw it 41 times with him, but we got into a situation where we were playing catch-up, and we made it hard on ourselves.”ETSU will look for its first win of the season when it hosts Tusculum on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. at Greene Stadium.Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather.