SATURDAY'S SCORES
UT Martin 20, @Memphis 17
@Purdue 48,
#18 Eastern Kentucky 6
@#7 Florida State 69,
Murray State 3
@Western Kentucky 49,
Austin Peay 10
@Tennessee State 17, Florida A&M 14
@#10 Arkansas,
#22 Jacksonville State
UT MARTIN 20, MEMPHIS 17
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - For senior Cody Sandlin it was nothing but repetition and the only field goal he thought he made in a game that started at 6:02 p.m. and ended at 11:47 p.m.
Sandlin, from Goodlettsville, made a 43-yard field goal with four seconds left on the clock to give The University of Tennessee at Martin a 20-17 victory over host Memphis Saturday night at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.
For the visiting Skyhawks it was the first victory over Memphis and a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) team ever.
Sandlin was 2-for-4 in field goals in the game. He missed a 28- and a 19-yarder, but made a 26- and the 43-yarder in the fourth quarter.
UT Martin took a 17-10 lead with 4:52 to go in the game when Sandlin made a 26-yard field goal. Memphis rallied and tied the score at 17-all when Jacob Karam completed a 20-yard pass to Marcus
Rucker.
The Skyhawks were forced to punt on the next possession, but senior Nate Rottero recovered a fumble on the punt and the Skyhawks had the ball on the Memphis 27 yard line with about 12 seconds left in a game that already had a two hour and 40-minute weather delay.
After a two hour and 40 minute lightning delay, UT Martin marched down field and scored a touchdown to take a 14-10 lead with 4:45 to play in the game.
Senior quarterback Derek Carr called his own number on fourth-and-10 to go and converted for the first down. Carr hit senior tight end Ben Everett and the Skyhawks relied on junior running back DJ McNeil to scamper in from five yards out and the go ahead touchdown.
Memphis made the most of the opening minutes of the third quarter and took a 10-7 lead when Paul Henriques made a 33-yard field goal with 9:03 on the clock.
The Skyhawks tied the game in the second half when Carr completed a 9-yard pass to Sims for a score. Sandlin added the PAT and the Skyhawks tied the game at 7-all with 7:02 to play before the half.
Senior Darrin Nalls forced a fumble on the Memphis’ ensuing possession and Wright recovered the fumble. However, the Skyhawks failed to convert as Carr was intercepted for the second time in the game.
In the first quarter the Skyhawks had a chance to claim a quick lead, but missed several opportunities and ended up trailing 7-0. Sandlin who made 14-of-17 field goals and 45-of-48 extra points this past season, missed a 28 yard field goal which would have capped off the Skyhawks opening possession of the game which feature a 52-yard run by McNair.
Wright forced the Tigers to fumble on their first possession of the game, while DJ Roberts recovered the loose ball and gave the Skyhawks a first down on the Memphis 28 yard line. However, the Skyhawks failed to score. The snap on Sandlin’s second field goal attempt of the game, a 20-yarder, was bad and the holder James Satterfield’s pass to tight end Corey Rogers was incomplete.
Memphis set up shop on their own 3 yard line and ,marched 97 yards in 12 plays and 4:51 to claim a 7-0 lead when Jerrell Rhodes scored on a 3-yard run with 5:43 to play in the quarter. Paul Henriques added the PAT and Memphis led 7-0.
The Skyhawks tried to answer the Tigers’ drive but Carr was intercepted. Memphis attempted to convert again, but Henriques’ 36 yard field goal attempt was wide right.
PURDUE 48, EASTERN KENTUCKY 6
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Host Purdue raced out to a 20-0 lead and never looked back as the Boilermakers cruised to a 48-6 victory over the Eastern Kentucky University football team Saturday afternoon at Ross-Ade Stadium.
Purdue quarterback Robert Marve led the home squad by going 30-of-38 passing for 295 yards and three scores. The Boilermakers racked up 547 yards of offense against the Colonels, but EKU did manage to force five turnovers.
Purdue pounced quickly with back-to-back touchdowns in a span of 52 seconds midway through the first quarter. The Boilermakers took their second drive 87 yards in six plays for a 6-0 lead. An Akeem Shavers 34-yard run around the right end keyed the drive. Wide receiver Gary Bush then hauled in a four-yard touchdown catch for the first points of the season.
Two plays into Eastern’s ensuing drive, Purdue safety Landon Feichter intercepted Jared McClain’s tipped pass and returned the ball 34 yards for another score.
Early in the second quarter, Purdue extended its cushion to 20-0 behind a seven-yard touchdown run from Kurt Freytag.
Eastern Kentucky finally responded with three straight big plays to get on the board. Senior Tyrone Goard’s 16-yard catch on third down kept the drive alive. McClain then hit senior wide receiver Cameron Bailey for 24 yards to the Purdue 30-yard line. Senior running back Matt Denham finished the drive with a 30-yard touchdown run straight up the middle of the field.
The Colonels had a chance to creep even closer following senior Brooklyn Fox’s second interception. Fox picked off a Purdue pass at the EKU 30-yard line and returned it 46 yards deep into Purdue territory. However, Eastern had to settle for a 38-yard field goal attempt, which was blocked.
From that point, the Boilermaker offense turned up the heat again, scoring touchdowns on their final two possessions of the half to take a 34-6 lead into intermission. Purdue totaled 325 yards of offense in the first half and scored in all four trips into the red zone.
Eastern Kentucky started three possessions inside Purdue territory in the second half, but could not come away with any more points. The Colonels punted on one possession and had turnovers on the other two drives.
This was the first ever meeting between the two teams and just EKU’s second ever game against a Big Ten opponent. Purdue head coach Danny Hope, a former Eastern Kentucky player and head coach, guided the Colonels to the 2007 OVC title before taking the job at Purdue.
#7 FLORIDA STATE 69, MURRAY STATE 3
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The Murray State Racers kicked off their 88th season of football Saturday in a 69-3 loss at No. 7 Florida State at Bobby Bowden Field at Doak S. Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Fla.
On a night when MSU opened the season against the No. 7 squad in the nation, the Racers were up against one of the top teams in the nation on their home field.
In the first meeting between the two teams, the Racers (0-1) gave up an early punt return score and a short running score to fall into a 14-0 hole.
Murray State's Josh Manning made MSU's first interception of the season setting the Racers up near mid-field with 1:51 remaining in the opening quarter, but they were unable to convert it to points.
The Racers put together their best drive of the first half when they started at their own 40 and went 39 yards on 11 plays to chew up 4:07 off the clock. The Racers made it to the FSU 21 yard line, but Jordan Benton's 35-yard field goal try was wide left. Benton came back with 4:36 before half and booted a 28 yarder to cut the Seminoles' lead to 21-3.
FSU tacked on another TD before half to lead 28-3 at the intermission.
FSU took the opening drive of the half and scored on a nine-yard run for a 35-3 lead, which was the start of a 17-point quarter for the Seminoles.
The Racers forced a fumble on a punt with 5:51 left in the third quarter when Darian Yahyavi made the recovery at the FSU 32. MSU pushed to the FSU nine yard line and went for it on a fourth-and-two play, but MSU quarterback Casey Brockman was sacked stopping the Racer threat.
Brockman ended the evening competing 19-of-36 passes for 117 yards, while Walter Powell caught nine of them for 62 yards. Pokey Harris came off the bench to lead MSU in rushing with 27 yards on nine carries. Yahyavi led MSU with 7.5 tackles, while Brandon Wicks added 6.5. MSU punter Steven Mix had a 40.8 yard average on nine attempts.
WESTERN KENTUCKY 49, AUSTIN PEAY 10
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Senior quarterback Kawaun Jakes threw four touchdown passes, including three in the first half, to lead Western Kentucky to a 49-10 victory, Saturday night, against Austin Peay State University in the season opener for both teams.
It was the first meeting between the two former Ohio Valley Conference rivals since 2006 but the first with the Hilltoppers as a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) program-WKU is now a Sun Belt Conference member. It also was Austin Peay's second straight season-opening loss to an FBS team. The Govs lost at Cincinnati a year ago.
Jakes finished the night 18 of 23 for 296 yards before departing early in the second half. In fact, WKU rolled up 367 yards in total offense-Jakes had 276 in the first 30 minutes-in the first half to build a 35-0 lead.
In the first half, the Govs dodged an early bullet as WKU drove from its own 14 to the Govs' one. However, a personal foul penalty forced WKU to attempt a field goal but Jesse Roy missed.
But that good fortune didn't last long. After APSU went three-and out on its first possession, the Govs were forced to punt. Antonio Andrews gathered it in started right before heading back left. He ran away from the Govs for a 70-yard TD.
On the Govs' next possession, quarterback Jake Ryan was sacked on a third-and-long. He fumbled the football and WKU recovered at the APSU 21. On the next play, Kawaun Jakes hooked up with Willie McNeal for a TD.
WKU added three more TDs in the second quarter, including one with six seconds left, to give WKU a comfortable 35-0 halftime lead.
Austin Peay's one offensive bright spot came early in the second half when Wesley Kitts broke free for a 68-yard TD run. That kept alive APSU's streak of 74 straight games without being shutout.
Kitts, meanwhile, finished night with 104 rushing yards, his second career 100-yard rushing effort.
Stephen Stansell's 34-yard fourth-quarter field goal leaves him one short of tying Tom McMillan (1986-89) for most career fields. McMillan had 33 during his career.
TENNESSEE STATE 17, FLORIDA A&M 14
NASHVILLE - A game of inches came down to just that as a successful goal line stand in the final minute secured a 17-14 Tennessee State victory over Florida A&M at the 14th annual John A Merritt Classic.
TSU (1-0) got off to a quick start as they opened the season on a seven play, 58-yard drive that culminated on a 22-yard pass from Michael German to wide receiver Devin Wilson. German and Wilson connected earlier in the drive on a 44-yard completion, which were more yards than FAMU (0-1) gained in the entire first quarter.
The Tigers forced FAMU to punt on their first possession and followed that up with a long, 14-play drive that ended with a German fumble at the FAMU 32-yard line that was recovered by the Rattlers.
The Tigers started the second half just like they started the first, with a scoring drive. This time, Jamin Godfrey connected on a 38-yard field goal to give TSU a 10-0 edge.
Trabis Ward would cap off a nine play, 80-yard drive with a six yard touchdown run to extend the Tiger lead to 17.
FAMU would start their rally at the end of the third quarter with a 54-yard kickoff return by James Owens to the TSU 26-yard line. The Rattlers would need only three plays to find the end zone as quarterback Tyler Bass threw a 13-yard touchdown to Travis Harvey.
Early in the 4th quarter, FAMU would make it a one score game as QB Damien Fleming threw an eight yard touchdown pass to Michael Etheridge.
The Rattlers final possession of the game started 88-yards away from the end zone and ended less than a yard shy of taking the lead.
TSU stopped FAMU twice in the final minute from the one-yard line on third and goal and fourth and goal as Fleming failed to reach the end zone on back-to-back sneaks.
German was named Offensive MVP as he went 22-of-32 for 263 yards and one touchdown along with one interception.
Defensive MVP honors went to TSU sophomore linebacker Nick Thrasher who finished with a game-high 10 tackles, nine solo, as well as two tackles for a loss. FAMU LB Brandon Hepburn shared the award as he tallied eight tackles, seven solo, along with one-and-a-half sacks and three-and-a-half tackles for loss.
#10 ARKANSAS, #22 JACKSONVILLE STATE
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The Jacksonville State football team put an early scare into 10th ranked Arkansas and its 71,062 fans on Saturday night, but the high-octane Razorbacks handed the Gamecocks a 49-24 loss in the season opener for both teams.
After the Gamecocks (0-1) switched things up early on offense and built a 14-7 lead in the beginning stages of the second quarter, the Razorbacks (1-0) rattled off 28-straight points to pull ahead. A young JSU squad ran out of steam on one of the biggest stages it has ever been on but impressed early in front of the second-largest crowd to ever see the Gamecocks play and just the 15th crowd of 20,000 or more to see them play in program history.
Quarterback Tyler Wilson and his offense, projected to be one of the nation's most prolific in 2012, got off to a solid start. He passed for 367 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Razorbacks to 564 yards, the most against a JSU defense since 2003. He completed 19-of-27 attempts, while his running game produced four more scores on the ground.
The Gamecocks got 107 receiving yards from senior Alan Bonner, his second career game with over 100 yards, and 160 yards and two touchdowns on 14-for-28 passing by senior Marques Ivory. Freshman Troymaine Pope made his collegiate debut a memorable one, running for 65 yards on 14 carries to lead the Gamecocks on the ground.
After an early scoring drive from the homestanding Hogs, Pope made a splash the first time he touched the ball in a collegiate game. The true freshman from Anniston caught a swing pass from Ivory that went for 19 yards and JSU's first points of the year.
After their freshman running back scored through the air, the Gamecocks then let a receiver score on the ground. Bonner took just his sixth career carry in from four yards for his first score, giving the Gamecocks a 14-7 advantage with just over 13 minutes left in the first half. Arkansas answered, scoring four touchdowns over the next 11 minutes to take control of the game.
Ivory, a native of Warner Robins, Ga., had two touchdown passes in his return from a broken leg that ended his 2011 season in the opener. After a medical redshirt gave him another shot at his senior season, Ivory threw for the 160 yards and two touchdowns exactly one year after his injury. He also restarted his climb in the history books, tying Dieter Brock for eighth all-time with 27 career passing touchdowns.
His second touchdown pass came just before the half, a 10-yard strike to Bonner in the front of the end zone that cut JSU's halftime deficit to 35-21. Bonner's scoring catch made him the first Gamecock to record a rushing and receiving touchdown in a game since Jamal Young against Murray State on Oct. 2, 2010.
The Gamecocks scored first in the second half, thanks to a 49-yard field goal from junior Griffin Thomas that cut the Hogs' lead to 35-24. The kick was just the third field goal of his career and was the longest by a Gamecock since 2003.
The Hogs answered with two scores on the Razorbacks' next two drives to claim the deciding 49-24 advantage.
On the defensive side of the ball, JSU did force three turnovers on the Hogs' offense. The Gamecocks recovered three fumbles, one that was returned 49 yards by junior Rashad Smith, the Gamecocks' longest return of a fumble since 2001. Smith added eight tackles, which tied senior Nick Johnson's career high for the team lead. Sophomore Rashod Byers added seven stops in his first start on the defensive side of the ball, while senior DiMetrio Tyson recorded a pair of sacks.
Ross Rosner led Arkansas with 11 tackles.