• ESPN3 Information and FAQ | Direct Link to UT Martin/Jacksonville State Game
This week the OVC Football "Game of the Week" series on ESPN3 features No. 1 Jacksonville State at UT Martin. The game is slated to kick-off at 2:00 p.m. CT on Saturday.
This contest is the second of an exclusive eight-game package that will air on ESPN3 this season.
The games are being produced by WebStream Sports, an Indianapolis-based company which is a proven leader in video production, streaming video and content creation. The company, founded in 2006, produces more than 1,000 events annually and has also served as a web streaming consultant for the OVC for the past three years.
Kevin Ingram, host of "The Wake Up Zone" on 104.5 The Zone in Nashville, will handle play-by-play duties while Bob Belvin, on-air talent and contributor at 100.7 FM/AM 540 (ESPN Clarksville), will provide analysis. The duo has worked together each of the past three years in the league's TV package.
ESPN3 is ESPN's live multi-screen sports network, a destination that delivers thousands of exclusive sports events annually. It is accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app and streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. The network is currently available to more than 99 million homes at no additional cost to fans who receive their high-speed Internet connection or video subscription from an affiliated service provider. The network is also available at no cost to approximately 21 million U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers, smartphones and tablets connected to on-campus educational and on-base military broadband and Wi-Fi networks.
GAME PREVIEW
#1 Jacksonville State Gamecocks (2-1, 1-0 OVC)
at UT Martin Skyhawks (1-1, 0-0 OVC)
Saturday, Sept. 26 • 2:00 p.m. CT
Hardy M. Graham Stadium (7,500) • Martin, Tenn.
TV:...................................................................... ESPN3
Live Stats:
http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=96030
Series Record:..................... Jacksonville State leads 29-7
Last Meeting:......... Jacksonville State won 41-27 (10/5/13)
John Grass at Jacksonville State:................... 12-3 (2 yrs.)
John Grass Overall:................................................. same
Jason Simpson at UT Martin:..................... 59-46 (10 yrs.)
Jason Simpson Overall:........................................... same
Jacksonville State Last Week: W, 48-13 vs. Tennessee State
UT Martin Last Week:................................................. Idle
GAME NOTES: For the second-consecutive season the Jacksonville State and UT Martin game is included in the OVC Game of the Week package on ESPN3. A season ago then No. 8 Jacksonville State jumped out to a 21-7 halftime advantage on its way to a 38-14 win. Miles Jones rushed for 150 yard and a touchdown while Troymaine Pope added 91 yards and a score for the Gamecocks who rushed for 284 yards, which was 68 yards more than the entire UTM offense output for the day. The Skyhawks were limited to just 93 passes yards and 123 rushing yards as Trent Garland had 39 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Overall Jax State has won the last two and five of the last six in the series. JSU has won 13-straight regular season games against non-FBS opponents.
SCOUTING JACKSONVILLE STATE: Jacksonville State remained the No. 1 ranked FCS team with a convincing 48-13 victory over Tennessee State on Saturday in front of a JSU Stadium record crowd of 23,413. The Gamecocks limited TSU to just 24 net rushing yards of 31 attempts. JSU now ranks eighth nationally in total defense (268.3 yards/game) as well as ranking eighth in rushing offense (269.3 yards/game) after tallying 349 rushing yards against the Tigers. Quarterback Eli Jenkins led the team with 95 rushing yards (to go along with 162 passing yards and two touchdowns) while Troymaine Pope, who is eighth nationally in rushing (117.0 yards/game), added 93 yards. During the game Jenkins became the first player in JSU history to record 1,500 rushing yards and 3,000 passing yards in a career, while Pope needs just two rushing yards to move into 10th place on the Gamecocks career list. Josh Barge hauled in five passes for 55 yards and a score and became just the second receiver in JSU history to reach the 2,000-yard career receiving mark. Ruben Gonzalez added eight catches for 109 yards marking his second-straight game going over 100 yards receiving. Joel McCandless had nine tackles, 2.5 tackles-for-loss, a sack and a quarterback hurry in the victory.
SCOUTING UT MARTIN: UT Martin is coming off a bye week, as the squad last played on Thursday, Sept. 10 when they welcomed Bethel to Hardy Graham Stadium. The Skyhawks offense struggled in the first quarter - leading just 7-3 after the opening 15 minutes - but rebounded to score 30 second quarter points on its way to the 72-10 victory. Sophomore Caylon Weathers caught five passes for 105 yards and three touchdowns; all three of the touchdowns came in the second quarter as he scored on receptions of 33, 11 and 13 yards. Weathers was one of 10 UTM receivers who caught a pass on the night. Senior quarterback Jarod Neal completed 18-of-27 passes for 249 yards and six touchdowns, which was just one score short of the school record; he played just three quarters, sitting out the final frame with the game well in hand. Senior kicker/punter Jackson Redditt was named OVC Specialist of the Week after making 10-of-10 PATs and averaging 48.0 yards on three punts. Defensively true freshman Kevin Prather, Jr. made his second career start and recorded a team-high 11 tackles. The Skyhawks played the home game in front of 6,418 fans, which was the largest home crowd since the 2008 season.