Ohio Valley Conference

Murray State Racers at (#15)Tennessee State Tigers

Stadium: Adelphia Coliseum (67,000)
Location: Nashville, Tenn.
Field: Grass
Time: 1:30 p.m. CT
Series: TSU leads 7-6
Last Meeting: MUR 62, TSU 40 (2000)
Team Records: MUR: 3-4 overall, 1-2 in OVC
TSU: 6-1 overall, 2-1 in OVC
Last Week: Minnesota 66, MUR 10; Eastern Illinois 52, TSU 49
Coaches: MUR: Joe Pannunzio (S. Colorado ‘82)
2nd season at MSU (9-8)
TSU: James Reese (TSU ‘91)
2nd season at TSU (8-9)


GAME NOTES: Tennessee State looks to bounce back from last week’s bitter loss at league-leading Eastern Illinois, while Murray State hopes to rebound from their blowout defeat at I-A Minnesota. TSU must try to avoid a letdown after the emotional loss, becuase the Tigers can possibly claim a berth in the I-AA playoffs by winning out. Murray State will try and get a big conference win after dropping games to Tennessee Tech and Eastern Kentucky in which they played well enough to win. These teams cobined for a whopping 102 points in last year’s game.

MUR OFFENSE: Billy Blanchard was a pleasant surprise at Minnesota last week, coming off the bench to run for 110 yards on 22 carries. He also led the team in receiving, with six grabs for 38 yards... Quarterback Stewart Childress threw for 205 yards in last week’s loss, giving him 1,490 for the year. However, he has thrown nine interceptions this season, tying him for the league high... Running back Garner Byars is averaging better than 94 all-purpose yards per game. He was injured in last week’s game but is expected to play on Saturday... Scoring just 12.5 points in its previous two games, the Racer offense broke a scoring drought by scoring 45 points in the win over Southeast Missouri. Ironically, the 45 points came on 370 total yards. MSU had 430 yards and 12 points at Tennessee Tech, and 385 yards and 13 points against Eastern Kentucky.

MUR DEFENSE: Murray State's defense is much-improved over last year, even if the numbers aren't obvious. While giving up 122 points (40.6 ppg) in the last three games, the MSU offense has been a major contributor. MSU's offense has given up at least one TD off a turnover in each of the last three games, all coming on interceptions... Against Division I-AA teams, MSU is giving up 160.0 yards per game on the ground, and in the last two games against Division I-AA foes, the defense is giving up just 63.5 yards rushing... In the five games against Division I-AA opponents, the defense has given up just 16.0 ppg.

TSU OFFENSE: The Tigers put up an impressive 49 points on conference-leading Eastern Illinois last week in a losing effort. It was the most points EIU had allowed in four years. TSU also had 553 total yards in the game, but only 185 in a second half that saw them outscored 31-14... Quarterback Shannon Harris is fifth in the nation in both total offense (299.4 yards per game) and points responsible for (18.0 points per game). He leads the OVC in both categories... Freshman Charles Anthony is fourth in the conference in rushing, averaging more than 79 yards a game on the ground... Receiver C.J. Johnson had a tremendous game last week, and he is second in the OVC in receiving yards with 629. Johnson averages 90 yards per game, and he has caught three TD passes.

TSU DEFENSE: After entering last week’s game as the nation’s top scoring defense, TSU allowed 52 points in the loss to EIU. The Tigers gave up 512 yards in the game... Walter Reese averages 8.3 tackles per game, and he has 12 stops behind the line this season. He leads the OVC in sacks with eight... The Tigers have three players (Ahmed Safeeullah, Marquis Stephens and Eric Joyce) among the top six OVC players in passes defended. All three have defended eight or more passes this season.


(#23) Eastern Kentucky Colonels at Southeast Missouri Indians

Stadium: Houck Stadium (10,000)
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Field: StadiaTurf
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Series: EKU leads 11-0
Last Meeting: EKU 48, SE 24 (2000)
Team Records: EKU: 5-2 overall, 3-2 in OVC
SE: 3-6 overall, 1-4 in OVC
Last Week: EKU had a bye;
Tennessee Tech 41, SE 21
Coaches: EKU: Roy Kidd (EKU ‘55)
38th season at EKU (304-119-8)
SE: Tim Billings (Southeastern Oklahoma ‘79)
2nd season at SE (6-14)

GAME NOTES: Eastern Kentucky looks to stay perfect against Southeast Missouri after having beaten the Indians all 11 times the teams have met. EKU, which is ranked in both I-AA polls, has a shot at a playoff berth, but they must win out in order to have that opportunity. Southeast is looking to close its OVC schedule with an upset win on its home field.

EKU OFFENSE: Freshman tailback C.J. Hudson is ranked among the nation’s NCAA I-AA leaders in rushing, scoring and all-purpose running. Hudson is seventh in the nation in rushing (139.7); tied for 12th in scoring (9.43); and is 17th in all-purpose running (158.43). Hudson has rambled for 100-plus yards six times and has scored at least one TD in all but one game for a total of 11 on the season, tops in the OVC... As a team, EKU is also nationally-ranked in rushing offense (eighth, 257.57) and scoring offense.

EKU DEFENSE: The Colonels’ defense is unquestionably their strength, as they lead the conference in total defense, pass defense and rushing defense. In EKU’s last game two weeks ago, the Colonels held Tennessee Tech scoreless and to only 41 yards in the second half in Eastern’s 34-10 victory... Safety Yeremiah Bell is putting together a whale of a season. He has won OVC Defensive Player of the Week three times. He ranks among league leaders in tackles (8.3 per game), fumbles (one recovered, two forced) and passes defended (11 breakups and four INT’s).

SE OFFENSE: Southeast ranks second in the OVC and 13th nationally in passing offense with 261.7 yards per game, and second in the conference and 35th nationally in total offense with 388.9 yards per game... Southeast receiver Willie Ponder leads every OVC receiving category. In receptions per game, Ponder is first with 6.8 catches per game. He also leads the conference in receiving yards per game, with 101.4. Ponder needs 12 catches, 194 yards and one touchdown to hold each single-season SEMO record. He was named OVC Newcomer of the Week last week... Tailback Curtis Cooper leads the OVC and ranks fifth nationally in all-purpose running with 197.9 yards per game. He is third in OVC rushing and 10th nationally with 110.4 yards per game. He needs just six yards to reach 1,000 rushing yards for the season... Redshirt freshman quarterback Jeromy McDowell has established a new Southeast freshman passing record with 1,789 yards passing after just nine games, breaking the record of 1,273 yards by Lance Brune in 1970.

SE DEFENSE: Southeast Missouri ranks last in the OVC in total defense, surrendering an average of 399 yards per contest... Junior safety Prince Anderson leads the OVC and ranks fifth nationally in tackles with an average of 12.2 tackles per game... James Jennette ranks among OVC leaders in tackles for loss with 11, and in sacks with four... Dimitri Patterson ranks among OVC leaders with seven passes defended and three fumbles (2 recovered, one forced).


Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles at Jacksonville State Gamecocks

Stadium: Paul Snow Memorial (15,000)
Location: Jacksonville, Ala.
Field: Grass
Time: 4:00 p.m. CT
Series: Tied 2-2
Last Meeting: JSU 7, TTU 3 (1980)
Team Records: TTU: 4-3 overall, 2-2 in OVC
JSU: 5-2 overall, 2-2 in Southld.
Last Week: TTU 41, Southeast Missouri 21;
N’western (La.) 42, JSU 17
Coaches:
TTU: Mike Hennigan (TTU ‘73)
6th season at TTU (32-29)
JSU: Jack Crowe (UAB ‘70)
5th season at JSU (23-38)

GAME NOTES: Tennessee Tech visits future OVC member Jacksonville State University as the Golden Eagles try to win back-to-back games and a road contest for the first time this season. Jacksonville State climbed into the I-AA Top 25 before falling at Northwestern State last weekend, 42-17.

OFFENSE: During their past 11 games the Golden Eagles offense has rolled up an average of 402.6 yards per game. Tech had 442 yards in total offense against SEMO, a season-high... Senior quarterback Grant Swallows set a school-record with five touchdown passes against Southeast Missouri. It helped him earn OVC Offensive Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career. Swallows has now thrown 11 touchdown passes this season, the third-highest single-season total in school history... The Tech offense features three explosive tailbacks in Travis Rogers, Nick Solomon and Oscar Bonds. Combined, they are averaging 4.8 yards per carry and 118.2 yards per game in 2001.

DEFENSE: Junior end D.J. Bleisath had his most prolific game of the season against Southeast Missouri, earning OVC Defensive Player of the Week honors and bolstering his bid for the Buck Buchanan Award as the nation’s best I-AA defensive player. He is anchoring a veteran defensive front in 2001, and ranks first in the OVC in tackles-for-loss and second in quaterback sacks... Tech has allowed an average of 346 yards per game in total offense in 2001, including 139.1 yards per game on the ground and 207.4 yards per game through the air. The Golden Eagle defense allowed 23.7 points per game.

OPPONENT: Jacksonville has averaged 470.4 yards and 38.3 points per game during the 2001 season. The Gamecock offense averages 263.3 yards per game rushing and 207.1 yards per game through the air... The Gamecock defense has yielded an average of 343.3 yards per game in 2001, including 164.4 ypg on the ground and 179.0 ypg through the air. The Jacksonville defense has allowed 23.3 points per game.