• ESPN3 Information and FAQ | Direct Link to Jacksonville State/Southeast Missouri Game
This week the OVC Football "Game of the Week" series on ESPN3 features No. 2 Jacksonville State at Southeast Missouri. The game is slated to kick-off at 1:00 p.m. CT at Houck Stadium on Saturday.
This contest is the sixth 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 four 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 four 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 on computers, smartphones, tablets and connected devices through WatchESPN. The network is currently available nationwide at no additional cost to fans who receive their high-speed Internet connection or video subscription from an affiliated service provider. It is also available at no cost to 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.
#2 Jacksonville State Gamecocks (7-1, 4-0 OVC)
at Southeast Missouri State Redhawks (3-5, 3-2 OVC)
Saturday, Nov. 5 • 1:00 p.m. CT
Houck Stadium (10,000) • Cape Girardeau, Mo.
TV:...................................................................... ESPN3
Live Stats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=138490
Series Record:..................... Jacksonville State leads 15-5
Last Meeting:........ Jacksonville State won 56-28 (11/14/15)
John Grass at Jacksonville State:................... 30-5 (3 yrs.)
John Grass Overall:................................................. same
Tom Matukewicz at Southeast Missouri:....... 12-19 (3 yrs.)
Tom Matukewicz Overall:............................. 13-19 (4 yrs.)
Jacksonville State Last Week: W, 47-14 vs. #22 Eastern Illinois
Southeast Missouri Last Week:... W, 41-21 vs. Austin Peay
GAME NOTES: Jacksonville State begins the stretch run by playing its first of two-straight road contests, this time at Southeast Missouri on Saturday. Jacksonville State has won eight consecutive games in the series, with Southeast last winning 32-25 in 2007. There have been several exciting games in the series including a two-point JSU win in 2010 (when Southeast won the OVC title) and a one-point JSU victory in 2011. Last season the Gamecocks tallied 617 yards of total offense on its way to a 56-28 victory. Eli Jenkins threw for 194 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 56 yards in limited action for Jax State. As a team the Gamecocks tallied 399 rushing yards including 137 (and two scores) by Troymaine Pope and 124 yards by backup quarterback Christian LeMay. Dante Vandeven passed for 239 yards and rushed for 29 yards and a score for Southeast while Tremane McCullough had a team-high 49 rushing yards. Saturday marks the annual Homecoming game for Southeast Missouri. The Gamecocks have won 28-straight regular season games against non-FBS opponents.
SCOUTING JACKSONVILLE STATE: Jacksonville State won its 21st consecutive OVC game on Saturday in blitzing No. 22 ranked Eastern Illinois by a 47-14 margin. The JSU defense, which is now ranked No. 1 nationally in allowing only 259.6 yards/game, limited EIU to just 231 total yards (205 below its average) including just 56 rushing yards (129 below its average). Marlon Bridges, who was added to the STATS Freshman of the Year Award Watch List last week, had nine tackles and forced his FCS-leading fifth fumble of the season in the victory. In addition to having the top-ranked defense nationally, JSU is 16th in total offense (445.1 yards/game) and eighth in rushing offense (257.9 yards/game). Quarterback Eli Jenkins moved into second place on the OVC’s career total offense list (10,533) after passing for 157 yards and two scores and rushing for 85 yards and a touchdown. Jenkins trails only Jimmy Garoppolo on the all-time list. Jenkins has accounted for 16 touchdowns this season (8 passing, 8 rushing). Josh Barge caught three passes to extend his consecutive games with a catch streak to 46 which established a new FCS record; Barge now has 230 career receptions, just two away from moving into second place in OVC history. JSU rushed for a combined 312 yards as Roc Thomas returned to the lineup to net 115 yards and Josh Clemons added 50 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
SCOUTING SOUTHEAST MISSOURI: For the second-straight season Southeast Missouri has a 3-2 OVC mark and are looking to finish above .500 in Conference play for just the second time in the past 13 years (2010 was the other when they won the OVC Championships). Last week the Redhawks snapped a two-game losing streak in topping Austin Peay 41-21. In that game the Redhawks established season-highs for points (41), yards (515) and rushing yards (276). Senior Will Young ran for a career-high 154 yards on 16 carries (9.6 ypc) and scored on a seven-yard touchdown late in the third quarter. Young currently ranks fourth in the OVC in rushing (81.5 yards/game) and is averaging 5.53 yards/carry this season (also fourth in the OVC and 33rd nationally). Senior Tremane McCullough added 92 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns while also catching a team-high six passes. Jesse Hosket was named OVC Co-Newcomer of the Week after completing 20-of-24 passes for 230 yards and a touchdown (his 10th of the season). Hosket has now passed for 200 or more yards in six of his last seven games. After APSU had trimmed the margin to 10 points in the third quarter on Saturday, Cameron Sanders returned the ensuing kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown to put the game out of reach; it marked his second career kickoff return for a score.