Ohio Valley Conference

Teleconference Audio
Below is embedded audio from this week's OVC Football Coaches media teleconference. For a listing of this week's games and previews scroll down below the audio links.



This Week’s Schedule

Thursday, September 10
Bethel at UT Martin, 6:30 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)

Saturday, September 12
#5 Jacksonville State at #6 Auburn, 11:00 a.m. (SEC Network)
Austin Peay at Southern Miss, 2:30 p.m. (American Sports Network)
Murray State at Northern Illinois, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN3)
Eastern Illinois at Northwestern, 3:00 p.m. (ESPNews)
#19 Eastern Kentucky at N.C. State, 5:00 p.m. (ESPN3)
Southern Illinois at Southeast Missouri, 6:00 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)
Tennessee State vs. Jackson State, 6:00 p.m. (Memphis, TN) (SportSouth – Delayed at 10pm CT)
Tennessee Tech at Wofford, 6:00 p.m. (SoCon Digital Network)

---

Bethel Wildcats (1-0, 0-0 Mid-South)
at UT Martin Skyhawks (0-1, 0-0 OVC)
Thursday, Sept. 10 • 6:30 p.m. CT
Hardy M. Graham Stadium (7,500) • Martin, Tenn.
TV:................................................... OVC Digital Network
Live Stats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=96029
Series Record:............................. UT Martin leads 13-10-1
Last Meeting:.......................... UT Martin won 97-7 (9/7/95)
Chris Elliott at Bethel:................................... 17-19 (5 yrs.)
Chris Elliott Overall:................................................. same
Jason Simpson at UT Martin:...................... 58-46 (10 yrs.)
Jason Simpson Overall:........................................... same
Bethel Last Week:...................................................... Idle
UT Martin Last Week:..................... L, 76-3 at #15 Ole Miss
 
GAME NOTES: UT Martin and Bethel are meeting for the 25th overall time and first since 1995. Twenty-three (23) of the previous 24 meetings occurred between 1925 and 1952 and following the 1952 meeting the teams did not play again for 43 years. UT Martin has won six-straight in the series including a record setting 97-7 victory in 1995.
 
SCOUTING BETHEL: Bethel, located in McKenzie, Tennessee, is a NAIA-affiliated team under the direction of fifth-year head coach Chris Elliott who also serves as the school’s Director of Athletics. The Wildcats got their season underway on August 29 with a 48-7 victory over Missouri Baptist. Bethel scored 14 points in each of the first three quarters and racked up 529 yards of total defense while limiting its opponent to just 187 total yards. Quarterback Kerry Sellers passed for 164 yards and two touchdowns and rushed nine times for 93 yards and an additional score. Four other Bethel players tallied 40 or more yards on the ground in the game. Receiver Hunter Smith caught four passes for 77 yards and two touchdowns.
 
SCOUTING UT MARTIN: UT Martin got its season off to a rough start against one of the top teams from the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), falling 76-3 at No. 15 Ole Miss. The 76 points were the most scored by the Rebels in nearly 80 years. Ole Miss ended the game with 662 yards of total offense while the Skyhawks were limited to 290 yards of total offense, including 116 yards on the ground. Starting quarterback Jarod Neal completed 13-of-24 passes for 139 yards and an interception and completed passes to 11 different receivers. Eight different UTM players had at least one rushing attempt with Trent Garland leading the way with 36 yards on eight carries and Preston Baker adding 31 yards on seven carries. The team’s offense got on the board in the third quarter when Jackson Redditt nailed a 29-yard field goal. On defense the Skyhawks were led by Terrious Triplett and Marquis Clemons who had six tackles apiece while Jordan Landry had an interception.
 
 
#5 Jacksonville State Gamecocks (1-0, 0-0 OVC)
at #6 Auburn Tigers (1-0, 0-0 SEC)
Saturday, Sept. 12 • 11:00 a.m. CT
Jordan-Hare Stadium (87,451) • Auburn, Ala.
TV:............................................................. SEC Network
Live Stats:........................................ http://bit.ly/1JX0Gyb
Series Record:............................................. First meeting
Last Meeting:.............................................................. n/a
John Grass at Jacksonville State:................... 11-2 (2 yrs.)
John Grass Overall:................................................. same
Gus Malzahn at Auburn:................................. 21-7 (3 yrs.)
Gus Malzahn Overall:.................................... 30-10 (4 yrs.)
Jacksonville State Last Week: W, 23-20 vs. #8 Chattanooga
Auburn Last Week:........ W, 31-24 vs. Louisville (in Atlanta)
 
GAME NOTES: Fresh off a road victory over a Top 10 nationally-ranked FCS opponent, Jacksonville State takes on an even more impressive foe this week when they travel to Top 10 FBS squad Auburn for the first meeting in the all-time series between the schools that are located just two hours apart. Jacksonville State is 5-18 all-time against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents including two victories in the last five years, having topped SEC foe Ole Miss in 2010 and Georgia State in 2013.
 
SCOUTING JACKSONVILLE STATE: Jacksonville State became the first Division I team (FBS or FCS) to score a Top 10 road victory on the season when the Gamecocks topped No. 8 Chattanooga on Saturday night. It marked JSU’s third-straight win over the Mocs, all of which have come by three points. With the win Jax State moved up to No. 5 in the STATS Top 25 and No. 6 in the FCS Coaches Poll, receiving first-place votes in each. The 24 first-place votes the Gamecocks received in the STATS poll was the second-most of any team. The game with UTC was a back-and-forth affair, tied at halftime and entering the fourth quarter before Connor Rouleau connected on his third field goal of the game to give JSU a 16-13 lead with 14:12 to play; the three field goals earned Rouleau OVC Specialist of the Week and College Sporting News National Specialist of the Week honors. The Gamecocks then got the ball back but fumbled and saw UTC scoop it up and return 55 yards for a touchdown. With its back against the wall the Gamecocks marked 79 yards in 5:30 (including converting a key fourth down inside the 10-yard line) with Miles Jones scoring from one yard out in what proved to be the game-winning touchdown. Jones was one of four JSU players who had 25 or more rushing yards on the night as Troymaine Pope led the way with 173 yards on 15 carries (11.5 yards/carry); that was the third-most by a FCS player during the opening weekend and his fifth career 100-plus yard rushing game. Kentucky transfer Josh Clemons added 65 yards (including a key 49-yard run on the winning drive) and quarterback Eli Jenkins had 33 rushing yards to go along with 113 passing yards and a touchdown. Josh Barge hauled in eight catches to increase his career total to 122, now third in JSU program history. The JSU defense was stout, limiting UTC to just 196 total yards on the night. The Gamecocks were able to hold STATS FCS Player of the Year candidate Jacob Huesman to 86 passing and 50 rushing yards for the game.
 
SCOUTING AUBURN: SEC favorite Auburn got its season started last Saturday at the Georgia Dome when they topped Louisville 31-24 in the 2015 Chick-fil-A Kickoff. The Tigers led 24-0 midway through the third quarter before the Cardinals scored three touchdowns and a field goal to cut the final margin to seven points. Auburn’s scoring included an 82-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Justin Garrett; it was the team’s the longest fumble return for a score since 1969. Junior quarterback Jeremy Johnson passed for 137 yards and a touchdown and ran for an additional score while Peyton Barber had a career-high 115 rushing yards. Auburn was ranked No. 6 in last week’s AP Top 25 and No. 7 in the Coaches Poll; new FBS rankings will not be released until Tuesday.
 
 
Austin Peay Governors (0-1, 0-0 OVC)
at Southern Miss Golden Eagles (0-1, 0-0 CUSA)
Saturday, Sept. 12 • 2:30 p.m. CT
Roberts Stadium (36,000) • Hattiesburg, Miss.
TV:........................................... American Sports Network
Live Stats:........................................ http://bit.ly/1Uz2yPb
Series Record:............................................. First meeting
Last Meeting:.............................................................. n/a
Kirby Cannon at Austin Peay:......................... 1-24 (3 yrs.)
Kirby Cannon Overall:............................... 36-110 (14 yrs.)
Todd Monken at Southern Miss:..................... 4-21 (3 yrs.)
Todd Monken Overall:............................................. same
Austin Peay Last Week:........................ L, 28-7 vs. Mercer
Southern Miss Last Week:.... L, 34-16 vs. Mississippi State
 
GAME NOTES: Austin Peay will travel to Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) foe Southern Miss to play its first road game of the season on Saturday. It marks the first meeting in the all-time series. The Governors are 1-18 all-time against teams from the FBS with the one win coming at Kansas State in the 1987 season. APSU has been outscored 184-3 in its last four FBS games over the previous two seasons.
 
SCOUTING AUSTIN PEAY: Austin Peay began the season with a 28-7 home loss to Mercer. The Governors and Bears were tied at 7-7 at the half before Mercer scored three second half touchdowns while shutting out Austin Peay. After rushing for 196 yards against Mercer a season ago, running back Otis Gerron was limited to 41 yards on 15 carries (2.7 ypc) this season. Taye Davis added 18 yards as APSU was limited to 56 net yards on the day while Mercer rushed for 261 yards as a team (including putting two rushers over 100 yards). Austin Peay quarterback Trey Taylor passed for 188 yards and a touchdown, which went to Jared Beard on a 22-yard strike in the second quarter. Beard finished the day with a career-high seven receptions for 85 yards. Freshman Juwan Davis snagged four catches for 42 yards on the afternoon. After being one of APSU’s leading receivers a season ago sophomore Malik Boynton made the transition to the secondary this year and led the team with nine tackles.
 
SCOUTING SOUTHERN MISS: Southern Miss got its season, the third under head coach Todd Monken, underway on Saturday with a 34-16 home loss to in-state foe Mississippi State. The game was played in front of a M.M. Roberts Stadium record crowd of 36,641 as MSU played in Hattiesburg for the first time since the 1989 season. The Golden Eagles were led by junior quarterback Nick Mullens who completed 30-of-44 passes for 311 yards and a touchdown; Mullens was also sacked three times and threw a pair of interceptions. The game marked the 15th time in 17 career starts that Mullen had thrown for 200 or more yards which ties him with Brett Favre for fifth-most 200-yard games in school history; he is also tied with Favre for second-most 300-yard passing games in school history. Senior Jalen Richard had 48 rushing yards on the night which pushed him past the 1,000 career yards mark. Eleven different USM players caught a pass during the game including redshirt freshman Korey Robertson who had six catches for 81 yards in his first collegiate game.
 
 
Murray State Racers (1-0, 0-0 OVC)
at Northern Illinois Huskies (1-0, 0-0 MAC)
Saturday, Sept. 12 • 2:30 p.m. CT
Huskie Stadium (23,595) • DeKalb, Ill.
TV:...................................................................... ESPN3
Live Stats:....................................... http://bit.ly/1NUAKpu
Series Record:........................... Northern Illinois leads 1-0
Last Meeting:.............. Northern Illinois won 49-7 (10/20/90)
Mitch Stewart at Murray State:............................ 1-0 (1 yr.)
Mitch Stewart Overall:.............................................. same
Rod Carey at Northern Illinois:........................ 24-6 (3 yrs.)
Rod Carey Overall:.................................................. same
Murray State Last Week:. W, 52-12 vs. Kentucky Wesleyan
Northern Illinois Last Week:.................. W, 38-30 vs. UNLV
 
GAME NOTES: Murray State will travel to Northern Illinois for the first of two consecutive games against teams from the Mid-American Conference (MAC). This marks the second all-time meetings between the schools and first since the 1990 season. That year NIU topped Murray State by a 49-7 margin. Murray State is 3-24-1 all-time against teams from the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) although it has lost its last 23 contests against teams from the higher subdivision. NIU has won 31 of its last 32 games at Huskie Stadium.
 
SCOUTING MURRAY STATE: Murray State opened the Mitch Stewart Era with a convincing 52-12 victory over Kentucky Wesleyan last Thursday night. The Racers had 578 yards of total offense (the seventh-most by a FCS team during the opening weekend) and held KWC scoreless until late in the third quarter. Junior quarterback KD Humphries was solid, completing 25-of-34 passes for 385 yards and five touchdowns. It marked Humphries fifth-straight game throwing for 300 or more yards dating back to last season. He currently ranks first nationally in passing touchdowns (5), second in points responsible for (30.0/game), third in total offense (408.0 yards/game), fourth in passing efficiency (217.2), passing yards/game (385.0), total passing yards (385), seventh in completion percentage (73.%), 10th in completions/game (25.0) and 11th in passing yards/completion (15.4). He completed seven of his passes to Jeremy Harness who had 156 receiving yards and three touchdowns (which ranks second nationally). After rushing for just 152 total yards in limited action a year ago, Roman Clay got the majority of the carries against KWC and gained 96 yards while also scoring a touchdown. Overall MSU rushed for 191 yards, its highest team total since 2012. Senior Zach Dean had 4.5 tackles-for-loss (ranking him first nationally), 2.0 sacks, nine tackles and a pair of quarterback hurries.
 
SCOUTING NORTHERN ILLINOIS: Northern Illinois began its season with a come-from-behind home victory over UNLV on Saturday. The Huskies fell behind 17-3 in the second quarter before storming back to tie the game in the third quarter and scoring a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns to put the game out of reach. Junior quarterback Drew Hare completed 21-of-26 passes for a career-high 360 passing yards and two touchdowns; the 360 yards were the eight-most in NIU single-game history. Hare completed nine of those passes to Kenny Golladay, the North Dakota transfer, who tallied 213 receiving yards, which marked the sixth-most in school single-game history. On the ground junior Joel Bouagnon notched his first 100-yard rushing game with 152 yards on 21 carries. The offense was efficient as the team was 4-for-4 inside the red zone. On defense Boomer Mays led the Northern Illinois defense with 13 tackles (10 solo) while Shawun Lurry added an interception.
 
 
Eastern Illinois Panthers (0-1, 0-0 OVC)
at Northwestern Wildcats (1-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
Saturday, Sept. 12 • 3:00 p.m. CT
Ryan Field (47,330) • Evanston, Ill.
TV:.................................................................. ESPNews
Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/northwestern/football/
Series Record:.............................. Northwestern leads 1-0
Last Meeting:................. Northwestern won 42-21 (9/10/11)
Kim Dameron at Eastern Illinois:....................... 5-8 (2 yrs.)
Kim Dameron Overall:.............................................. same
Pat Fitzgerald at Northwestern:.................... 61-53 (10 yrs.)
Pat Fitzgerald Overall:............................................. same
Eastern Illinois Last Week:.......... L, 33-5 at Western Illinois
Northwestern Last Week:............ W, 16-6 vs. #21 Stanford
 
GAME NOTES: Eastern Illinois will play its second consecutive road game  (and second-straight in the state of Illinois) when it travels to Evanston to battle Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) foe Northwestern on Saturday. It will be the second all-time meeting between the teams who also played in the 2011 season. It is also likely the last meeting as the Big Ten has agreed to no longer play FCS opponents following this year. It the 2011 contest Northwestern led 35-7 before EIU managed a pair of second half touchdowns to make the final margin 42-21. That Panther team was quarterbacked by a sophomore Jimmy Garoppolo who passed for 209 yards and a touchdown. Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter was the key for the Wildcats, passing for 104 yards and rushing for 109 yards and three touchdowns in the win. Eastern Illinois is 9-34 all-time against teams from the FBS including a 40-19 victory over San Diego State two years ago thanks to a big performance from Garoppolo.
 
SCOUTING EASTERN ILLINOIS: Despite out-gaining Western Illinois by a 308 to 266 margin in total yardage, Eastern Illinois threw three interceptions, lost a pair of fumbles and committed 14 penalties in falling 33-5 to its in-state rival. It marked the first time the team had failed to score a touchdown in a game since 2009 at Penn State. The team, however, still has a streak of 139 consecutive games without being shutout, which is currently the longest streak in the OVC. The team’s points came on a 33-yard field goal by Nick Bruno and a block point after attempt that Bradley Dewberry caught and ran back for two points. A pair of FBS transfers were at the top of the EIU rushing attack as Jerron Seymour (Vanderbilt) had 59 yards and Devin Church (Illinois) added 29 rushing yards and also caught a team-high six catches. On defense junior linebacker Seth McDonald had 17 tackles (12 solo) in the season opener and currently ranks second nationally in tackles/game; he was named OVC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance. The EIU defense also welcomed senior newcomer Dylan Chatman who had joined the team after completing his basketball eligibility; Chatman had four tackles and his first career interception.
 
SCOUTING NORTHWESTERN: Northwestern had one of the most impressive victories during the opening weekend of the season as the Panthers topped No. 21 ranked Stanford 16-6 behind a defensive effort that limited the Cardinal to just 240 yards of total offense. The Wildcats use a rushing attack that tallied 225 yards on the ground including 134 from Justin Jackson (marking his seventh career 100-yard rushing game) and 68 yards from quarterback Clayton Thorson who also passed for 105 yards in his debut. Thorson scored on a 42-yard run in the second quarter to give NU a 10-3 halftime advantage. Most importantly the Wildcats did not commit a turnover while forcing Stanford into making two. On defense Anthony Walker had 10 tackles, including two that went for a loss, two pass breakups and also recovered a fumble. Traveon Henry added eight tackles and a sack. Head coach Pat Fitzgerald, who was the youngest coach in the nation when he took over in 2006, has led Northwestern to five bowl games and is the school’s all-time leader in victories (61).
 
 
#19 Eastern Kentucky Colonels (1-0, 0-0 OVC)
at N.C. State Wolfpack (1-0, 0-0 ACC)
Saturday, Sept. 12 • 5:00 p.m. CT
Carter-Finley Stadium (57,600) • Raleigh, N.C.
TV:...................................................................... ESPN3
Live Stats:...... http://www.sidearmstats.com/ncsu/football/
Series Record:.................................. N.C. State leads 1-0
Last Meeting:..................... N.C. State won 54-10 (9/17/05)
Dean Hood at Eastern Kentucky:.................. 50-33 (8 yrs.)
Dean Hood Overall:................................................. same
Dave Doeren at N.C. State:.......................... 12-14 (3 yrs.)
Dave Doeren Overall:................................... 35-18 (5 yrs.)
Eastern Kentucky Last Week:....... W, 52-10 vs. Valparaiso
N.C State Last Week:............................ W, 49-21 vs. Troy
 
GAME NOTES: Eastern Kentucky will play the first of two 2015 opponents from the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) on Saturday when they travel to Raleigh for its second all-time meeting with N.C. State. The teams also played a decade ago with the Wolfpack coming out on top 54-10. In that contest N.C. State led 31-0 after one quarter on its way to the victory. Josh Greco passed for 180 yards for the Colonels while Jay Davis threw for three touchdowns for the Wolfpack. Eastern Kentucky is 7-21 all-time against teams from the FBS including a 17-10 victory over Miami (Ohio) a season ago. That victory snapped an 18-game losing streak to FBS teams for the Colonels.
 
SCOUTING EASTERN KENTUCKY: Eastern Kentucky opened its season with a 52-10 victory over Valparaiso last Thursday night. The Colonels got out to a 31-3 halftime lead and cruised the remainder of the way. EKU had 410 yards of total offense on the night and limited the Crusaders to just 220 yards (including 38 on the ground). Five different Eastern Kentucky players had more than 10 yards rushing on the night with Kentayvus Hopkins leading the way with 60 yards on seven carries (8.6 ypc) while freshman Arien Beasley had 20 yards including an 11-yard touchdown run. Three different quarterbacks saw action on the night with Bennie Coney passing for 153 yards and two touchdowns, both of which went to senior Jeff Glover who had five catches for 95 yards. The all-around star of the night was senior defensive back Stanley Absanon who picked off a pass and returned it 56 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter; on defense he finished the night with a tackles and three pass breakups (he currently ranks first nationally in passes defended). Absanon also tallied 80 yards on two kickoff returns and 46 yards on three punt returns. Ohio State transfer Noah Spence had five tackles, a sack, two tackles-for-loss, two quarterback hurries and forced a fumble in his EKU debut. Despite its win the Colonels dropped from No. 17 to No. 19 in both major FCS Top 25 polls.
 
SCOUTING N.C. STATE: N.C. State opened its season with a 49-21 victory over Troy thanks to a rushing attack that gained 251 yards on 58 carries and scored five touchdowns. Junior Matthew Dayes carried the ball 24 times for a career-high 126 yards and two scores (and also added five catches for 65 yards), while Jaylen Samuels added 37 yards and three scores. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett completed 21-of-23 passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns; he completed passes to nine different receivers. The 49 points were the most in a season opener for the team since the 2003 season. Head coach Dave Doeren, who compiled a record of 23-4 in two seasons at Northern Illinois before coming to Raleigh, held the team improve from 3-9 his first season to 8-5 and a St. Petersburg victory a season ago.
 
 
Southern Illinois Salukis (0-1, 0-0 MVFC)
at Southeast Missouri State Redhawks (0-1, 0-0 OVC)
Saturday, Sept. 12 • 6:00 p.m. CT
Houck Stadium (10,000) • Cape Girardeau, Mo.
TV:       OVC Digital Network
Live Stats:        http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=92698
Series Record:............... Southeast Missouri leads 39-35-8
Last Meeting:............. Southern Illinois won 50-23 (9/13/14)
Dale Lennon at Southern Illinois:................... 48-35 (8 yrs.)
Dale Lennon Overall:................................. 150-68 (17 yrs.)
Tom Matukewicz at Southeast Missouri:........... 6-8 (2 yrs.)
Tom Matukewicz Overall:.................................. 6-9 (3 yrs.)
Southern Illinois Last Week:.................. L, 48-47 at Indiana
Southeast Missouri Last Week:....... L, 34-3 at #23 Missouri
 
GAME NOTES: The regional rivals are meeting for the 83rd time as Southeast Missouri leads the all-time series by a 39-35-8 margin. SIU has won eight of the last nine meetings including a 50-23 decision a season ago. The lone win by the Redhawks during that stretch was a 24-21 win over the nationally-ranked Salukis in 2010, a victory that eventually propelled Southeast to a Top 10 national ranking and OVC Championship. The teams have not played in Cape Girardeau since 2011 as the 2013 contest (which would have been at Southeast) was moved to Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Last season SIU entered the game ranked No. 14 nationally and scored the first 21 points of the game on its way to the 27-point victory. Mark Iannotti threw for 225 yards and six touchdowns for Southern Illinois while Malcolm Agnew rushed for 158 yards and a score. The Redhawks were led by quarterback Kyle Snyder who had 204 passing yards and a touchdown and rushed for 51 yards. Paul McRoberts hauled in seven catches for 86 yards and a score for Southeast. Southeast Missouri head coach Tom Matukewicz who was an assistant at Southern Illinois from 2001-07 and was part of three MVFC Championships. The game is part of the annual Family Weekend activities at Southeast Missouri.
 
SCOUTING SOUTHERN ILLINOIS: Southern Illinois came up a two-point conversion short of topping Big Ten foe Indiana on Saturday in Bloomington.  The Salukis had a dominant offense all afternoon as the team racked up 659 yards of total offense. SIU led 32-21 at halftime and saw the game tied at 41 with 2:37 to go in the game before IU took a lead with just 58 seconds to play. But the Salukis marched down the field in just 40 seconds and pulled to within one point on a Jimmy Jones touchdown catch. SIU decided to go for the victory but the team’s two point conversion attempt pass was incomplete. Senior quarterback Mark Iannotti was named Missouri Valley Football Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Week after passing for 411 yards and four touchdowns and rushing for a team-high 106 yards and an additional score; Iannotti’s 517 yards of total offense were the best in the nation during week one of the season. Adam Fuehne had three catches for 130 yards for the Salukis.
 
SCOUTING SOUTHEAST MISSOURI: Southeast Missouri took on No. 23 FBS opponent Missouri to open the 2015 campaign and despite trailing just 17-3 at halftime they would go on to lose 34-3. Making his first start for the Redhawks, junior newcomer Tay Bender completed 12-of-22 passes for 56 yards and rushed for a game-high 69 yards on 14 carries against the Tigers. DeMichael Jackson added 57 yards as Southeast totaled 145 yards on the ground, which was 47 yards more than Missouri. The Redhawks defense held its own against the Tigers, posting three sacks, eight tackles-for-loss and an interception. Chad Meredith notched a career-high eight tackles in just his third career start while Ryan Moore had seven stops. Ryan McCrum, one of the top kickers in the FCS last year and a Preseason All-American this season, made his only field goal attempt of the night, a 35-yarder in the second quarter. Punter Alex Knight had 10 punts in the game, five of which went for more than 50 yards and six of which that were downed inside the Tigers 20-yard line. Knight averaged 49.7 yards/punt.
 
 
Tennessee State Tigers (1-0, 0-0 OVC)
vs. Jackson State Tigers (0-1, 0-0 SWAC)
Saturday, Sept. 12 • 6:00 p.m. CT
Liberty Bowl (61,008) • Memphis, Tenn.
TV:.............................. SportSouth (Delayed at 10 pm CT)
Live Stats:........................................ www.TSUTigers.com
Series Record:................... Tennessee State leads 26-20-2
Last Meeting:.............. Tennessee State won 35-7 (9/13/14)
Rod Reed at Tennessee State:...................... 33-27 (6 yrs.)
Rod Reed Overall:................................................... same
Harold Jackson at Jackson State:.................... 5-8 (2 yrs.)
Harold Jackson Overall:........................................... same
Tennessee State Last Week:... W, 24-14 vs. Alabama State
Jackson State Last Week: L, 70-14 at Middle Tennessee State
 
GAME NOTES: Tennessee State and Jackson State meet in the 26th annual Southern Heritage Classic at the Liberty Bowl in Memphis on Saturday night. This marks the 22nd year in a row (and 24th overall) that the teams have squared off in this Classic which began in 1990 (the two other games were between TSU and Mississippi Valley State and Grambling). Tennessee State had won seven-straight in the series until Jackson State pulled off wins in 2010 and 2011, but since TSU has claimed victory in each of the last three years. Tennessee State is 14-11 all-time in the event while Jackson State is 9-14. The all-time series between the two schools is at 26-20-2 in favor of Tennessee State. In last year’s game Tennessee State, ranked No. 22 at the time, jumped out to a 35-0 halftime advantage on its way to the 35-7 victory. Tom Smith ran for 66 yards and two touchdowns for TSU while Ronald Butler completed 10-of-18 passes for 125 yards and a score. JSU was led by La Montiez Ivy who passed for 132 yards. The TSU defense was stout, holding JSU to -1 yard net rushing on the night.
 
SCOUTING TENNESSEE STATE: Trailing 14-3 entering the fourth quarter, Tennessee State rallied for 21 points in the final 14:22 of the game to defeat Alabama State 24-14 in the 17th annual John Merritt Classic. Redshirt freshman quarterback O’Shay Ackerman-Carter was named Offensive MVP of the game after completing 20-of-37 passes for 188 yard and a touchdown and also rushing for 38 yards. He connected with Patrick Smith for a 19-yard touchdown to start the comeback and then helped the Tigers on two more scoring drives to pull out the victory. Tom Smith (12-yard touchdown) and Telvin Hooks (5-yard touchdown) capped those final two drives with rushing scores. TSU finished the game with 142 rushing yards while limiting the Hornets to just 60 net yards on the ground. Sophomore defensive end Latrelle Lee came off the bench to tally three tackles, 2.0 tackles-for-loss, a sack and a forced fumble and recovery.
 
SCOUTING JACKSON STATE: Jackson State, predicted to finish second in the SWAC East Division this season, traveled to Murfreesboro, Tennessee for its season opener, a 70-14 loss to FBS opponent Middle Tennessee State. JSU fell behind 14-0 before eventually trimming the margin to 21-14 midway through the second quarter; however, the Tigers would not score in the second half in its losing effort. Quarterback La Montiez Ivy (who led the SWAC in passing yards and touchdowns a season ago) completed 22 passes for 264 yards and two touchdowns while also leading the team in rushing with 23 yards. Jackson State did not manage much else in the rushing attack as the team finished with a net of 33 yards on the night. MTSU would net 282 team rushing yards and throw for four scores. Ivy’s favorite target was Dan Williams who hauled in seven catches for 130 yards and a touchdown. On defense linebacker Stacy Noble had a game-high 13 tackles.
 
 
Tennessee State Golden Eagles (0-1, 0-0 OVC)
at Wofford Terriers (0-1, 0-0 SoCon)
Saturday, Sept. 12 • 6:00 p.m. CT
Gibbs Stadium (13,000) • Spartanburg, S.C.
TV:............................................... SoCon Digital Network
Live Stats:. http://www.sidearmstats.com/wofford/football/
Series Record:..................................... Wofford leads 2-0
Last Meeting:........................ Wofford won 26-7 (11/11/49)
Watson Brown at Tennessee Tech:................ 38-54 (9 yrs.)
Watson Brown Overall:......................... 132-205-1 (31 yrs.)
Mike Ayers at Wofford:........................ 182-127-1 (28 yrs.)
Mike Ayers Overall:.............................. 193-148-2 (31 yrs.)
Tennessee Tech Last Week:................ L, 52-24 at Houston
Wofford Last Week:.................... L, 49-10 at #12 Clemson
 
GAME NOTES: After both teams opened the season against Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponents, it is back to the FCS for Tennessee Tech and Wofford on Saturday night in Spartanburg. The two programs have played twice before but not since the 1949 season when Wofford won 26-7. Sixty-six years later the rivalry will be renewed with a pair of head coaches who have combined to coach in 681 career games; both TTU’s Watson Brown and Wofford’s Mike Ayers are in their 31st years as a collegiate head coach.
 
SCOUTING TENNESSEE TECH: Despite dropping its season opener by a 52-24 margin at FBS Houston, Tennessee Tech had several highlights including netting 312 passing yards. Junior Jared Davis completed 16-of-26 passes for 312 yards and two touchdowns. Both of the scores went to sophomore Brock McCoin who had nine catches for 264 yards. The 264 yards were the most by any NCAA player (any classification) during the first week of the season and were the fourth-most in OVC single-game history. McCoin’s 264 yards also established an OVC record for receiving yards against an FBS opponent and earned him OVC Offensive Player of the Week honors. Davis and McCoin hooked up for a 71-yard touchdown early in the second quarter and a 77-yarder at the end of the game. Davis’ 312 yards were the second-most by a TTU quarterback against an FBS opponent. Punter Jonathan King averaged 46.6 yards/punt with a long of 58 and three that were downed inside Houston’s 20-yard line. Defensively Stephen Bush, who had played his first three seasons with the team at running back, made the successful switch to safety and tallied four tackles, a tackle-for-loss and forced two fumbles. Tra’Darius Goff, who missed most of last year with an injury, returned to the lineup and tied for the team lead with five tackles.
 
SCOUTING WOFFORD: Wofford, who was third in the nation a season ago, opened the season on the road for the seventh consecutive season in falling 49-10 to No. 12 ranked FBS foe Clemson. The Terriers were limited to just 213 yards of total offense while the nationally-ranked Tigers finished the game with 533 yards (including 222 on the ground). Wofford’s ground attack was led by Nick Colvin who had 31 yards while Brad Butler added 28 and quarterback Evan Jacks had 21. Jacks also completed 3-of-8 passes for 42 yards. On defense Daryl Vining had nine tackles while Drake Michealson had seven stops and a sack. Overall Wofford has had a winning record in 11 of the past 13 seasons.