This Week's Schedule
Saturday, October 16
*Eastern Kentucky at UT Martin, 2:00 p.m. (OVCSports.TV)
*Tennessee State at #3 Jacksonville State, 3:00 p.m. (OVCSports.TV)
*#18 Southeast Missouri at Austin Peay, 6:00 p.m. (OVC Game of the Week - Wazoo Sports, ESPN3.com, WUXP, WEIU, WQWQ)
*Eastern Illinois at Tennessee Tech, 7:00 p.m. (OVCSports.TV)
This Week's OVC Highlights/Storylines
Jacksonville State and Southeast Missouri remained undefeated in OVC play while Eastern Kentucky played its first OVC game of the season and joined that group of teams atop the Conference standings...The No. 3 ranked Gamecocks improved to 4-0 on the road this season with a win over UT Martin; the Gamecocks are one of just four remaining undefeated teams in FCS football (Appalachian State, Bethune-Cookman and Delaware being the others)...Jacksonville State has now won 10-straight games dating back to last season (the longest streak in FCS football and third longest in all of Division I football behind Boise State and Ohio State) and 9-straight road games, the longest in FCS football and second longest in all of Division I (behind Boise State)...Southeast Missouri won its fifth-straight game and improved to 4-0 in OVC play for the first-time ever with a win over Tennessee State...JSU and SEMO are two of just 10 FCS teams with five or more victories so far this season...After starting 0-3 Eastern Kentucky won its second-straight game of the season by beating Eastern Illinois 35-7...Tennessee Tech rebounded with its first Sgt. York Trophy game victory of the season with a 34-21 win at Austin Peay...Murray State overcame three big deficits, including a 14-point margin late in the third quarter, to top Missouri State 72-59 in a shootout...Murray State quarterback Casey Brockman set the OVC record for passing yards in a game (570) and tied the touchdown passes mark (7) and rushed for another score in a performance that earned him National Player of the Week honors...Racer wideout Marcus Harris hauled in nine of those passes, five of which were for touchdowns, which also established an OVC all-time record...With the win over Missouri State, OVC teams are now 7-6 against FCS non-conference opponents this season...This week's games feature Tennessee State at Jacksonville State, Eastern Kentucky at UT Martin, Eastern Illinois at Tennessee Tech and Southeast Missouri at Austin Peay in the OVC Football TV Game of the Week.
OVC Players of the Week
OFFENSIVE
Casey Brockman, QB • So., 6-2, 205 • Murray, Ky. • Murray State
Brockman put his name in both the OVC and Murray State record books as he completed 32-of-41 passes for 570 yards and seven touchdowns and rushed for another score in a 72-59 Homecoming victory over Missouri State. The 570 passing yards was both an OVC and Murray State record while the seven passing scores established the Racer mark and tied the all-time OVC mark (also held by Morehead State's Chris Swartz). The passing yards were the most by a NCAA player this season at any classification (FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III) and the touchdowns tied the most in any NCAA division this year. The sophomore passed for 238 yards and five touchdowns in the second half alone as Murray State overcame a 52-38 deficit with 2:22 to play in the third quarter. Five of his touchdowns went to senior Marcus Harris, who established a new OVC record in that category, hauling in nine catches for 213 yards and the five scores.
Others Nominated: T.J. Pryor, Eastern Kentucky; Kenny Whittaker, Eastern Illinois; Calvin Middleton, Jacksonville State; Henry Harris, Southeast Missouri; Jocques Crawford, Tennessee Tech; Derek Carr, UT Martin.
DEFENSIVE
Rico Council, LB • Jr., 6-1, 255 • Chattanooga, Tenn. • Tennessee State
Council earned his second OVC Defensive Player of the Week honor of the season after registering a career-high 15 tackles (6 solo) in a 19-17 loss at No. 25 Southeast Missouri. Council helped key a defense that limited Southeast Missouri to zero points in the second half, as the Tigers nearly overcame a 16-point deficit.
Others Nominated: Andrew Soucy, Eastern Kentucky; Jamison Wadley, Jacksonville State; Jake McIntosh, Tennessee Tech; Josh Bey, UT Martin.
SPECIALIST
Matthew Barker, K • So., 6-1, 185 • Spokane, Wash. • Tennessee Tech
Barker tallied 10 total points in Tennessee Tech's 34-21 road victory over Austin Peay. The Oregon State transfer connected on field goals of 46 yards (a career-long) and 30 yards that helped the Golden Eagles to its first road and Conference victory of the season. Both of his field goals came in the third quarter as Tech turned a seven-point lead into a 13-point advantage. The sophomore also added four extra points in the game. Barker also handles kickoff duties and averaged 62.9 yards/kickoff, including one touchback.
Others Nominated: Coty Blanchard, Jacksonville State; Henry Harris, Southeast Missouri; Cody Sandlin, UT Martin.
NEWCOMER
Mike Harris, RB • Jr., 5-11, 200 • Broken Arrow, Okla. • Murray State
Harris rushed for a career-best 212 yards (the 10th-best single-game performance in FCS football this season) and two touchdowns as Murray State came from behind to top Missouri State 72-59 on Saturday. The junior racked up 166 of his yards in the second half as the Racers overcame a 14-point deficit with 2:22 to play in the third quarter. Harris rushed for a 2-yard touchdown late in the first half and his 30-yard touchdown with 8:17 to play completed the comeback and put Murray State on top for good. He put the game away later in the fourth quarter, breaking loose for a 57-yard run on third and seven to cement the victory. His 30 carries were the most by a Racer since the 2005 season while his 212 yards were the most for a MSU player since 2006.
Others Nominated: Coty Blanchard, Jacksonville State; Wesley Sherrill, Tennessee Tech.
Notes From Around the Gridiron
Brockman Sets OVC Passing Records, Harris Sets Receiving Touchdowns Mark in Win over Missouri State: Murray State sophomore quarterback Casey Brockman put his name in the OVC record book in the Racers 72-59 win over Missouri State on Oct. 9. Brockman threw for 570 yards, which broke the OVC record of 553 yards set by Murray State's Justin Fuente in the 1999 season (against Southern Illinois). The sophomore also passed for seven touchdowns, which tied the OVC mark of seven also held by Morehead State's Chris Swartz (1990, set against Murray State). At the time of the game, the 570 yards passing was the most in any NCAA classification (FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III) in 2010. Five of Brockman's touchdowns were to senior wide receiver Marcus Harris, who set the OVC record in that category. Harris' five scores broke the record of four touchdowns previously held by four individuals (most recently Murray State's Terrence Tillman against UT Martin in 1999). The 30 points scored by Harris is the most by any FCS player in 2010.
Brockman Named National Player of the Week by Sports Network and College Sporting News (Oct. 11): Murray State sophomore quarterback Casey Brockman was named National Player of the Week by each the Sports Network/Fathead.com and College Sporting News on Oct. 11 after a record-breaking performance against Missouri State. Brockman put his name in both the OVC and Murray State record books as he completed 32-of-41 passes for 570 yards and seven touchdowns and rushed for another score in the 72-59 Homecoming victory. The 570 passing yards was both an OVC and Murray State record while the seven passing scores established the Racer mark and tied the all-time OVC mark (also held by Morehead State's Chris Swartz). The passing yards were the most by a NCAA player this season at any classification (FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III) and the touchdowns tied the most in any NCAA division this year. The sophomore passed for 238 yards and five touchdowns in the second half alone as Murray State overcame a 52-38 deficit with 2:22 to play in the third quarter.
Two OVC Players Earn Honors From College Football Performance Awards for Week No. 6 of the Season: Two OVC players were honored by the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) on Oct. 11 for their performances in week No. 6. Murray State quarterback Casey Brockman was named FCS National Player of the Week and FCS Quarterback Performer of the Week while his teammate Marcus Harris was named FCS Wide Receiver Performer of the Week.
Murray State Makes FCS History With 500-Yard Passer, 200-Yard Receiver and 200-Yard Rusher in the Same Game: In its win over Missouri State on Oct. 9, Murray State made Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) history by having a 500-yard passer (570, Casey Brockman), a 200-yard receiver (213, Marcus Harris) and a 200-yard rusher (212, Mike Harris) in the same game. It marked the first time in NCAA history that had occurred in the same game.
Jacksonville State Up to No. 3 in FCS Top 25 Polls, The Highest For OVC Team Since 1999; Southeast Missouri Enters Top 25 for First Time Since 2003 (Now at No. 18): With its win over Ole Miss, Jacksonville State leaped from 17th to No. 5 in the Sports Network FCS Top 25 poll. The No. 5 ranking was the highest for an OVC team since Western Kentucky was ranked fifth in the final poll of the 2000 season. After a win over Chattanooga in week No. 2, the Gamecocks moved up to No. 4 in both major FCS polls, a ranking they have maintained for three weeks until moving up one spot to No. 3 on Oct. 4 (a spot they still hold this week). The No. 3 ranking is the highest an OVC team has been since Tennessee State was No. 1in the final regular season poll of the 1999 season. JSU has now been ranked for 21-straight weeks (its longest stretch since joining the Division I ranks). After losing its first two games of the season, Eastern Illinois dropped out of the Top 25, leaving only one OVC team ranked in the national polls for the first time since Sept. 8, 2008 (a span of 28 polls). That number became two ranked teams once again on Oct. 4 when Southeast Missouri State jumped to No. 25 in the Sports Network poll. It marked the first time since the first two polls of the 2003 season that the Redhawks had been ranked nationally. Southeast moved to No. 18 in the Sports Network poll on Oct. 11.
JSU One of Four Undefeated Teams in FCS Football: Entering week No. 7 of the 2010 season there are only four undefeated teams left in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and Jacksonville State (6-0) is among those squads. Other undefeated teams include Appalachian State (5-0), Bethune-Cookman (5-0) and Delaware (6-0).
Jax State and Southeast Missouri Two of Just 10 FCS Teams With 5 or More Wins (and 2 of Just 6 With Five or More Division I Wins): Entering this week Jacksonville State and Southeast Missouri are two of just 10 Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) teams with five or more victories this season (JSU is 6-0 and SEMO is 5-1). To take it one step further, the teams are two of just six FCS teams with five or more victories against Division I competition (Appalachian State, Delaware, Robert Morris and William & Mary are the others).
Jax State Has Longest Overall and Longest Road Winning Streak in FCS: Jacksonville State enters this week with the nation's longest winning streak (10 games) among Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) teams. Jacksonville State has not lost since falling 28-20 at No. 24 Eastern Illinois on Oct. 24, 2009. Among all Division I teams (FBS & FCS), the 10-game winning streak is third-best (behind Boise State's 19-game streak and Ohio State's 12-game streak). The Gamecocks also lay claim to the longest road winning streak among FCS teams, which is at nine (9) games dating back to last season. The Gamecocks have not lost a road game since losing at FBS opponent Florida State on Sept. 12 of last season. The team's last road loss to a FCS team was at UT Martin (31-30) on Oct. 23, 2008. Among all Division I teams (FBS & FCS) Jacksonville State's nine-game road winning streak is second (behind Boise State's 15-game streak).
OVC Winning Streaks: Jacksonville State's 10-game winning streak is one of 19 in OVC history to reach 10 or more games (it is tied for the 13th longest streak). It is the longest winning streak by an OVC team since the 1999 season (11-straight by Tennessee State). Below is a list of each streak that has reached 10 games.
18 Eastern Kentucky (1982-83)
18 Middle Tennessee (1963-65)
14 Middle Tennessee (1957-58)
14 Western Kentucky (1972-73)
12 Eastern Kentucky (1991)
11 Eastern Kentucky (1953-54)
11 Eastern Kentucky (1974-75)
11 Middle Tennessee (1985)
11 Murray State (1995)
11 Murray State (1996)
11 Tennessee State (1999)
11 Tennessee Tech (1952)
10 Austin Peay (1964-65)
10 Eastern Kentucky (1981)
10 Eastern Kentucky (1988)
10 Eastern Kentucky (1990)
10 East Tennessee State (1968-69)
10 Jacksonville State (2009-present)
10 Western Kentucky (1963-64)
Top Rushing Performances: The OVC has had some impressive rushing performance this season, currently holding three of the top 10 rushing performances (4th, 7th, 10th) in the FCS this season. The OVC is the only FCS Conference to lay claim to three of the top 10 rushing efforts of the season. Tennessee State's Preston Brown has the fourth (233) and seventh-best (218) outings while Murray State's Mike Harris has the 10th-best (212). The league also lays claim to the 14th (196, SEMO's Henry Harris), 18th (188, SEMO's Harris) and 20th-best (186, TSU's Dante' Thomas) single-game rushing efforts this season.
TSU's Brown Out for the Season: Tennessee State's Preston Brown, who ranked third nationally in rushing after five games (152.0 yards/game), injured his knee (ACL) against N.C. A&T on Oct. 2 and will miss the rest of the 2010 season.
NCAA Stats Leaders: In the latest set of NCAA rushing leaders, Southeast Missouri State senior running back Henry Harris is first nationally in all-purpose yards (227.00/game) and fourth in rushing (144.67/game). Tennessee State running back Preston Brown (who will miss the rest of the season with an ACL injury) is currently first nationally in rushing (152.00 yards/game) and 10th in all-purpose yards (169.80/game). Murray State's Dontrell Johnson is first nationally in punt return yards (30.78/return). Eastern Illinois punter Kevin Cook is second in punting (45.03) while Austin Peay punter Ryan Key is sixth (43.65). Eastern Illinois linebacker Nick Nasti is fifth in tackles (11.83/game), teammate Nick Martinez is sixth in forced fumbles (0.50/game). Austin Peay defensive back Jeremy Ross is second nationally in fumbles recovered (0.60/game). Team-wise Southeast Missouri is first nationally in third down conversion percentage (55.29%), third in least interceptions thrown (1), fourth in sacks allowed (0.50/game), fourth in fewest yards penalized (32.50/game) and third in rushing offense (277.33 yards/game). Jacksonville State ranks eighth in third down conversion percentage (46.59%). Murray State is fifth nationally in passing yards (305.17/game), eighth nationally in tackles for loss (8.17/game) and third in punt returns (24.08 yards/return). Tennessee State is third nationally in sacks (3.67/game) while Eastern Kentucky is fourth in sacks (3.60/game), sixth in net punting (38.29 yards/punt) and second in tackles-for-loss (8.60/game).
TSU's Clifford Joins EKU's Caldwell on Buck Buchanan Watch List: Tennessee State safety Eugene Clifford has been added to the Buck Buchanan Award watch list. The award, which is presented by The Sports Network and sponsored by Fathead.com, is handed out annually to the nation's top FCS defensive player. Also on 20-person list is Eastern Kentucky cornerback Jeremy Caldwell who was one of preseason selections to the team. The Buchanan Award watch list will undergo another revision on Oct. 25 and before the end of the season. Ballots will be sent to a panel of approximately 200 sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries following the conclusion of the regular season on Nov. 22. The Buchanan Award will be presented to the FCS national defensive player of the year on Thursday, Jan. 6 in Frisco, Texas - the night before the national championship game. The Buck Buchanan award is named for Junious "Buck" Buchanan, the NAIA All-American and Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive lineman who played for Grambling State University from 1959 through 1962. As a freshman, Buchanan came to Grambling on an "if" scholarship, to receive financial help if he played well. After a season of playing both varsity basketball and football, Buchanan decided to concentrate solely on football. By the time he finished four years at Grambling, his coach, Eddie Robinson, asserted that Buchanan was "... the finest tackle I have ever seen." The Buck Buchanan Award has been handed out annually since 1995. Some of the past winners include Minnesota Vikings' Jared Allen (Idaho State - 2003), Jacksonville Jaguars' Rashean Mathis (Bethune-Cookman - 2002) and Dexter Coakley (Appalachian State - 1995, 1996), who played 10 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys and St. Louis Rams.
Large Crowds: OVC teams have played in front of some big crowds this season, especially when playing against a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponent (including 99,123 who saw UT Martin play at Tennessee in what was the second-biggest crowd to ever see an OVC team play). In games involving just FCS teams this season, Tennessee State has played in front of the two largest crowds, including 54,202 at the Georgia Dome against Florida A&M (Sept. 25) and 44,688 at the Liberty Bowl against Jackson State (Sept. 11)
Two OVC Student-Athletes Named Semifinalists for Campbell Trophy: Two Ohio Valley Conference football student-athletes - Austin Peay's Brad Williams and Eastern Kentucky's Logan O'Connor - have been named semifinalist for the 2010 William V. Campbell Trophy (formerly known as the Draddy Trophy), endowed by HealthSouth. The semifinalists were announced by the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF). The award honors the best and brightest from the college gridiron and is often called the "Academic Heisman." Overall there are 121 semifinalists for the award but Williams and O'Connor are two of only 28 selected from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Williams owns a 3.565 grade-point average as a business finance major with a minor in real estate. The Clarksville native also is a re-founding father of Alpha Tau Omega and is a member of the Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership and Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Societies. O'Connor is an art teacher education major currently has a 3.84 GPA and is expecting to graduate this May. Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, semifinalists must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player or significant contributor, and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. The trophy was renamed last fall in honor of Bill Campbell, the chairman of Intuit, former player and head coach at Columbia University and the 2004 recipient of the NFF's Gold Medal. The NFF Awards Committee will select up to 15 finalists and announce the results via national press release on Thursday, Oct. 28. Each finalist will be recognized as part of the 2010 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, receiving an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship. The Campbell Trophy winner, who will have his scholarship increased to $25,000 and receive a 25-pound bronze trophy, will be announced live at the NFF's Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 7 at the prestigious Waldorf-Astoria in New York City.
League Announces "OVC Game of the Week" Television Package With Wazoo Sports: In July 2010 the Ohio Valley Conference announced its a partnership with Wazoo Sports to produce and distribute an "OVC Game of Week" football package for 2010. The 10-game package will begin with Austin Peay at Tennessee State and feature a different game every week through the end of the regular season (Nov. 20). Eight of the 10 games will have a 6 p.m. CT kickoff. Each of the nine OVC football schools will appear on the broadcast at least twice during the season. For a full schedule and affiliate information check out links at OVCSports.com. The games will also appear online through ESPN3.com and OVCSports.TV Wazoo Sports, Inc. is a Regional Sports Network that delivers coverage of NCAA, NAIA high school, and youth sports live and on-demand on television and over the Internet. Wazoo Sports has produced over 360 LIVE games and is currently in over 650,000 households in Kentucky. Wazoo Sports is headquartered in London, Ky.
APSU's Holt Among All-Time Best in FCS in Kickoff Returns: Austin Peay senior Terrence Holt is among the best all-time at the FCS level in kickoff returns. Holt broke the FCS all-time kickoff return yardage record in 2009 and currently has 4,128 yards. He is the only player in FCS history to have three 1,000+ yard kickoff return seasons and will look to make that four-straight this year (he is currently 455 yards away from reaching that milestone). Holt also holds the FCS career record for total kick return yardage (kickoffs and punt returns) with 4,620 yards. In 2008 Holt broke the NCAA record for kickoff returns in a season (52) and total kick returns (kickoffs plus punts) with 66.
Jacksonville State Tops Ole Miss, Ends 50-Game OVC Losing Streak to FBS Schools: Jacksonville State's 49-48 double overtime victory over Ole Miss on Sept. 4 helped the OVC end a 50-game losing streak to Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponents that extended back to the 2004 season when Eastern Illinois beat Eastern Michigan 31-28. Jacksonville State nearly ended the streak a season ago, losing in the final minute at Florida State. It was the program's first win over a FBS team since a 31-28 victory at Arkansas State in 2001 (prior to joining the OVC). All-time the OVC is 18-138-1 against FBS schools.
More FCS Over FBS: Jacksonville State's win over Ole Miss was the first for an FCS team over an FBS team this season (North Dakota State beat Kansas later on Sept. 4 to mark the second win for FCS teams). It marked the 19th time since 2004 that an FCS squad had bested an FBS school (20th including NDSU). In week two of the season, four more FCS teams topped FBS squads.
OVC Finally Tops the SEC: Jacksonville State's victory over Ole Miss also marked the first time since the OVC was formed in 1948 that an OVC team had topped a squad from the Southeastern Conference. Prior to Jax State's victory, the OVC had been 0-22 against SEC teams since the league was formed. Prior to the OVC being formed Southeast Missouri State had topped Ole Miss in 1907 and Tennessee Tech had tied Vanderbilt in 1939 in the only game with positive outcomes for current OVC teams.
Gamecock Play Chosen as Capital One Cup Impact Performance for Week 1: Jacksonville State's 30-yard touchdown on fourth down in overtime and ensuing two-point conversion pass (both by freshman Coty Blanchard) in a win at Ole Miss was chosen as the Capitol One Cup Impact Performance of the Week in a vote at ESPN.com. The two plays received 78 percent of the national fan vote.
2010 Marks Fourth Season For Sgt. York Trophy: The 2010 season marks the fourth season for the Sgt. York Trophy, a challenge trophy which goes to the annual winner of the quadrangular season series between the four OVC institutions in the state of Tennessee (Austin Peay, Tennessee State and Tennessee Tech and UT Martin). In July 2007, the Nashville Sports Council and the Ohio Valley Conference announced the creation of the trophy, which is only the second traveling trophy involving more than two schools nationwide (the other is the Commander in Chief's Trophy). It is named after Sgt. Alvin C. York, a native of Pall Mall, Tenn. and a Soldier who was one of the most honored of World War I. He received the Congressional Medal of Honor after the war and returned to his home state to dedicate his life to improving education and facilitating educational opportunities for children in the state of Tennessee. The trophy goes to the team with the best record against the other schools, and in case of a tie there will be co-champions and the actual trophy will go to the institution that has gone the most seasons without winning the trophy. In 2007, Tennessee State and Austin Peay finished in a tie for the trophy with identical 2-1 records; both shared the award but Tennessee State went home with the hardware due to a 1-point win in the head-to-head meeting during the season. Tennessee State went 3-0 in Sgt. York play in 2008 to claim its second trophy. Last year Tennessee Tech claimed the trophy after going undefeated in Sgt. York games.
Southeast's Borum and EIU's Cook Named National Players of the Week (Oct. 4): Southeast Missouri State linebacker Darrick Borum was named National Defensive Player of the Week by College Sporting News while Eastern Illinois punter Kevin Cook was named National Specialist of the Week by Sports Network/Fathead.com on Oct. 4. Borum had a career-high 10 tackles, two sacks, three tackles-for-loss, a fumble recovery, interception and pass break-up in Southeast Missouri's 28-13 road win over Eastern Illinois. His interception ended EIU's first drive of the day and led to seven points for Southeast who took an early lead. Borum was part of a Redhawk defense that forced a season-high five turnovers against the Panthers. Cook averaged 50.2 yards on four punts in the same game against Southeast Missouri. On Cook's first attempt of the day he sailed a punt 86 yards from his own end zone to pin the Redhawks at their own five-yard line. The 86-yard punt was the longest in EIU's NCAA Division I history and seven yards away from the longest punt in NCAA FCS history. For the day Cook would see three of his four punts downed inside the 20-yard line with the fourth nearly downed at the one-yard line before being knocked into the end zone for a touchback.
Tennessee State's Brown, Murray State's Johnson Named National Players of the Week (Sept. 27): For their performances in week No. 4, Tennessee State running back Preston Brown and Murray State return specialist Dontrell Johnson earned National Player of the Week honors. Brown was named a National All-Star by College Sporting News after rushing for 233 yards and a touchdown in TSU's 29-18 win over Florida A&M at the Atlanta Football Classic. On the second play of the game Brown took a handoff and raced for a 71-yard touchdown. The game was his second 200-plus yard effort in three weeks. Johnson was named National Specialist of the Week by the Sports Network/Fathead.com after returning a punt 91 yards for a touchdown in the Racers 52-16 victory over UT Martin. Johnson had 148 total punt return yards in what was only his second game ever returning punts. Johnson also earned the FCS Punt Return Performer of the Week award from the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA).
Two OVC Players Earn Honors From College Football Performance Awards for Week No. 3 of the Season: Two OVC players were honored by the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) on Sept. 20 for their performances in week No. 3. Austin Peay's Stephen Stansell was named FCS Placekicker Performer of the Week while UT Martin's Darrin Nalls was named Defensive Lineman Performer of the Week.
Three OVC Players Earn Honors From College Football Performance Awards for Week No. 2 of the Season: Three OVC players were honored by the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) on Sept. 13 for their performances in week No. 2. Tennessee State's Preston Brown was named the FCS Running Back Performer of the Week, Southeast Missouri State kicker Drew Geldbach was named FCS Placekicker Performer of the Week and Austin Peay safety Jeremy Ross was named FCS Defensive Back Co-Performer of the Week.
Ivory and Blanchard Share National All-Star Honors From College Sporting News (Sept. 6): The Jacksonville State quarterback tandem of Marques Ivory and Coty Blanchard earned National All-Star (Player of the Week) honors from the College Sporting News on Sept. 6 for their parts in the Gamecocks double overtime win at Ole Miss. The duo shared the Offensive Award with Appalachian State quarterback DeAndre Presley. The starter Ivory was 13-for-23 for 126 and two touchdowns while true freshman Blanchard was 9-for-13 for 126 yards and two touchdowns. The duo led the Gamecocks to five straight touchdowns to end the game, as JSU trailed 31-13 entering the fourth quarter. Jax State outscored the Rebels 21-3 in the final quarter behind the two-quarterback attack. Blanchard had a four-yard touchdown with 6:17 left to cut the lead to 31-26 and Ivory had a 19-yard score to Alan Bonner with 18 seconds left to make the score 34-32. Ivory then completed a 2-point conversion pass to La'Ray Williams to force overtime. Each quarterback scored a touchdown in overtime, as Ivory connected for a 7-yard score in the first overtime, and Blanchard completed a 30-yard pass on 4th and 15 in the second overtime. Blanchard then completed a two-point conversion pass to Calvin Middleton to win the game (and earn No. 2 play of the day honors on SportsCenter. The Gamecocks duo did not throw an interception in the game.
Tennessee Tech Game With Lane College Called in Second Quarter: On Sept. 16 Tennessee Tech led Lane College 43-0 with 5:01 to play in the second quarter when lightning and heavy rains forced play to be suspended. After a long delay the game was unable to be continued. One of the conditions of Rule 3-3-3-c of the NCAA rulebook allows the teams to "terminate the game with a determined final score" if both the directions of athletics at the participating institutions in consultation with the coaches agree. Both teams agreed the game would end with TTU winning 43-0 and improving its record to 1-2 on the season. However, under NCAA statistics guidelines the game did not reach a "reasonable point of conclusion" (deemed three quarters for a football game) due to the weather conditions. So the statistics from the game will not count in the NCAA national statistical leaders or the OVC leaders. It was determined, however, that the Golden Eagle players would be able to count the stats in their individual career totals.
Tennessee Tech Starts Season With Back-to-Back Top 25 FBS Opponents: Tennessee Tech had the tough task of being one of just four Division I teams (FBS or FCS) to start the 2010 season with two nationally-ranked Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponents. The Golden Eagles lost at No. 17 Arkansas in week one and at No. 4 TCU in week two. The other three teams to start the season against two nationally-ranked FBS teams were Marshall (Ohio State and West Virginia), San Jose State (Alabama and Wisconsin) and UNLV (Wisconsin and Utah).
A Look at the Coaches: There are two new coaches and seven returnees among the head coaching ranks in the Ohio Valley Conference this season. Chris Hatcher takes over at Murray State after tenures at Valdosta State and Georgia Southern and Rod Reed is now in charge at Tennessee State (his alma mater) after serving on the staff as an assistant and defensive coordinator. The Dean of OVC Coaches is Eastern Illinois coach Bob Spoo who is in his 24th season with the Panthers in 2010. Spoo has 88 total wins while EIU has been a member of the OVC, a mark that ranks fifth in OVC history. Spoo also has 65 Conference victories, which is also fifth all-time. He is just two OVC wins away from passing WKU's Jimmy Feix (67 OVC wins) and moving into fourth place on the all-time list.
FCS Playoff Expansion: For the first time in 2010 the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoff field will include 20 teams, up from 16 a year ago. In April 2008 the NCAA Board of Directors approved the expansion. It marks the first expansion since the field grew from 12 to 16 teams in 1997. The field will be comprised of 10 automatic bids (up from 8) and 10 at-large berths. This season there will be four first round matchups (8 total teams), while 12 teams will receive a bye into the second round. For the first time in 2010, the championship game will be played in Frisco, Texas at Pizza Hut Park, a 23,500-seat multi-purpose stadium. The Southland Conference will serve as the host of the championship, which will be held on Friday, Jan. 7.
Preseason Forecasts: For the second-straight season five different schools received at least one first-place vote in the preseason predicted order of finish balloting. Jacksonville State received the most (11 of 18) while Eastern Illinois (4), Eastern Kentucky (1), Tennessee Tech (1) and Tennessee State (1) were also in the mix. JSU was picked first for the third time in the past six seasons. Is being picked first in the preseason poll necessarily a good thing? In the past 31 years of preseason polls (all that were available), the preseason predicted champion has only gone on to win the OVC Championship 12 times (38.7%). Over the past seven years not once has the eventual champion been predicted in the preseason poll (it was last done correctly in 2002).
Holt and Bey Headline Preseason All-OVC Team: Austin Peay senior running back/kick returner Terrence Holt and UT Martin senior linebacker Josh Bey have been tabbed the 2010 Ohio Valley Conference Preseason Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year in a vote on by the league's head football coaches and sports information directors. Eastern Illinois, Jacksonville State and Tennessee Tech each had four selections apiece on the preseason team to lead the league. Eastern Kentucky had the next-most selections with three. Each of the league's nine teams had at least one player on the preseason squad. Returning players who were first-team All-OVC picks last season (12 in total) were automatic selections to the preseason team this year. The squad also included seven players who were second-team selections in 2009. Of the 25 total selections, 13 were seniors, 11 were juniors and there was one sophomore pick.
Let's Get It Started: The 63rd season of Ohio Valley Conference football will get underway on Thursday, Sept. 2 when four OVC squads take to the gridiron; the remaining five schools will play on Saturday, Sept. 4. The OVC is made up of nine football-playing schools in 2010. Since its beginning, 14 of the 18 total schools that have played football in the league have claimed at least one championship.
I-AA No More: Although some people may accidentally still refer to it as I-AA football, the term that represents the level of Division I football in which the Ohio Valley Conference competes has been retired. Beginning with the 2006 National Championship game, the term Football Championship Subdivision (or FCS) is to be used. FCS is the only Division I football rank to host a NCAA-sponsored national championship (one of 88 championships the NCAA sponsors). The division formerly known as I-A was changed to Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and those teams compete for the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) national championship. Teams who play at the FCS level can offer a maximum of 63 scholarships (FBS teams can offer 85) and compete in a 16-team playoff at the end of the season to determine the national champion.
NFL Connections: As of September 7, 19 former Ohio Valley Conference players are on NFL rosters for the 2010 season (14 active players, 5 practice squad members). Those players include former Eastern Illinois standout Tony Romo, a three-time Pro Bowl pick, Cortland Finnegan (Samford), who has been a Pro Bowl defensive back selection with the Tennessee Titans and Tennessee State's Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who was a starter for the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII and was a Pro Bowl selection last season. There are five players on NFL rosters who played in the OVC last season including Eastern Illinois offensive linemen Chris Campbell (Green Bay Packers - practice squad) and Otis Hudson (Cincinnati Bengals - practice squad), Murray State defensive lineman Austen Lane (Jacksonville Jaguars) and wide receiver Derrick Townsel (Houston Texans - practice squad) and Tennessee State defensive back Anthony Levine (Green Bay Packers). Six of the nine current OVC football schools have at least one player in the NFL with Tennessee State leading the way with four active players (and one practive squad member). Several NFL coaches also have connections to OVC schools, including three who went to Eastern Illinois, the "Cradle of NFL Head Coaches." Those coaches include Brad Childress (Minnesota), Super Bowl champion Sean Payton (New Orleans) and Mike Shanahan (Washington). UT Martin graduate and former assistant coach Jerry Reese made waves in 2007 when he led the New York Giants to Super Bowl XLII in his first season as General Manager with the franchise.
OVCSports.TV: For the fifth consecutive year, fans can watch every Conference matchup and all non-conference home contests at OVCSports.TV. The venture with NeuLion (formerly JumpTV Sports) allows fans to access live and on-demand streaming video and audio of all conference matchups on their home computer. The premium Web site was launched in July 2006 and streamed over a thousand events in its first four seasons, including all Conference matchups in football and men's and women's basketball as well as select baseball, soccer, softball and volleyball games and OVC Championship events. Packages are available on a yearly, seasonally, monthly or per-event basis.