• OVC Football Report - October 8 (PDF)
This Week’s Schedule
Saturday, October 13
*Jacksonville State at Eastern Illinois, 1:30 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)
*Austin Peay at #23 Eastern Kentucky, 2:00 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)
*UT Martin at Murray State, 3:00 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)
*#18 Tennessee State at Southeast Missouri, 6:00 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)
This Week’s OVC Highlights/Storylines
In a matchup of nationally-ranked teams, Tennessee State improved to 6-0 on the season with a 23-20 victory over Eastern Kentucky on Saturday...The Tigers used a quarterback sneak by Michael German with eight seconds left to win the game and claim sole possession first place in the OVC...It is the first time that TSU has been 6-0 since the 2001 season; it marks the first OVC team to start the year 6-0 since Jacksonville State began the 2010 season 8-0...Tennessee State is one of just four teams at the FCS level to be 6-0 on the season and are one of just two teams (Lehigh being the other) to have six victories over Division I scholarship teams this season...With the loss EKU is now 2-1 in Conference play, making them one of five teams with a 2-1 league mark (the others are UT Martin, Jacksonville State, Eastern Illinois and Murray State)...Tennessee State went from unranked to 18th in the Sports Network Top 25 and are up from 24th to 20th in the FCS Coaches Poll; EKU is the only other OVC team to be ranked (coming in at 23rd in both polls)...It is the highest ranking for TSU since also being 18th in the 2008 season...Murray State quarterback Casey Brockman was named National Co-Offensive Player of the Week after throwing for 455 yards and five touchdowns in a win over Austin Peay; in the process Brockman broke the OVC career mark for completions (793)...EIU wide receiver Erik Lora continues to lead the FCS in receptions (12.0/game) and receiving yards/game (166.83); Lora has had six-straight 100-yard receiving games, which established a new OVC record...The OVC is the only FCS Conference with three wide receivers in the Top 10 in receiving yards/game...This week’s schedule includes Tennessee State at Southeast Missouri, UT Martin at Murray State, Austin Peay at Eastern Kentucky and Jacksonville State at Eastern Illinois.
adidas® OVC Players of the Week
OFFENSIVE
Casey Brockman, QB • Sr., 6-2, 215 • Murray, Ky. • Murray State
Brockman threw as many touchdown passes (5) as he had incompletions (5) in Murray State’s 52-14 road victory over Austin Peay on Saturday night. The senior completed 38-of-43 passes for 455 yards and in the process began the OVC’s all-time leader in completions (793), breaking the mark of 774 previously held by Morehead State’s Chris Swartz (1987-90). The 793 completions are the most among any active FCS player. Brockman also became the Murray State all-time leader in touchdown passes (55). He started the game by completing 17-straight passes and has now thrown 204 passes without an interception. Brockman has thrown for 300 or more yards in five-straight games (including three games in that stretch over 400 yards). Brockman currently ranks first nationally in completions (35.67/game), third in total offense (356.5 yards/game) and fourth in passing yards/game (355.67).
Others Nominated: Jimmy Garoppolo, Eastern Illinois; Marques Ivory, Jacksonville State; Michael German, Tennessee State; Derek Carr, UT Martin.
DEFENSIVE
Nick Thrasher, LB • So., 6-2, 240 • Morrow, Ga. • Tennessee State
Thrasher had a game-high 12 tackles, including nine solo stops, and a key sack as No. 24 Tennessee State improved to 6-0 on the season with a 23-20 come-from-behind victory over No. 16 Eastern Kentucky on Saturday afternoon. With the Tigers trailing by four points late in the fourth quarter, Thrasher sacked EKU quarterback T.J. Pryor on a 3rd and 6 at the TSU 29-yard line and the Colonels were unable to convert on fourth down, setting up TSU for the game-winning drive (which covered 68 yards on 13 plays).
Others Nominated: Brenton Tolson, Jacksonville State; T-Ray Malone, Murray State; Ben Johnson, UT Martin.
SPECIALIST
Kevin Barfield, KR/WR • Jr., 5-9, 167 • Memphis, Tenn. • UT Martin
Barfield set the tone in UT Martin’s 51-37 victory over Eastern Illinois on Saturday, taking the opening kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown in putting the Skyhawks ahead for good just 13 seconds into the game. It marked the 13th-longest kickoff return of the season in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Barfield finished the game with 161 all-purpose yards, 118 on kickoff returns and 43 receiving yards on five receptions (including a 29-yard touchdown in the first quarter).
Others Nominated: Ben Campbell, Austin Peay; Griffin Thomas, Jacksonville State; Jamin Godfrey, Tennessee State.
NEWCOMER
Telvin Brown, WR/RS • Fr., 5-9, 161 • Carrollton, Ga. • Jacksonville State
Brown had 275 all-purpose yards in Jacksonville State’s 37-28 come-from-behind victory at Tennessee Tech on Saturday. Brown caught two passes for 98 yards, including an 86-yard touchdown with 1:06 to play in the third quarter that gave the Gamecocks a 30-28 lead, its first of the night. The 86-yard receiving touchdown was the longest under 13th-year head coach Jack Crowe and third-longest in JSU school history; it was the sixth-longest reception in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) in 2012. As a return specialist Brown had four kickoff returns for 144 yards (including a long of 72 yards) and four punt returns for 29 yards; he also added a rush attempt for four yards as the JSU team accounted for 566 yards of total offense on the night.
Others Nominated: Reco Williams, Austin Peay; Jourdan Wickliffe, Eastern Illinois; Dontel Watkins, Murray State; A.C. Leonard, Tennessee State; William Dillard, Tennessee Tech; Jeremy Butler, UT Martin.
Notes From Around the Gridiron
Tennessee State One of Nine Unbeaten at FCS Level: Entering this week Tennessee State is one of just nine (9) teams from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) to be undefeated and one of just four FCS schools who enter the week with a 6-0 record. Among those four teams Tennessee State and Lehigh are the only 6-0 teams who have beaten six Division I scholarship programs to begin the season. Here is a look at the unbeaten teams:
6-0: Alabama A&M, Lehigh, Montana State,
Tennessee State
5-0: Cal Poly, North Dakota State, Old Dominion, Wofford
4-0: Harvard
EIU’s Garoppolo Added to Walter Payton Award Watch List Joining Murray State’s Brockman and EKU’s Denham: Eastern Illinois junior quarterback
Jimmy Garoppolo has been added to the Walter Payton Award Watch List by the Sports Network. He joins two other OVC players on the list, Murray State senior quarterback
Casey Brockman and Eastern Kentucky senior running back
Matt Denham, who were each on the preseason list. The trio are three of the 20 total players nationwide on the list. The Walter Payton Award was established in 1987 and is presented annually to the most outstanding college football player on the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level. The Watch List can undergo revision during the season. Ballots will be sent to a panel of about 175 sports information/media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries following the regular season on Nov. 19. The top three vote-getters will be invited to The Sports Network FCS Awards Presentation. The only former OVC player to win the award is former Eastern Illinois quarterback Tony Romo who took home the honor in 2002.
TSU’s Hooks Named to Jerry Rice Award Watch List: Tennessee State redshirt freshman running back
Telvin Hooks is one of 16 players named to the initial Jerry Rice Award Watch List by the Sports Network. The award, which was established in 2011, is given to the top freshman in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The Rice Award, named for the legendary wide receiver, who played in the FCS (then Division I-AA) at Mississippi Valley State, will be voted on by a national panel of sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries following the regular season. The list will grow to 20 finalists by then.
Brockman Named National Player of the Week by Sports Network (Oct. 8): Murray State senior quarterback Casey Brockman was named National Co-Offensive Player of the Week by the Sports Network after throwing for as many touchdown passes (5) as incompletions (5) in the Racers 52-14 road win over Austin Peay. Brockman completed 38-of-43 passes for 455 yards and in the process set the OVC career completions record and become MSU’s all-time leader in touchdown passes. It marks the fifth time in his career he has been named National Player of the Week by either the Sports Network or College Sporting News.
The League of Extraordinary Wide Receivers: Through six weeks of the season the OVC is showcasing what can be considered the best collection of wide receivers in the nation. Currently OVC wideouts rank first (Eastern Illinois’
Erik Lora), fifth (Murray State’s
Walter Powell) and ninth (Tennessee Tech’s
Da’Rick Rogers) in receiving yards/game giving the OVC three of the top 10 receivers nationally; no other conference has more than one individual in the top 10 nationally. For receptions in a single game in 2012, the OVC has five individuals in the Top 10, including the first (Lora, 21), second (Rogers, 18), third (Lora, 17) and two performances tied for eighth (Lora and Powell with 13 apiece); no other conference nationally has more than two individuals in the Top 10 for receptions in a game. Lora and Powell currently rank first (12.0) and third (10.0) nationally in receptions/game.
Trio of OVC Quarterbacks Among Nation’s Elite: While OVC wide receivers are putting up extraordinary numbers, they have to have somebody throwing them the ball, and the league has several of the top quarterbacks nationally. The OVC currently has three quarterbacks in the top nine nationally in passing yards/game, as Eastern Illinois’
Jimmy Garoppolo ranks second (375.83 yards/game), Murray State’s
Casey Brockman is fourth (355.67 yards/game) and Tennessee Tech’s
Tre Lamb is ninth (264.83 yards/game). The OVC is the only conference nationally with three quarterbacks in the Top 10 nationally in passing yards/game.
Lora Sets OVC Record for Consecutive 100-Yard Receiving Games: Eastern Illinois wide receiver
Erik Lora has started the 2012 season by gaining 100 or more receiving yards in each of his first six games. The six-straight 100-yard receiving games broke the previous OVC record of five held by Southeast Missouri’s Willie Ponder (Ponder accomplished the feat twice, both in the 2001 season and at the end of the 2001 season continuing over to the beginning of the 2002 season). In the last 12 years in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), only two players have had streaks longer than Lora, as Gramblings’s Tramon Douglas (2002) and Elon’s Aaron Mellette each had seven-straight games with 100-plus receiving yards.
An Offense Explosion: OVC teams have put up a lot of points the past three weekends (Sept. 22, 29 and Oct. 6), with nine teams scoring 40 or more points in those weeks. That included a 70-point outing by Murray State on Sept. 29 (the 6th most points in a FCS game this season) and a 65-point effort by Eastern Illinois on Sept. 29 (the 13th most points in a FCS game this year). In the four Conference games on Sept. 22, eight OVC teams combined to score 287 points and account for 3,641 yards of total offense. That night saw three teams score 49 or more points, as Eastern Kentucky scored 51, Eastern Illinois scored 50 and Murray State scored 49 points. It is the most combined points in Conference games since the league went from 10 to nine teams in 2007. So far through six weeks this season OVC teams have scored 40 or more points in a game 13 different times.
Taking a Defensive Stand: While there has been a lot of offense in the OVC this season, Tennessee State has been one of the teams stingy on defense. The Tigers currently rank eighth nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 14.5 points/game. So far this season TSU and Bucknell are the only teams in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) to not give up more than 20 points in a game (TSU gave up exactly 20 points against Eastern Kentucky on Oct. 6). There are only five teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) that have also not given up 20 or more points in a game (Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, Notre Dame and Utah State).
OVC Teams in the Top 25: Entering Week 7 of the season Tennessee State is now the highest-ranked OVC team, coming in at No. 18 in the Sports Network poll and No. 20 in the FCS Coaches Poll. The Tigers are off to a 6-0 start and are fresh off a victory over nationally-ranked Eastern Kentucky. It is the highest ranking for TSU since being ranked 18th on Nov. 10, 2008. Following its loss to Tennessee State, EKU dropped to 23rd in both national polls. Jacksonville State and UT Martin also each receiving votes in both the Sports Network and FCS Coaches polls while Tennessee Tech is also receiving votes in the Sports Network poll.
Three OVC Players Earn Honors From College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) For Week No. 6: Three OVC players earned National Positional Player of the Week honors from the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) following week six of the season. Murray State quarterback Casey Brockman was named National Quarterback of the Week after completing 38-of-43 passes for 455 yards and five touchdowns in a win over Austin Peay. UT Martin return specialist Kevin Barfield was named National Kickoff Returner of the Week after returning the opening kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown and finishing the game with 161 all-purpose yards and a receiving touchdown. Jacksonville State wide receiver and return specialist was named National All-Purpose Performer of the Week after registering 275 all-purpose yards in a win at Tennessee Tech, including an 86-yard receiving touchdown and 144 yards in kickoff returns. The goal of CFPA is to provide the most scientifically rigorous conferments in college football. Recipients are selected exclusively based upon objective scientific rankings of the extent to which individual players increase the overall effectiveness of their teams.
NCAA Stats Leaders: In the latest set of NCAA statistical leaders, Eastern Illinois wide receiver
Erik Lora is first nationally in receptions/game (12.0), receiving yards/game (166.83) and total receiving yards (1,001) and seventh in all-purpose yards (172.5/game). Murray State wide receiver
Walter Powell is third in receptions (10.0/game), fifth in total receiving yards (716), fifth in all-purpose yards (176.67/game) and fifth in receiving yards/game (119.33). Tennessee Tech wide receiver
Da’Rick Rogers is sixth in total receiving yards (640) and ninth in receiving yards/game (106.67). Eastern Illinois quarterback
Jimmy Garoppolo is second nationally in total offense (378.17 yards/game), total passing yards (2,255), passing yards/game (375.83) and points responsible for (23.33/game) and fifth in completions/game (29.5). Murray State quarterback
Casey Brockman is first nationally in completions (35.67/game), third in total offense (356.5 yards/game), fourth in total passing yards (2,134) and fourth in passing yards/game (355.67). Tennessee Tech quarterback
Tre Lamb is seventh in total passing yards (1,589) and ninth in passing yards/game (264.83). Eastern Kentucky running back
Matt Denham is ninth in rushing (126.67 yards/game) while his teammate
T.J. Pryor is seventh nationally in passing efficiency (161.38). UT Martin wide receiver
Quentin Sims is eighth in receptions/game (7.50), while teammate
Kevin Barfield is fifth in kickoff returns (33.91 yards/return) and teammate
Jason McNair is ninth in punt returns (13.67 yards/return). UT Martin linebacker
Ben Johnson is fifth in tackles/game (12.17), while Southeast Missouri’s
Blake Peiffer is ninth (11.20) in that category. Southeast Missouri’s
Tylor Brock is fifth in interceptions (06.0/game) while teammate
Drew Geldbach is sixth in field goals (1.60/game). In the team rankings Eastern Illinois is second nationally in total offense (538.33 yards/game), third in passing offense (405.17 yards/game), third in scoring offense (45.5 points/game), fifth in fumbles recovered (9) and seventh in red zone offense (93%). Murray State ranks fifth in passing offense (366.5 yards/game). Tennessee State ranks fourth in red zone defense (61%), eighth in scoring defense (14.5 points/game) and 10th in turnovers gained (15). Southeast Missouri ranks third in interceptions thrown (1), fifth in fewest yards penalized/game (31.20 yards/game), sixth in passes intercepted (10) and turnovers gained (16), seventh in fewest penalties/game (4.2) and 10th in turnover margin (+1.40/game). UT Martin ranks fifth in kickoff returns (26.65 yards/return), eighth in fumbles recovered (8) and ninth in kickoff return yardage defense (15.32 yards/return). Eastern Kentucky ranks sixth in time of possession (33:39) and ninth in rushing defense (97.67 yards/game) while Jacksonville State ranks seventh in fumbles lost (2) and ninth in punt return yardage defense (2.67 yards/return).
Attendance Figures: Tennessee State played in front of 42,257 fans on Sept. 8 against Jackson State in the Liberty Bowl in Memphis. That is the most fans to see a FCS game so far in the 2012 season. In average home attendance Jacksonville State ranks ninth nationally in average attendance, averaging 17,918 fans for two home games while Tennessee State ranks 10th nationally averaging 17,890 for four home games.
TTU’s Vanlier Sets OVC Kick Return Attempts Record: Tennessee Tech freshman
Ladarius Vanlier set the OVC record with 11 kickoff returns in a Sept. 29 game at Murray State. The 11 returns were one off the NCAA record. Vanlier ended that game with 237 yards of kick return offense (13 yards shy of the OVC record) including a 94-yard touchdown.
Lora Establishes OVC Single-Game Receptions Record: Eastern Illinois redshirt junior wide receiver
Erik Lora broke one of the oldest standing records in the OVC record book on Sept. 22 when he caught 21 passes in the Panthers 50-49 overtime victory over Murray State. The record was previously 20 set by Austin Peay’s Harold Roberts against Murray State in the 1969 season. The 21 catches are the fourth-most in a single game in Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) history (the record is 24 by Mississippi Valley State’s Jerry Rice and Brown’s Chas Gessner). The 21 catches are the most by a player at any level of NCAA football this season.
Murray State Ties OVC Record for Points in a Half: With 49 points in the first half against Tennessee Tech on Sept. 29, Murray State tied the OVC record for most points in a half of football. The output tied the mark also set by UT Martin in the first half against Murray State on Nov. 10, 2007 and by Eastern Kentucky in the first half against Tennessee Tech on Nov. 7, 1981.
Eastern Illinois/Murray State Set NCAA Record for Combined Plays: In its Sept. 22 game, Eastern Illinois and Murray State combined for 210 plays which shattered the previous NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) record of 196 plays set by Villanova and UConn in 1989. Eastern Illinois won the game 50-49 in overtime.
Murray State Sets OVC Record for Total Plays: In its Sept. 22 game at Eastern Illinois, Murray State set a new OVC record for total plays by one team, running 110 plays and breaking the previous mark of 106 set by Eastern Illinois the previous week against Illinois State.
Spann Ties OVC Record With 100-Yard Interception Return: Southeast Missouri State senior safety
Branden Spann intercepted a pass against Tennessee Tech on Sept. 22 and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown. The interception return tied the OVC record also held by
Ray Oldham of Middle Tennessee (1970),
George Floyd of Eastern Kentucky (1980) and
Eddie Calvin of Southeast Missouri (2007). Spann is one of 39 all-time players in NCAA FCS history to return an interception 100 yards for a score.
OVC Announces Six-Game TV Deal with FOX College Sports: The OVC has announced a six-game football television package that will air on FOX College Sports (FCS) this fall. The six-game schedule will feature each of the nine OVC football-playing institutions at least once during the season and started with a Sept. 29 contest between Eastern Kentucky and UT Martin. Other games in the package include Tennessee State at Jacksonville State (Oct. 20), Eastern Illinois at Eastern Kentucky (Oct. 27), Tennessee State at Murray State (Nov. 3), Southeast Missouri at Eastern Illinois (Nov. 10) and Tennessee Tech at Austin Peay (Nov. 17). Each game will kick off at 11 a.m. CT. Kevin Ingram, host of “The Wake Up Zone” on 104.5 The Zone in Nashville, will handle play-by-play duties while and Bob Belvin, host of “The Team” on Sports Radio 540 The Fan in Clarksville, will provide analysis. FOX College Sports (FCS) is a set of three national college sports Networks, FCS Atlantic, FCS Central and FCS Pacific, providing 72-hours of college sports programming each day. FCS is available on most major TV providers including AT&T U-verse, Charter, Comcast, DirecTV, Time Warner Cable and Verizon FiOS. For complete TV provider information and availability log onto
http://fcs.channelfinder.net/start.asp. The games will also air on a delayed basis each week at 10 p.m. CT on FOX Sports South.
OVC Teams Versus FBS Foes: OVC schools will play 11 games against teams from the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) this season. In week one of the season UT Martin topped Memphis 20-17 in the Liberty Bowl as Cody Sandlin hit a 43-yard field goal with four seconds remaining. It marked the first-ever win over an FBS team for UT Martin and the first loss for Memphis against an FCS foe in 23 years. It was the first OVC win over an FBS team since the 2010 season when Jacksonville State topped Ole Miss in double overtime. Overall OVC teams are 19-158-1 all-time against FBS foes. Below is a listing of the current OVC schools and wins over FBS schools while a member of the league. Five of the wins over FBS teams for OVC teams have been accomplished by teams no longer in the OVC (Akron, Middle Tennessee, Morehead State and Youngstown State - twice) and are not listed below.
1979 - Eastern Kentucky vs. Kent State (W, 17-14)
1979 - Eastern Kentucky vs. Cal State Fullerton (W, 33-17)
1980 - Eastern Kentucky vs. East Carolina (W, 28-16)
1980 - Murray State vs. Louisville (W, 13-9)
1984 - Austin Peay vs. Central Florida (W, 24-21)
1984 - Murray State vs. Louisville (W, 26-23)
1985 - Eastern Kentucky vs. Louisville (W, 45-21)
1987 - Austin Peay vs. Kansas State (W, 25-22)
1996 - Eastern Illinois vs. Western Michigan (W, 28-20)
1998 - Eastern Illinois vs. Northern Illinois (W, 24-10)
2002 - Southeast Missouri vs. Middle Tennessee (W, 24-14)
2004 - Eastern Illinois vs. Eastern Michigan (W, 31-28)
2010 - Jacksonville State vs. Ole Miss (W, 49-48, 2OT)
2012 - UT Martin vs. Memphis (W, 20-17)
FCS over FBS: Including UT Martin’s win against Memphis in Week 1 of the 2012 season, four Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) teams topped Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams. Other FCS teams to win included Eastern Washington (Idaho), McNeese State (Middle Tennessee) and Youngstown State (Pitt). Week two of the season saw four more FCS schools (Illinois State over Eastern Michigan, North Dakota State over Minnesota, Northern Arizona over UNLV and Sacramento State over Colorado) win games against FBS schools, while Cal Poly made it nine teams with a win over Wyoming in Week 3 and Stony Brook made it 10 teams with a win over Army in Week 5.
Southeast Missouri’s Peiffer on Buck Buchanan Watch List: Southeast Missouri State senior linebacker
Blake Peiffer was one of 20 players on the initial Buck Buchanan Award Watch List as determined by the Sports Network and also appeared on the updated list in October. The Buck Buchanan Award was established in 1995 and is given to the top defensive player at the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level. The Watch List can undergo revision during the season. Ballots will be sent to a panel of about 175 sports information/media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries following the regular season on Nov. 19. The winner will be announced at the annual Sports Network FCS Awards Presentation. An OVC player has never won the Buck Buchanan Award.
Sgt. York Trophy Enters Sixth Season in 2012: The Sgt. York Trophy is a challenge trophy which goes to the annual winner of the quadrangular season series between the four football-playing OVC institutions in the state of Tennessee (Austin Peay, Tennessee State and Tennessee Tech and UT Martin). In July 2007, the Nashville Sports Council and the OVC announced the creation of the trophy, which is only the second traveling trophy involving more than two schools nationwide (the other is the Commander in Chief’s Trophy). It is named after Sgt. Alvin C. York, a native of Pall Mall, Tenn. and a Soldier who was one of the most honored of World War I. He received the Congressional Medal of Honor after the war and returned to his home state to dedicate his life to improving education and facilitating educational opportunities for children in the state of Tennessee. The trophy goes to the team with the best record against the other schools (in case of a tie there will be co-champions and the actual trophy will be retained by the defending champion if they are involved in the tie or if the defending champion is not involved in the tie it will go to the institution that has gone the most seasons without winning the trophy). In 2007 Tennessee State and Austin Peay finished in a tie for the trophy with identical 2-1 records; both shared the award but Tennessee State went home with the hardware due to a 1-point win in the head-to-head meeting during the season (that was the tiebreaker used only for the first year of the trophy series). Tennessee State went 3-0 in Sgt. York play in 2008 to claim its second trophy. In 2009 Tennessee Tech claimed the trophy after going undefeated in Sgt. York games and a year ago UT Martin became the third-straight OVC team to go 3-0 and win the trophy in claiming its first title. Last year Tennessee Tech and Tennessee State each finished 2-1 in Sgt. York play this season to share the trophy; Tennessee State, however, took home the actual trophy by a tiebreaker, since they had gone longer without possessing the trophy (TSU last won in 2008 while TTU won in 2009). The trophy is presented at the Pepsi Celebration of Champions hosted by the Nashville Sports Council in the spring.
Two OVC Football Student-Athletes Named Semifinalists for William V. Campbell Trophy: Two OVC student-athletes, Austin Peay running back
Wesley Kitts and Eastern Kentucky offensive lineman
Patrick Ford, are among the 147 semifinalist named for the 2012 William V. Campbell Trophy, endowed by HealthSouth, which recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation. The list was announced by the National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame and are part of the 2012 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, presented by Fidelity Investments®, a leading provider of not-for-profit workplace retirement savings plans in higher education. Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates for the awards must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player or significant contributor, and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. The class is selected each year by the NFF Awards Committee, which is comprised of a nationally recognized group of media, College Football Hall of Famers and athletics administrators. The NFF Awards Committee will select up to 16 recipients, and the results will be announced via a national press release on Thursday, October 25. Each recipient will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship, and they will vie as finalists for the 2012 William V. Campbell Trophy. Each member of the 2012 National Scholar-Athlete Class will also travel to New York City to be honored December 4 during the 55th NFF Annual Awards Dinner at the Waldorf=Astoria where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports. One member of the class will also be announced live at the event as the winner of the Campbell Trophy.
NCAA Division I Playoff Information: This season marks the third of the expanded 20-team playoff field. Two years ago the field was expanded from 16 to 20 teams, marking the first expansion since the field grew from 12 to 16 teams in 1997. The eight lowest-rated teams will play in first round games while the 12-highest rated teams will receive a bye into the second round. For the third-straight year the championship game will be played in Frisco, Texas at FC Dallas Stadium. The Southland Conference will serve as the host of the championship, which will be held on Saturday, January 5. The playoff field will be announced on Sunday, Nov. 18. It was announced in August 2012 that the field would once again expand, this time to 24 teams beginning in the 2013 season. With the expansion will come an automatic bid for the Pioneer League, giving the playoffs 11 automatic bids and 13 at-large selections.
Vanlier Named National Specialist of the Week by Sports Network (Oct. 1): Tennessee Tech freshman
Ladarius Vanlier was named National Specialist of the Week by the Sports Network after netting 291 all-purpose yards, the fourth-most in school history, in a loss at Murray State on Sept. 29. Vanlier returned an OVC record 11 kickoffs (just one shy of the NCAA all-time mark) for 237 yards (13 yards shy of the OVC record), including a 94-yard touchdown in the second quarter (the sixth-longest in school history). He also returned a punt 30 yards and caught four passes for 24 yards to account for his 291 all-purpose yards.
Four OVC Players Earn Honors From College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) For Week No. 5; Garoppolo Named National Performer of the Week for Second Time This Season: Eastern Illinois quarterback
Jimmy Garoppolo was named the National Performer of the Week by the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) after throwing for 453 yards and five touchdowns and rushing for another score in his team’s 65-15 victory over Austin Peay. It marks the second time this season he has been named National Performer of the Week (he also earned the honor in week one). Garoppolo was also named National Quarterback of the Week. In addition Eastern Kentucky’s
Tyrone Goard was named National Wide Receiver of the Week after catching four touchdowns in his team’s come-from-behind win over UT Martin. Murray State return specialist
Walter Powell was named National Punt Returner of the Week after returning a punt 70 yards for a touchdown. Tennessee Tech freshman return specialist
Ladarius Vanlier was named National Kick Returner of the Week after netting 237 yards on an OVC record 11 kickoff returns. In addition to this group six other OVC players earned honorable mention honors for the week.
Lora Named National Player of the Week by Sports Network, National All-Star of the Week by College Sporting News and National Player of the Week by College Sports Journal (Sept. 24): After catching an OVC record 21 passes for 269 yards and three touchdowns and also throwing the winning two-point conversion pass to lift his team to a 50-49 overtime win over Murray State, Eastern Illinois redshirt junior wide receiver
Erik Lora was named National Co-Player of the Week by the Sports Network, National All-Star of the Week by the College Sporting News and National Player of the Week by College Sports Journal on Sept. 24. Lora broke a 43-year old OVC record by catching the 21 passes; the mark is the fourth-most catches in FCS single-game history (just three off the all-time record). Lora had 13 catches for 172 yards and three touchdowns in the first quarter of that game.
Rogers, Ceniza and Benton Earn National Positional Honors From College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) For Week No. 4: Four OVC players earned National Positional Player of the Week honors from the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) following week four of the season. Tennessee Tech’s
Da’Rick Rogers was named National Wide Receiver of the Week, Eastern Kentucky’s
Cejay Ceniza was named National Defensive Back of the Week and Murray State’s
Jordan Benton was named National Placekicker of the Week. Rogers caught 18 passes for 303 yards and two touchdowns, Ceniza forced three turnovers including returning an interception 84 yards for a touchdown and Benton was a perfect 5-of-5 on field goals and 4-of-4 on PATs. In addition to those players 14 other OVC players earned honorable mention honors for the week.
Smith Named National Defensive All-Star of the Week (Sept. 10): Jacksonville State junior linebacker
Rashad Smith was named the National Defensive All-Star of the Week by the College Sporting News following his performance against Chattanooga on Sept. 8. Smith had a career-high 15 tackles (11 solo stops) in the team’s 27-24 victory over the Mocs. He also forced a fumble that teammate Pierre Warren recovered and returned 75 yards for a touchdown.
Huzzie Named National Linebacker of the Week From College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) For Week No. 2: Murray State junior
Qua Huzzie was named the National Linebacker of the Week from the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) after registering nine tackles, four tackles-for-loss and his first career interception against nationally-ranked Central Arkansas. In addition to Huzzie seven other OVC players earned honorable mention honors for the week.
Garoppolo and Fox Earn National Player of the Week Honors From College Sports Journal (Sept. 5): Eastern Illinois quarterback
Jimmy Garoppolo and Eastern Kentucky defensive back
Brooklyn Fox earned National Player of the Week honors from College Sports Journal for their performances in Week 1 of the season. Garoppolo completed 32-of-49 passes for a career-high 369 yards and five touchdowns in the 49-28 victory while Fox intercepted two passes and recovered a fumble in a loss to FBS Purdue.
Garoppolo Named National All-Star By College Sporting News (Sept. 3): Eastern Illinois junior quarterback
Jimmy Garoppolo was named a National All-Star by College Sporting News after his performance in Week 1 of the season against Southern Illinois. Garoppolo completed 32-of-49 passes for a career-high 369 yards and five touchdowns in the 49-28 victory.
Five OVC Players Earns Honors From College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) For Week No. 1; Garoppolo Named National Performer of the Week: Eastern Illinois quarterback
Jimmy Garoppolo was named the National Performer of the Week by the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) after throwing for 369 yards and five touchdowns in EIU’s win over Southern Illinois. Garoppolo was also named one of the organization’s National Quarterbacks of the Week, sharing the honor with Tennessee Tech’s
Tre Lamb, who threw for 339 yards and four touchdowns in a win over Hampton. Eastern Illinois wide receiver
Erik Lora was named National Wide Receiver of the Week after catching 13 passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns. Among the other wideouts sharing the award is Jacksonville State’s
Alan Bonner who had eight catches for 107 yards and a touchdown against No. 10 Arkansas. Eastern Kentucky defensive back
Brooklyn Fox was named National Defensive Back of the Week after picking off two passes and recovering a fumble in the Colonels game at Purdue. In addition to this group seven other OVC players earned honorable mention honors for the week.
A Look at the Coaches: Eight of the nine head coaches from last season return to their schools in the Ohio Valley Conference this season. The only newcomer is Eastern Illinois head coach Dino Babers, who took over for Bob Spoo who retired following a 25-year career at the school. Babers was most recently the special teams coordinator and wide receivers coach at Baylor. Jacksonville State’s
Jack Crowe is the longest tenured coach in the league (in his 13th season at JSU). Two OVC coaches, Austin Peay’s
Rick Christophel and Tennessee State’s
Rod Reed, are currently coaching at their alma maters.
Preseason Forecasts: For the 12th time in the last 25 years (and first time since 2009), Eastern Kentucky was picked as the preseason favorite in the Ohio Valley Conference football race. The Colonels picked up 12 of the 18 possible first-place votes (124 points) while second-place Jacksonville State received the other six first-place votes (117). The poll was rounded out by Murray State (85 points), Tennessee Tech (83), Tennessee State (69), UT Martin (67), Southeast Missouri (44), Eastern Illinois (42) and Austin Peay (17). Is being picked first in the preseason poll necessarily a good thing? In the past 34 years of preseason polls (all that were available), the preseason predicted champion has only gone on to win the OVC Championship 13 times (38.2%). After eight years of not picking the champion right (2003-2010), last season the preseason poll and actual champion (be it by a three-way tie) were the same.
Murray State’s Brockman, Southeast Missouri’s Peiffer Headline Preseason All-OVC Team: Murray State senior quarterback
Casey Brockman was named 2012 Ohio Valley Conference Preseason Offensive Player of the Year while Southeast Missouri State senior linebacker
Blake Peiffer was tabbed OVC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year in a vote of by the league’s head football coaches and sports information directors. Eastern Kentucky led the way with 10 selections on the preseason team while Murray State, Tennessee State and Tennessee Tech had three picks apiece. Returning players who were first-team All-OVC selections last season (13 in total) were automatic selections to the preseason team this year. The squad also included nine players who were second-team selections in 2011. Of the 26 total selections, 18 were seniors, six were juniors and two were sophomores.
NFL Connections: As of October 1, there are 13 former Ohio Valley Conference players are on NFL rosters (8 active players, 4 practice squad players and 1 on IR). Those players include former Eastern Illinois standout Tony Romo, a three-time Pro Bowl pick, Cortland Finnegan (Samford), who has been a Pro Bowl defensive back selection and Tennessee State’s Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who was a starter for the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, has been a Pro Bowl selection and is now in his first season with the Philadelphia Eagles. Seven of the nine current OVC football schools have at least one player in the NFL with Eastern Kentucky and Southeast Missouri leading the way with two active players apiece.
I-AA No More: Although some people may accidentally still refer to it as I-AA football, the term that represents the level of Division I football in which the Ohio Valley Conference competes has been retired. Beginning with the 2006 National Championship game, the term Football Championship Subdivision (or FCS) is to be used. FCS is the only Division I football rank to host a NCAA-sponsored national championship (one of 89 championships the NCAA sponsors). The division formerly known as I-A was changed to Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and those teams compete for the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) national championship. Teams who play at the FCS level can offer a maximum of 63 scholarships (FBS teams can offer 85) and compete in a 20-team playoff at the end of the season to determine the national champion.
OVC Digital Network: The OVC launched the OVC Digital Network (OVCDN) in August 2012. The OVCDN is the exclusive home for live web streamed athletic contests involving OVC schools. This marks the seventh year the OVC has streamed live events, but first time the events will be offered free of charge and in an HD format and will feature improved quality thanks to an investment in new equipment conference-wide. Fans will also find it easier to log onto
OVCDigitalNetwork.com and access the streams and can do so without any registration. The events will be available on any computer, tablet or smart phone without needing any special downloads or apps thanks new streaming technology.