JACKSONVILLE STATE 28, EASTERN KENTUCKY 0
Jacksonville State shut out host Eastern Kentucky, 28-0, in an Ohio Valley Conference contest on Saturday.
The Gamecocks (2-2, 2-1 OVC) held the Colonels (1-4, 0-2 OVC) to 114 yards of total offense and 43 yards rushing. EKU managed just seven yards of total offense in the second half and only two in the fourth quarter en route to suffering its first shutout at Roy Kidd Stadium since 1998.
Senior All-America tailback Clay Green led a stout JSU offensive attack with 131 yards on 24 carries and two touchdowns. He led a Jax State offense that picked up 351 yards, 251 on the ground, and 21 first downs.
It was the Gamecock defense that stole the show, however, recording five sacks on the OVC preseason favorite Colonels and quarterback Josh Greco. Jax State picked off Greco once and recovered two fumbles. Senior LeMarcus Rowell had two sacks and two of the team’s seven quarterback hurries, while also forcing a fumble.
Junior quarterback Matt Hardin completed a career-high 11 passes on 15 attempts for 110 yards on the day. Sophomore Daniel Jackson ran for 62 yards and a score on 12 carries, while senior Raynodd Zeine added 48 yards on five carries.
Sophomore punter Zach Walden etched his name in the school record books after the Gamecocks’ second possession, when he booted a school-record 75-yard punt with the wind at his back. It was the second-longest punt by an OVC player so far in 2006.
The Gamecocks wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard, taking their first possession and marching 46 yards on eight plays take a 7-0 lead. Green got eight of his 28 yards on the drive on a rush up the middle to score his fifth rushing score of the season with 8:51 remaining in the first quarter.
Neither team made much ground until Jax State took the final drive of the half 58 yards on seven plays in 2:06 to set up a 37-yard field goal from sophomore Gavin Hallford, giving the Gamecocks a 10-0 lead heading into the locker room at intermission.
EKU threatened on its second play from scrimmage in the second half, when Josh Greco found Patrick Bugg on what would have been a 65-yard touchdown pass, but a holding penalty on the Colonel’s Shawn Dedden negated the play and thwarted any threat on the drive.
At the 9:05 mark in the third quarter, Gamecock junior Taurean Rhetta blocked a punt, and during his attempt to recover the loose ball in the end zone, EKU punter Benton Kuszmaul kicked it through the back. The play resulted in a safety and gave JSU a 12-0 lead.
Hallford’s second field goal attempt of the afternoon split the uprights with 1:09 to play in the third quarter to stretch the JSU lead to 15-0. The kick capped an eight-play, 65-yard drive that ran 3:44 off of the clock.
The Colonels put the ball in the hands of JSU early in the fourth, when senior George Summers knocked the ball from punt returner Bobby Washington and senior Willie Swain fell on it at the Colonels’ 26-yard line. The turnover set up Green’s second touchdown of the day and sixth of the season, a seven-yard scamper with 10:35 to play. The score finished a three-play drive and gave the Gamecocks a 22-0 advantage.
Sophomore Daniel Jackson got his first touchdown of the 2006 season and the third of his career with 4:41 to play. His seven-yard scoring run capped a six-play, 56-yard drive that took 3:38 off of the clock. Hallford ’s extra point attempt was blocked, leaving the score at 28-0.
Senior middle linebacker Brandon Rosser led the EKU defense with 14 tackles. He was joined in double digits by senior Mark Cristiani who recorded 10 stops.
TENNESSEE TECH 20, MURRAY STATE 14
On the first possession of the extra frame, Tennessee Tech’s Lee Sweeney connected with Logan Wilks from 14 yards out to give the Golden Eagles (2-3, 2-0 OVC) a six-point advantage. The extra point missed but the Racers (1-4, 0-2) could not capitalize. Murray State’s Zach Barnard pass to Dante Woods was incomplete in the end zone on fourth down and TTU escaped with a 20-14 win tonight at Stewart Stadium in Murray, Ky.
MSU freshman Taylor Lanigan broke a 7-7 tie in the third quarter when he swept up a Tech fumble and raced 93 yards to pay dirt with 2:15 showing on the clock.
The Golden Eagles came right back and knotted it up at 14-14 when Sweeney hit Jarrod Houston for 57 yards on the fourth play of the ensuing drive with just 25 seconds left in the third quarter.
TTU recovered a botched Murray State punt attempt early in the fourth quarter, but Sweeney was intercepted by Dominic Spinks at the two-yard line on the first play of the drive to keep the game tied.
The Racer offense couldn’t move past midfield during the fourth quarter, but their defense came up big. Tennessee Tech had a chance to take a three-point lead with 7:02 left in the game but Jason Foster missed on a 27-yard field goal.
The Golden Eagles moved to the Murray State 24-yard line late in the fourth quarter before the Racer defense pushed them back in the other direction. A pair of Larry Shipp receptions early in the drive picked up 34 yards and moved TTU into Murray State territory.
A 16-yard pass from Sweeney to Brent McNeal took Tech inside the 25-yard but the Golden Eagles were forced back 36 yards on the next four plays. A penalty, a four-yard loss on the ground and a pair of 11-yard sacks sent the Golden Eagles in the wrong direction.
Anthony Ash moved the ball 11 yards on the ground for Tennessee Tech on the first three plays of overtime before Sweeney and Wilks hooked up from 14 yards out for what would prove to be the winning score
The Racers were forced into a fourth and 20 situation on their overtime possession, but Barnard found Woods over the middle for 21 yards and a first down. MSU picked up seven yards on the ground but a false start penalty moved the ball back five yards. On third and eight, Barnard’s pass to Nate Moore was incomplete. Barnard’s next attempt appeared to find Woods in the middle of the end zone but the senior couldn’t get possession and the game ended.
Sweeney finished with 251 yards through the air for Tech on 16-of-28. He threw three touchdown passes but was also intercepted three times. Ash finished with 79 yards on the ground.
Barnard completed 10-of-23 passes for 94 yards and a touchdown. He did not throw an interception. The Racers managed just 59 yards on the ground led by freshman Josh Jones and his 33 yards on nine carries.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 19, SAMFORD 14
Southeast Missouri captured its first Ohio Valley Conference win of the season after holding off a fourth-quarter Samford surge to claim a 19-14 win Saturday night at Houck Stadium. With the win, the Redhawks improve to 3-1, 1-1 in OVC action, while the Bulldogs fall to 2-3, 0-2 in league play.
Senior running back John Radney paced the Southeast offense with 69 yard on 19 carries, while freshman running back Tony Anderson tallied 43 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Senior Seth Harrell led the Redhawks' defensive unit with nine tackles and an interception, while junior Adam Casper added eight tackles and senior Edgar Jones recorded seven tackles and two sacks. Senior David Simonhoff recorded a 42.2-yard average per punt on four punts.
The Redhawks captured a 7-0 lead at the 4:40 mark in the first quarter when senior quarterback Kevin Ballatore threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to senior Stevelan Harper. A 37-yard scoring play from sophomore Markus Mosely to senior Samora Goodson and a seven-yard TD scamper by Anderson in the second quarter sent Southeast into halftime with a 19-0 lead.
Samford finally got on the board with 8:34 remaining in the third quarter on a six-yard touchdown reception from Jeff Moore off the arm of Dante Williams to cut the Redhawks' lead at 19-7. The Bulldogs later closed to within five at 19-14 on an eight-yard scoring run by Brock Johnson at the 12:42 mark in the fourth quarter.
A blocked punt put Samford on the Southeast 17-yard line with less than three minutes left in the game, but a false start penalty pushed the Bulldogs back to the 22-yard line. After a timeout, Williams was picked off by Harrell in the end zone on fourth down to seal the win for the Redhawks.
Johnson finished the game with 56 yards and a TD on seven carries for the Bulldogs, while Williams went 12-for-22 for 79 yards and a touchdown pass. Chris Hicks produced five punts and averages 31.2 yards a punt and Rodney Shepherd tallied a game-high 13 tackles, including eight solo, for the Bulldogs.
JACKSON STATE 25, TENNESSEE STATE 22
Florida A&M outlasted Tennessee State, 25-22, in overtime at the 18th Atlanta Football Classic in front of 53,887 fans. The game was the first overtime contest in the 47-game series between the two schools.
Despite rushing for a career-high 229 yards on 33 carries, Tennessee State running back Javarris Williams’ fumble at the 1-yard line in overtime put a sour end to a 15-point TSU comeback effort in the fourth quarter. He was, however, named the Outstanding TSU Player for the 2006 Atlanta Classic.
Williams had carried Tennessee State on his shoulders, rushing for 139 yds in the second half. In overtime, Williams rushed for 25 yards with a long of 18. On 2nd-and-goal from the 1-yard line, FAMU defensive end Carlos Rolle forced Williams to cough up the football and stopped TSU’s scoring drive. The Rattlers hit on a 34-yard field goal during their overtime possession for the win.
FAMU took the early lead 3-0 with a 42-yd field goal in the first quarter (7:34) but Tennessee State took a 7-3 lead into the locker room after scoring late in the second quarter (0:29) on a 28-yard TD reception by wide receiver Jeremy Stephens from quarteback Antonio Heffner.
Florida A&M opened the second half (13:20) with an 82-yard catch-and-run by wide receiver Gerard Morgan from quarterback Albert Chester for a 10-7 lead. The Rattlers stretched their lead to 16-7 (05:17) following a missed 40-yard field goal by TSU.
Fourth-quarter fireworks began when FAMU opened its lead to 19-7 (10:48) with a 47-yard field goal following an Antonio Heffner interception. Tennessee State mounted a 9-play, 80-yard drive, headed my Williams' 41 yards, to close the score to 19-14 at the 7:18 mark. FAMU’s Wesley Taylor kicked what many thought was the game-winning 36-yard field goal (0:59) for a 22-14 Rattler lead. However, TSU quarterback Antonio Heffner led the Tigers on a five-play, 76-yard drive for a TD and a successful two-point conversion for a 22-22 tie in regulation, forcing the overtime.
UT MARTIN 20, AUSTIN PEAY 10
The Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks used a strong second-half performance and "a sense of urgency" to rally for a 20-10, come-from-behind victory over Austin Peay Saturday night at Governors Stadium.
Junior tailback Don Chapman turned in his first 100-yard plus rushing performance of the season and scored the go-ahead touchdown with 11:39 to play in the third quarter. Chapman scored on a 31-yard run and Taylor Brown added the extra point to give the Skyhawks a 13-10 lead.
Early in the fourth quarter, Chapman hit the century mark with a 29-yard run. The scamper set up first-and-10 from the Austin Peay 44-yard line. Freshman Greg Preston then hit redshirt freshman Roren Thomas with a 44-yard strike for paydirt. The touchdown gave the Skyhawks a 20-10 lead with 10:21 to play in the game.
Chapman led all rushers with 19 carries for 155 yards and the touchdown. The Skyhawks piled up 263 rushing yards and finished the game with 166 passing yards. Preston and Dexter Anoka combined to complete 15-of-23 passes without an interception. Six Skyhawk receivers combined for 15 receptions. Thomas had two catches for 73 yards and the touchdown, while E.J. Daniel had five catches for 29 yards.
The Skyhawk defense also came alive in the second half by limiting the Austin Peay ground attack to 24 yards of rushing and 119 yards of passing. The Skyhawks also held Austin Peay scoreless for three quarters.
Late in the fourth quarter, with Austin Peay on the Skyhawks' 5-yard line, senior David Gilmore intercepted Mark Cunningham and stalled the Governors' drive that started on their own 26 yard line. Gilmore returned the interception 16 yards and the Skyhawks started marching to paydirt again.
Austin Peay built a 10-3 lead in the first quarter as Cunningham picked apart the Skyhawk defense. He finished the contest completing 14-of-21 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown.
Cunningham's favorite targets were Fletcher and Kevin Carter, who caught three passes each. Fletcher hauled in a 60-yard pass for the Governors' touchdown at 8:58 in the first quarter. Fletcher finished the game with four catches for 98 yards.
HAWAI'I 44, EASTERN ILLINOIS 9
Vincent Webb and Ademola Adeniji led a strong Eastern Illinois rushing attack on Saturday night, but Hawai'i quarterback Colt Brennan was equal to the task as he tossed five first-half touchdowns to lead the Warriors (2-2) to a 44-9 win over the Panthers (2-3).
The EIU defense almost had a turnover on the first drive as they batted a ball up in the air that had a chance to be intercepted. That ball dropped harmlessly to the ground and Hawai'i took advantage of the second chance as Colt Brennan hit Ian Sample down the middle for a 29-yard TD strike. Brennan added another strike on the Warriors' second drive, finding Ross Dickerson in the back of the end zone for a 16-yard score.
Eastern Illinois responded on its second possession as Vincent Webb broke a third-and-one run for 69 yards to place the ball inside the Hawai'i 10-yard line. Norris Smith ran straight up the middle for a 9-yard score on the next play. EIU missed the kick to trail 14-6 midway through the first quarter.
Zach Yates put the Panthers' second score on the board with a 43-yard kick in the second quarter. He extended his streak of consecutive games with a field goal made to 10 games. Brennan again answered the EIU score, hooking up with Sample for a 43-yard touchdown pass across the middle. EIU was able to block the kick.
After the teams traded turnovers in the third quarter, the Warriors were able to maintain a drive and score on a 1-yard burst by Nate Ilaoa to make the score 41-9 with 6:35 left in the third quarter. It was the second short touchdown for Ilaoa of the game.
Webb rushed for 117 yards while moving into fourth place on the Panthers' career rushing list. Adeniji finished with 84 yards as the Panthers had 234 yards on the ground.
Brennan finished the day with 409 yards passing completing 30-of-41 passes with one interception.