SATURDAY'S SCORES
@#8 Eastern Illinois 42, Eastern Kentucky 7
Murray State 35, @Jacksonville State 34 (OT)
#23 UT Martin 17, @Southeast Missouri 7
Tennessee State 73, Central State 6 (St. Louis, Mo.)
@Tennessee Tech 38, Indiana State 37
#8 EASTERN ILLINOIS 42, EASTERN KENTUCKY 7
CHARLESTON, Ill. - On an afternoon where senior quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo cemented himself in the OVC history books, it was No. 8 Eastern Illinois defense that stole the show during a convincing 42-7 victory over Eastern Kentucky on Family Weekend at O’Brien Field.
An announced crowd of 11,469, the seventh largest in school history, watched EIU improve to 4-1 on the year, 1-0 in the OVC. EKU, which was picked second in the OVC preseason polls, fell to 2-3 on the year, 0-1 in the OVC. EIU heads into a bye week with the Panthers next game on Thursday, Oct. 10 at Austin Peay.
The Panthers defense shut down Eastern Kentucky pitching a shut out until the Colonels scored with 3:33 left in the game against EIU’s second and third team unit. When EIU started to pull its starters off the field with 5:52 left in the third quarter, EIU had allowed just 140 yards of offense forcing four turnovers.
Linebacker Adam Gristick had two interceptions for EIU’s defense which now has 11 on the year. EKU had 95 yards rushing to that point on 24 carries and only 45 yards passing.
The Panthers passing attacked finished with 407 yards through the air as three quarterbacks and wide receiver Erik Lora all had pass completions. Garoppolo finished with 322 yards passing and three touchdowns. He was 26-of-39 with one interception on a ball the wide receiver slipped on while making the cut.
Garoppolo’s touchdown pass to Keiondre Gober with 6:49 to play in the first quarter made Garoppolo the EIU and Ohio Valley Conference career leader in touchdown passes, moving past former EIU quarterback Tony Romo. Garoppolo now has 88 career touchdown passes, 23 this season.
EIU extended the lead to 14-0 on Taylor Duncan’s 1-yard plunge with 12:20 to play in the second quarter. On that offensive drive Garoppolo passed Murray State’s Casey Brockman to become the career passing leader in the OVC. Garoppolo became the 30th player in FCS history to eclipse the 10,000 yard passing mark on the next drive as he now stands at 10,159 career passing yards.
EIU scored 28 points in the second quarter to take a 35-0 halftime lead. Garoppolo hit Jeff LePak for a 21-yard catch in the back of the end zone for one score. Erik Lora found Ryan Meyer for a 5-yard touchdown pass on the next score. EIU’s final score came on a 70-yard fumble return for touchdown by Anthony Goodman with 23 seconds left in the half. The fumble return is the longest fumble return for a touchdown in school history.
Goodman led EIU with eight tackles. Gristick had four tackles with the two interceptions and a tackle for loss.
EIU’s final score came in the third quarter when Garoppolo connected for a second time with Gober for a 40-yard touchdown. Gober led EIU with six catches for 115 yards.
EKU’s lone score was by Caleb Watkins on a 3-yard run. Brandon Stanley had eight tackles to lead the Colonels. Devin Borders blocked two EIU field goal attempts.
MURRAY STATE 35, JACKSONVILLE STATE 34 (OT)
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - Murray State head coach Chris Hatcher had a gut feeling in overtime. Instead of kicking the extra point, Hatcher rolled the dice with the two-point conversion, and Maikhail Miller hit Jeremy Harness in the endzone to give the Racers a dramatic, 35-34, overtime victory over Jacksonville State Saturday afternoon at JSU Stadium.
The victory put an end to a nine-game losing streak to the Gamecocks. The only other Racer victory came in 2003, when MSU won 23-17 in overtime at Stewart Stadium. The victory was also the first overtime victory since defeating Eastern Kentucky in 2004. The win also put an end to the Gamecocks six-game OT winning streak, dating back to the Racers victory in 2003.
JSU (4-1, 0-1 OVC) got the ball to start overtime, and needed just two DeMarcus James runs to reach the endzone.
The Racers (3-2, 1-0 OVC) did not have it as easy on their drive as they found themselves facing a 4th-and-10. Miller rolled right and found Harness on the sideline for a 13-yard gain and the first down. A pair of Miller runs went for nine yards, and forced the Racers to face another fourth down. This time, Miller did it with his legs, as he went two yards for the first down. On the next player, Miller went up the middle for the touchdown.
After the Racers lined up for the two-point conversion, both teams exchanged timeouts. MSU came out of the second timeout and went with a Miller rollout to the right side. The sophomore found a wide open Harness for the game winner, sending the Racer sideline into eruption and Hatcher sprinting across the field.
JSU forced overtime by driving 71 yards in the final 4:12, getting a Griffin Thomas 25-yard field goal as time expired.
The Racers got on the board on their second possession of the game as they put together a 13-play scoring drive that was done mostly on the ground. Jaamal Berry was the catalyst on the drive as he carried four times for 17 yards, while Miller added a 19-yard run to push the Racers deep into Gamecock territory.
MSU faced a third-and-long early in the drive, but Miller was able to hit Walter Powell for 13-yards and the first down. The drive stalled after an intentional grounding penalty, but Jordan Benton made sure the Racers got points on the board as he connected on a 40-yard field goal.
The special teams and defense helped the Racers reach the endzone for the first time on the day. Steven Mix flipped the field by booming a career-best 66-yard punt that was downed on the one-yard line. JSU was able to pick up one first down, but the Racers defense forced a punt.
The offense got the ball on their own 38-yard line. Berry burst up the middle for a 32-yard gain. Two players later, Miller found Powell on a crossing route for a 29-yard touchdown.
The Gamecocks managed to come back and put together a 10-play drive that ended with a 30-yard Griffin Thomas field goal. That drive was answered by the Racers 12-play drive that was capped with a 21-yard Benton field goal.
JSU hit the Racers with a trick play in the second quarter as they executed a fake punt on 4th-and-18 with a 31-yard pass play. The Gamecocks used the play to score from three-yards out on a run by Miles Jones.
The Racers came back on their next possession and used a Duane Brady 43-yard kickoff return to kickstart the drive. A false start penalty to start the drive forced the Racers into a 3rd-and-long, but Miller and Powell connected on a nine-yard pass over the middle to pick up the first down. The drive then went to the ground as Miller picked up 32 yards on two carries, and Brady went five yards down to the goaline. Another false start penalty backed the ball to the six, before Brady went six yards for the touchdown on 3rd down.
The Gamecocks tried to push the ball down the field for one final scoring drive before the half ended. After converting a 4th-and-3, JSU threw a pass down the left sideline that looked to be a touchdown. Brandon Wicks had other ideas as he came from behind and punched the ball out, allowing Anthony Hayes to fall on the ball in the endzone.
JSU came out in the second half and drove down the field on a seven-play drive that resulted in a James 21-yard touchdown run. They took their first lead of the game as James capped off a 68-yard drive with a one-yard run late in the third quarter.
The Racers battled back to regain the lead early in the fourth quarter as Miller went over the right side for a 14-yard touchdown run on yet another fourth-down play.
The Gamecocks looked to be driving for the go-ahead score again, but Qua Huzzie had other ideas and returned his first career interception 48 yards. The Racer offense stalled and was forced to punt. But, on JSU’s next offensive play, Josh Manning stepped in front of another pass for his first career interception.
The Racers finished the game with 296 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. Miller led the way with 134 yards and two scores on 24 carries. He also went 14-for-26 for 109 yards and another score.
Berry added 88 yards on 10 carries, while Brady rushed for 79 yards and a touchdown on a career-high 23 carries.
Wicks led the Racer defense with 12 tackles and a forced fumble. Darrell Smith added 10 tackles, including three for loss.
#23 UT MARTIN 17, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 7
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Nationally ranked No. 23 University of Tennessee at Martin football team wasted little time in the Ohio Valley Conference opener before showing Southeast Missouri that their rank was no fluke, scoring on the opening drive en route to the 17-7 victory.
After UT Martin jumped out to a 17-0 halftime lead, it was the Skyhawk defense that secured the victory. Defensively, the Skyhawks continued a pair of superlatives, holding their third consecutive Football Championship Subdivision opponent scoreless in the first half. The Skyhawks have outscored their FCS opponents Chattanooga (7-0), Central Arkansas (14-0) and Southeast Missouri (17-0) 38-0 in the first half this season.
On top of the Skyhawks’ first half dominance, UT Martin continued their streak of never trailing against an FCS opponent, never relinquishing the lead after scoring on the opening drive of tonight’s matchup.
UT Martin won the rushing battle of the night, accumulating 238 net rushing yards, led by senior DJ McNeil. McNeil lead all Skyhawks by tallying a career-best 156 yards on 27 carries. Transfer Abou Toure trailed with 10 carries, good for 56 yards on the ground. Redshirt freshman Najee Ray got in on the action, rushing three times, including a nine-yard touchdown.
Dylan Favre earned the start at quarterback, going 11-16 for 118 yards with a touchdown. Jarod Neal saw action but tossed one interception.
Dylan Davis and Jeremy Butler each led the team with three receptions each, tallying 43 and 21 yards respectively. Corey Jordan wrangled two receptions, including a 35-yard touchdown from Favre on the opening drive.
Defensively, Ben Johnson led the way with a season-best 12 total tacks, including one tackle for loss and pass breakup. Thad Williams tallied seven tackles while classmate J’Vontez Blackmon tallied six tackles and two pass breakups. Tony Bell tallied six tackles while recovering one fumble. DJ Roberts was credited for three total tackles, one sack, two tackles for loss and one forced fumble.
For Southeast Missouri, Kyle Snyder earned the start under center, passing 71 yards, while adding 40 yards on eight carries. Scott Lathrop passed for 71 yards, while adding 10 carries for 73 yards. Ron Coleman was responsible for the Redhawks lone touchdown, rushing for 40 yards on 12 carries.
The Skyhawks wasted little time making their presence known in the ball game, running a seamless offensive attack to get onto the board in the game’s opening three minutes of the game.
Senior running back DJ McNeil rambled off a pair of first downs to open the drive, tallying runs of 13 and 12 yards consecutively. Favre hit Dylan Davis for a 13-yard connection, picking up the Skyhawks third consecutive first down of the drive. Favre soon connected for first score of the game, hitting Jordan for a 35-yard touchdown across the middle to put the Skyhawks on the board. Jackson Redditt added the extra point giving UT Martin the early 7-0 advantage. The Skyhawks drive took six plays, spanning 78 yards and taking 2:19 minutes.
UT Martin continued their offensive pace on their third drive, increasing their lead to open the second quarter. The Skyhawks continued to pound the ball on the ground, seeing four different player tally rushing attempts. McNeil pounded seven carries down the field before Ray broke the final would-be tackle for a nine yard scamper to the endzone, Ray’s first career touchdown. Redditt added the extra point to give the Skyhawks the 14-0 lead. The 15-play drive took 5:18 minutes, encompassing 87 yards.
The Skyhawks next possession looked promising, moving the ball quickly down the field. Jarod Neal checked into the game at quarterback, marking the Skyhawks into enemy territory. The drive was suddenly halted when Neal’s pass was picked off by the Southeast Missouri defender Reggie Jennings.
After yet another Redhawk three-and-out, the Skyhawks began their fifth drive of the game on their own 45 yard line. After a barrage of rushing attempts, the Skyhawks pulled within scoring position to set up the place kicker. Redditt connected for his first field goal attempt of the night, a 22-yard attempt to push the Skyhawk lead out to 17-0 right before half.
The first half went to the visitors as the Skyhawks dominated nearly every statistical category. UT Martin won the battle of the ground game, tallying 182 rushing yards compared to the Redhawks 54. The Skyhawks tallied 270 yards of total offense while the defense allowed just 92 yards to Southeast Missouri.
UT Martin won the battle of nearly every statistical category in the first half, tallying 270 total yards of offense while the defense allowed just 92 yards to the Redhawks.
The third quarter was a defensive battle, as both defenses made key plays to force turnovers and limiting either team a scoring opportunity. The Skyhawks forced their first turnover of the night at the 3:07 mark as Roberts sacked Snyder, forcing the ball loose which Bell quickly recovered giving the Skyhawks possession.
On the ensuing drive, McNeil fumbled the second play of the drive, giving the ball right back to the Redhawk offense as John Popovich recovered Cantrell Andrews’s forced fumble.
The Skyhawks almost returned the favor yet again on the next drive as Bell hit the Redhawk quarterback Snyder on an option, squirting the ball back for a 13-yard loss. The defense built upon the botched play, as senior defensive back Kevin Barfield looked to get a hand on Southeast Missouri’s 48-yard field goal attempt by Alex Knight to eliminate the scoring threat.
The Redhawks got on the board at the 6:17 mark of the fourth quarter to bring Southeast Missouri within two scores. After Southeast Missouri made a change at quarterback, moving Lathrop into the game, the Redhawk offense began to quickly move the ball downfield. Lathrop came into the game, providing a mobile option at the position, scrambling for 39 yards on the 15-play drive. Lathrop scrambled for a game-long 24-yard carry before Ron Coleman punched the Redhawks lone touchdown of the night on a two-yard rush up the gut. Ryan McCrum’s extra-point opportunity was good, narrowing the Skyhawks lead to 17-7 with 6:17 to play.
UT Martin and Southeast Missouri would exchange drives as the minutes dwindled, but a tackle by Johnson on fourth-and-five sealed the Skyhawks victory.
TENNESSEE STATE 73, CENTRAL STATE 6
ST. LOUIS - The Tennessee State football team scored its most points in nearly 15 years and defeated the Marauders of Central State, 73-6, in Saturday’s Gateway Classic.
The Tigers tallied a season-high 539 yards in the rout, including 311 yards on the ground. TSU’s 539 yards were the most for the team since its 76-0 drubbing of UT Martin on Oct. 24, 1998.
CSU, meanwhile, only managed 180 yards, the second fewest yards TSU has allowed all year.
Tennessee State scored touchdowns on 10 of its 13 possessions and its longest drive lasted a mere 4:08.
TSU got on the scoreboard early, as a mishandled punt by CSU on its opening possession set up the Tiger offense at the Marauder four-yard line. Two plays later, Broughton found the end zone to put TSU up, 7-0.
The Marauders had more trouble on special teams during their next possession as Big Blue blocked a punt to give its offense great field position, this time at the CSU 41. It took TSU three plays to score a touchdown on its ensuing drive, and German ended it with a 31-yard pass to Wesley Samuels.
TSU led 14-0 after just 5:21 of game time and would not look back.
The Tigers had a total of four touchdowns during the first quarter including a 20-yard run by Broughton and a 15-yard wide receiver reverse to Ryan Mitchell. Broughton finished the day with 108 yards on 13 carries – all of which came in the first half.
Tennessee State averaged 11.8 yards per play during the game’s first 15 minutes and led 28-0.
CSU finally found the end zone on its first series of the second quarter as Michael Wilson capped off a 15-play drive with a touchdown. However, Steven Godblot III broke up the ensuing two-point conversion, making the score 28-6 in favor of the Tigers.
The Tigers marched right back down the field on their following possession and Mitchell scored his second touchdown of the game, this time via a 25-yard pass from German. German’s second touchdown put Big Blue ahead, 35-6, with 9:17 to go before halftime.
A perfectly executed naked bootleg on TSU’s next series had German rolling to his right and finding A.C. Leonard wide open for a 30-yard touchdown. Tennessee State faked a kick on the ensuing point after and Holt Claiborne completed a pass to Samuels for two points, making the score 43-6.
TSU drove 46 yards down the field on its last possession of the first half, but German fumbled the ball going into the end zone. CSU recovered and ran out the remaining 28 seconds and went into halftime trailing, 43-6.
Tennessee State had 289 yards of total offense during the first two quarters and held CSU to 106 – 87 of which came on the Marauders’ lone scoring drive.
German was a perfect 8-for-8 during the first half for 159 yards and three scores. German hit five different receivers during the first 30 minutes, but his favorite target was Leonard who hauled in three catches for 55 yards and a touchdown.
Ronald Butler came into the game at quarterback to start the third period and he orchestrated a 5-play, 53 yard drive that ended in a 30-yard touchdown to Mitchell. On the scoring play, Mitchell beat his man, but Butler’s pass was underthrown. Two CSU players touched the ball in the air, but Mitchell came down with it, making the score 50-6.
Mitchell had a career-day, scoring a personal-best three touchdowns. The junior finished the game with two catches for 63 yards.
After CSU was forced to punt, a 32-yard punt return by Weldon Garlington set up the Tennessee State attack at the Marauder 44-yard line. Eight plays later, Adam Davenport scored his first career touchdown off of a 14-yard pass from Butler. The play made the score 57-6 with 6:39 to play in the third quarter.
TSU got on the board again before the third quarter ended as Chris Sanders-McCollum scored his first career touchdown on a 2-yard pass in the back of the end zone with a pair of defenders draped all over him. Butler’s third touchdown of the period put TSU up 64-6 to begin the fourth.
Butler finished the day 5-of-8 for 69 yards and three touchdowns. Butler and German combined to complete 13-of-16 for 226 yards and six touchdowns
The two coaches agreed upon a 12-minute fourth quarter, but it didn’t slow down TSU.
The Tigers added nine points during the final period – a 63-yard rushing touchdown from Darion Hall and a safety.
With his nine points, Godfrey tied TSU legend and current coach Mike Jones for third on the school’s all-time scoring list with 258 career points.
TENNESSEE TECH 38, INDIANA STATE 37
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Recap coming soon.