SATURDAY'S SCORES
@Northwestern 42, Eastern Illinois 21
Murray State 39, @Mississippi Valley State 0
@Eastern Kentucky 28, Missouri State 24
@#23 Chattanooga 38, #10 Jacksonville State 17
Jackson State 35, Tennessee State 29 (Memphis, Tenn.)
NORTHWESTERN 42, EASTERN ILLINOIS 21
EVANSTON, Ill. - Both teams tacked on a late score as Northwestern (2-0) doubled up Eastern Illinois, 42-21, on Saturday afternoon at Ryan Field. The Panthers fell to 1-1 and open Ohio Valley Conference play on Sept. 17 against Tennessee Tech.
The game was a homecoming for EIU head coach Bob Spoo who is in his 25th and final season as the Panthers head coach. Spoo is a Chicago native who is in his 50th season of coaching.
Northwestern took advantage of two turnovers on Eastern Illinois first two drives as the Wildcats quickly jumped out to a 14-0 advantage.
Bryce McNaul picked off a Jimmy Garoppolo pass at the Northwestern 49 yard line on the Panthers first drive. Quarterback Kain Colter would rip off a 25-yard rush and then score on a 5-yard run to account for the Wildcats first score at 11:52 of the first quarter.
EIU would drive into NU territory on the next possession but fumbled the ball when the Panthers went for it on a fourth and five from the 30-yard line. The Wildcats responded with a Jacob Schmidt 1-yard run at 3:31 of the first.
EIU appeared to have a chance to crack the scoreboard as they took over at the Northwestern 38 yard line following a partially blocked punt. EIU went 3-and-out on the drive. Northwestern marched down the field on the next drive moving into scoring range. Artavious Dowdell sacked Colter on third down setting up a NU 45-yard field goal attempt which was short.
Garoppolo hit Kenny Whittaker on a 72-yard play-action pass on the next play as the Panthers cut the Wildcats lead in half with 7:42 left to play in the half. Garoppolo finished the day 14-of-25 for 209 yards and the one touchdown pass.
NU would finish the half with a pair of scores to lead 28-7 at the break. Colter ran in from 4-yards out at 4:43 and Treyvon Green scored on a 2-yard run with 31 seconds left. Colter rushed for 109 yards and three touchdowns. He passed for 104 yards. Colter's final score was an 8-yard run on the opening drive of the third quarter.
Green finished with 70 yards on the ground gaining most of them in the second half. Tyris Jones had the final score for NU on a 1-yard pass reception from Trevor Siemian.
EIU added a score with 34 seconds left in the third quarter when Woodson had a two-yard score. Taylor Duncan scored on a three-yard run with seven seconds left in the game for the final score. The touchdown was set up by a 76-yard run by Lera who finished with 78 yards on three carries. Woodson had 45 yards on 14 carries.
Antonio Taylor led the Panthers with 14 tackles while Cory Leman added 12 tackles despite not playing most of the second half with an injury. McNaul was the Wildcats leading tackler with seven stops.
MURRAY STATE 39, MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE 0
ITTA BENA, Miss. - Murray State picked up its first shutout in seven years, holding Mississippi Valley State scoreless Saturday night as the Racers picked up their first win of the season in a 39-0 win at Rice-Totten Stadium in Itta Bena, Miss.
The Racers blanked an opponent for the first time since a 38-0 win at home against UT Martin on Nov. 13, 2004. It was their first road shutout since 1996, when MSU knocked off Southeast Missouri 16-0.
The Racers turned the field position battle around in their favor halfway through the first quarter, pinning Mississippi Valley State deep in its own territory with a punt that rolled to a stop at the five yard line. The defense was able to hold the Delta Devils to a three and out, leading to the Racers taking possession on the MVSU side of the field.
The field position advantage paid off later in the game. With 2:56 remaining in the first quarter, a missed snap on third down by Mississippi Valley State led to the ball being knocked out of the back of the end zone for a safety to give the Racers a 2-0 lead and possession.
MSU (1-1) worked with a shorter field on the ensuing drive, starting at the 50 yard line after an out-of-bounds kick off. Mike Harris and Duane Brady busted off a couple of long runs on the drive, and a defensive holding call on third down extended the drive.
Harris found the end zone two carries later, breaking through a hole in the middle of the field on a 15 yard touchdown as the Racers jumped ahead 9-0 in the final minute of the first quarter.
Brandon Wicks ended the next Mississippi Valley State (0-2) possession early, leaping for an interception on the Racers 18 yard line. The pick was the second of his career.
MSU broke off a number of big plays following the INT, including a conversion on third and long on a 13 yard pass from Brockman to Dexter Barnett for a first down. Brockman found Hannibal Beauford breaking wide open down the left hash marks for a gain of 21 to take the Racers across midfield.
Brady picked up 35 yards on a pair of rushes, the second going for 25 yards after he moved the pile 15 yards down field into the red zone.
The drive stalled inside the five yard line, leading to a 23 yard field goal from Kienan Cullen to give MSU a 12-0 advantage.
Wicks stepped up to force another turnover late in the first half, blocking a punt just inside the goal line after a bad snap. Jeffrey Richard landed on the loose ball for the score as the Racers jumped ahead 19-0 before halftime.
Brockman led the Racers down the field on the team's second drive of the half. Nevar Griffin caught his first career pass, a 16 yard reception down the right side. His second catch of the day later in the drive for 15 yards led to a first down on second and long.
After Brockman was sacked on second down at the MVSU 16, he capped the series with his first touchdown of the day, finding Patrick Robertson alone in the left side of the end zone from 16 yards out. A blocked extra point attempt kept the Racers lead at 25-0.
Harris found the end zone again in the third, scoring from 13 yards out with 1:42 remaining in the quarter after finding a hole on the right side of the line. The score capped a drive that was featured primarily in the air, with Beauford pulling down a pair of catches for 28 yards, Robertson hauling in a catch for 11 yards and Dexter Durrante snagging an eight yard grab.
Graham Craig threw his first touchdown pass of the season in the fourth quarter after a 41 yard punt return by Robertson gave the Racers possession on the 29 yard line. Facing third and long, Craig floated a pass beyond an outstretched defender into the hands of Ja-Vonte Trotter near the sideline and Trotter was able to walk in for the score.
Harris passed the century mark in rushing for the second time this season, hammering out 106 yards on the ground on 19 total carries. His 15-yard TD in the first was his longest run of the game. Brady picked up 50 yards on just five carries, and Tyler Lavea ran for 34 yards on three runs.
Beauford ended the night as Brockman's favorite target, leading the team with seven catches for a career-best 111 yards.
Brockman totaled 238 yards in the air, throwing one touchdown on 21-of-33 passing. Craig ended the night 4-of-5 for 27 yards and a score.
Sam Small paced the defense, leading the team with 10 total tackles. He and Kevin Robinson each recorded 2.5 tackles-for-loss.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 28, MISSOURI STATE 24
RICHMOND, Ky. - With Eastern Kentucky University clinging to a four-point lead and less than four minutes left to play, newcomer Jeremiah Williams scored his second touchdown of the game, but it took a H.B. Banjoman 16-yard run for a first down, after Missouri State University cut the lead to four again, to seal a 28-24 victory for the Colonels in their 2011 home-opener.
EKU built a 14-0 halftime lead but the Bears cut the lead to four points three times in the fourth quarter. Williams powered through a would-be tackler at the one-yard line to polish off a 12-yard touchdown run with 3:55 left in the game. The extra-point gave EKU a 28-17 lead. On its ensuing possession, Missouri State drove 60 yards in 1:54 to draw within four for the third time. Trevor Wooden's nine-yard touchdown pass capped the drive.
Banjoman began Eastern's final possession with a three-yard run. After MSU used its second timeout, Banjoman ripped off a 16-yard gainer for an EKU first down with 1:12 left on the clock. The Bears used their final timeout, but Colonel quarterback T.J. Pryor took a knee twice to kill the final ticks.
Pryor, who returned to action after missing the first game of the season with a hand injury, capped Eastern Kentucky's first possession of the game with a 33-yard scoring toss to Chris Moore on fourth-and-two. With 8:09 remaining in the second quarter, Williams rushed up the middle from seven yards out. After making contact with a pack of defenders, the junior popped out of the left side and took it to the house for a 14-0 Colonel lead.
Eastern controlled the first half, out-gaining Missouri State 276 to 132 and holding the ball three minutes longer.
But the third quarter was a different story. MSU quarterback Wooden rushed for just 25 yards in the first half and the Bears totaled just 64 yards as a team. Through their first two possessions of the second half, Wooded ran for 41 of Missouri State's 84 rushing yards. EKU had the ball for less than two minutes in the third quarter and MSU converted seven of their first eight third down situations of the second half.
Wooden got the Bears on the board by finishing off a 14-play, 60-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run. Early in the fourth quarter Austin Witmer's 18-yard field goal capped MSU second possession of the half and cut the Colonel lead to four, 14-10, for the first time. Missouri State's first two possessions of the second half lasted a combined 14:09.
The two teams then exchanged a pair of quick scores. Jeremy Caldwell followed MSU's field goal with an 88-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. On the first play of the Bears' ensuing possession Wooden tossed a 71-yard scoring pass to make it a 21-17 game.
Pryor finished 14-for-22 with 146 yards through the air in his return. He finished with one touchdown pass and did not throw an interception. Williams ran the ball 24 times for 119 yards. The only time all night that he did not gain yards was a one-yard loss. Pryor had 69 yards on the ground. Banjoman finished with 24 yards, but none more important than his big fourth quarter 16-yard gainer.
Wooden finished 22-for-32 for 262 yards and two touchdowns for Missouri State. He led the team with 71 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Jermaine Saffold caught six passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns.
#23 CHATTANOOGA 38, #10 JACKSONVILLE STATE 17
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - This time, unlike the season-opening victory over Tennessee-Martin, Jacksonville State dug itself too deep of a hole to climb out of.
The No. 10 Gamecocks (1-1) surrendered 508 yards of total offense and fell to No. 23 Chattanooga 38-17 before a crowd of 12,195 Saturday at Finley Stadium, snapping their four-game win streak in a series that dates back to 1904.
It was a night of unwanted milestones for Jacksonville State.
The Gamecocks finished with only 224 yards of total offense, their fewest since a 2006 loss at Mississippi State. They managed only 17 yards and one first down after halftime.
The 508 yards gained by Chattanooga (296 passing, 212 rushing) was the most a Jacksonville State defense has allowed since a 2004 loss to Furman in the first round of the Division I-AA playoffs.
The first regular-season meeting at Finley Stadium between two ranked opponents was a back-and-forth affair through the first 30 minutes. Chattanooga led 23-17 at intermission as the teams combined to roll up 536 total yards.
The Mocs (1-1) struck first, traveling 43 yards in four plays on their second possession. Chris Awuah ran 15 yards for a touchdown and Nick Pollard added the extra point to give Chattanooga a 7-0 lead with 7:25 left in the first quarter.
But Jacksonville State wasted little time in responding.
Sophomore Coty Blanchard, making his first career start at quarterback, moved JSU 70 yards in eight plays, completing 3-of-3 passes for 59 yards.
Washaun Ealey capped the drive with a 4-yard run - his first rushing touchdown in a Gamecock uniform - and James Esco's extra point made it 7-7 at the 4:28 mark.
After a short Mocs punt, JSU took its only lead of the game when Calvin Middleton ran eight yards for a touchdown to finish off a 58-yard drive. Esco's kick put the Gamecocks ahead 14-7 with 52 seconds left in the opening quarter.
Middleton's TD was his eighth in his last eight games.
Chattanooga needed only seven plays to drive for the tying touchdown on the ensuing possession. Quarterback B.J. Coleman connected with Marion Anthony for a 24-yard touchdown and the extra point made it 14-14 with 13:09 left.
A time-consuming 11-play drive, finished off by Pollard's 25-yard field goal, gave Chattanooga a 17-14 lead midway through the second quarter. But Jacksonville State again answered by quickly moving 49 yards, with Esco kicking a 28-yard field goal with 4:49 left in the half.
Chattanooga's Coleman hit Joel Bradford on a 47-yard touchdown pass moments later, giving the Mocs a lead it wouldn't relinquish. Jacksonville State's Monte Lewis blocked the extra point attempt, making it 23-17 Chattanooga with 3:01 left in the second quarter.
Awuah scored his second touchdown, a 1-yard run, with 2:48 to go in the third quarter extended the Mocs' lead. Coleman ran in the conversion to make it 31-17.
Wes Dothard's 30-yard interception return for a touchdown made it 38-17 and ended Jacksonville State's hopes of comeback.
Blanchard finished with a career-high 164 yards passing, completing 13-of-23 passes.
Jacksonville State was 1-of-13 in third-down efficiency.
JACKSON STATE 35, TENNESSEE STATE 29
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Casey Therriault threw for three touchdowns and 337 yards as Jackson State overpowered Tennessee State 35-29 on Saturday night.
Jackson State (2-0) totaled 477 yards of offense, compared to 304 by Tennessee State, which struggled in the running game just a week after rushing for 342 against Southern.
Tennessee State (1-1) managed just 78 yards on 36 carries against Jackson State.
Jackson State tallied 140 yards rushing as B.J. Lee led the way with 70 yards on 11 carries. Tommy Gooden chipped in 67 yards and a touchdown on five carries as Jackson State averaged 4.0 yards per carry, compared to 2.2 by Tennessee State.
Tennessee State pulled within two, 28-26, on a safety with 6:17 to go, but couldn't stop Therriault and Jackson State. Therriault capped an 82-yard, 11-play drive on a 21-yard pass to Rico Richardson for a 35-29 lead with 2:04 to play.