SATURDAY'S SCORES
@#13 Eastern Kentucky 45, Tennessee State 21
@Eastern Illinois 51, Tennessee Tech 20
@UT Martin 52, Murray State 45
#1 Jacksonville State 27, @Austin Peay 7
#13 EASTERN KENTUCKY 45, TENNESSEE STATE 21
RICHMOND, Ky. - An impressive offensive showing propelled the Eastern Kentucky University football team to a 45-21 win over Tennessee State on Homecoming Saturday at Roy Kidd Stadium.
The No. 13 Colonels (5-2, 4-0 OVC) dominated the offensive side of the ball from start to finish, scoring on six of their first eight drives. Junior quarterback Bennie Coney had three total touchdowns, two through the air and one on the ground. The Colonels racked up 549 yards of total offense, compared to just 351 by Tennessee State.
On EKU’s opening drive, Coney found senior tight end Ben Madon along the left sideline for an impressive 22-yard completion, setting up excellent field position. On the very next play, junior wideout Devin Borders caught a 12-yard pass to make it 1st-and-10 from the 16. A few plays later on 3rd-and-7, Coney scrambled to find junior receiver Bryan Green wide open in the end zone. That touchdown drive took just 2:02 off the clock while covering 50 yards.
Coney threw an interception on the Colonels’ next drive, but EKU got the ball back after stopping TSU on 4th-and-1 from the EKU 49. Eastern used the short field position to add on more points. Sophomore kicker Lucas Williams converted a 30-yard field goal to make the score 10-0.
The following drive, the Tigers marched down the field with ease to make it 1st-and-goal from the nine-yard line. On 3rd-and-goal, Kiante Northington made the biggest defensive stop of the game by picking off Ronald Butler’s touchdown attempt.
On the next Colonels’ defensive series, junior Noah Spence recorded a sack on 3rd-and-9, setting up Eastern with the ball on its own 20. The next play offensive play, freshman tailback Ethan Thomas found a hole up the middle to break loose for an 80-yard touchdown run to make the score 17-0 going into the half.
The Colonels did not miss a beat coming out of halftime. On the opening drive of the third quarter, Coney connected with Green from the EKU 35 for a 45-yard pass on 3rd-and-4. A Joel Brown reception a couple plays later made it 1st-and-goal. This led to a Green touchdown catch to give the Colonels a 24-0 lead.
The Colonels found the end zone three more times: A 12-yard rush by Coney, a four yard pass by Coney to Borders, and an 11-yard rush by senior Jared Sanders late in the fourth quarter.
A Trey Thomas interception with 1:09 in the fourth quarter ended the homecoming victory in style.
Coney finished 27-of-41 for 292 yards. Green led the Colonels in receiving with nine catches for 122 yards. Eastern was led in rushing by Thomas, who had 18 carries for 149 yards and one touchdown.
The Colonels dominated the running game, outrushing Tennessee State 148-21 in the first half, and 256-129 overall.
The defensive combo of Thomas and sophomore Kobie Grace led the Colonels with nine tackles each. Spence and senior Marquise Piton each recorded a sack for Eastern.
Quarterback Ronald Butler was 23-of-37 for 222 yards for Tennessee State (3-4, 0-4 OVC)
EASTERN ILLINOIS 51, TENNESSEE TECH 20
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois forced seven turnovers including interceptions on the first three Tennessee Tech possessions of the game as the Panthers corralled the Golden Eagles, 51-20, on Saturday afternoon at O’Brien Field. EIU converted those turnovers into 24 points including an interception return for a touchdown by defensive lineman Jarvis Williams.
EIU improved to 4-0 in the Ohio Valley Conference and moved over .500 for the first time this season at 4-3. The win came as EIU was celebrating the 100th homecoming weekend on campus. TTU fell to 2-6, 1-4 in the OVC.
Jared Davis started at quarterback for TTU returning from a hand injury suffered earlier this season. Bradley Dewberry picked off a Davis pass on the first play of the game. EIU converted that interception into a Shepard Little five yard touchdown with 13:14 to play in the first quarter. It was the first of four rushing touchdowns by the EIU offense, two of them scored by Little.
EIU’s defense again made a play on the first play of TTU’s second offensive possession as Seth McDonald picked off a pass. EIU would miss a field goal attempt on that turnover as a heavy south wind effected kicking all day.
On the Golden Eagles third possession they had two runs by Ladarius Vanlier for 26 yards. On the third play Davis took to the air again with Kamu Grugier-Hill picking off the pass at the TTU 48. The Panthers converted that turnover into a field goal by Nick Bruno from 30 yards as the Panthers led 10-0 with 10:04 to play. Grugier-Hill had eight solo tackles with one sack, one interception and three tackles for loss. It was his second straight year with a big game against TTU, last year in Cookeville he had 19 tackles with four tackles for loss.
The three turnovers did not discourage Tennessee Tech early on as the Golden Eagles tied the game at 10-10 with a Dorian Carter 2-yard run and John Arnold 44-yard field with 9:07 to play in the second quarter. Tennessee Tech’s second score was set up by an EIU turnover as Stephen Bush recovered a fumble.
EIU led 17-10 at the half scoring with 5:34 left in the half as Jalen Whitlow connected with James Brooks. Brooks was playing his first game of the season for EIU finishing the day with three catches for 21 yards. He also had a run for 17 yards.
After TTU closed to within four points on an Arnold field goal with 13:13 to play in the third, EIU put the game away with 27 straight points, the final score in that run coming as Austin Green hit Paul Gossage for a 33-yard touchdown pass on fourth down with 6:15 to play in the game.
Jarvis Williams 24-yard interception return came at the start of the fourth quarter while Jourdan Wickliffe had the Panthers fifth interception of the game. The pick by Wickliffe moved the senior into a tie for eighth on the EIU career list with 11 interceptions.
A fumbled punt recovery late in the third quarter was capped by Little’s second rushing touchdown of the game with 1 minute left in the third quarter. Little had 10 carries for 39 yards and two scores as the Panthers had three players with 10 rushes and a total of seven players carried the ball.
Malik Harrison finished with 123 yards most of it coming with 2:40 left in the fourth quarter as he sprung loose for an 83-yard score. It was tied for the sixth longest touchdown in school history.
TTU played three quarterbacks in the game with Colby Brown the most effective going 7-of-15 for 115 yards. Brock McCoin was the top receiver with three catches for 88 yards.
EIU also played three quarterbacks with Whitlow, Green and Jared Pilson seeing time. Whitlow was 15-of-23 for 160 yards. It was the third straight game that EIU’s offensive line has not allowed a quarterback sack.
McDonald and Fedney Delphonse led the Panthers defense with nine tackles each.
Maleek Hall had nine tackles with two tackles for loss to lead TTU.
UT MARTIN 52, MURRAY STATE 45
MARTIN, Tenn. - For the second time in the past three weeks, the University of Tennessee at Martin football team showed its resilience in front of its home crowd, overcoming a 14 point deficit to pull off a thrilling Ohio Valley Conference victory against regional rival Murray State 52-45.
The Skyhawks (5-2, 4-1 OVC) clinched the team’s fourth consecutive victory despite trailing by two touchdowns on three different occasions in the contest. Keeping with a theme of success against the visiting Racers, the Skyhawks picked up its 10th win in the last 11 matchups against the bordering neighbors. The win also moved the Skyhawks to 4-1 in the league, ranking as the best start to the conference season since 2012.
Trailing by margins of 17-3, 24-10 and 31-17, the Skyhawks battled until the final whistle to keep the team’s hopes for an OVC title and eventual playoff berth alive. The offense was electric for both sides, seeing Murray State tally numerous big plays while both teams were led by some of the country’s top signal callers under center, but UT Martin would stay tough in the 60-minute bout. Offensively the teams combined for 1,110 yards and 97 points, ranking as the highest scoring contest in the league this season.
Senior quarterback tossed an early interception but was automatic from there on. Neal moved into fourth place in UT Martin history in career total offense after completing 25-of-44 pass attempts for 420 yards and five touchdowns. In just his seventh game of the season, Neal has already posted single-season highs in both passing yards (1,893) and touchdowns (22), leading the OVC in the later. Along with his work through the air, Neal netted 33 yards rushing, using his legs on several key plays to extend drives which led to eventual scores.
Joining in the action was the receiving duo of Rod Wright and William Tanner. Wright paced the team with 143 yards while tallying three touchdowns. Tanner led the team in receptions while eclipsing the 100-yard mark for the first time in his career, along with his first career multi-touchdown game with two. Senior tailback Trent Garland also caught three balls for 64 yards while doing most of his damage on the ground, notching 26 rushes for 123 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His performance ranked as the first individual to crack the 100-yard rushing mark for the Skyhawks this year.
Murray State (2-5, 1-3 OVC) had a nice day offensively as well, led by the play of one of the nation’s top quarterbacks in KD Humphries. Humphries made his arm known early, completing 23-of-43 passes while tallying 351 yards and three touchdowns. Running back Roman Clay reached the 100-yard mark on 15 carries while tallying two touchdowns. The receiving duo of Janawski Davis and Jesse Blackburn posted big days, combining for nearly 200 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
After the Skyhawks initial drive struggled, the home squad didn’t help themselves as the ensuing punt traveled just 20 yards, giving Murray State the ball for the first time on the UTM 31. The Racers would struggle to move the ball after completing a 12-yard pass on the team’s first play. Moving just into the redzone, the Racers would turn to Connor Mitchell for a 35-yard field goal to give the team an early lead.
The home team’s following drive was over nearly as quickly as it started. Taking over on their own 23 yard line, Neal would throw his third interception of the season on the team’s first play of the drive to Shawn Samuels-Connell. With great starting position once again, the Racers would waste little time padding their lead as Humphries found Davis for a 21-yard touchdown.
UT Martin would get on the board in the final minutes of the first quarter. Neal would connect with Tanner for a 14-yard completion before finding Caylon Weathers for a 15-yard gain to move into Murray State territory for the first time in the game. From there the Skyhawks would inch closer to the redzone, ultimately capping off their drive with a 36-yard field goal by Jackson Redditt to trim the margin to 10-3.
Murray State would strike again right before the end of the first quarter with a touchdown of its own to give the visitors a two-touchdown advantage. Beginning their drive on their own 29 yard line, the Racers would find the connection of Humphries to Davis once again, this time for a 71-yard touchdown to take a 17-3 advantage.
The Skyhawks would look to open the second half with a scoring drive to cut into the margin. Neal would find Wright through the air for a 21-yard completion to move into the redzone. The Skyhawks would later capitalize on the drive with a seven-yard touchdown completion from Neal to Tanner.
The Racers would quickly respond on the ensuing drive, using a pair of big plays to score quickly. Humphries would complete a 14-yard pass to Paul Rice to move to midfield. Then the Racers would hit the ground as Clay broke free for a 49-yard rush to the endzone, making it a 24-10 game.
Looking to cut into the lead yet again, Neal would complete a 16-yard pass to James Ratliff on the first play of the drive. Neal would get a quick dump pass to Garland before the pair connected again for a 51-yard completion down the left sideline and into the redzone. The Skyhawks would put the final touches on the drive with the following play as Neal found Tanner in the corner of the endzone for the pair’s second connection of the contest.
Keeping with the shootout affair, Murray State would quickly respond. After breaking free for a pair of receiving touchdowns, Davis would return the following kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown to make the game a 31-17 margin.
Facing a two-touchdown deficit once again, UT Martin would look to get back in the contest in the final minutes leading up to the halftime break. Neal would complete three big passes during the ensuing drive, finding Rodarius Houston for 14 yards before connecting with Tanner for 15 to move into Murray State territory. Sitting well outside the redzone, the Skyhawks would counter with a big play of their own, finding Wright for a 41-yard touchdown reception.
UT Martin would get another big defensive stop, holding Murray State on fourth down to take over on downs on the UTM 34. With decent field position, the Skyhawks would methodically move down the field before setting up just inside the redzone once again. Sitting at the 18, Neal would find Wright for the pair’s second touchdown completion as Wright’s toes tapped just inside the endzone to tie the game at 31-31 just before the half.
The Skyhawks would come out of the half looking to keep the momentum going, scoring four consecutive touchdowns to turn a two-touchdown deficit into a 13-point lead with 28 unanswered points. Neal would find receiver Brett Thompson for an 18-yard reception to move towards midfield before Ladevin Fair broke free for a 22-yard rush. With prime field position, Neal would go through the air to find Wright for the third time in the contest, this time with a 22-yard floater into the endzone to give the Skyhawks their first lead.
Forcing a three-and-out on their next possession, the Skyhawks looked to add on. Najee Ray would rush for 14 yards before breaking free for another 27-yard scamper down the sideline. From there Ray would turn the ball over to Garland who bullied up the gut for a four-yard touchdown to make the score 44-31 after the point after attempt hit off the left upright.
Murray State would look to keep within striking range on the ensuing drive. Clay would break off a 19-yard carry up the middle to cross into Skyhawk territory. The drive seemed to stall but the Racers would convert on its first third down of the game as Humphries found Jeremy Harness for a 21-yard reception. The Racers would then turn to Clay to save a drive heading backwards, who charged forward 18 yards for a touchdowns, his second of the game to make it a 44-38 margin.
With the game back to another one-possession game, the Skyhawks looked to score the eventual game winning touchdown on their following drive. Beginning the fourth quarter with the ball, the Skyhawks chewed up 5:28 minutes of clock through a 12-play drive travelled 82 yards. Finding success on the ground, the Skyhawks found balance through the air and ground attacks over the drive. The Skyhawks would move down the field with big plays to Wright and Thompson, setting up the Skyhawks on the Murray State three yard line. From there Garland got the call again, bouncing past a pursuing defender and into the endzone for his second score of the day, pushing the margin out to 52-38. Murray State would string together two good drive, reaching the redzone on consecutive drives without putting points on the board. The Skyhawks would come up strong on a fourth down to retake possession while a later would-be touchdown couldn’t be cashed in by the Racers as Rice fumbled at the one and UT Martin recovered to squash the threat.
The Racers would make the game interesting, scoring a 35-yard touchdown with 3.4 seconds remaining in the game to make it a one-score contest. The visitors would attempt an onside kick for some final magic but the Skyhawks would recover to seal the team’s fourth consecutive victory.
#1 JACKSONVILLE STATE 27, AUSTIN PEAY 7
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Jacksonville State took care of business against winless Austin Peay and now can turn its attention to the most important game of the 2015 season.
The No. 1-ranked Gamecocks (6-1, 4-0 in Ohio Valley Conference) ruined Austin Peay's homecoming Saturday afternoon, pounding the Governors 27-7 for their fifth straight win and 13th in a row against OVC opponents.
Jacksonville State established a school record for fewest total yards allowed (82) and limited Austin Peay to seven first downs.
The victory sets up a highly-anticipated matchup at Burgess-Snow Field against No. 13 Eastern Kentucky (5-2, 4-0), which beat Tennessee State 45-21 on Saturday. The game will be televised on ESPN3 as the OVC Game of the Week.
The Gamecocks dominated every phase against the Governors. Jacksonville State built a 27-0 lead at halftime, rolling up 311 yards and limiting Austin Peay (0-8, 0-5) to -2 yards during the first 30 minutes.
Jacksonville State finished with 427 total yards, extending its school-record streak of games with at least 400 yards to 18.
Eli Jenkins' streak of consecutive games with at least one touchdown pass ended at nine. The junior from Birmingham did not play in the second half after completing 18-of-26 passes for 189 yards. His 214 total yards in the first half moved him over the 6,000-yard milestone.
Jenkins, Troymaine Pope and Miles Jones each ran for a first-half touchdown, and kicker Connor Rouleau bounced back from a shaky performance against Tennessee Tech last week with field goals from 30 and 28 yards.
Jenkins threw on the Gamecocks' first five offensive plays as JSU drove quickly into Austin Peay territory.
Pope wrapped up the nine-play, 64-yard drive by running in from the Govs 10 with 10:51 left in the first quarter. Rouleau's PAT gave Jacksonville State a 7-0 lead it never relinquished.
Rouleau's 30-yard field goal made it 10-0 with 4:27 to go in the first.
The Gamecocks scored on their third straight possession early in the second quarter to extend the lead to 17-0. Josh Clemons got JSU into the red zone with a punishing 21-yard run to APSU's 1, and Jones ran it in on the next play with 12:04 left in the second quarter.
Rouleau's second field goal, from 28 yards, and Jenkins' 1-yard touchdown run sent the Gamecocks to the locker room at intermission with a comfortable 27-0 lead.
Josh Barge and Anthony Johnson led JSU with six receptions apiece.