OVC Highlights/Storylines
For only the second time in OVC history, three teams shared the OVC football championship in 2011, as Eastern Kentucky, Jacksonville State and Tennessee Tech each finished with 6-2 league records...It did mark only the third time in OVC history that the OVC champion(s) had two losses in Conference play and also the first time in league history that no team reached eight overall wins on the season...The OVC title was the 21st overall for EKU (tied for most in FCS history), third for JSU and 10th for Tech (but first since the 1975 season)...Tennessee Tech earned the tiebreaker and automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs, marking its first-ever trip to the FCS postseason...Eastern Kentucky earned an at-large berth to the playoffs marking the 18th time in 34 years of FCS Playoffs that the OVC had placed two teams in the field...Both TTU and EKU hosted first round playoff games (the first time since 1991 that two OVC teams had hosted games in the same season) as Tech lost to Central Arkansas while EKU lost to James Madison...Following the season nine different OVC players earned All-American honors from the six major outlets that put together teams...Tennessee Tech head coach Watson Brown was named OVC Coach of the Year for leading Tech to its first OVC title since 1975; it marked the first conference title for Brown in 27 years as a Division I head coach...EKU running back Matt Denham ended the year with eight-straight games of 100 or more rushing yards, the longest streak in the nation; Denham ranked third nationally in rushing (130.83 yards/game), but averaged 184.5 yards/game over those final eight games (after not starting the first four games of the year)...UTM's CJ Estelle led the FCS in punt returns during the year (17.69 yards/return)...Tennessee State and Tennessee Tech shared the Sgt. York Trophy, although TSU took home the actual hardware after a tiebreaker...Southeast Missouri quarterback Matt Scheible became the first player in OVC history to throw for 4,000 and rush for 2,000 yards in a career...EIU head coach Bob Spoo retired following the season; he finished his career with 68 OVC wins, the fourth most in league history while his 92 victories overall while in the league ranked fifth.
Notes From Around the Gridiron
Nine OVC Players Earn All-American Honors: In total nine different OVC players earned All-American honors in 2011. The nine players were selected to six major FCS All-American Teams a total of 21 times. No player made all six All-American Teams, although several players appeared on three teams apiece.
Eastern Kentucky, Jacksonville State and Tennessee Tech Share OVC Championship: For the first time since the 1962 season (when four teams shared the crown) and for only the second time ever, the OVC football season ended with more than two champions being crowned. Eastern Kentucky, Jacksonville State and Tennessee Tech each finished with a record of 6-2 in OVC play to share the championship (Tennessee Tech won the tiebreaker and earned the automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship). The title was the 10th overall for Tennessee Tech and the first since 1975, breaking the longest stretch without a championship among current OVC teams. Eastern Kentucky won its 21st OVC Championship, which is not only the most in OVC history but tied for the most in Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) history (with Massachusetts). Jacksonville State claimed its third title and first since the 2004 campaign.
Two Loss Champions: This season three teams (Eastern Kentucky, Jacksonville State and Tennessee Tech) finished in a tie for the OVC Championship with identical 6-2 records. It marked only the third time in 64 years of OVC football that the champion had two losses in conference action. A two-loss team also won the OVC title in 2009 (Eastern Illinois) and 1962 (East Tennessee - who finished in a four-way tie with Eastern Kentucky, Morehead State and Middle Tennessee). It was also the first time since 1967 that no OVC team won eight regular season games in a season.
Tennessee Tech Makes First Playoff Appearance: For the second season in a row (Southeast Missouri last year) the OVC champion/automatic bid winner made its first-ever appearance in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoffs. Tennessee Tech, who earned the automatic bid in a tiebreaker with Eastern Kentucky and Jacksonville State, finished the regular season 6-2 in OVC play and hosted Central Arkansas in the first round.
Eastern Kentucky Makes 20th FCS Playoff Appearance: By garnering an at-large bid, Eastern Kentucky made its 20th NCAA Division I Playoff appearance and its first since 2008. The 20 playoff appearances rank second in NCAA history, trailing only Montana (who made its 21st appearance this season). The Colonels hosted James Madison in the first round. EKU is 16-18 all-time in playoff games, including 11-5 at Roy Kidd Stadium. Eastern hosted its first playoff game since 1994. EKU won both the 1979 and 1982 National Championships.
OVC Teams in the Playoffs: OVC teams are 27-56 all-time in the FCS (formerly I-AA) Playoffs. The league has not won a playoff game since 2000, when former member Western Kentucky beat Florida A&M 27-0 in the first round. Since that game the teams have lost 18-straight contests. Eastern Kentucky has made the most playoff appearances among OVC schools (20), including winning two national championships.
More on the Playoffs: In the 34 years of the FCS playoffs (which started in 1978), the OVC has placed two teams in the playoffs 18 total times, including now in back-to-back seasons and for the fourth time in the last six seasons.
More on the Playoffs Part II: With both Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee Tech hosting playoff games this season, it marked the first time since 1991 that the OVC has had two teams host home playoff games in the same season.
OVC Award Winners: Tennessee Tech and Tennessee State each had two of the four major year-end awards when they were released on Nov. 22 following the end of the regular season. Tennessee Tech senior wide receiver Tim Benford was named Offensive Player of the Year while his coach Watson Brown earned the OVC Roy Kidd Coach of the Year award. The duo led Tennessee Tech to its first OVC Championship since the 1975 season. Tennessee State senior linebacker Rico Council was named Defensive Player of the Year while TSU redshirt freshman quarterback Michael German was named Freshman of the Year. Overall Eastern Kentucky led the way first 10 first-team and 14 overall selections spread out over the first-team, second-team and All-Newcomer teams.
Hood Named Regional Coach of the Year: Eastern Kentucky head football coach Dean Hood was honored as one of five NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Regional Coaches of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). Under Hood's guidance, the Colonels (7-5) won six of their final seven regular season games to earn a share of the 2011 Ohio Valley Conference title. Eastern Kentucky has captured two OVC championships in Hood's four seasons as head coach. EKU went on to host its first NCAA FCS playoff game since 1994 on Nov. 26 against nationally-ranked James Madison. Towson's Rob Ambrose (Region 1), Georgia Southern's Jeff Monken (Region 2), North Dakota State's Craig Bohl (Region 4) and Sam Houston State's Willie Fritz (Region 5) were the other honorees. All five coaches guided their teams to at least a share of a conference title and a berth in the FCS playoffs.
EKU's Denham Rushes for 200-Plus Yards in Four of Last Eight Games; Was One of Only Two FCS Players with Four 200-Plus Yard Games This Season: Eastern Kentucky junior running back Matt Denham rushed for 200 or more yards in four of his last eight games. Denham rushed for 216 yards against Eastern Illinois (Oct. 8), 226 yards against Tennessee State (Oct. 22), 219 yards against Murray State (Oct. 29) and 209 yards against Jacksonville State (Nov. 5). Denham was one of only two players in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) to have four 200-plus yard rushing games this season (the other is Indiana State's Shakir Bell). Denham finished the season ranked third nationally in rushing (130.83 yards/game).
More on Multiple 100-Yard Games: Eastern Kentucky's Matt Denham rushed for 100 or more yards in eighth-straight games (four of those games have been 200+ yards) to end the season, becoming the first OVC player to achieve that feat since Jacksonville State's Clay Green did so in eight-straight games during the 2005 season (Sept. 24 - Nov. 19). His streak of eight-straight 100-plus yard games was the longest active streak in the FCS at the end of the season. After taking over the starting role in the fifth game of the season, Denham averaged 184.5 yards/game over the last eight contests (EKU went 6-2 in those games), rushing for at least 125 yards in each of those contests.
OVC Teams in Top 25: Tennessee Tech and Eastern Kentucky finished the season each ranked in the Top 25 of both major polls. Tennessee Tech finished the year No. 19 in the FCS Coaches poll and No. 21 in the Sports Network/Fathead.com poll. It marks the first time TTU has been ranked in the final poll of a season since 2001 (No. 23). This season the Golden Eagles garnered its first national ranking since the 2002 preseason poll by jumping into the polls on Oct. 3. Tech climbed as high as No. 15 in the poll this year. After earning an at-large berth in the FCS Playoffs, Eastern Kentucky jumped into the final Top 25 polls, finishing No. 21 in the FCS Coaches poll and No. 24 in the Sports Network poll. The Colonels had been in the polls on Nov. 7 of this season (its first appearance in the Top 25 since Oct. 19, 2009) but fell out a week later. Jacksonville State, Murray State and Tennessee State finished the year in the "others receiving votes" category. JSU had been ranked for 40-straight weeks until falling out of the Top 25 on Nov. 7. Earlier this season Murray State gained its first national ranking since the 2002 season when it was No. 24 in the Sports Network poll, but the Racers dropped out after a loss the following week.
NCAA Stats Leaders: In the final set of NCAA statistical leaders for 2011, UT Martin's CJ Estelle led the FCS in punt returns (17.69 yards/return). Murray State quarterback Casey Brockman ranked fifth nationally in total offense (315.45 yards/game), fourth in completions (28.73/game), seventh in passing yards/game (297.82), seventh in total passing yards (3,276) and fourth in points responsible for (16.91/game). Eastern Kentucky running back Matt Denham was third in rushing (130.83 yards/game) while Tennessee State's Jamin Godfrey was eighth in field goals (1.45 made/game). Southeast Missouri's Blake Peiffer was third in tackles/game (13.73) while Eastern Kentucky's Myer Nolan and Southeast Missouri's Steve Hendry were 10th in fumbles recovered/game (0.27/game). In the team rankings UT Martin was first in fewest sacks allowed (0.45/game), second in red zone offense (94%), seventh in punt returns (14.55 yards/return) and fifth in kickoff return yardage defense (16.35 yards/return). Murray State ranked third in scoring offense (37.09 points/game), fourth in total offense (460.91 yards/game), seventh in passing offense (308.64 yards/game) and ninth in third down conversion percentage (46.59%). Tennessee State ranked second in punt returns (18.00 yards/return) and third in fourth down conversion percentage (78.57%). Eastern Kentucky was second in fumbles recovered (17), sixth in turnover margin (+1.25/game), seventh in turnovers gained (31), ninth in kickoff return defense (17.06 yards/return) and ninth in fourth down conversion percentage (69.23%). Tennessee Tech ranked 10th in punt return defense (3.91 yards/return) while Jacksonville State was fourth in least number of interceptions thrown (5). Eastern Illinois ranked seventh in pass defense (164.45 yards/game) and 10th in fewest yards penalized/game (39.91). Southeast Missouri was ninth in rushing offense (233.09 yards/game) and seventh in fewest turnovers lost (14).
TTU's Brown Finishes Ninth in Eddie Robinson Award Balloting: Tennessee Tech head coach Watson Brown was one of 20 finalists and finished ninth overall in balloting for the Eddie Robinson Award, awarded to the FCS National Coach of the Year by the Sports Network and sponsored by Fathead.com. Brown led Tennessee Tech to its first OVC Championship since 1975 as the Golden Eagles finished the regular season with a 7-3 overall record and 6-2 Conference record. The championship was the first for Brown in his 27 years as a Division I head coach. His team earned the automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Championship and played in the playoffs for the first time this season. Towson's Rob Ambrose won the award.
Murray State's Brockman Finishes 11th in Walter Payton Award Balloting: Murray State junior quarterback Casey Brockman finished 11th in balloting for the 2011 Walter Payton Award, awarded by the Sports Network and sponsored by Fathead.com. Brockman was on the preseason list and has remained on the list all season long. He completed 316-of-477 passes (66.2%) for 3,276 yards and 25 touchdowns this season while also rushing for 211 yards and four touchdowns and catching two touchdown passes. Brockman set the OVC record for completions in a season (316) and his 3,276 passing yards was the second-most in OVC single-season history. The Walter Payton Award was established in 1987, will celebrate its 25th anniversary this season and is presented annually to the most outstanding college football player on the FCS level. When the award was established, it was the only such award to be presented to an individual player in FCS football. The OVC has had one player previously win the Walter Payton Award, when Eastern Illinois quarterback Tony Romo took home the award in 2002 after passing for 2,950 yards and 33 touchdowns while leading the Panthers to a playoff berth. The Payton Award was voted on by a panel of 150 sports information/media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries. Eastern Washington quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell won the award.
EKU's Caldwell Finishes 17th in Buck Buchanan Award Balloting: Eastern Kentucky senior cornerback Jeremy Caldwell finished 17th in balloting for the 2011 Buck Buchanan Award which is awarded by The Sports Network and sponsored by Fathead.com. During the regular season he had 46 tackles (35 solo), 2.5 tackles-for-loss, two interceptions, six pass breakups, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. The Buchanan Award is in its 17th season and was presented to the FCS' outstanding defensive player at the national awards banquet in Frisco, Texas. The OVC has never had a player win the Buchanan Award. The Buchanan Award will be voted on by a panel of about 150 sports information/media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries. The Buck Buchanan award is named for Junious "Buck" Buchanan, the NAIA All-American and Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive lineman who played for Grambling State University from 1959 through 1962. As a freshman, Buchanan came to Grambling on an "if" scholarship, to receive financial help if he played well. After a season of playing both varsity basketball and football, Buchanan decided to concentrate solely on football. By the time he finished four years at Grambling, his coach, Eddie Robinson, asserted that Buchanan was "... the finest tackle I have ever seen." New Hampshire linebacker Matt Evans won the award.
TSU's German Finishes Seventh in Jerry Rice Award Balloting: Tennessee State redshirt freshman quarterback Michael German finished seventh overall in balloting for the Jerry Rice Award, which is awarded by the Sports Network and sponsored by Fathead.com. During the season German completed 140-of-250 passes (56.0%) for 1,889 yards and 12 touchdowns as well as two rushing touchdowns. The award is given to the most outstanding freshman in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and is in its inaugural season in 2011. The award is named after legendary wide receiver Jerry Rice who played college football at then I-AA (now FCS) Mississippi Valley State before going on to a Hall of Fame career with the San Francisco 49ers. The Rice Award was voted on by a panel of about 150 sports information/media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries and handed out at the national awards banquet on Jan. 6 in Frisco, Texas. Towson running back Terrance West won the award.
Tennessee State and Tennessee Tech Share 2011 Sgt. York Trophy: The Sgt. York Trophy is 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 OVC 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 (in case of a tie there will be co-champions and the actual trophy will be retained by the defending champion if they are involved in the tie or if the defending champion is not involved in the tie it 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 (that was the tiebreaker used only for the first year of the trophy series). Tennessee State went 3-0 in Sgt. York play in 2008 to claim its second trophy. In 2009 Tennessee Tech claimed the trophy after going undefeated in Sgt. York games and a year ago UT Martin became the third-straight OVC team to go 3-0 and win the trophy in claiming its first title. Tennessee Tech and Tennessee State each finished 2-1 in Sgt. York play this season to share the trophy. Tennessee State will take home the actual trophy by a tiebreaker, since they had gone longer without possessing the trophy (TSU last won in 2008 while TTU won in 2009). The trophy will be presented at the Pepsi Celebration of Champions hosted by the Nashville Sports Council on Feb. 22.
Three OVC Players Named to FCS ADA Academic All-Star Team: Three OVC football student-athletes were named to the 14th 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 were Cory Leman (Eastern Illinois), Emory Attig (Eastern Kentucky) and Corey Watson (Tennessee Tech). The group was among 58 total winners selected from 92 total nominees. 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.
Attendance Numbers: In the final FCS attendance numbers for 2011, Jacksonville State ranked 12th nationally (an average of 17,226 fans in five home games) while Tennessee State was 19th (an average of 14,279 fans in four home games). Tennessee State has played in front of the fifth-largest crowd to see a FCS vs. FCS game this season, when 43,532 witnessed the Tigers game with Jackson State at the Liberty Bowl on Sept. 10.
Spoo Finishes Career Fourth All-Time in OVC Wins: With a victory over Austin Peay on Oct. 29, Eastern Illinois head coach Bob Spoo moved out of a tie and into sole possession of fourth place on the OVC all-time career Conference victory list. Spoo finished his career with 68 OVC wins in his tenure at EIU (1996-2011), which spanned the school's entire time in the OVC, 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. In all games as head coach since Eastern Illinois joined the OVC in 1996, Spoo registered 92 victories, fifth-most in league history. Spoo, who coached his last game on Nov. 12 at Southern Illinois, finished his career with a record of 144-131-1 with nine FCS Playoff appearances, four OVC Championships and three OVC Coach of the Year awards.
EIU Hires Babers: Following Bob Spoo's retirement, Eastern Illinois hired Dino Babers as his replacement. Babers came to EIU after being the special teams coordinator and wide receivers coach at Baylor and became the 22nd head coach in Eastern Illinois history. He served as an assistant coach under Spoo on the EIU staff back in 1987. Babers had also worked on the coaching staffs at UCLA, Pitt, Texas A&M, Arizona, San Diego State, Purdue, Northern Arizona, UNLV, Arizona State and Hawaii (where he played collegiately).
Scheible Becomes First OVC Player to Pass for 4,000 and Rush for 2,000 Yards in a Career: In the Oct. 15 game at Eastern Kentucky, Southeast Missouri State senior quarterback Matt Scheible became the first player in OVC history to throw for 4,000 yards and rush for 2,000 yards in a career. Scheible finished his career with 4,841 passing yards and 2,595 rushing yards in 44 games. His 7,436 yards of total offense for his career ranks him fifth in OVC history and eighth among active NCAA FCS players.
Brockman Sets NCAA Record for Passing Yards and Total Yards in a Half: Murray State junior quarterback Casey Brockman had 422 passing yards in the first half of the Racers 58-27 victory over Tennessee State on Sept. 17. The 422 yards was the most in one half in Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) history, breaking the previous record of 383 passing yards held by Marshall's Michael Payton (done in the first half against VMI on Nov. 16, 1991) and 404 total yards held by Stephen F. Austin's Todd Hammel (done in the first half against Louisiana-Monroe on Nov. 11, 1989).
Brockman Etches Name in OVC Record Book: Murray State junior quarterback Casey Brockman continues to put his name all over the OVC record book. After setting two records a season ago, Brockman set two and tied another record against Tennessee State on Sept. 17. Brockman completed 45-of-67 passes for 600 yards and seven touchdowns in the victory. The 45 completions broke the previous record of 44 held by UT Martin's Brady Wahlberg (set against Jacksonville State in the 2003 season). The 600 yards broke the previous mark of 570 that Brockman set against Missouri State during the 2010 season The seven passing touchdowns (five of which came in the first half) tied the OVC single-game record that Brockman set last year and that he shares with Morehead State's Chris Swartz (established in the 1990 season). On Nov. 12 Brockman added another record to his list, setting the OVC single-season completions mark, passing Southeast Missouri's Andrew Goodenough's record of 279 set in 2004; Brockman finished the year with 316 completions, 37 more than the previous record. Brockman currently ranks seventh in OVC history for career completions (579), just 195 away from the record, a mark he should break during the senior season. Brockman also finished the season with 3,276 passing yards, which ranked second all-time in OVC single-season history, just 221 yards away from the record.
Murray State Sets Six OVC Single-Game Team Records: In Murray State's 58-27 victory over Tennessee State on Sept. 17, Murray State set OVC team single-game records for passing yards (630), touchdown passes (8), passes completed (48), passes attempted (73), first downs (37) and first downs by passing (30).
Samuel Named to AFCA Board of Trustees: Southeast Missouri State head coach Tony Samuel was one of four coaches elected to the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Board of Trustees following the 2011 season. They join other head coaches on the Board who help formulate policy and provide direction for the AFCA, which was founded in 1922.
Murray State's Cullen Sets OVC Career Field Goals Made Record: With a 33-yard field goal with 3:22 to play in the second quarter at Tennessee Tech on Nov. 5, Murray State senior Kienan Cullen became the OVC career field goals made leader with 53. Cullen broke the record formerly held by Middle Tennessee's Kelly Potter (1981-84), which had stood for 27 years. Cullen finished his career with 58 career field goals. Cullen also finished his career with 295 career points, which ranks fifth in OVC history.
Garlington Records Ninth 100-Yard Kick Return in OVC History: Tennessee State freshman Weldon Garlington returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown on Oct. 1 at Austin Peay. It marked the ninth time in OVC history that a player had recorded a 100-yard kickoff return and first since the 2006 season. Overall Garlington's return was the third time a TSU player has accomplished that feat while a member of the OVC, as Avion Black did it twice in 1999.
Seven OVC Student-Athletes Named to CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-District Teams: Seven Ohio Valley Conference football student-athletes have been named to the Capital One Academic All-District® football teams as selected by CoSIDA. The selections included one student-athlete from District II, five from District III and one from District VI. The selections were Austin Peay's Reese Bulmash, Josh Carroll and Iosua Siliva, Eastern Kentucky's Emory Attig, Southeast Missouri's Bradley Montgomery and Tennessee Tech's James Normand and Corey Watson. Each of the seven were first-team selections and for making the first-team each will have his name appear on the national ballot for consideration for Academic All-American. The Capital One Academic All-America football team will be announced on Thursday, December 8. To be eligible for nomination, a student-athlete must have reached sophomore academic standing and have at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average.
Three OVC Student-Athletes Semifinalist for William V. Campbell Trophy: Three Ohio Valley Conference football student-athletes - Austin Peay's Nick Newsome, Eastern Illinois' Cory Leman and Eastern Kentucky's Emory Attig - finished as semifinalists for the 2011 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) and are part of the 2011 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, presented by Fidelity Investments®, a leading provider of not-for-profit workplace retirement savings plans in higher education. The award honors the best and brightest from the college gridiron and is often called the "Academic Heisman." Overall there are 127 semifinalists for the award but Newsome, Leman and Attig are three of only 33 selected from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates for the awards 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 class is selected each year by the NFF Awards Committee, which is comprised of a nationally recognized group of media, College Football Hall of Famers and athletics administrators.
EIU's Leman Named Finalist for ARA Sportsmanship Award: Eastern Illinois senior linebacker Cory Leman is one of 10 finalists for the ARA (Awards and Recognition Association) Sportsmanship Award, which is given to one outstanding NCAA Division I collegiate football player who best personifies the spirit of sportsmanship. Leman, a four-year starter and team captain this season, leads EIU in tackles. To qualify for the award, an athlete must be a starting player or significant contributor on his team; be in good academic standing; demonstrate great respect for competitors, school, teammates and coaches; show an ability to accept victory and defeat graciously; convey a high degree of humility and integrity; and demonstrate commitment in the classroom and to the community.
JSU's Esco Earns Fred Mitchell Award for October: Jacksonville State's James Esco was among 36 players that received the Fred Mitchell Award for excellence on the football field and in the community during the month of October. Esco, a junior from Leesburg, Ga., spent the summer as a volunteer at the Gadsden Museum of Cultural Arts Center, and also routinely speaks to juvenile diabetes patients as a diabetic himself. The recipient of the Fred Mitchell Award will be announced in mid-December based on performance on the field and in the community.
Austin Peay Wins OVC Team Sportsmanship Award: Austin Peay was the recipient of the 2011-12 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 2011-12 school year marked the seventh year the team sportsmanship honors have been awarded. It marked the third award for the Austin Peay football program which also won the award in 2007 and 2008.
OVC Teams Versus FBS Foes: OVC schools played 10 games against teams from the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) this season, going 0-10 in those games. The closest game involved Eastern Kentucky losing 10-7 at Kansas State as the Wildcats scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1:39 to play. OVC schools are 18-147-1 all-time against FBS foes. Last year the league snapped a 50-game losing streak to FBS opponents when Jacksonville State topped Ole Miss 49-48 in double overtime to begin the season. That victory was one of seven for Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) foes over FBS teams in 2010; so far six FCS teams have topped FBS teams in 2011 (Richmond beat Duke, Sacramento State beat Oregon State, Indiana State topped Western Kentucky, North Dakota State beat Minnesota, Southern Utah beat UNLV and Sam Houston State beat New Mexico).
Brockman Named National Offensive Player of the Week For Second Time This Season (Nov. 21): Murray State junior quarterback Casey Brockman was named the National Offensive Player of the Week by the College Sporting News on Nov. 21. It marked the second time this season he has earned the honor (he also won the award on Sept. 19. In a 35-34 victory over Southeast Missouri Brockman passed, rushed and caught a touchdown pass all in the first half. He finished the day 31-of-44 for 222 yards and two passing touchdown, rushed 11 times for 77 yards and a 10-yard score and caught a six-yard touchdown pass.
Cullen Named National Special Teams Player of the Week (Nov. 14): Murray State senior kicker Kienan Cullen was honored as the National Special Teams Player of the Week by the Sports Network/Fathead.com on Nov. 14. In the game Cullen was a perfect 5-for-5 on field goal attempts in tying the Murray State single-game record. The senior connected from 37, 33, 41, 30 and 22 yards including hitting field goals on each of MSU's first four offensive possessions of the game. Cullen also converted on five extra points to finish the game with 20 points, just two off the OVC record for points scored by kicking in a game. The senior also completed a 21-yard pass attempt on a fake punt in the fourth quarter, which would set up the Racers final touchdown of the day. He is the first OVC specialist to win National Player of the Week honors this season.
Pryor Named National Offensive Player of the Week (Nov. 7): Eastern Kentucky junior quarterback T.J. Pryor was named National All-Star Offensive Player of the Week by the College Sporting News on Nov. 7 after his efforts against Jacksonville State. Pryor led Eastern Kentucky back from a 24-point fourth quarter deficit to top No. 18 JSU 52-48 on the road and claim sole possession of first place in the OVC. The junior completed 16-of-26 passes for a season-high 282 yards and a school-record five touchdowns and rushed for an additional 20 yards. With his team trailing 48-24 with 7:25 to play in the game, Pryor led the team on drives of 64, 58 and 37 yards over the next 6:01, throwing touchdown passes to Cameron Bailey (60 yards, 6:42 left in the game), Justin Williams (18 yards, 4:14 left in the game) and Tyrone Goard (37 yards, 1:24 left in the game) to complete the improbable comeback. Pryor also had touchdown passes of 29 and 42 yards (both to Goard) in the first half.
Huzzie Named National Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 31): Murray State sophomore linebacker Qua Huzzie was named National Co-Defensive Player of the Week by Sports Network/Fathead.com on Oct. 31. Huzzie, a transfer from the University of Kentucky, had 13 tackles (8 solo), four tackles-for-loss, two sacks, two forced fumbles and a pass break-up in Murray State's 34-33 home loss to Eastern Kentucky. Both of the sophomore's forced fumbles came in the first half, the second occurring in the EKU end zone which was recovered by teammate Jeremy Brackett for a touchdown.
Carr Named National Offensive Player of the Week (Oct. 10): UT Martin junior quarterback Derek Carr was named the National Co-Offensive Player of the Week by the Sports Network/Fathead.com as well as a National All-Star by the College Sporting News on Oct. 10 after completing 24-of-36 passing for 387 yards and a school record six touchdowns in a 61-23 victory over Austin Peay. Carr had touchdown passes of 51, 13, 16, 15, 10 and 9 yards to tie the record of six passing touchdowns set twice prior in Skyhawk history.
Jackson Named National Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 3): Jacksonville State sophomore linebacker Clarence Jackson was named the National All-Star Defensive Player of the Week by the College Sporting News on Oct. 3 after his play in a road win over Murray State. Jackson had seven tackles, 2.0 tackles-for-loss, a sack for a loss to 12 yards, forced and recovered a fumble, three pass breakups and blocked a field goal in the win. Jackson was part of the Gamecock defense that held the Racers to just 11 rushing yards on 27 carries, the fewest yards allowed by the team to an OVC opponent since 2008.
Brockman Named National Player of the Week (Sept. 19): For the third time in his career Murray State junior quarterback Casey Brockman has been named National Player of the Week, doing so on Sept. 19 by both the Sports Network and the College Sporting News. The honors came after Brockman completed 45-of-67 passes for 600 yards and seven touchdowns and also caught a 15-yard touchdown pass in Murray State's 58-27 win over Tennessee State. The 45 completions and 600 yards were both OVC records and the seven passing touchdowns tied the OVC mark (already held by Brockman). The 600 passing yards was the fifth-most in Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) history and was just 24 yards short of the all-time record (held by Weber State's Jamie Martin). Brockman threw for 422 yards in the first half, which set a new FCS single-game record, breaking the old record of 383 held by Marshall's Michael Payton. Brockman was named National Player of the Week on Oct. 10 and Nov. 14 of the 2010 season.
Vance Earns National All-Star Honor from College Sporting News (Sept. 12): Eastern Kentucky sophomore linebacker Ichiro Vance was named a National All-Star (National Defensive Player of the Week) by College Sporting News on Sept. 12 following his performance against Missouri State. Vance had a career-high 19 tackles, two tackles-for-loss and forced a fumble in the win. The 19 stops were the most tackles for an EKU player in a game since Bob Head had 21 against Eastern Illinois during the 1996 season. In the second quarter the sophomore forced a fumble at mid-field that led to the Colonels second touchdown of the game just four plays later (putting the team up 14-0).
EKU's McClellan Earns National All-Star Honor from College Sporting News (Sept. 5): Eastern Kentucky senior Patrick McClellan earned National Defensive All-Star (National Player of the Week) honors from the College Sporting News on Sept. 5 for his performance in EKU's near upset of FBS foe Kansas State. He was part of a defensive unit that forced five Kansas State turnovers and held them to their lowest point total in more than a year as EKU lost 10-7 in the final two minutes of the game. The senior forced two fumbles and recovered one in the third quarter that he returned 18 yards to the 1-yard line which set up EKU's lone touchdown of the night (and the first score of the game by either team). McClellan also had seven tackles (six solo) and 1.5 tackles-for-loss.
Vucic Earns College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) For Week No. 12: Southeast Missouri sophomore punter Joe Vucic earned national honors from the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) for his performance in Week 12 of the season. Vucic was named National Punter of the Week after averaging 48.2 yards on four punts, including a long of 58 yards and one punt inside the 20-yard line. In addition to Vucic, seven other OVC players earned honorable mention honors for the week. The goal of CFPA 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.
Cullen Earns College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) For Week No. 11: Murray State senior kicker Kienan Cullen earned national honors from the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) for his performance in Week 11 of the season. Cullen was named National Place Kicker of the Week after converting on 5-of-5 field goal attempts and making five extra points in Murray State's 56-24 victory over Austin Peay. In addition to Cullen, eight other OVC players earned honorable mention honors for the week. The goal of CFPA 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.
Howell Earns College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) For Week No. 10: Austin Peay sophomore Tee Howell earned national honors from the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) for his performance in Week 10 of the season. Howell was named National Punt Returner of the Week after returning a punt 65 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter of its 40-0 victory over Central State. In addition to Howell, 10 other OVC players earned honorable mention honors for the week. The goal of CFPA 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.
Harris Earns College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) For Week No. 9: Murray State senior running back Mike Harris earned national honors from the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) for his performance in Week 9 of the season. Harris was named National Running Back Performer of the Week after rushing for 206 yards on 21 carries (9.8 yards/carry). Harris also had six catches for 66 yards. In addition to Harris, two other OVC players earned honorable mention honors for the week. The goal of CFPA 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.
Hughes, Chambers and Moseley Earn College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) For Week No. 8: Three OVC players earned national honors from the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) for performances in Week 8 of the season. UT Martin junior nose guard Montori Hughes was named National Defensive Performer of the Week and National Defensive Lineman of the Week after recording 10 tackles, a sack, 5.5 tackles-for-loss and forcing and recovering a fumble in a 24-23 victory over Eastern Illinois. Jacksonville State freshman Gabriel Chambers was named National Kickoff Returner of the Week after registering a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Kentucky. Tennessee State punter Matt Moseley averaged 50.8 yards/punt on four punts at Eastern Kentucky, including a school record 73-yard punt and two punts downed inside the EKU 20-yard line. In addition to those three, four other OVC players earned honorable mention honors for the week. The goal of CFPA 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.
Carr, Estelle, Jones and Garlington Earn College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) For Week No. 6: Four OVC players earned national honors from the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) for performances in Week 6 of the season. UT Martin quarterback Derek Carr was named National Performer of the Week and National Quarterback of the Week after throwing for 387 yards and tying the school record with six touchdowns in a win over Austin Peay. UT Martin's Kenny Jones was named National Tight End of the Week after catching seven of Carr's passes for 127 yards and two scores in the win over Austin Peay. A third Skyhawk - CJ Estelle - returned a third quarter punt 76 yards for a touchdown and was named National Punt Returner of the Week. He shared the National Punt Returner of the Week award with Tennessee State's Weldon Garlington who returned a punt 91 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter (one week after returning a kickoff 100 yards for a score). In addition to those four, three other OVC players earned honorable mention honors for the week. The goal of CFPA 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.
Scheible, Barfield, Crawford and Garlington Earn College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) For Week No. 5: Four OVC players earned national honors from the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) for performances in Week 5 of the season. Southeast Missouri State quarterback Matt Scheible was named National Performer of the Week and National Quarterback of the Week after accounting for 291 yards of total offense and all five of his team's touchdowns in a win over Eastern Illinois. Three other players - UT Martin's Kevin Barfield, Eastern Illinois' Tavares Crawford and Tennessee State's Weldon Garlington shared National Kickoff Returner of the Week honors. Barfield returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown against Tennessee Tech (and finished the game with 171 return yards), Crawford returned a kickoff 83 yards for a touchdown against Southeast Missouri (and finished the game with 190 return yards) while Garlington returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown against Austin Peay (and finished the game with 133 return yards). In addition to those four, four other OVC players earned honorable mention honors for the week. The goal of CFPA 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.
Brady Earns Honors From College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) For Week No. 4: Murray State kick returner Duane Brady was named the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) National Kickoff Returner of the Week for Week 4 after his performance against UT Martin. Brady returned five kickoffs for 149 yards including one that saw him break three tackles to return for a 98-yard touchdown (which was one yard short of the school record). In addition to Brady five other OVC players earned honorable mention honors for the week. The goal of CFPA 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.
Brockman Earns Honors From College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) For Week No. 3: Murray State junior quarterback Casey Brockman named the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) National Quarterback of the Week for Week 3 after his performance against Tennessee State. Brockman completed 45-of-67 passes for 600 yards and seven touchdowns and also caught a 15-yard touchdown pass in a 58-27 win over Tennessee State. In addition to Brockman five other OVC players earned honorable mention honors for the week. The goal of CFPA 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.
Caldwell Earns Honors From College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) For Week No. 2: Eastern Kentucky kick returner Jeremy Caldwell was named the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) National Kick Returner of the Week for Week 2 after his performance against Missouri State. Caldwell returned a kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown to give EKU an 11-point lead. In addition to Caldwell five other OVC players earned honorable mention honors for the week. The goal of CFPA 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.
Sandlin Earns Honors From College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) For Week No. 1: UT Martin kicker Cody Sandlin was named the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) National Placekicker of the Week for Week 1 after his performance against nationally-ranked Jacksonville State. Sandlin connected on field goals of 43, 25 and 45 yards in the Skyhawks 24-23 at No. 9 JSU. Sandlin was also a perfect 2-for-2 on extra points and accounted for 11 total points. In addition to Sandlin seven other OVC players earned honorable mention honors for the week. The goal of CFPA 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.
A Look at the Coaches: All nine head coaches from last season return to their schools in the Ohio Valley Conference this season. The Dean of OVC Coaches is Eastern Illinois coach Bob Spoo who is in his 25th and final season with the Panthers in 2011. Jacksonville State's Jack Crowe is the second longest tenured coach in the league (in his 12th season at JSU) while Murray State's Chris Hatcher and Tennessee State's Rod Reed have been at their schools the fewest years, as each are in their second seasons.
Preseason Forecasts: For the third time in the past four seasons Jacksonville State University was picked the favorite in the Ohio Valley Conference football race. The Gamecocks picked up 13 of the 18 first-place votes in the 2011 poll which is a vote of league head coaches and sports information directors. Jacksonville State was one of three schools to receive at least one first-place vote in the poll and the Gamecocks received 123 total points, which was 17 points ahead of second-place Murray State. The Racers received four first-place votes and were tabbed second in the poll (106). Eastern Kentucky (93) was picked third and defending champion Southeast Missouri (81) was picked fourth and received the remaining first-place vote. The poll is rounded out by Tennessee Tech (73), UT Martin (64), Eastern Illinois (57), Tennessee State (33) and Austin Peay (18). Is being picked first in the preseason poll necessarily a good thing? Including this year, in the past 34 years of preseason polls (all that were available), the preseason predicted champion has only gone on to win the OVC Championship 13 times (38.2%). After eight years of not picking the champion right (2003-2010), this season the preseason poll and actual champion (be it by a three-way tie) were the same.
Murray State's Brockman, Jacksonville State's Lewis and Tennessee State's Council Headline Preseason All-OVC Team: Murray State junior quarterback Casey Brockman was named 2011 Ohio Valley Conference Preseason Offensive Player of the Year while Jacksonville State senior defensive lineman Monte Lewis and Tennessee State senior linebacker Rico Council were tabbed OVC Preseason Co-Defensive Players of the Year in a vote on by the league's head football coaches and sports information directors. Eastern Kentucky led the way with seven selections on the preseason team while Jacksonville State and Murray State had five players apiece on the squad. Each of the league's nine teams had at least one player on the preseason squad. Returning players who were first-team All-OVC selections last season (nine in total) were automatic selections to the preseason team this year. The squad also included 10 players who were second-team selections in 2010. Of the 31 total selections, 21 were seniors, seven were juniors and three were sophomores.
NFL Connections: Currently there are 15 former Ohio Valley Conference players are on NFL rosters (10 active players, 4 practice squad members, one IR). 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, has been a Pro Bowl selection and is now in his first season with the Philadelphia Eagles. Seven of the nine current OVC football schools have at least one player in the NFL with Eastern Kentucky leading the way with three active players. 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). 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.
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 89 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 20-team playoff at the end of the season to determine the national champion.
OVCSports.TV: For the sixth 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 five 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.