Ohio Valley Conference

• OVC Football Report - September 3 (PDF)

This Week’s Schedule

Thursday, September 6
North Greenville at Tennessee Tech, 7:00 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)

Saturday, September 8
Austin Peay at #16 Virginia Tech, 12:30 p.m. (ESPN3)
Morehead State at #21 Eastern Kentucky, 5:00 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)
Eastern Illinois at Western Michigan, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN3)
Chattanooga at #24 Jacksonville State, 6:00 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)
Mars Hill College at Southeast Missouri, 6:00 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)
#20 Central Arkansas at Murray State, 6:00 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)
Tennessee State vs. Jackson State, 6:00 p.m. (Memphis, Tenn.)
UT Martin at Northern Illinois, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN3)

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adidas^® OVC Players of the Week
 
OFFENSIVE
Jimmy Garoppolo, QB • Jr., 6-3, 206 • Arlington Heights, Ill. • Eastern Illinois
Garoppolo became just the seventh Eastern Illinois quarterback to pass for five or more touchdowns in a game as the Panthers opened the season with a 49-28 win over rival Southern Illinois. The junior completed 32-of-49 passes for a career-high 369 yards and five touchdowns. Garoppolo threw touchdowns passes to four different receivers and the touchdowns went for 2, 14, 50, 11 and 31 yards. The five touchdowns moved him into fifth in EIU history (39) while the 369 passing yards were the 15th-best single-game effort in school history.
 
Others Nominated: Alan Bonner, Jacksonville State; Scott Lathrop, Southeast Missouri; Michael German, Tennessee State; Tre Lamb, Tennessee Tech; Jason McNair, UT Martin.
 
DEFENSIVE
Brooklyn Fox, DB • R-Sr., 6-4, 215 • Tulsa, Okla. • Eastern Kentucky
Fox intercepted two passes and recovered a fumble in Eastern Kentucky’s season-opening loss at Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) foe Purdue. The senior’s first interception came on the Boilermakers first drive of the game, picking off a pass at EKU’s own 34-yard line. Fox also picked off a pass at the EKU 30-yard line in the second quarter, returning it 46 yards to the Purdue 24-yard line. The fumble recovery came early in the fourth quarter, setting the Colonels up at the Purdue 20-yard line. Fox was the first EKU player to tally three turnovers in a game since 2009 (Patrick McClellan).
 
Others Nominated: DJ Bland, Eastern Illinois; Rashad Smith, Jacksonville State; George Neuhaus, Southeast Missouri; Nick Thrasher, Tennessee State; Marty Jones, Tennessee Tech; Chris Wright, UT Martin.
 
SPECIALIST
Cody Sandlin, K • Sr., 6-2, 180 • Goodlettsville, Tenn. • UT Martin
After missing his first two field goal attempts of the night, Sandlin was money when it mattered, converting two field goals in the final five minutes of the game to give UT Martin a 20-17 victory at Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) foe Memphis. The win was the first for the Skyhawks over a FBS opponent and just the 19th all-time win for an OVC team against the higher subdivision. With 4:52 to play Sandlin connected on a 26-yard attempt to give UTM a 17-10 advantage. His most important kick of the game came with four seconds remaining, as the senior connected from 43-yards out to break a 17-17 tie and give the Skyhawks the victory.
 
Others Nominated: Tavares Crawford, Eastern Illinois; Griffin Thomas, Jacksonville State, Steven Mix, Murray State; Joe Vucic, Southeast Missouri; Jamin Godfrey, Tennessee State; Zach Sharp, Tennessee Tech.
 
CO-NEWCOMER
Troymaine Pope, RB • Fr., 5-9, 198 • Anniston, Ala. • Jacksonville State
In his collegiate debut Pope carried the ball 14 times for 65 yards (4.6 yards/carry) and caught a 19-yard touchdown pass in Jacksonville State’s loss at No. 10 Arkansas. The touchdown catch came with 40 seconds to play in the first quarter and tied the game at seven against the high-powered Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) team. Pope had a long run of 23 yards in the contest and was the team’s leading rusher.
 
CO-NEWCOMER
Da’Rick Rogers, WR • Jr., 6-3, 205 • Calhoun, Ga. • Tennessee Tech
In his Tennessee Tech debut Rogers, the transfer from Tennessee who joined the team just days before the game, caught three passes for 75 yards, including a nine-yard touchdown with four seconds to play in the first half. That touchdown was setup by his 52-yard catch earlier in the same drive. The score put Tennessee Tech up 24-7 in a game it would go on to win 41-31.
 
Others Nominated: LeQuince McCall, Eastern Illinois; Darian Yahyavi, Murray State; Scott Lathrop, Southeast Missouri; A.C. Leonard, Tennessee State.


Notes From Around the Gridiron
 
OVC Teams Versus FBS Foes: OVC schools will play 11 games against teams from the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) this season, with six of those matchups coming in Week 1 of the 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 19-152-1 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).
 
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.
 
OVC Teams in the Top 25: In the latest set of Top 25 polls, Eastern Kentucky is ranked 21st in the Sports Network Poll and 25th in the FCS Coaches Poll. Jacksonville State is the only other OVC team ranked, coming in at 24th in the Sports Network poll.  Eastern Illinois, Murray State, Southeast Missouri, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech and UT Martin are all receiving votes in the Sports Network poll while Jacksonville State, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech and UT Martin are each receiving votes in the FCS Coaches Poll.
 
NCAA Stats Leaders: In the first set of NCAA statistical leaders Eastern Illinois quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo ranks first nationally in points responsible for (30.00/game), second in passing yards/game (369.0), third in total offense (366.0 yards/game), fourth in completions/game (32.0). EIU receiver Erik Lora ranks first nationally in receiving yards/game (151.0), second in receptions/game (13.0), ninth in points responsible for (18.0/game) and 15th in scoring (12.0/game). Tennessee Tech quarterback Tre Lamb is third nationally in points responsible for/game (24.0) and fifth in passing efficiency (187.65) and passing yards/game (339.0). TTU running back Adam Urbano is ninth in rushing (158.0 yards/game). Eastern Kentucky defensive back Brooklyn Fox is second in interceptions (2.0/game) while EIU defensive back DJ Bland is fourth in passes defended (3.0/game). In the team rankings Eastern Illinois ranks first nationally in fumbles recovered (4), turnovers gained (6), interceptions thrown (0) and fourth down conversion defense (0%), third in passing offense (433.0 yards/game) and fourth in kickoff returns (35.67 yards/return). Southeast Missouri ranks first nationally in turnovers lost (0), fumbles lost (0) and red zone offense (100%) and seventh in net punting (44.0 yards/punt). UT Martin ranks first nationally in sacks allowed (0) and fourth in punt return defense (-3.0 yards/game). Tennessee State ranks first nationally in  fourth down conversion percentage (100%).
 
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. 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.
 
Murray State’s Brockman, EKU’s Denham on Walter Payton Award Watch List: Murray State senior quarterback Casey Brockman and Eastern Kentucky senior running back Matt Denham are two of the 20 players on the initial 2012 Walter Payton Award Watch List as determined by the Sports Network. 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.
 
Southeast Missouri’s Peiffer on Buck Buchanan Watch List: Southeast Missouri State senior linebacker Blake Peiffer is one of 20 players on the initial Buck Buchanan Award Watch List as determined by the Sports Network. 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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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 September 2, there are 12 former Ohio Valley Conference players are on NFL rosters (9 active players, 2 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. Six 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.