This Week's Schedule
Saturday, September 11
Central Arkansas at #22 Eastern Illinois, 1:30 p.m. (OVCSports.TV)
Eastern Kentucky at Louisville, 2:30 p.m. (WHAS-TV/ESPN3.com)
Chattanooga at #5 Jacksonville State, 6:00 p.m. (OVCSports.TV)
*Southeast Missouri at Murray State, 6:00 p.m. (Wazoo/OVCSports.TV)
Tennessee State vs. Jackson State, 6:00 p.m. (Memphis) (FS South)
Tennessee Tech at #6 TCU, 6:00 p.m.
UT Martin at Southeastern Louisiana, 6:00 p.m.
Austin Peay at Middle Tennessee, 6:00 p.m.
Central Arkansas Bears (1-0, 0-0 Southland)
at #22 Eastern Illinois Panthers (0-1, 0-0 OVC)
Saturday, Sept. 11 • 1:30 p.m. CT
O'Brien Field (10,000) • Charleston, Ill.
TV:.................................................. WEIU/OVCSports.TV
Live Stats:.......... http://www.sidearmstats.com/eiu/football
Series Record:............................................. First meeting
Last Meeting:.............................................................. n/a
Clint Conque at Central Arkansas:............... 74-44 (11 yrs.)
Clint Conque Overall:............................................... same
Bob Spoo at Eastern Illinois:............................. 140-114-1
Bob Spoo Overall:.................................................. same
Central Arkansas Last Week: W, 47-20 vs. Elizabeth City State
Eastern Illinois Last Week:..................... L, 37-7 at #9 Iowa
GAME NOTES: This will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools. It is the home opener for the Panthers who will retire the No. 18 of Sean Payton, the former EIU quarterback who is now the head coach of the NFL's New Orleans Saints.
SCOUTING CENTRAL ARKANSAS: Central Arkansas is in its first season of Division I postseason eligibility after completing the reclassification process from Division II. The Bears have been a member of the 'Southland Conference since 2007, playing a full league schedule since that season. In the team's easy win over Elizabeth City State University to start the season, junior quarterback Nathan Dick completed 26-of-35 passes for 351 yards and three touchdowns in his first start at UCA (he is a transfer from Arkansas). Senior wideout Kenneth Robey catches nine of those passes for 151 yards and three scores. The Bears racked up 585 yards of total offense, including 407 of those yards in the first half as they jumped out to a 27-14 advantage.
SCOUTING EASTERN ILLINOIS: Eastern Illinois opened the season against the 9th ranked team from the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), the Iowa Hawkeyes. The No. 9-ranked FBS opponent was the highest that any Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) team played last week and the Panthers played them tough, losing 37-7. It was the highest-ranked opponent the EIU program had ever faced. Despite the loss to the highly-regarded Hawkeyes, the Panthers dropped several spots in both FCS Top 25 polls. EIU fell five spots from 18th to 23rd in the Sports Network/FatHead.com poll and six spots from 16th to No. 22 in the FCS Coaches Poll. In his Division I debut, redshirt sophomore quarterback Brandon Large completed 13-of-20 passes for 92 yards and a touchdown. He was sacked only twice behind a young Panther offensive line that was facing one of the top defensive lines in the country. Kenny Whittaker was his favorite target, pulling in four passes. Playing without its leading rusher Mon Williams, who is injured, Cody Bruns and Jimmy Potempa ran for 36 and 21 yards respectively as the team managed 65 yards on the ground. Nick Martinez led the way with nine tackles and a forced fumble on defense. Despite having one attempt blocked, senior punter Kevin Cook did average 45.1 yards per punt (7 attempts) with a long of 58 yards.
Eastern Kentucky Colonels (0-1, 0-0 OVC)
at Louisville Cardinals (0-1, 0-0 Big East)
Saturday, Sept. 11 • 2:30 p.m. CT
Papa John's Cardinal Stadium (57,000) • Louisville, Ky.
TV:.................................................... WHAS/ESPN3.com
Live Stats: http://www.uoflsports.com/gametracker/launch/gt_mfootbl.htmlevent=880215&school=lou&sport=mfootbl&camefrom=&startschool=&
Series Record:............................... Louisville leads 16-8-1
Last Meeting:....................... Louisville won 24-14 (8/31/91)
Dean Hood at Eastern Kentucky:.................. 13-11 (3 yrs.)
Dean Hood Overall:................................................. same
Charlie Strong at Louisville:................................ 0-1 (1 yr.)
Charlie Strong Overall:............................................. same
Eastern Kentucky Last Week:....... L, 31-9 at Missouri State
Louisville Last Week:....................... L, 23-16 vs. Kentucky
GAME NOTES: For the 11th-straight season and 20th time overall Eastern Kentucky is facing a team from the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). EKU is 4-15 in those contests since 1978 with its last win over a FBS team coming in 1985, a 45-21 victory over Louisville. The in-state foes have played 25 times over the years, but not since the 1991 season. The series dates all the way back to a 1927 meeting which UofL won 21-13 in Richmond.
SCOUTING EASTERN KENTUCKY: Eastern Kentucky is looking to rebound from its season-opening loss at Missouri State, a game which was delayed a day due to bad weather. EKU was set to open the season Thursday night before a line of thunderstorms that contained lightning postponed the game until 1 p.m. on Friday. Despite losing the game sophomore quarterback T.J. Pryor, a Louisville native, passed for a career-high 315 yards in the loss. It was the first time since the 2007 season (Allan Holland) that the Colonels had a quarterback break the 300-yard mark. During the game the EKU defense blocked a Missouri State punt; a season ago the Colonels led the OVC with 10 blocked kicks (punt, field goal or PAT) while recording at least one in seven of the 11 games of the 2009 season. One of the team's key defensive players, cornerback Jeremy Caldwell (who is on the Buck Buchanan Award Watch List) was limited to just a few players in the fourth quarter; the junior is recovering from a hernia. Senior kicker Logan O'Connor did make 3-of-4 field goals in the game, including a 47-yarder into the wind to end the first half. The loss to Missouri State did extend the team's losing streak in road non-conference games to 17 games; EKU has not won a road non-conference tilt since beating Liberty on Nov. 2, 2002.
SCOUTING LOUISVILLE: Louisville opened up its first season under new head coach Charlie Strong a week ago with rival Kentucky, falling to the Wildcats 23-16 at the newly expanded Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. The game was played in front of a PJCS record 55,327 fans. UofL fell behind early but trimmed the advantage in the second half to make it a seven-point contest. Senior running back Bilal Powell rushed for a career-high 153 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown scamper in the third quarter. The Cards were strong on special teams, as junior kicker Chris Philpott hit 3-of-3 field goal attempts, including a long of 44 yards. Senior quarterback Adam Froman completed 14 passes for 129 yards. The Cardinals coach came to Louisville after spending seven seasons as the defensive coordinator for the Florida Gators, including winning two national championships.
Chattanooga Mocs (0-1, 0-0 SoCon)
at #5 Jacksonville State Gamecocks (1-0, 0-0 OVC)
Saturday, Sept. 11 • 6:00 p.m. CT
Burgess-Snow Field at JSU Stadium (24,000) • Jacksonville, Ala.
TV:................................................. WJXS/OVCSports.TV
Live Stats: http://www.jsugamecocksports.com/sports/2010/9/1/FB_0901102541.aspx
Series Record:........................... Chattanooga leads 24-10
Last Meeting:........... Jacksonville State won 31-3 (9/20/08)
Russ Huesman at Chattanooga:....................... 6-6 (2 yrs.)
Russ Huesman Overall:............................................ same
Jack Crowe at Jacksonville State:............... 66-45 (11 yrs.)
Jack Crowe Overall:.................................... 80-75 (16 yrs.)
Chattanooga Last Week: L, 42-41 vs. #3 Appalachian State
Jacksonville State Last Week:.. W, 49-48 at Ole Miss (2OT)
GAME NOTES: Both Jacksonville State and Chattanooga are coming off games against big-time opponents last week as the Gamecocks topped Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) foe Ole Miss on the road while Chattanooga nearly pulled the upset against third-ranked Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) foe Appalachian State at home. Both games were decided by one point and came down to two-point conversion attempts (one that JSU converted and one that UTC did not). The all-time series dates back to a 5-0 game in the 1904 season and the two teams have squared off 34 times overall. The teams played every year from 2004-08 but did not play a season ago. Two years ago Jacksonville State won 31-3, its third-straight win (and 4th in the last five game) in the series since it was renewed after a 21-year break. Jax State is the first of two OVC opponents for the Mocs this season; UTC will host Eastern Kentucky next week at Finley Stadium. The game features the debut of the newly expanded JSU Stadium, which can now seat 24,000 fans.
SCOUTING CHATTANOOGA: Despite coming up with the loss on Saturday, Chattanooga played well against one of the top FCS teams in the country. The Mocs led by 21 points (35-14) early in the fourth quarter only to see App State storm back to pull off the one-point victory. After trailing 42-35 Chattanooga scored a touchdown with one minute left and decided to go for the two-point conversion after the team had missed three extra point attempts earlier in the game; the pass attempt, however, was incomplete. Mocs quarterback B.J. Coleman completed 23 passes for 340 yards and three touchdowns without being picked off. Chattanooga is coached by former Moc defensive back Russ Huesman, who won six games last season, the same total the program had won the previous three years combined. He was named 2009 Southern Conference Coach of the Year for his efforts.
SCOUTING JACKSONVILLE STATE: Jacksonville State made the biggest splash the first weekend of college football, topping SEC foe Ole Miss in double overtime (49-48) on Saturday. The win was the first for an OVC squad over an SEC team (since the league was formed in 1948) and snapped a 50-game losing streak by OVC teams to FBS squads (dating back to 2004). Things were not looking good for the Gamecocks when they trailed 31-10 at halftime and then 31-13 entering the fourth quarter. But following an early fourth quarter rushing score, the Gamecocks got a 4-yard touchdown from freshman Coty Blanchard to James Shaw with 6:17 to play to trim the lead to 31-26. After Ole Miss added a field goal starter Marques Ivory found Alan Bonner for a 19-yard score with 18 seconds left to pull JSU to within two. Ivory then converted a pass to La'Ray Williams for the two-point conversion to force overtime. After both teams scored in overtime, Ole Miss once again scored to start the second overtime. Facing a 4th and 15 from the 30-yard line Blanchard hit Kevyn Cooper for a touchdown in the back of the end zone to pull JSU to within a point. Head coach Jack Crowe decided to roll the dice and go for the two-points, as Blanchard found Calvin Middleton on a scoop pass to pull the upset victory. Ivory and Blanchard combined for 252 yards (126 apiece) and four touchdowns, as the duo split OVC Offensive Player of the Week honors. After netting 13 tackles, Rodney Garrott was named OVC Defensive Player of the Week.
Southeast Missouri State Redhawks (0-1, 0-0 OVC)
at Murray State Racers (0-1, 0-0 OVC)
Saturday, Sept. 11 • 6:00 p.m. CT
Roy Stewart Stadium (16,800) • Murray, Ky.
TV:..................................... Wazoo Sports/OVCSports.TV
Live Stats: http://goracers.com/sports/2010/7/6/GEN_0706100406.aspx?id=186
Series Record:.......................... Murray State leads 36-7-1
Last Meeting:...... Southeast Missouri won 49-13 (11/14/09)
Tony Samuel at Southeast Missouri:............. 13-33 (5 yrs.)
Tony Samuel Overall:.................................. 47-90 (13 yrs.)
Chris Hatcher at Murray State:............................ 0-1 (1 yr.)
Chris Hatcher Overall:................................. 94-28 (11 yrs.)
Southeast Missouri Last Week:......... L, 27-10 at Ball State
Murray State Last Week:.................. L, 41-10 at Kent State
GAME NOTES: OVC play starts early for Southeast Missouri State and Murray State who begin play a week ahead of four other teams and two weeks ahead of the rest of the league. The regional rivals are meeting for the 45th time overall, with Murray State holding a large advantage in the series (36-7-1). Southeast Missouri, however, got the most of the Racers a season ago, winning 49-13 at Houck Stadium. Running back Henry Harris and Mike Jones each had two touchdowns as the Redhawks racked up 302 yards of rushing for the first time since the 2006 season. Overall Southeast had 200 more yards of total offense (493-293) than Murray State did. Southeast quarterback Matt Scheible completed six passes for 188 yards and two scores. Last week both teams started the 2010 season with road games against teams from the Mid-American Conference (MAC).
SCOUTING SOUTHEAST MISSOURI: In its first game of the season Southeast Missouri traveled to Ball State, losing 27-10 in front of 10,753 fans. The game was tight early, as the teams were deadlocked at 7-7 at halftime, prior to BSU scoring two touchdowns in a span of 4:32 early in the second half. Early in the game senior Mike Jones scored on an 11-yard run, marking the program's first touchdown against a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) team since 2006 at Arkansas (the team was held without touchdowns in its last three FBS games). Sophomore kicker Drew Geldbach would later add a 53-yard field goal on his first career attempt; it marked the second-straight season the team had converted a field goal of longer than 50 yards (Doug Spada also made a 53-yard last season). The Redhawks had three defenders finish with 10 or more tackles, including linebackers Justin Woodlief and Joshua Jackson who had 13 apiece. Preseason All-OVC pick J.J. Sanchez added 10 stops. Fifth-year senior tailback Henry Harris racked up 13 all-purpose yards on the night, including a career-high eight receptions for 82 yards.
SCOUTING MURRAY STATE: The debut of Chris Hatcher as Murray State's coach came last Thursday at Kent State. The Racers were within a touchdown late in the second quarter before KSU converted on a 49-yard touchdown pass to bring the halftime margin to 24-10. The Golden Flash then ran back the second half kickoff to put the game out of reach at 31-10. Senior quarterback Jeff Ehrhardt completed 30 passes for 258 yards and a score. The 30 completions were the seventh-most in Murray State single-game history. Eleven of those completions were to senior Marcus Harris who had 181 all-purpose yards on the night (79 receiving, 98 kickoff return, 8 punt return). Freshman wideout Arthur Brackett caught five passes for 78 yards including a 42-yard touchdown on a fourth down play in his collegiate debut. The team did struggle running the ball, rushing for just 21 total yards and netting -65. Junior Kienan Cullen averaged 42.2 yards on 10 total punts, including two that were over 50 yards in length. He also nailed a 42-yard field goal in his only attempt of the night.
Tennessee State Tigers (1-0, 0-0 OVC)
vs. Jackson State Tigers (1-0, 0-0 SWAC)
Saturday, Sept. 11 • 6:00 p.m. CT
Liberty Bowl (62,380) • Memphis, Tenn.
TV:....................................................... Fox Sports South
Live Stats: http://www.tsutigers.com/liveStats/liveStats.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=19600
Series Record:................... Tennessee State leads 24-18-2
Last Meeting:.............. Tennessee State won 14-7 (9/12/09)
Rod Reed at Tennessee State:........................... 1-0 (1 yr.)
Rod Reed Overall:................................................... same
Rick Comegy at Jackson State:.................... 25-21 (5 yrs.)
Rick Comegy Overall:............................... 133-72 (19 yrs.)
Tennessee State Last Week:... W, 27-14 vs. Alabama A&M
Jackson State Last Week:........... W, 32-17 vs. Delta State
GAME NOTES: Two long-term rivals get together on Saturday night in the 21st annual Southern Heritage Classic at the Liberty Bowl in Memphis. This marks the 17th year in a row (and 19th overall) that the teams have squared off in this Classic which began in 1990 (the two other games were between TSU and Mississippi Valley State and Grambling). Tennessee State has won seven straight in the series including a 14-7 victory a season ago. Four of the last five meetings have been determined by a combined 18 points (including two of those that went into overtime). Tennessee State is 11-9 all-time in the event while Jackson State is 7-11. The all-time series between the two schools is at 24-18-2 in favor of Tennessee State.
SCOUTING TENNESSEE STATE: Tennessee State kickoff off the Rod Reed Era with a victory on Saturday night, topping rival 27-14 Alabama A&M in the 12th annual John Merritt Classic. A crowd of more than 22,000 showed up at LP Field to see the victory which started off with a bang. Redshirt freshman defensive back Rayshawn Weatherspoon took the opening kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown to put TSU up 6-0 just 14 seconds into the game. That marked the first kickoff return for a touchdown in JMC history and earned Weatherspoon OVC Specialist of the Week honors. Tennessee State would add three more touchdowns in the second quarter to take a 27-0 lead into halftime. The score would remain that way until the fourth quarter when A&M scored two touchdowns. Jeremy Perry, making his first start at quarterback for the Tigers was named Offensive MVP of the Classic after completing 11-of-21 passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns. Both of his scores went to Joseph Hills who had five catches for 67 yards overall. Senior defensive back Eugene Clifford was named Defensive MVP after registered eight tackles and an interception that led to a TSU touchdown. Overall the TSU defense had seven sacks against the Bulldogs, a team they had lost three-straight games to.
SCOUTING JACKSON STATE: Jackson State opened the season with a 32-17 victory at home over Delta State on Saturday in the third annual W.C. Gordon Classic. The JSU defense, which was ranked near the top in the FCS in defense, saw junior defensive back Tim Dandridge pick off two passes and return one of those for a 30-yard touchdown that tied the game at seven in the first quarter. The Tigers junior transfer quarterback Casey Therriault completed 27-of-47 for 404 yards and three touchdowns. His favorite target was Marcell Wilder who grabbed seven passes for 88 yards and a score.
Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (0-1, 0-0 OVC)
at #6 TCU Horned Frogs (1-0, 0-0 Mountain West)
Saturday, Sept. 11 • 6:00 p.m. CT
Amon G. Carter Stadium (44,358) • Fort Worth, Texas
TV:.......................................................................... none
Live Stats: http://gofrogs.cstv.com/gametracker/launch/gt_mfootbl.htmlevent=888807&school=tcu&sport=mfootbl&camefrom=&startschool=&
Series Record:............................................. First meeting
Last Meeting:.............................................................. n/a
Watson Brown at Tennessee Tech:................ 13-22 (4 yrs.)
Watson Brown Overall:......................... 107-173-1 (26 yrs.)
Gary Patterson at TCU:............................... 86-28 (10 yrs.)
Gary Patterson Overall:............................................ same
Tennessee Tech Last Week:.......... L, 44-3 at #17 Arkansas
TCU Last Week:................. W, 30-21 vs. #24 Oregon State
GAME NOTES: For the second week in a row Tennessee Tech is traveling to a nationally-ranked team from the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). Last week the Golden Eagles lost at No. 17 Arkansas; this week they play at No. 6 TCU. TTU is one of just four teams at the Division I level to start the season with back-to-back games against nationally-ranked FBS foes. This is the first-ever meeting between the two teams. This season marks the last at Amon G. Carter Stadium before a $105 million dollar renovation starts following the last home game on Nov. 13. TCU head coach Gary Patterson, who guided the team to a 12-1 record and BCS berth last season on his way to nine national Coach of the Year honors, earned his master's degree from Tennessee Tech. Patterson was the linebackers coach at TTU from 1983-84 along with Dick Bumpas, who is now TCU's defensive coordinator.
SCOUTING TENNESSEE TECH: Tennessee Tech opened the season at Southeastern Conference foe Arkansas, leading 3-0 after the first quarter thanks to a 27-yard field goal by Matthew Barker. The Razorbacks, however, would score 23 unanswered points in the second quarter behind Heisman hopeful quarterback Ryan Mallett and not look back. Senior Dustin Dillehay did pick off Mallett in the first quarter and later forced a fumble. The interception was the fourth of Dillehay's career. In his first career start sophomore quarterback Tre Lamb completed 6-of-13 passes for 99 yards. The Golden Eagles also rushed for a net of 79 yards with Cass Barnes gaining 31 on eight carries. Marty Jones had 10 tackles and a forced fumble for the TTU defense.
SCOUTING TCU: After an opening weekend victory over No. 24 Oregon State, TCU is 27-3 in its last 30 games overall. Seven of the team's last eight victories have been by at least 27 points, and TCU has a 14-game home winning streak. In the win over Oregon State, in a game played a Cowboy Stadiums in Arlington, Andy Dalton ran for two touchdowns and threw for another to lead the offense. It marked the 30th victory under center for Dalton, who became TCU's winningest all-time quarterback (passing "Slingin" Sammy Baugh). TCU gained 453 yards of total offense while holding the Beavers to just 255 yards on the day. The team improved to 46-2 under Patterson when they rush for at least 200 yards on the ground.
UT Martin Skyhawks (0-1, 0-0 OVC)
at Southeastern Louisiana Lions (0-1, 0-0 Southland)
Saturday, Sept. 11 • 6:00 p.m. CT
Strawberry Stadium (7,408) • Hammond, La.
TV:.......................................................................... none
Live Stats: http://livestats.internetconsult.com/selu/football/index.htm
Series Record:............... Southeastern Louisiana leads 3-1
Last Meeting: Southeastern Louisiana won 13-10 (10/17/81)
Jason Simpson at UT Martin:........................ 26-21 (5 yrs.)
Jason Simpson Overall:........................................... same
Mike Lucas at Southeastern Louisiana:.......... 14-24 (4 yrs.)
Mike Lucas Overall:................................................. same
UT Martin Last Week:........................ L, 50-0 at Tennessee
Southeastern Louisiana Last Week:........ L, 27-21 at Tulane
GAME NOTES: UT Martin and Southeastern Louisiana will renew an old rivalry that dates back to the 1970s when both were at one time members of the Gulf South Conference. The teams last played in the 1981 season, when Southeastern won 13-10 in Hammond. The only win in the previous four meetings for the Skyhawks came in the only game played in Martin, which was during the 1975 season (23-7).
SCOUTING UT MARTIN: UT Martin had the unenviable task of traveling to Knoxville to face Tennessee in the first game of the Derek Dooley era. Playing in front of 99,123 fans (the largest crowd to ever see a UT Martin game and the second-largest crowd to ever see an OVC team play) at Neyland Stadium the Skyhawks were shutout 50-0 in the first-ever meeting between the two schools from the same University system. The shutout ended a streak of 57-straight games with points for UTM, dating back to a shutout loss against Murray State in 2004. One player who was busy on the day was junior punter Joe Hook, who punted 10 times for an average of 41.7 yards. Hook had a long of 53 yards (a career-best) and had two downed inside the UT 20-yard line. Junior strong safety Kendal Harper came up with two turnovers for the Skyhawks. Harper had a fumble recovery and also an interception during the game. Offensively UT Martin managed just three first downs and 142 yards of total offense (compared to UT"s 537 yards).
SCOUTING SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA: In a week that saw two Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) teams knock off Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) foes, Southeastern Louisiana nearly made it three as the Lions pushed Tulane to the brink in a game played at the Louisiana Superdome last Thursday night. Southeastern had a 266-252 advantage in total yards and more first downs than the Green Wave (17 to 15), but committed four turnovers that ultimately led to the loss. The Lions defense held Tulane to just four first downs in the second half as they nearly came back to pull off the upset. Senior Tommy Connors was named Southland Defensive Player of the Week after totaling seven tackles, a sack and forcing a fumble in the game. Offensively Tyler Beatty completed 17-of-34 passes for 202 yards while sophomore running back Zeke Jones had 61 yards and 12 carries.
Austin Peay Governors (1-0, 0-0 OVC)
at Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders (0-1, 0-0 Sun Belt)
Saturday, Sept. 11 • 6:00 p.m. CT
Floyd Stadium (30,788) • Murfreesboro, Tenn.
TV:.......................................................................... none
Live Stats:........................ http://www.GoBlueRaiders.com
Series Record:................. Middle Tennessee leads 38-12-2
Last Meeting:.......... Middle Tennessee won 59-19 (11/8/97)
Rick Christophel at Austin Peay:................... 14-20 (4 yrs.)
Rick Christophel Overall:.......................................... same
Rick Stockstill at Middle Tennessee:............. 27-24 (5 yrs.)
Rick Stockstill Overall:............................................. same
Austin Peay Last Week:............... W, 38-6 vs. Cumberland
Middle Tennessee Last Week:........ L, 24-17 vs. Minnesota
GAME NOTES: Austin Peay will renew and old rivalry with former Ohio Valley Conference foe Middle Tennessee State on Saturday when the two in-state rivals face off at Floyd Stadium. the two teams have played 52 times over the years but not since the 1997 season which was one year after Austin Peay left the OVC for a 10-year period to play non-scholarship football (APSU returned to the OVC in the 2007 season). Middle Tennessee would leave the OVC after the 1998 season to begin its move to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). The Blue Raiders won 11 OVC titles in its tenure with the league (1952-98), the second-most all-time behind only Eastern Kentucky.
SCOUTING AUSTIN PEAY: Austin Peay opened the season with a convincing 38-6 victory over a lower division Cumberland squad. It marked the second-straight season APSU had won its season-opener, the first time that has happened to the program since 1987 and 1988. Head coach Rick Christophel is now 3-1 in season openers at Austin Peay (losing only to North Dakota State in 2008). Austin Peay got a strong performance from Preseason OVC Offensive Player of the Year Terrence Holt, who rushed for 127 yards on 14 carries (9.0 ypc) and had 53 yards in kickoff returns. Holt led all FCS players in all-purpose yards/game in 2009. Holt's total pushed his career all-purpose yards total to 5,630 yards, which allowed him to pass Chris Fletcher for the Austin Peay all-time record in that category. Wesley Kitts added 109 rushing yards while Ryan White, who led the OVC in rushing a season ago, had 87 yards on 11 carries. Overall the team had 306 rushing yards and averaged 7.3 yards/carry. Delton Teeter came up with one of two interceptions for the Govs defense and returned his pick 66 yards for a touchdown, the first time the team had done that since the 2008 season. Stephen Stansell was a perfect 5-of-5 on extra point attempts and connected on a 41-yard field goal in the game.
SCOUTING MIDDLE TENNESSEE: Middle Tennessee, coming off an 10-3 season and win in the New Orleans Bowl in 2009, opened the 2010 season last Thursday night with a narrow 24-17 loss to Minnesota at home in front of the fourth-largest crowd at Floyd Stadium (25,908). The Blue Raiders led the Golden Gophers 17-14 in the third quarter before Minnesota tied the game on a 20-yard field goal with 14:11 to play. Minnesota would then take the lead for good with 3:09 to play. MTSU would fumble the ball on the ensuing kickoff as Minnesota held on to win. In his first games as the starting quarterback Logan Kilgore (in place of Dwight Dasher who is suspended while the NCAA looks into his eligibility) was 13-of-18 for 172 yards and a touchdown. On the ground Philip Tanner rushed for 75 yards and a score. Antwan Davis led the defense with 12 tackles and a half of a sack.