OVC Highlights/Storylines
After being picked next-to-last in the preseason OVC poll, Southeast Missouri had its best season ever at the Division I level, going 9-2 in the regular season, winning its first-ever OVC Championship and making its first-ever playoff appearance in the 104-year history of the program...For his efforts head coach Tony Samuel was named not only OVC Coach of the Year but became the second OVC coach to win the Eddie Robinson Award for National Coach of the Year (joining Murray State's Houston Nutt in 1995)...Southeast Missouri senior center Sean Middleton was awarded the Remington Award for the FCS's Top Center...SEMO senior running back Henry Harris led the nation in all-purpose yards (217.42) and was third in rushing (144.58); Harris rushed for 1,735 yards during the season, the fourth-most in OVC single-season history...Murray State senior wide receiver Marcus Harris led the nation in receptions/game (9.33) and finished his career ranked second in OVC history for receptions (216 - including 84 in just nine games in 2010) and 10th in career receiving yards (2,471)...Following the season 18 OVC players earned All-American honors (a total of 27 times) on one of the six national teams released...Not only did Southeast Missouri receive the league's auto bid into the FCS Playoffs, but Jacksonville State, who started the season by topping FBS foe Ole Miss, received an at-large bid and hosted a first round playoff game; it marked the first time since 2007 the league had two teams in the playoffs in the same year...JSU finished the season ranked No. 12 and Southeast Missouri No. 13 in the two major polls, marking the first time since 1995 that two OVC teams finished the year in the top 13 in the polls...During the year both JSU and SEMO were ranked in the Top 10 (including four weeks together), the first time since the 1996 campaign that had occurred...Austin Peay's Terrence Holt finished his career with his fourth-straight season of 1,000+ kick return yards, becoming the first person in NCAA history to ever accomplish that feat; Holt also owns the NCAA all-time record (any division) with 4,683 kick return yards and 5,230 total return yardage (kick + punt yardage), along with records for total kickoff returns (191) and total returns (241 - kick + punt).
Notes From Around the Gridiron
Southeast Missouri's Samuel Wins Eddie Robinson Award as National Coach of the Year: Southeast Missouri State head Coach Tony Samuel was named the 2010 Eddie Robinson Award winner; the award honors the Football Championship Subdivision's Coach of the Year. He is the second OVC coach to win the award, joining Murray State's Houston Nutt in 1995. The Sports Network presents and Fathead.com sponsors the Robinson Award, given out for the 24th time this season. Samuel received 31 of the possible 130 first-place votes and earned 269 points in the overall voting by a national panel of sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries. Southeast had a 2-9 record in 2009 and tied for seventh in the OVC's 2010 Preseason Poll. Behind Samuel's lead, the Redhawks went 9-3, won the school's first conference championship and earned the first-ever playoff berth in the 104-year history of the program. Southeast lost to Eastern Washington in the second round of the NCAA Division I Football Championship. EWU went on to win the National Championship.
12 OVC Players Earn All-American Honors: Following the 2010 season, 12 different OVC players earned a total of 33 All-American honors spread across six major teams (Associated Press, AFCA, College Sporting News, Phil Steele, Sports Network and Walter Camp). No player appeared on all six teams, but Tennessee State safety Eugene Clifford and Southeast Missouri State running back Henry Harris were selected to five of the six teams.
Southeast Missouri's Middleton Wins Remington Award as FCS's Top Center: Southeast Missouri's Middleton Wins Remington Award: Southeast Missouri center Sean Middleton is the recipient of the 2010 Rimington Award, which recognizes the most outstanding offensive centers from each of the smaller NCAA divisions and the NAIA. Southeast Missouri is the first NCAA Football Championship Subdivision institution to have two players win the Rimington Award, as Eugene Amano (currently with the Tennessee Titans) also won the prestigious honor in 2003. A native of Los Angeles, Calif., Middleton ended his career with 18-consecutive starts at center, blocking for some of the best running backs in Southeast Missouri history along the way. He was named to the Sports Network and Phil Steele All-America teams and earned first-team All-Ohio Valley Conference honors this season. The Redhawks offensive line had four first-team All-OVC selections in 2010, marking only the second time in league history that has happened. Middleton anchored a Southeast offense which led the nation in sacks allowed (0.50/game) and ranked third in rushing (265.1 ypg) this year. The Redhawks also ranked among the top-10 in the nation in several other offensive categories. Middleton helped lead one of the most remarkable turnarounds in FCS history when his team finished 9-3 overall, won its first OVC title and made its first-ever NCAA Playoff appearance this season after going 2-9 the year before. The Redhawks matched a school record in wins and made it to the second round of the NCAA Division I Football Championship, where they lost to Eastern Washington. Middleton played in 42 games and made 34 starts since joining the Southeast football program in 2006.
Johnson and Holt Earn College Football Performance Awards: Murray State punt returner Dontrell Johnson and Austin Peay kick returner Terrence Holt have been honored with 2010 College Football Performance Awards (CFPA). Johnson won the FCS Elite Punt Returner Award while Holt took home the FCS Elite Kickoff Returner Award. The 2010 season marked the first season that the CFPA has honored players from the FCS. The CFPA announced it award recipients Wednesday that includes 52 D-I Football Bowl Series (FBS) & FCS winners. The purpose of the College Football Performance Awards is to provide the most scientifically rigorous conferments in college football. Recipients are selected exclusively based upon objective scientific rankings of the extent to which individual players increase the overall effectiveness of their teams. Murray State punt returner Dontrell Johnson and Austin Peay kick returner Terrence Holt have been honored with 2010 College Football Performance Awards (CFPA). Johnson won the FCS Elite Punt Returner Award while Holt took home the FCS Elite Kickoff Returner Award. The 2010 season marked the first season that the CFPA has honored players from the FCS. The CFPA announced it award recipients Wednesday that includes 52 D-I Football Bowl Series (FBS) & FCS winners. The purpose of the College Football Performance Awards is to provide the most scientifically rigorous conferments in college football. Recipients are selected exclusively based upon objective scientific rankings of the extent to which individual players increase the overall effectiveness of their teams.
Southeast Missouri Wins 2010 OVC Championship: Despite losing its final game of the regular season (a 29-27 loss at No. 6 Jacksonville State), Southeast Missouri State claimed its first Ohio Valley Conference football championship since joining the Conference and the Division I ranks in 1991. The Redhawks finished the season 7-1 in OVC play and won the title outright when Jacksonville State lost to Tennessee Tech in the final week of the regular season. Southeast Missouri won 14 MIAA Conference championships as a member of that Division II conference, with the last (a co-championship) coming in 1987.
Southeast Missouri Makes First-Ever Playoff Appearance: This season marked the first-ever playoff appearance at any level for the Southeast Missouri State football program, which won the 2010 OVC Championship and gained the league's automatic bid to the playoffs. The Redhawks joined the OVC and Division I in 1991 and are appearing in the FCS Playoffs for the first-time ever. As a member of Division II the team won conference championship but did not make a Division II playoff field (which began in 1973). Southeast would lose to Eastern Washington in the second round and EWU would go on to win the National Championship, the second time in three years the OVC Champion has lost to the eventual national champion in the playoffs.
Jacksonville State Makes Third FCS Playoff Appearance: Despite coming up a game short of the OVC Championship, Jacksonville State did receive an at-large bid to the Division I Football Championship, its third FCS playoff berth and first at-large berth. The Gamecocks also appeared in the Division I playoffs in 2003 and 2004, the first two years the program was a member of the OVC. Jacksonville State, however, had tremendous success in the Division II playoffs, winning the 1992 National Championship and appearing in the title game in each 1977, 1989 and 1991. JSU is now 0-3 all-time in Division I playoff games and15-12 all-time in 27 total NCAA playoff games (all levels).
OVC Teams in the Playoffs: OVC teams are 27-54 all-time in the FCS (formerly I-AA) Playoffs. The league has not won a playoff game since 2000, when Western Kentucky beat Florida A&M 27-0 in the first round. Since that game the teams have lost 16 straight contests. Eastern Kentucky has made the most playoff appearances among OVC schools (19), including winning two national championships.
OVC Award Winners: Southeast Missouri State claimed two of the four major year-end awards when they were released on Nov. 23 following the end of the regular season. Southeast Missouri State senior running back Henry Harris was named Offensive Player of the Year after ranking second nationally in rushing while his head coach, Tony Samuel, was named OVC Roy Kidd Coach of the Year after leading the Redhawks to its first-ever OVC Championship and playoff berth. Eastern Kentucky senior defensive lineman Andrew Soucy was named Defensive Player of the Year after netting 28 tackles, 10.0 tackles-for-loss and 4.5 sacks during the season. Jacksonville State punter/quarterback Coty Blanchard was named Freshman of the Year after making an immediate impact in his first season with the Gamecocks, including helping JSU to an upset of Ole Miss in the first game of the season. Overall Southeast Missouri led the way with eight first-team selections (including six of the 11 first-team offensive picks) while Jacksonville State led the way with 13 total selections spread across the first-team, second-team and All-Newcomer squads. The first-team included 16 seniors, six juniors and three sophomores, while the second-team had 15 senior selections, seven juniors, three sophomores and one freshman. Southeast Missouri had four of the five first-team offensive lineman selections, marking only the second time that has happened in OVC history and first time since 1956 (Middle Tennessee).
FCS ADA Academic All-Star Team: Three Ohio Valley Conference football student-athletes have been named to the 13th annual Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association Academic All-Star Team as announced by the Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association (FCS ADA). The three selected to the FCS ADA Academic All-Star Team were Nick Nasti (Eastern Illinois), Emory Attig (Eastern Kentucky) and Taylor Stanley (UT Martin). The group was among 52 total winners selected from 92 total nominees. Football players from all Football Championship Subdivision institutions are eligible for these prestigious awards. Each of the nominees were required to have a minimum grade point average of 3.20 (on a 4.00 scale) in undergraduate study and have been a starter or key player with legitimate athletics credentials. He must have reached his second year of athletics and academic standing at the nominated institution and have completed a minimum of one full academic year at the nominated institution. He must also have participated in 50 percent of the games played at his designated position.
Southeast Missouri's Harris Finishes 5th in Walter Payton Award Balloting; Murray State's Harris 22nd: Southeast Missouri senior running back Henry Harris finished fifth in voting for the Walter Payton Award presented by the Sports Network and sponsored by Fathead.com. The finish was the highest by an OVC player since Tennessee State's Barrick Nealy also finished fifth in 2005. Harris, who led the OVC and ranked second nationally in rushing during the regular season, was not on the Payton Watch List until near the end of the season. Murray State wide receiver Marcus Harris was a write-in vote and finished 22nd overall. The Walter Payton Award is given to the top player in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The Payton Award is in its 24th season and was presented to Stephen F. Austin's Jeremy Moses on Thursday, Jan. 6 in Frisco, Texas - the night before the national championship game. A panel of nearly 175 sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries selected the Payton Award winner after the regular season. The OVC has had one previous Payton Award winner, Eastern Illinois quarterback Tony Romo in the 2002 season.
More on Henry Harris: Southeast Missouri's Henry Harris had a standout senior season, rushing for 1,735 yards in 12 games, the fourth-highest single-season total in OVC history. Harris was just 51 yards away from the all-time record (1,786 yards by Akron's Mike Clark in 1986). Harris ranked first nationally in all-purpose yards (217.42/game) and third in rushing (144.58 yards/game). Harris moved up the OVC career scoring list, finishing the season with 114 points, the fourth-most in OVC single-season history.
TSU's Clifford Finishes 13th; UTM's Bey 21st in Buck Buchanan Ballot: Tennessee State safety Eugene Clifford finishes 13th in the Buck Buchanan Award Watch. 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. Clifford was one of 20 players on the final ballot. UT Martin's Josh Bey was a write-up vote and finishes 21st in the voting. The award went to Eastern Washington's J.C. Sherritt. A panel of nearly 175 sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries selected the Buchanan Award winner after the regular season and the award was presented to Thursday, Jan. 6 in Frisco, Texas - the night before the national championship game. No OVC player has ever won the award which was first handed out in 1995.
Southeast Missouri Turnaround One of Best in FCS History: After winning just two games last season, Southeast Missouri State turned around its fortunes this season. The Redhawks were 2-9 overall and 1-7 in the OVC and were 9-3 overall and 7-1 in the OVC this season. Using the NCAA formula for biggest single-season turnaround in FCS history (add the difference in victories between the two seasons to the difference in losses then divide by two, ties not counted), the Redhawks 6.5-game improvement ranked 13th-best in FCS history (since 1978). The all-time best single-season improvement is 9.5 games by the 1984 Montana State squad (that went from 1-10 to 12-2).
9.5 - Montana State (1984)
8 - Boston (1993), Boise St. (1993), McNeese St. (1997), UMass (1998), Sacred Heart (2000)
7.5 - Nicholls State (1996), Fla. Atlantic (2003), Sam Houston State (2004)
7 - Lehigh (1998), Delaware (2003), Monmouth (2003)
6.5 - Southeast Missouri (2010)
More on Turnarounds: Looking at all-time OVC turnarounds (including years prior to the FCS being formed), the Southeast Missouri equaled the biggest single-season turnaround as far as wins. After only two victories a season ago the Redhawks had nine wins this year, a +7 margin. That ties the all-time mark also held by the 1964 Austin Peay team (from 1-9 to 8-1-1) and the 1978 Western Kentucky team (from 1-8-1 to 8-2).
OVC Makes Breakthroughs in the Top 25 Polls During 2010 Season: When No. 6 Jacksonville State hosted No. 7 Southeast Missouri on Nov. 13, it marked the first time since Nov. 4, 1995 that two Top 10 OVC teams squared off against each other (the last being when No. 8 Murray State topped No. 5 Eastern Kentucky 17-7, ending EKU's 26-game OVC winning streak). Jacksonville State scored with 11 seconds left to win the game 29-27. At the end of the regular season JSU was No. 8 in the Sports Network poll (No. 9 in FCS Coaches) while Southeast Missouri was No. 8 in the FCS Coaches poll (No. 9 in the Sports Network poll). In the final polls of the season Jacksonville State finished at No. 12 in both Top 25's, while Southeast Missouri came in at No. 13. It marked the first time since 1995 that the OVC had two teams finish in the Top 13 of the final polls. Overall those two teams were ranked in the Top 10 each of the last four weeks of the regular season; prior to this year there had not been two OVC teams in the Top 10 together since the 1996 campaign (Oct. 7, 1996 when Eastern Illinois was No. 7 and Murray State was No. 9). Jacksonville State, who has been ranked for a school-record 30-straight weeks, was as high as No. 2 this season (which was the highest ranking in school history) and was ranked in the Top 10 for 12 weeks, the longest stretch in the Top 10 for an OVC team since Middle Tennessee was ranked in the Top 10 for 17-straight weeks from 1991-1993. Southeast Missouri was as high as No. 7 this year (which was the highest ranking in school history). No OVC team has been ranked No. 1 overall since Tennessee State was ranked there in the last regular season poll of the 1999 season.
The OVC Rushing Attack: OVC running backs have had some dominant performances in 2010 including the No. 1 single-game rushing performance in FCS football this season and three of the top 10 outputs overall. The OVC is the only FCS conference with three individuals in the Top 10 single-game rushing outputs on the season. Southeast Missouri State's Henry Harris, who ranked third overall in rushing (144.58 yards/game) has the top spot, with a 293-yard outing against Southwest Baptist on Nov. 6. Murray State's Mike Harris has the eighth-best single-game output this year, rushing for 242 yards against Tennessee Tech on Nov. 6. Tennessee State's Preston Brown, who was leading FCS in rushing when he suffered a season-ending injury, has the 10th-best single-season game this year, a 233-yard effort against Florida A&M.
Marcus Harris Among All-Time Best Receivers in OVC History: Murray State senior wide receiver Marcus Harris established himself as one of the top wideouts in OVC history. Harris had 84 catches this season (the fourth-most in OVC history) which led the nation in per game average (9.13). Harris had 216 catches in his career, which is the second-most in OVC history (trailing only 232 catches by Austin Peay's Harold Roberts from 1967-70). This season Harris also ranked second nationally in receiving yards/game (117.44).
OVC Winning Streaks: Jacksonville State had a 12-game overall win streak stretching from Oct. 24, 2009 to Nov. 6, 2010 come to an end this season. That 12-game winning streak was one of 19 in OVC history to reach 10 or more games, and is tied for the fifth-longest in league history. It was the longest winning streak by an OVC team since the 1991 season (12-straight by Eastern Kentucky). 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 Jacksonville State (2009-10)
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 Western Kentucky (1963-64)
Spoo Tied for Fourth All-Time in OVC Wins; Will Retire After 2011 Season: With a victory over Tennessee State on Nov. 6, Eastern Illinois head coach Bob Spoo moved into a tie for fourth place on the OVC all-time career Conference victory list. Spoo has now won 67 OVC games in his tenure at EIU, which has spanned the school's entire time in the OVC (1996 through the present, although he was not on the sidelines for the 2006 season). Spoo trails only Roy Kidd (207 OVC wins at EKU), Boots Donnelly (102 wins at Austin Peay and Middle Tennessee) and Charles Murphy (73 wins at Middle Tennessee) on the all-time list and he is currently tied with Jimmy Feix (67 wins at Western Kentucky). Following the end of the 2010 season, Spoo announced he would retire at the conclusion of the 2011 season, which will be his 25th as the Panthers head coach.
NCAA Stats Leaders: This season Southeast Missouri State senior running back Henry Harris ranked first nationally in all-purpose yards (219.82/game), third in rushing (144.58/game) and sixth in scoring (9.50 points/game). Austin Peay's Terrence Holt, who led the nation in all-purpose yards last season, was third in that category (186.27 yards/game). Murray State's Marcus Harris was first nationally in receptions (9.33/game), second in receiving yards/game (117.44) and ninth in total receiving yards (1,057). Murray State quarterback Casey Brockman ranked fifth in completions/game (23.67), fifth in total offense (303.78 yards/game), seventh in passing yards/game (271.33) and 10th in points responsible for (15.33). Murray State's Dontrell Johnson was first nationally in punt return yards (22.80/return) while Eastern Kentucky's Jeremy Caldwell was second nationally in kick returns (33.71/return). Eastern Kentucky's Jordan Berry was seventh in punting (42.93 yards/punt) while Eastern Illinois' Kevin Cook was eighth (42.91 yards/punt). Jacksonville State's Rodney Garrott was second in forced fumbles (0.50/game) while Tennessee State's Eugene Clifford was ninthth in passes defended (1.27/game).Team-wise Southeast Missouri was first nationally in fewest sacks allowed (0.50/game) and least interceptions thrown (3), third in rushing offense (265.08 yards/game) and in fourth down conversion percentage (72.22%), fourth in most passes intercepted (20), fifth in turnover margin (+1.08/game) and third down conversion percentage (47.34%) and ninth in least yards penalized per game (37.92). Murray State was first nationally in punt returns (19.67 yards/return), fourth nationally in passing yards (313.55 yards/game), fifth in total offense (449.73 yards/game) and scoring offense (36.09 points/game), third nationally in tackles for loss (8.45/game) and eighth in fourth down conversion percentage (66.67%). Eastern Kentucky was fifth in net punting (38.18 yards/punt), 10th in sacks (2.91/game) and seventh in tackles for loss (8.18/game). Eastern Illinois was fourth in fumbles recovered (17), eighth in fewest penalties/game (4.45) and seventh in fewest yards penalized/game (37.55). UT Martin was ninth in pass defense (154.0 yards/game) and seventh in tackles for loss/game (8.18). Tennessee Tech was sixth in least interceptions thrown (5) while Austin Peay was eighth in fewest sacks allowed (0.82/game).
Southeast Missouri Wins 2010 OVC Team Sportsmanship Award: Southeast Missouri State University was the recipient of the 2010-11 Team Sportsmanship Award for football. Voted on by the student-athletes and coaches of the respective sports, the team awards are bestowed upon the Conference squads deemed to have best exhibited the standards of sportsmanship and ethical behavior as outlined by the OVC and NCAA. Included in the areas for evaluation are the conduct of student-athletes, coaches, staff and administrators and fans. The 2010-11 school year marks the sixth year the team sportsmanship honors have been awarded. This marks the first award for the Southeast Missouri football program. Implemented in August 2005, the team honors are the most recent addition to an awards program that recognizes and celebrates sportsmanship within the Conference. In 1998, the league established the Steve Hamilton Sportsmanship Award, presented annually to a male or female student-athlete of junior or senior status who best exemplifies the characteristics of the late Morehead State student-athlete, coach and administrator. Five years later, the Conference added the OVC Sportsmanship Award, presented annually to the member institution selected by its peers to have best exhibited the standards of sportsmanship and ethical behavior as outlined by the OVC and NCAA.
UT Martin Wins 2010 Sgt. York Trophy: By going 3-0 this season in the series, the University of Tennessee at Martin claimed the 2010 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. UT Martin became the third-straight OVC team to go 3-0 and win the trophy in claiming its first title this season. The Skyhawks are 8-4 all-time in Sgt. York games, the best record among the four schools.
Large Crowds: OVC teams 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 third and fourth 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). Jacksonville State averaged 17,330 fans at its six home games this year, ranking the Gamecocks seventh among all FCS teams.
APSU's Holt Becomes First Player in NCAA History to Have Four 1,000 Yard Kickoff Return Seasons: Austin Peay senior Terrence Holt is arguably the best all-time at the FCS level in kickoff returns. Holt broke the FCS all-time kickoff return yardage record in 2009 and finished his career with 4,683 yards. That mark is an all-time record at any NCAA level (FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III). In the process he recorded 1,000 or more kickoff return yards in each of his four seasons, becoming the first player in NCAA history (all levels) to accomplish this feat. Holt also holds the NCAA career record for total kick return yardage (kickoffs and punt returns) with 5,230 yards, kick returns (191) and total kick/punt returns (241). In 2008 Holt broke the NCAA record for kickoff returns in a season (52) and total kick returns (kickoffs plus punts) with 66.
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 (and still is) 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 was the most by any FCS player in 2010. During the game the two teams combined to set FCS records for total yards (1,423) and extra point kicked (17).
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 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.
TSU's Brown Misses Second Half of Season After 760 Rush Yards in First Five Games: 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 missed the rest of the 2010 season. Despite missing the final six games, Brown was still named a second-team All-OVC selection by a vote of league coaches.
Sanchez Named CoSIDA Academic All-America: Southeast Missouri State senior defensive lineman J.J. Sanchez has been named to the ESPN Academic All-America® Football Team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Sanchez was a second-team selection. Sanchez carries a 3.82 grade point average in criminal justice. On the field this season he was a first-team All-OVC selection after tallying 45 tackles, 6.0 tackles-for-loss, 2.0 sacks and four quarterback hurries while helping the Redhawks to a 9-2 overall record, 7-1 OVC mark and its first OVC Championship. Southeast Missouri also earned the league's automatic bid into the NCAA Division I Football Championship, the first time the program has played in the football playoffs in its 104-year history. Overall the Ohio Valley Conference has had 195 student-athletes earn Academic All-America honors since 1970, including three total honorees this season (2010-11). There have been 29 OVC football players named Academic All-America all-time. Sanchez is the 24th Southeast Missouri student-athlete to earn Academic All-America honors since the school joined the OVC in 1991 To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution, be nominated by his/her sports information director and be a first-team selection at the district level. Since the program's inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 15,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.
Three OVC Players Named to CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-District Team: Three OVC football student-athletes have been named to the ESPN Academic All-District teams as voted on by the members of CoSIDA. The selections included one student-athlete out of District IV and two student-athletes out of District VII. The selections were Eastern Kentucky's Emory Attig and Southeast Missouri State's Matt Scheible and J.J. Sanchez. For making the first-team each of the three players had his name appear on the national ballot for consideration for Academic All-American (for which Sanchez was selected).
Barnes Named National Co-Offensive Player of the Week (Nov. 22): Tennessee Tech senior quarterback Cass Barnes was named National Co-Offensive Player of the Week by the Sports Network on Nov. 22. In his final career game, Barnes put together a phenomenal fourth quarter to lead Tennessee Tech to a 35-24 upset of No. 4-ranked Jacksonville State. Trailing 24-7 with 13:40 to play in the game, Barnes led TTU on four-straight scoring drives (of 80, 84, 88 and 11 yards) to win the game. In the fourth quarter alone Barnes completed 10-of-11 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown and rushed six times for 49 yards, accounting for 264 yards of total offense in the final period by himself, after the team had only 197 yards of total offense through three quarters. For the game Barnes finished 19-of-28 passing for 271 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 88 yards, to account for 359 yards of total offense.
Brockman Named National Offensive All-Star by College Sporting News (Nov. 15): Murray State quarterback Casey Brockman was named National Offensive All-Star (National Player of the Week) by the College Sporting News on Nov. 15. Brockman completed 38-of-57 passes for 497 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 28 yards and another touchdown as Murray State won 61-35 at Austin Peay in a contest that featured heavy rain fall throughout the game. The 497 passing yards is the second-most in a game this season by a FCS player, trailing only the 570-yard performance Brockman had against Missouri State earlier this season. Brockman had passing touchdowns of 15 yards, 43 yards and 56 yards and rushed 18 yards for his rushing score. The sophomore completed passes to eight different receivers, including 11 to senior Marcus Harris.
EKU's Harris Honored by College Football Performance Awards for Week No. 11 of the Season: Eastern Kentucky's Orlandus Harris was honored by the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) on Nov. 14 for his performance in week No. 11. Harris was named the FCS Wide Receiver Performer of the Week.
Harris Named National Offensive All-Star by College Sporting News (Nov. 8): Murray State running back Mike Harris was named National Offensive All-Star (Player of the Week) by College Sporting News after his career-high 242 rushing yards and touchdown against Tennessee Tech in Week No. 10. The junior transfer had 198 yards in the first half, including a 94-yard rush right before halftime that led to a Racer field goal (and 22-7 halftime advantage). Overall he averaged 10.5 yards/carry on his 23 attempts. His first quarter touchdown run that started the scoring marked the sixth-straight game in which he had rushed a touchdown. It was the second 200-yard rushing game of the season for Harris, making him only the second Murray State player to ever accomplish that feat. The 242 yards marked the seventh-best rushing game for a FCS player this season.
Five OVC Players Honored by College Football Performance Awards for Week No. 10 of the Season: Five OVC players were honored by the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) on Nov. 7 for their performances in week No. 10. Eastern Illinois' Chris Wright and Eastern Kentucky's Orlandus Harris shared FCS Wide Receiver Performer of the Week honors, Austin Peay's Terrence Holt and Eastern Kentucky's Jeremy Caldwell shared FCS Kick Returner Performer of the Week honors and UT Martin's CJ Estelle was tabbed the FCS Punt Returner Performer of the Week.
Williams Earns Honor From College Football Performance Awards for Week No. 9 of the Season: UT Martin return specialist AJ Williams was honored by the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) on Oct. 31 for his performance in week No. 9. He was named the FCS Punt Return Performer of the Week.
Cox Earns Honor From College Football Performance Awards for Week No. 8 of the Season: UT Martin defensive end Tim Cox was honored by the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) on Oct. 24 for his performance in week No. 8. He was named the FCS Defensive Lineman Performer of the Week.
Tennessee Tech's Mitchell and Edwards Named Co-National Players of the Week by Sports Network (Oct. 18): The Tennessee Tech defensive duo of sophomore defensive back Caleb Mitchell and sophomore linebacker Marcus Edwards were named National Defensive Players of the Week by the Sports Network/Fathead.com on Oct. 18. The duo combined for 14 tackles, 5.5 sacks and two interceptions as Tennessee Tech topped Eastern Illinois 34-20. Mitchell forced three turnovers by himself, forcing a fumble and picking off two EIU passes. Early in the second quarter Mitchell picked off a pass and went 36 yards for a touchdown to get the Golden Eagles on the board. His second interception came in the end zone, ending a drive where Eastern Illinois was looking to cut the margin to one score. Mitchell also had seven tackles (six solo) and a sack. Edwards ended up with 4.5 sacks for 31 yards worth of lost yards as TTU held EIU to just 39 net rushing yards. The sophomore added seven tackles (four solo). The 4.5 sacks were part of eight by the Golden Eagle team which tied the school record.
EKU's Berry Named National Freshman of the Week by Sports Network (Oct. 18): Eastern Kentucky punter Jordan Berry was named National Freshman of the Week by Sports Network/Fathead.com on Oct. 18. Berry averaged 52.3 yards on six punts in Eastern Kentucky's loss at UT Martin on Saturday. Berry put four of those punts inside the Skyhawk 20-yard line and had a 75-yard punt, which was just three yards short of the EKU all-time record. The punt rolled to the UTM 3-yard line in the third quarter. Berry also showed off his running skills by rushing for a first down on a 4th and 11 play in the third quarter.
Four OVC Players Earn Honors From College Football Performance Awards for Week No. 7 of the Season: Four OVC players were honored by the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) on Oct. 17 for their performances in week No. 7. Eastern Illinois specialist Rashad Haynes was named FCS Punt Returner Performer of the Week, Eastern Kentucky's Jordan Berry was named FCS Punter Performer of the Week, Southeast Missouri's Drew Geldbach was named FCS Place Kicker Performer of the Week and UT Martin's Josh Bey was named FCS Linebacker Performer of the Week.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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). Seven 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.
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.
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 32 years of preseason polls (all that were available), the preseason predicted champion has only gone on to win the OVC Championship 12 times (37.5%). Over the past eight 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 October 1, 19 former Ohio Valley Conference players are on NFL rosters for the 2010 season (13 active players, 6 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 two who went to Eastern Illinois, the "Cradle of NFL Head Coaches." Those coaches include Super Bowl champion Sean Payton (New Orleans) and Mike Shanahan (Washington); Brad Childress, also an EIU alum, started the season with Minnesota before being let go in late November. 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.