Ohio Valley Conference

Murray State “Racers” at Ole Miss “Rebels”

Stadium: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/Hollingsworth Field (45,577)
Location: University, MIssissippi
Field: Grass
Time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
Series Record: First Meeting
Last Meeting: First Meeting
Team Records: MSU: 0-0 overall, 0-0 in OVC
Ole Miss: 0-0 overall, 0-0 in SEC
Last Week: First game of season
Coaches:
MSU: Joe Pannunzio (Southern Colorado ‘82)
2nd season at MSU (6-5)
Ole Miss: David Cutcliffe (Alabama, ‘76)
3rd season at Ole Miss (16-9)

Game Notes: Seven members of Murray State’s football staff have Ole Miss ties, including head coach Joe Pannunzio, who spent four years (1994-98) as an assistant to Tommy Tuberville. Sibling rivalry gets dialed up a notch as MSU junior running back Billy Blanchard goes up against his younger brother and Ole Miss sophomore defensive back, Travis.

Offense: Seven starters return from an offensive unit that ranked 11th nationally in total offense (452.3 ypg), 13th in passing (276.4 ypg) and 23rd in scoring (33.3 ppg) a year ago. Sophomore quarterback and 2nd-team All-OVC honoree Stewart Childress (230-392-10, 2928 yds, 20 TD’s) is back after passing for the third-most yards in OVC history as a rookie. Childress’ targets 1st-team All-OVC receiver Michael Slater (43-819 yds., 7 TD’s) and 2nd-team All-OVC tight end Josh McKeel. Senior Mario Riley (113-852 yds, 7 TD’s) and junior Garner Byars (131-788 yds, 6 TD’s) both made 2nd-team All-OVC after combining for over 1,600 yards. Center Josh Foster, a 2nd-team All-OVC pick, anchors the line.

Defense: With six returning starters, the Racers hope to improve on a defense that allowed more than 425 yards and 30 points per game last season. Up front are junior tackle James Bridges and senior end Chad Lamb. Senior Zelbert Johnson (46 tackles) is the lone returnee at linebacker. The secondary features cornerback Josh Catlett, who started more than half of the games a year ago and senior free safety Jeremy Davis, who returns after a broken arm cost him most of the 2000 campaign.

Opponent: Ole Miss is coming off a 7-5 effort that included a Music City Bowl appearance. After a stellar backup performance in the Music City Bowl, highly-touted quarterback Eli Manning will be making his first collegiate start. Manning will be throwing to senior wide receiver Omar Rayford, who enters Saturday’s game with a streak of 10 straight games with a reception. Defensively, five returning starters will be joined by junior linebacker Eddie Strong, who is back on the field after being sidelined with a foot injury last season.


Southeast Missouri “Indians” at Eastern Michigan “Eagles”

Stadium: Rynearson Stadium (30,200)
Location: Ypsilanti, Michigan
Field: Artificial Turf
Time: 5:00 p.m. CDT
Series Record: First Meeting
Last Meeting: First Meeting
Team Records: SEMO: 0-0 overall, 0-0 in OVC
EMU: 0-0 overall, 0-0 in MAC
Last Week: First game of season
Coaches:
EMU: Jeff Woodruff (Kent State ‘79)
2nd season at EMU (3-8)
SEMO: Tim Billings (Southeastern Oklahoma ‘79)
2nd season at SEMO (3-8)

Game Notes: A young Southeast squad returns 14 starters from last year’s 3-8 campaign that began well but sputtered down the stretch in Coash Tim Billings’ first go-round. For tips on how to elude opponents, Indian teammates Adrian Sanders and Marco Tipton can call their uncles, former NFL star Barry Sanders and boxing great Evander Holyfield, respectively.

Offense: With senior quarterback Rashad West hampered by a knee injury, the Indians will be under the leadership of redshirt freshman Jeromy McDowell. Senior Curtis Cooper (30-289 yds) has made the move from wide receiver to running back and will also pull double duty on special teams after landing 2nd-team All-OVC honors last season with a league-high 23.8 average in kickoff returns. Sanders and juco teammate Willie Ponder have emerged as starters at wide receiver after transferring from Coffey County (Kan.) Junior College, while fellow junior Tarik Simpson (23-286 yds, 1 TD) gets the nod for the third wideout position.

Defense: Despite the loss of several key members of their secondary, the Indians also expect to step things up a notch defensively. Returning is senior linebacker Corey Mathis, who led the team and was third in the league last season in tackles for loss (19) and sacks (7) to earn a spot on the All-OVC second team. Also back is sophomore linebacker Ricky Farmer, who quickly played his way into a starting role after recording 55 tackles in just four games last year.

Opponent: Eastern Michigan brings back 12 starters, also from a squad that posted a 3-8 record in 2000. EMU is led offensively by junior wide receiver Kevin Walter (55-721 yds., 5 TD). and sophomore tailback Ashantti Watson (85-353 yds, 4 TD). On defense, the Eagles return senior linebackers Kenny Philpot and Scott Russell, who combined for 212 stops last season, including 29 tackles for loss.


Alabama A&M “Bulldogs” at Tennessee State “Tigers”

Stadium: Adelphia Coliseum (67,000)
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Field: Grass
Time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
Series Record: Tennessee State leads 15-4
Last Meeting: 1999 - Tennessee State 36, Alabama A&M 15 (in Huntsville, Ala.)
Team Records: AAMU: 0-0 overall, 0-0 in SWAC
TSU: 0-0 overall, 0-0 in OVC
Last Week: First game of season
Coaches:
AAMU: Ron Cooper (Jacksonville State ‘82)
4th season at AAMU (18-16)
TSU: James Reese (Tennessee State ‘ 91)
2nd season at TSU (3-8)

Game Notes: Tennessee State struggled to a 3-8 record last season after capturing back-to-back OVC titles. With 15 starters returning, coach James Reese expects the Tigers to be back in the hunt for a conference crown in 2001.

Offense: TSU’s offense averaged 395.5 yards per game last year, ranking 23rd in I-AA in passing (252.9 ypg). Senior quarterback Shannon Harris (69-140-8, 605 yds, 3 TD’s) will be calling signals full-time after a part-time role last year. A trio of talented receivers also return in sophomore honorable mention All-OVC pick C.J. Johnson (42-853 yds, 7 TD’s), sophomore Ron Jackson (24-214 yds.) and senior Patrick Jenkins, who was injured much of last year. Senior tailback Marvin Jones (79-442 yds.) and senior fullback KaRon Key comprise a veteran backfield, while tackle Lawrence Smith and center Benedict Ibisi were both All-OVC selections on the line.

Defense: The Tigers’ defense has room for improvement after allowing 33.8 points per game last season. Eight starters are back, led by All-OVC defensive ends Curley Grayson (9 TFL) and Desmond Scantling (8 sacks, 13 TFL) and two-year starting tackle Danny Roberson. Linebacker Walter Reese (69 tackles, 7 sacks), a 1st-team All-OVC honoree, will again be joined by Jermaine Beale (58 tackles) and B.J. Fletcher. Safety Marquis Stephens (71 tackles) is the top returnee in the secondary, which will be bolstered by the return of senior Eric Joyce.

Opponent: Alabama A&M won the SWAC Eastern Division in 2000. The Bulldogs sported the nation’s top defense versus the run, holding opponents to just 39.7 yards per game on the ground, while ranking 10th nationally for total defense (273 ypg). Anchoring the offensive unit will be lineman Ron Wilson, a three-year starter, and All-SWAC running back Curtis Donnell.