All-OVC Preseason Football Team
2008 OVC Football Media Guide
NASHVILLE -- In a vote of Ohio Valley Conference head football coaches and sports information directors, Jacksonville State University has been picked as the 2008 preseason favorite in the nine-team league. The Gamecocks claimed the 2003 and 2004 OVC Championships and were tabbed as the favorites for the second time in history (2005 was the other).
Although Jax State was tabbed as the favorites, the votes indicated the pollsters predicted this year’s race should be extremely tight, as the 18 first-place votes were split evenly amongst three schools. JSU received six first-place votes and were followed by 2007 OVC Champion Eastern Kentucky, who was picked second and also received six first-place votes. Eastern Illinois, who was a 2007 at-large selection for the FCS Playoffs, also garnered six first-place votes and was tabbed third. The three teams were separated by just five points, as preseason favorite Jacksonville State ended up with 113 points, Eastern Kentucky followed with 111 points and Eastern Illinois received 108 points. It marked the closest preseason vote in Ohio Valley Conference history.
The order of finish was rounded out by Tennessee State (84 points), UT Martin (69), Tennessee Tech (55), Austin Peay (50), Murray State (36) and Southeast Missouri State (22).
Jacksonville State was picked second in the OVC race a year ago when it also received six first-place votes. The Gamecocks posted a 5-3 overall record in the Conference in 2007 and return six offensive and six defensive starters this season. All eyes will be on junior quarterback Ryan Perrilloux, who transferred from LSU following the 2007 season. Tabbed the National Offensive Player of the Year out of East St. John High School, Perrilloux was named the MVP of the SEC Championship game last year as the Tigers won that game and went on to claim the BCS National Championship. JSU also returns first-team All-OVC place kicker Gavin Hallford, who was a third-team All-American last season after leading the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) in field goals per game (2.00) and tying the OVC record for field goals made in a season (22). He enters the season needing only 11 more field goal makes to set the all-time OVC mark (79). Also back is preseason All-OVC linebacker Marquise Elston (42 tackles, 3.0 sacks in 2007) and preseason All-OVC return specialist Maurice Dupree (29.4 yards per kick return in 2007).
Eastern Kentucky, who has an OVC-record 19 Conference championships, won its first OVC Championship in a decade in 2007, going undefeated (8-0) in OVC play on its way to the league’s automatic playoff berth and a Top 25 national ranking. The Colonels are under the direction of first-year head coach Dean Hood, who replaced Danny Hope who left for a job at Purdue. Hood, who spent the last seven seasons at Wake Forest, is no stranger to EKU, as he was an assistant coach under legendary coach Roy Kidd from 1994-98. Hood will look to lead the program to its 31st consecutive winning season (the second longest active Division I streak behind Florida State) with a returning group of 45 total players from last year’s 9-3 squad. The Colonels are led by 2007 OVC Offensive Player of the Year Allan Holland. The quarterback, who was named 2008 Preseason All-OVC Offensive Player of the Year, completed 60.1 percent of his passes while throwing for 1,990 yards and 14 touchdowns against only four interceptions in his first season as a starter. EKU also returns senior defensive lineman Chris Coy (51 tackles, 18.5 TFL, 8.0 sacks) and defensive backs Brandon Gathof (91 tackles, five interceptions) and Zach Denton (69 tackles, five interceptions). Last season the Colonels ranked third nationally in turnover margin (+1.5/game).
Eastern Illinois finished as the league runner-up in 2007, compiling a 7-1 OVC record and earning an at-large FCS Playoff berth. That marked the program’s third-straight playoff berth, the fourth longest active streak among FCS schools. No OVC team has appeared in four straight playoffs since Eastern Kentucky in the early 1990s. This year Bob Spoo’s team returns seven offensive and seven defensive starters including 2008 OVC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year Pierre Walters. Walters anchored the EIU defensive line last season when he compiled 47 tackles, 6.0 TFL’s and three sacks. The Panthers also have quarterback Bodie Reeder (170-for-206, 1726 yards, 10 touchdowns) and running back Travorus Bess (612 yards, four touchdowns) back. Also back is sophomore punter Kevin Cook, who ranked fourth nationally in punting last season (44.56 yards/punt) while earning honorable mention All-American honors.
Tennessee State, coming off a 5-6 overall and 4-3 OVC record in 2007, was picked fourth in the preseason poll. Last season the Tigers claimed the inaugural Sgt. York Trophy (which is contested between the four OVC member institutions from the state of Tennessee) by compiling a 3-1 record in the round-robin schedule. This season they return senior running back Javarris Williams, who begins the season as the No. 3 active rusher at the FCS level, entering the year with 3,292 yards. Last season Williams rushed for 1,187 yards (107.9/game) and scored 12 touchdowns. Also returning is senior quarterback Antonio Heffner, who was limited to just seven games in 2007 due to injury. Heffner was a first-team All-OVC selection as a sophomore after passing for 1,668 yards and nine touchdowns and rushing for five more scores. Last season in limited action he still managed to throw for 1,486 yards and 10 touchdowns and rush for 337 yards and three scores. TSU also returns its leading receiver - Chris Johnson (41 catches, 740 yards, four touchdowns) - and leading tackler - Remond Willis (84 tackles - back for 2008); both were 2008 Preseason All-OVC selections.
Two years removed from an OVC Co-Championship, the University of Tennessee at Martin was tabbed fifth this season. Skyhawk head coach Jason Simpson has eight offensive and eight defensive starters back from a team that came alive at the end of last season. After a rough start (the team lost five games by a touchdown or less), UT Martin rebounded to win its final three games and four of its final five contests of the season. UTM returns both quarterbacks - Cade Thompson and Dexter Anoka - who combined for 2,403 yards and 16 touchdowns in splitting the signal calling duties in 2007. One of the duos favorite targets - junior wide receiver Roren Thomas - also returns after a season where he grabbed 39 passes for 553 yards and six scores. Thomas was a preseason All-OVC selection this season.
Tennessee Tech head coach Watson Brown returns for his second season in his hometown of Cookeville, Tenn. Brown’s team battled through injuries in 2007’s 4-7 campaign, as four different players saw action at quarterback during the season. After the team’s third-string quarterback was hurt, Brown used his son Steven (now a graduate assistant with the team) as the signal caller, moving him from wideout to under center. This season the Golden Eagles have junior Lee Sweeney back as their starter. Sweeney was a second-team All-OVC pick and league Freshman of the Year in 2006 after completing 189-of-356 passes for 2,292 yards and 17 touchdowns. Along the way that season he set TTU records for attempts (57) and yardage (437) in a game. Despite missing three full games last year, he finished the season with 1,453 yards and 10 touchdowns. On defense, Preseason All-OVC selection Maurice Smith (102 tackles, two interceptions) returns to anchor the Tech defense.
Austin Peay was the surprise of the league in 2007, as it returned to the OVC after a 10-year break to play non-scholarship football. The Governors were a near unanimous selection to finish last a year ago but first-year head coach Rick Christophel led his team to a 7-4 overall mark and 5-3 tally in OVC play, which put them in a tie for third place. This year the Govs return six offensive and 10 defensive starters on the gridiron. Among those is sophomore kick returner Terrence Holt, who became the only player in school history to return three kicks for touchdown in the same season in 2007. He also set a new OVC record with 1,104 kick return yards on his way to OVC All-Newcomer Team honors. Defensively, junior linebacker Kit Hartsfield begins his third season as a starter. Last year he played in 10 games and netted 88 tackles.
Murray State begins year No. 3 of the rebuilding effort under head coach Matt Griffin. With the last two years featuring a majority of underclassmen on the roster, the Racers now have a very experienced squad in 2008, as 39 players return including 22 players who started at least a game in 2007. Murray State does have one of the most exciting players in the league in sophomore quarterback Jeff Ehrhardt, who was the OVC Freshman of the Year last season. He completed 236-of-393 passes for 2,567 yards and a MSU freshman record 21 touchdown passes. He also ran for 375 yards and five additional touchdowns and was one of just five FCS-level players to have a 300-yard passing/100-yard rushing outing in the same game in 2007.
Southeast Missouri State returns 48 players, including eight offensive starters and nine defensive starters, from last year’s team. The Redhawks once again have the services of All-American and first-team All-OVC selection Doug Spada who handles both the place kicking and punting duties. Last season he averaged 42.5 yards per punt, had a long of 73 yards and had 27 attempts downed inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. Spada also made 14 field goals including a 50-yarder during the campaign. Southeast also has preseason All-OVC running back Timmy Holloman (655 yards, 6 touchdowns in five games) and quarterback Houston Lillard (1,350 yards, 10 touchdowns) back in 2008.
2008 OVC Predicted Order of Finish
1. Jacksonville State (6 first-place votes) 113
2. Eastern Kentucky (6) 111
3. Eastern Illinois (6) 108
4. Tennessee State 84
5. UT Martin 69
6. Tennessee Tech 55
7. Austin Peay 50
8. Murray State 36
9. Southeast Missouri 22