Teleconference Audio
Below is embedded audio from this week's OVC Football Coaches media teleconference. For a listing of this week's games and previews scroll down below the audio links.
This Week’s Schedule
Saturday, September 6
Tennessee Tech at Indiana State, 2:00 p.m.
Eastern Kentucky at Miami (Ohio), 2:30 p.m. (ESPN3)
#14 Tennessee State at Alabama State, 4:00 p.m.
#9 Jacksonville State at #13 Chattanooga, 5:00 p.m.
#25 Southern Illinois
at #14 Eastern Illinois, 6:00 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)
Murray State at #25 Louisville, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN3)
Southeast Missouri at Kansas, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN3)
UT Martin at Central Arkansas, 6:00 p.m.
Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (1-0, 0-0 OVC)
at Indiana State Sycamores (0-1, 0-0 MVFC)
Saturday, Sept. 6 • 2:00 p.m. CT
Memorial Stadium (12,764) • Terre Haute, Ind.
TV:.......................................................................... none
Live Stats:
http://www.gosycamores.com/liveStats/liveStats.dbml
Series Record:.......................... Tennessee Tech leads 1-0
Last Meeting:............. Tennessee Tech won 38-37 (9/28/13)
Watson Brown at Tennessee Tech:................ 34-46 (8 yrs.)
Watson Brown Overall:......................... 128-197-1 (30 yrs.)
Mike Sanford at Indiana State:........................ 1-12 (2 yrs.)
Mike Sanford Overall:................................... 17-47 (7 yrs.)
Tennessee Tech Last Week: W, 33-7 vs. Kentucky Christian
Indiana State Last Week:...................... L, 28-10 at Indiana
GAME NOTES: For the second year in a row Tennessee Tech and Indiana State will be squaring off on the gridiron. Last season the Golden Eagles won a thriller in Cookeville as Jared Davis hit Zack Ziegler for a two-yard touchdown with 1:11 to play in pulling out the 38-37 victory. Davis finished the game 11-of-12 passes for 97 yards while Ziegler hauled in eight catches including the game-winner. Marty Jones led the Tech defense with 16 tackles. Shakir Bell had 201 rushing yards and a score while quarterback mike Perish passed for 288 yards and two scores. Tech is looking to start the season 2-0 for the second time under Coach Brown and just the third time since the 1989 season.
SCOUTING TENNESSEE TECH: Tennessee Tech improved to 8-0 in home openers under head coach Watson Brown with a 33-7 victory over Kentucky Christian last week. Overall the team has a three-game winning streak dating back to the end of the 2013 season. Tech unveiled its new “QW” position in last Thursday’s game as it put two quarterbacks on the field at the same time. The multi-dimension Darian Stone rushed and caught a touchdown out of that position; he was the team’s leading rusher with 42 yards and then caught a touchdown from quarterback Jared Davis. Davis finished the game 18-of-25 for 168 yards and two touchdowns; he hooked up with Cody Matthews six times as Matthews tallied 74 yards and a score. Ladarius Vanlier averaged 13.9 yards on five punt returns and 24.5 yards on two kickoff returns, finished with 157 all-purpose yards on the game. Defensive end Midoho Okpokowuruk had a career-high seven tackles and 2.5 tackles-for-loss in the win on Thursday. He buoyed a defensive attack that limited Kentucky Christian to just 203 yards of total offense. In replacing All-American punter Chad Zinchini, Jonathan King averaged 45.0 yards/punt on five punts in his collegiate debut; King dropped three inside the 20-yard line.
SCOUTING INDIANA STATE: Indiana State enters this week having lost 10-straight games dating back to last season. The losing streak began with its loss at TTU on Sept. 28 of last season. The team opened the 2014 season with a 28-10 loss at in-state rival Indiana. Mike Perish completed 17-of-32 passes for 140 yards while Buck Logan rushed for 47 yards and the team’s lone touchdown of the game. Mark Sewall led the team with 11 tackles and a pass breakup while Conn Underwood added nine tackles, 3.0 tackles-for-loss and a sack. Saturday’s game marks a stretch where the Sycamores will play four of its next five at home.
Eastern Kentucky Colonels (1-0, 0-0 OVC)
at Miami RedHawks (0-1, 0-0 MAC)
Saturday, Sept. 6 • 2:30 p.m. CT
Yager Stadium (24,386) • Oxford, Ohio
TV:...................................................................... ESPN3
Live Stats:.......................................
http://bit.ly/1qUo05Q
Series Record:......................................... Miami leads 2-0
Last Meeting:............................. Miami won 33-7 (9/28/35)
Dean Hood at Eastern Kentucky:.................. 41-29 (7 yrs.)
Dean Hood Overall:................................................. same
Chuck Martin at Miami:...................................... 0-1 (1 yr.)
Chuck Martin Overall:..................................... 74-8 (7 yrs.)
Eastern Kentucky Last Week:..... W, 29-10 at Robert Morris
Miami (Ohio) Last Week:................... L, 42-27 vs. Marshall
GAME NOTES: Eastern Kentucky and Miami (Ohio) will renew a series that was last contested in the 1935 season. Eastern Kentucky is 6-20 all-time against teams from the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), having lost 18 in-a-row against teams from that classification. EKU last topped a FBS opponent in 1985 (Louisville).
SCOUTING EASTERN KENTUCKY: Eastern Kentucky began the season with a victory over Robert Morris for the second-straight season, topping the Colonials 29-10 on the road. The Colonels racked up 624 yards of total offense, the second-most in the nation during the week, and 407 yards on the ground. The 407 rushing yards were the most by the team since the 2001 season (475 yards vs. Glenville State). Despite topping RMU for the second-straight season, it was the first season-opening road victory for the program since 1992. Kentucky transfer Dy’Shawn Mobley carried the ball 25 times for 142 yards in his EKU debut. Quarterback Jared McClain added 90 rushing yards and a score to go along with 134 passing yards while sophomore JJ Jude had 84 rushing yards. Senior kicker Andrew Lloyd was named OVC Specialist of the Week after connecting on 3-of-3 field goals, hitting from 34, 25 and 25 yards. He also had seven kickoffs on the night, each of which was downed for a touchback. Senior Tyrelle Johnson equaled his career-high with eight tackles against Robert Morris; he was part of a defensive unit that limited the Colonials to just 28 rushing yards on 24 carries (1.2 yards/carry). Defensive back Brandon Stanley added seven tackles. Eastern Kentucky continues to receive votes in both Top 25 polls.
SCOUTING MIAMI (OHIO): Miami opened its season with a 15-points loss to Marshall last weekend. The RedHawks fell behind 28-3 at halftime before scoring 17 unanswered points in the third quarter to pull to 28-20 at the beginning of the fourth. Quarterback Andrew Hendrix passes for 318 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing for 46 yards (one yard off the team lead). David Frazier was his favorite target as he hauled in six passes for a career-high 109 yards. The team finished the game with 418 yards of total offense, which was 115 yards more than any game during the 2013 season. Kent Kern led the team with 13 tackles.
#14 Tennessee State Tigers (1-0, 0-0 OVC)
at Alabama State Hornets (0-1, 0-0 SWAC)
Saturday, Sept. 6 • 4:00 p.m. CT
The New ASU Stadium (26,500) • Montgomery, Ala.
TV:.......................................................................... none
Live Stats:......
http://www.sidearmstats.com/alasu/football
Series Record:....................... Tennessee State leads 10-2
Last Meeting:.............. Tennessee State won 39-13 (9/2/00)
Rod Reed at Tennessee State:...................... 27-21 (5 yrs.)
Rod Reed Overall:................................................... same
Reggie Barlow at Alabama State:.................. 42-38 (8 yrs.)
Reggie Barlow Overall:............................................ same
Tennessee State Last Week:.... W, 58-6 vs. Edward Waters
Alabama State Last Week: L, 51-20 at #16 Sam Houston State
GAME NOTES: Tennessee State will square off with Alabama State for the first time since the 2000 season when it travels to Montgomery for Saturday’s matchup. The game is being billed as the “Inaugural Classic” between the two HBCU schools. The two teams have played 12 previous times with TSU winning 10 of those games, including the 2000 contest by a 39-13 margin.
SCOUTING TENNESSEE STATE: Tennessee State began the season in soggy conditions but easily disposed of Edward Waters, winning 58-6 at LP Field in the annual John Merritt Classic. The Tigers racked up a school record 439 rushing yards (the most in the nation in Week 1) and limited its overmatched opponent to just 81 yards of total offense on the night (the second lowest margin allowed nationally during Week 1). Junior newcomer Tom Smith made an impression in the rushing game, carrying the ball 12 times for 151 yards (12.6 yards/carry) and scoring four touchdowns in just two quarters of play. The four rushing touchdowns were the most for a FCS player during the week and most for a TSU player since Trabis Ward scored four in October 2012. Smith, a transfer from the University of Tennessee, was named OVC Newcomer of the Week for his efforts. Senior defensive end Anthony Bass was named OVC Defensive Player of the Week after making four tackles, 2.5 tackles-for-loss and netting his first career interception. Tennessee State is now ranked No. 14 in the Sports Network Top 25 and No. 16 in the FCS Coaches Top 25.
SCOUTING ALABAMA STATE: Alabama State opened its 2014 season with a 51-20 road loss to No. 16 Sam Houston State. Junior Daniel Duhart threw for 259 yards and two scores while DeMario Bell had a career-high in receiving yards (134) while also pulling in a 69-yard scoring pass. Malcolm Cyrus has 132 total yards of offense on the day. Kicker Preston Clark connected on both of his extra points, both of his field goals and averaged 36.4 yards per punt with two of those downed inside the 20. Defensively Torey Davis and Kourtney Berry each had 13 tackles.
#9 Jacksonville State Gamecocks (0-1, 0-0 OVC)
at #13 Chattanooga Mocs (0-1, 0-0 Southern)
Saturday, Sept. 6 • 5:00 p.m. CT
Finley Stadium (20,668) • Chattanooga, Tenn.
TV:............................................................. GoMocs.com
Live Stats:........................................
http://bit.ly/19xYJUU
Series Record:........................... Chattanooga leads 25-12
Last Meeting:........... Jacksonville State won 27-24 (9/8/12)
John Grass at Jacksonville State:...................... 0-1 (1 yr.)
John Grass Overall:................................................. same
Russ Huesman at Chattanooga:.................... 31-26 (6 yrs.)
Russ Huesman Overall:............................................ same
Jacksonville State Last Week: L, 45-7 at #8 Michigan State
Chattanooga Last Week:......... L, 20-16 at Central Michigan
GAME NOTES: In a battle of nationally-ranked teams, Jacksonville State will travel to Chattanooga for a Saturday contest. The two teams are playing for the 38th meeting all-time and first since the 2012 season. That season the teams were both 0-1 and coming off losses to Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponents just like they are this season. The 2012 game saw JSU jump out to a 17-0 lead before UTC tied the game at 24 with just 39 seconds to go. But a good kickoff return led to a quick six-play, 35-yard drive that was capped when Griffin Thomas nailed a 37-yard field goal as time expired to give the Gamecocks the victory. Then sophomore DaMarcus James rushed for 120 yards and a score while Troymaine Pope added 100 yards for Jax State. The Mocs were led by Jacob Huesman who had 181 passing yards and two touchdowns and rushed for a game-high 166 yards and a score. It marks the second time that Jacksonville State will be in the Top 10 nationally when they play at Finley Stadium; JSU was ranked No. 10 in 2011 when it was upset 38-17 by then No. 23 UTC.
SCOUTING JACKSONVILLE STATE: Jacksonville State started the season with the toughest opponent on its schedule, losing 45-7 to FBS No. 8 Michigan State (the defending Rose Bowl Champions). The game was the first for the program on a Friday and first-ever against a Big Ten opponent. The Gamecocks were limited to just 244 yards of total offense on the night, including 22 rushing yards on 25 carries. All-American DaMarcus James had just 17 yards and saw his streak of 12-straight games with a rushing touchdown come to an end. Jax State used three quarterbacks in the game with Eli Jenkins (82 passing, 7 rushing yards), Max Shortell (117 passing yards, 1 TD) and Christian LeMay (23 passing, 23 rushing yards) all seeing action against the tough MSU defense. Sophomore Josh Barge hauled in seven passes for 98 yards on the night. Defensively senior linebacker Ben Endress recorded 10 total tackles, marking his third career double-double game. Overall 19 players made their debut with JSU against the Spartans
SCOUTING CHATTANOOGA: Chattanooga entered this season with its highest preseason ranking ever, coming in at No. 14 in the Sports Network and No. 16 in the FCS Coaches polls; the Mocs are No. 13 in the Sports Network and No. 15 in the FCS Coaches poll entering this week. The Mocs were engaged in a defensive battle in its season-opener at FBS Central Michigan, as the two teams combined for just 579 yards on the night. UTC jumped out to the 16-0 lead as Jacob Huesman and Tommy Hudson connected for two touchdowns, including a 70-yarder with 3:34 to play in the second quarter. But the CMU defense would shutout Chattanooga the rest of the way and a 26-yard touchdown pass in the third quarterback put the Chippewas on top for good. Huesman finished the game with 150 yards passing and two touchdowns but also threw a career-high four interceptions. Senior defensive end Davis Tull had six tackles and blocked a field goal on the night.
#25 Southern Illinois Salukis (1-0, 0-0 MVFC)
at #14 Eastern Illinois Panthers (0-1, 0-0 OVC)
Saturday, Sept. 6 • 6:00 p.m. CT
O’Brien Field (10,000) • Charleston, Ill.
TV:................................................... OVC Digital Network
Live Stats:..........
http://www.sidearmstats.com/eiu/football
Series Record:.................... Southern Illinois leads 41-26-1
Last Meeting:...... Eastern Illinois won 40-37 in 2OT (9/7/13)
Dale Lennon at Southern Illinois:................... 43-28 (7 yrs.)
Dale Lennon Overall:................................. 130-46 (18 yrs.)
Kim Dameron at Eastern Illinois:......................... 0-1 (1 yr.)
Kim Dameron Overall:.............................................. same
Southern Illinois Last Week:.................. W, 45-0 vs. Taylor
Eastern Illinois Last Week:............... L, 42-20 at Minnesota
GAME NOTES: Southern Illinois will travel to Eastern Illinois for the 69th all-time meeting in the series on Saturday night; this one will feature a pair of nationally-ranked teams. The Salukis hold a 41-26-1 advantage in the series although the Panthers have won the last two including a thrilling 40-37 double overtime contest in Carbondale last season. In that game the teams combined for over 1,100 yards of total offense as National Player of the Year Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 440 yards and four touchdowns. All-American wide receiver Erik Lora hauled in 11 catches for 136 yards and a score while Adam Drake added seven catches for 103 yards and two scores. It was Cameron Berra who connected on the game-winning 36-yard field goal in the second overtime after seeing his potential game-winner at the end of regulation blocked. Kory Faulkner passed for 294 yards and four touchdowns and shared the team lead with 55 rushing yards.
SCOUTING SOUTHERN ILLINOIS: Southern Illinois started the season last Thursday night with a 45-0 victory over NAIA foe Taylor University. While its defense did not allow a point the Salukis offense racked up 546 yards of total offense in the victory. The action got started on the first play from scrimmage as senior Malcolm Agnew took a handoff and ran 65 yards for a touchdown; he finished the night with 145 yards on just seven carries (20.7 yards/carry) while Mika’il McCall added 80 yards and a score. Quarterback Mark Iannotti added 181 passing yards and two scores and 19 rushing yards. All-American tight end MyCole Pruitt had four catches for 37 yards and a touchdown; he now has 1,777 career receiving yards, just 32 away from third-place on the SIU career list. SIU is now ranked No. 25 in the FCS Coaches poll and are unofficially No. 26 in the Sports Network Top 25.
SCOUTING EASTERN ILLINOIS: Two-time defending OVC champion Eastern Illinois started its season with a 42-20 loss at Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponent Minnesota. The Panthers defense was tough in the first half and trailed the Golden Gophers 14-0 at halftime. But Minnesota scored 21 unanswered points to begin the second half to push the advantage to 35. Despite the slow start the Panthers played tough down the stretch, scoring 20 points over the game’s final 6:57. Andrew Manley scored on a 2-yard run and then hit Jimmy Lera and Adam Drake with touchdown passes over the final 30 seconds of the game. Manley ended the night 18-of-34 for 200 yards and two touchdowns while Jalen Whitlow completed 14-of-23 passes for 110 yards and rushed for a team-high 77 yards. Senior wide receiver Adam Drake was named OVC Offensive Player of the Week after hauling in 11 catches for 109 yards and a touchdown. Kamu Grugier-Hill led the way defensively with eight tackles and recovered a fumble. By scoring multiple times in the final quarter, Eastern Illinois extended its streak of consecutive games scoring to 127 (dating back 2003 season). EIU is No. 16 in this week’s Sports Network Top 25 poll and No. 14 in the FCS Coaches Poll.
Murray State Racers (1-0, 0-0 OVC)
at #25 Louisville Cardinals (1-0, 1-0 ACC)
Saturday, Sept. 6 • 6:00 p.m. CT
Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium (55,000) • Louisville, Ky.
TV:...................................................................... ESPN3
Live Stats:..........................................
http://bit.ly/Z2N0h0
Series Record:.................................. Louisville leads 12-6
Last Meeting:.......................... Louisville won 21-9 (9/1/11)
Chris Hatcher at Murray State:....................... 25-21 (5 yrs.)
Chris Hatcher Overall:............................... 119-48 (15 yrs.)
Bobby Petrino at Louisville:............................ 41-9 (5 yrs.)
Bobby Petrino Overall:............................... 83-30 (10 yrs.)
Murray State Last Week:...................... W, 73-26 vs. Union
Louisville Last Week:............................W, 31-13 vs. Miami
GAME NOTES: Murray State will travel to Louisville for the 19th all-time meeting between the in-state foes and first since the 2011 season. In that meeting Louisville jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the second quarter on its way to a 21-9 victory. The Racers were led by Mike Harris who rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown while Casey Brockman threw for 148 yards. Will Stein passed for 226 yards and two scores for the Cardinals. Murray State is 3-22-1 al-time against teams from the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS); its last victory over an FBS team came in 1984 when they defeated Louisville 26-23; the following year the Racers tied Memphis and since have lost 22-straight games to FBS opponents.
SCOUTING MURRAY STATE: After blitzing Union by a 73-26 margin to open the season, Murray State is now receiving votes in the Sports Network Top 25 poll. The Racers scored 28 points in the first quarter and added 24 more in the second quarter to grab a 52-13 halftime advantage. Making his debut CJ Bennett, the transfer from South Alabama, completed 13-of-22 passes for 167 yards and five touchdowns. Three of the touchdown passes went to Janawski Davis (who caught four total passes for the game) while the other two went to Jeremy Harness. Davis had a huge game overall, touching the ball only six times but scoring the three receiving touchdowns and added a 62-yard punt return for a touchdown; Davis finished the contest with 135 all-purpose yards. The balanced rushing attack saw four players rush for more than 50 yards, which Nick Taylor leading the way with 82 yards. The first time junior newcomer Shaun Samuels-Connell touched the ball in a MSU uniform he returned a punt 68 yards for a touchdown; he later had a 13-yard punt return and averaged 17.5 yards on two kickoff returns. The strong safety also had a pair of solo tackles. Defensively sophomore linebacker Jonathan Jackson recovered a fumble (which set up the Racers first touchdown of the game) and later blocked an extra point and returned it 98 yards for two points; he also added seven tackles and a sack.
SCOUTING LOUISVILLE: Louisville opened its 2014 season on Labor Day Monday night against Miami (Fla.), the team they defeated in the Russell Athletic Bowl to cap the 2013 season. UofL came out on top of the Hurricanes by a 31-13 margin. The Cardinals are under the direction of head coach Bobby Petrino who begins his second stint with the Cardinals who begin their first season in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Petrino spent four years (2003-06) with UofL in leading the Cards to an Orange Bowl Championship in 2006 before leaving for the NFL. But after stints at Arkansas and Western Kentucky he is back at the school where he has compiled a 41-9 record (prior to the start of the season). With last year’s quarterback Teddy Bridgewater in the NFL, Louisville turns to sophomore Will Gardner to lead the offense this season; he saw action in five games last season. The Cardinals defense, which led the nation in total defense in 2013, has to replace seven starters but does return senior Lorenzo Mauldin who had 9.5 sacks a season ago. Louisville is 22-1 at home under Bobby Petrino (prior to the Miami game).
Southeast Missouri State Redhawks (0-1, 0-0 OVC)
at Kansas Jayhawks (0-0, 0-0 Big 12)
Saturday, Sept. 6 • 6:00 p.m. CT
Memorial Stadium (52,530) • Lawrence, Kan.
TV:...................................................................... ESPN3
Live Stats:...
http://www.sidearmstats.com/kansas/football
Series Record:............................................. First meeting
Last Meeting:.............................................................. n/a
Tom Matukewicz at Southeast Missouri:............. 1-0 (1 yr.)
Tom Matukewicz Overall:......................................... same
Charlie Weis at Kansas:.................................. 4-20 (3 yrs.)
Charlie Weis Overall:.................................... 39-47 (8 yrs.)
Southeast Missouri Last Week: W, 77-0 vs. Missouri Baptist
Kansas Last Week:.................................................... Idle
GAME NOTES: Southeast Missouri will travel to Kansas on Saturday for the first-ever matchup between the two schools. Southeast is 1-18 all-time against teams from the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) with the lone win coming over Middle Tennessee in the 2002 season. Kansas has won three-straight season openers.
SCOUTING SOUTHEAST MISSOURI: Southeast Missouri began the Tom Matukewicz era with a 77-0 rout of Missouri Baptist in its 2014 season-opener last Thursday. The 77 points were the most Southeast scored in a game during its NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision tenure and are the most by an FCS team this season. Southeast finished the game with 516 yards of total offense, its most since the 2012 season. The Redhawks also notched their first shutout over a non-conference opponent since 1990 and currently rank first nationally in scoring defense (0.0 points/game). Southeast held Missouri Baptist to just 81 total yards, the fewest allowed in a game since Southeast moved to the FCS. Quarterback Kyle Snyder tied a career-high with two rushing touchdowns and threw for 198 yards and two additional scores; he helped the team to scoring drives on each of Southeast’s first seven possessions. DeMichael Jackson accounted for 148 all-purpose yards and scored on a 66-yard screen pass from Snyder while also adding a team-high 82 rushing yards and a touchdown. Sophomore linebacker Roper Garrett registered his second double-digit tackle game of his young career, netting a game-high 10 tackles while also adding a sack, 2.5 tackles-for-loss and forcing two fumbles. Newcomer Joshua Wilson recovered a fumble in the end zone, accounting for Southeast’s first defensive touchdown of the season. After its blowout win the Redhawks are now receiving votes in the Sports Network Top 25 poll.
SCOUTING KANSAS: Kansas had an open date to begin the 2014 season and starts play with Southeast Missouri this weekend. It marks the second-straight year the Jayhawks have had a bye week to open the season. Coming off a 3-9 season last year the team returns eight offensive and nine defensive starters this season. The team did suffer season-ending injuries to a pair of senior running backs during the preseason and third-year head coach Charlie Weis will now have to turn to newcomers in the backfield. The team will be quarterbacked by sophomore Montell Cozart who played in seven and started three games a season ago.
UT Martin Skyhawks (0-1, 0-0 OVC)
at Central Arkansas Bears (0-1, 0-0 Southland)
Saturday, Sept. 6 • 6:00 p.m. CT
Estes Stadium (9,000) • Conway, Ark.
TV:.......................................................................... none
Live Stats:................
http://sidearmstats.com/uca/football
Series Record:......................... Central Arkansas leads 8-4
Last Meeting:...................... UT Martin won 24-23 (9/14/13)
Jason Simpson at UT Martin:........................ 52-40 (9 yrs.)
Jason Simpson Overall:........................................... same
Steve Campbell at Central Arkansas:.................. 0-1 (1 yr.)
Steve Campbell Overall:................................. 27-9 (4 yrs.)
UT Martin Last Week:........................ L, 59-14 at Kentucky
Central Arkansas Last Week:.......... L, 42-35 at Texas Tech
GAME NOTES: After Central Arkansas played at UT Martin in the third week of last season, the Skyhawks will pay a return visit to Conway this season. Both teams are coming off opening weekend losses at Football Bowl Subdivision teams and will be playing for the 13th time in the all-time series. Last season UTM upset then No. 7 ranked Central Arkansas 24-23 as Dylan Favre threw three touchdowns passes and rushed for a team-high 78 yards. Favre connected with Jeremy Butler six times as Butler tallied 71 yards and a score. Wynrick Smothers passed for 328 yards and two touchdowns for the Bears.
SCOUTING UT MARTIN: UT Martin began the 2014 season with a 59-14 loss at Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) foe Kentucky. The Skyhawks fell behind 35-0 at halftime and trailed 52-0 entering the fourth quarter before scoring a pair of touchdowns. Najee Ray scored on a one-yard run and then Jarod Neal hit Caylon Weathers with a 15-yard strike just over six minutes later. Neal and Dylan Favre split time at quarterback as Neal completed 18-of-25 passes for 173 yards and a touchdown while Favre went 5-for-9 for 42 yards and two interceptions. That quarterback duo found 13 different receivers with William Tanner and Corey Jordan each pulling down four receptions. Abou Toure led the rushing attack (which combined for 183 yards) with 81 yards on 17 carries. Defensively, Taino Fears-Perez had a team-high seven tackles for UT Martin while Deilouse Jackson had two of the team’s six tackles for loss. Fears-Perez and Devontay Barnett each had a pass breakup as well for the Skyhawks. James Satterfield punted four times for 167 yards (41.8 average); two of his four punts pinned the Wildcats inside their own 20-yard line with his long punt of the day coming in at 50 yards.
SCOUTING CENTRAL ARKANSAS: In its first game under the direction of new head coach Steve Campbell, Central Arkansas gave FBS foe Texas Tech all it could handle in falling 42-35. The Red Raiders opened up a 28-16 halftime lead before UCA pulled to within seven points on two occasions in the fourth quarter before coming up just short. Taylor Reed passed for 149 yards and rushed for 29 additional yards and a score while Willie Matthews rushed for 96 yards and a touchdown. The Bears are receiving votes in the Sports Network Top 25, unofficially coming in at No. 29.