SATURDAY'S SCORES
#2 Jacksonville State 33, @Murray State 15
@UT Martin 24, Southeast Missouri 10
Tennessee Tech 44, @Tennessee State 16
Eastern Kentucky 67, @Austin Peay 30
#2 JACKSONVILLE STATE 33, MURRAY STATE 15
MURRAY, Ky. - acksonville State overcame another slow start on the road to defeat the Racers 33-15 at Roy Stewart Stadium and clinch a share of the Ohio Valley Conference championship. The Gamecocks (9-1, 6-0 OVC) can claim their third consecutive outright league title with a victory over second-place UT Martin in next week's regular season finale at Burgess-Snow Field.
JSU's 23rd straight OVC win – now the second-longest streak in conference history – did not come easily.
Roc Thomas came off the bench to run for a career-high 165 yards and three touchdowns as the Gamecocks broke open a tight game after halftime.
The junior from Oxford – who sat out the first half – scored on 7-yard run in the third quarter and eight and 75 yards in the fourth as the Gamecocks wore down Murray State's defense in the second half.
The upset-minded Racers (4-6, 4-3) led 3-0 deep into the second quarter thanks to a Connor Mitchell's 45-yard field goal.
But Jacksonville State finally got on the scoreboard as Eli Jenkins perfectly executed a six-play, 80-yard drive that took only 44 seconds in the final minute of the half.
Jenkins was 6-for-6 passing on the drive and finished it off with a 23-yard TD pass to Jamari Hester with 17 seconds left before intermission. Cade Stinnett's extra point gave JSU a 7-3 lead it never relinquished.
Whatever message Jacksonville State head coach John Grass delivered at halftime got through to his players.
The Gamecocks offense, limited to 189 total yards through two quarters, exploded for 346 in the second half and finished with its first 500-plus effort (535) since a win over Liberty on Sept. 24. It was JSU's second-highest total yardage this season.
Josh Clemons also added a 1-yard run with 9:08 to go in the fourth quarter.
Jacksonville State's defense delivered another outstanding performance against the potent Murray State offense that was averaging 28.1 points per game.
The Racers managed only 178 yards (just 40 on the ground), punted 12 times and quarterback KD Humphries was sacked six times. Siran Neal recorded a game-high 12 tackles and Ra'Shad Green had an interception.
UT MARTIN 24, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 10
MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin football team posted its fifth consecutive Ohio Valley Conference victory with a 24-10 win over Southeast Missouri on Senior Day. With the victory, the Skyhawks head into the final game of the regular season with a chance to win a conference crown and the league’s automatic playoff bid at No. 1 Jacksonville State.
The Skyhawks (7-4, 6-1 OVC) tallied their first unbeaten record at home since 1991 with the victory while marking just the 10th time in school history. The win also guaranteed yet another winning record, the team’s fourth over the past five season.
UT Martin posted yet another strong defensive effort, holding Southeast Missouri to just 10 points and 331 yards of total offense. Defensive standout Kahlid Hagens notched a pair of interceptions in the contest while tallying 29 return yards. As a whole, the Skyhawks tallied three sacks led by senior Damani Taylor who tallied 1.5 individually. The defense stayed aggressive, notching seven tackles for loss while forcing three forced fumbles, 11 quarterback hurries and seven pass breakups.
Offensively the squad was led by quarterback Troy Cook who competed 17 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns. The junior receiver duo of Londell Lee (four receptions, 113 yards) and Caylon Weathers (five receptions, 56 yards) each tallied touchdown receptions in the contest. Sophomore running back Jaimiee Bowe led the ground attack with 73 yards and a touchdown.
Southeast Missouri (3-7, 3-4 OVC) dropped its second consecutive contest after being held to a season-low 10 points in back-to-back weeks. Quarterback Jesse Hosket was limited to just 13-of-38 passes while tallying 203 yards, one rushing touchdown and two interceptions. Kristian Wilkerson paced the squad with four receptions for 131 yards.
Like for much of the season, UT Martin jumped on the board first in the opening quarter of play. With a drive beginning on the UTM 33, the Skyhawks would push the ball down the field, tallying four first downs before moving inside the redzone. After reaching as close as the SEMO 16, the drive would stall before Brett Arkelian put the Skyhawks on the board with a 33-yard field goal.
Southeast Missouri would answer back in the second quarter by taking a momentary lead. Following a short punt to set up prime field position, the Redhawks would march down the field following a 28-yard completion from Hosket to Wilkerson. Four consecutive rushes by Will Young would move the ball to the goal line before Hosket kept the ball himself and used a sneak off the snap to take a 7-3 lead.
Facing the team’s only deficit of the contest, UT Martin would immediately charge back on the ensuing drive. On the first play from scrimmage, Bowe would break loose for a 43-yard carry to flip the field. The Skyhawks then moved inside the redzone as Cook found a leaping Weathers for a 20-yard completion before reconnecting with his partner for a 14-yard touchdown strike – the duo’s fourth connection of the season.
The score would stay the same heading into the third quarter before the Skyhawks stretch their lead midway through the quarter. With starting field position near midfield, Cook would find senior Ben Axline for a 43-yard completion to move the Skyhawks inside the redzone. From there the Skyhawks would turn the ball over to Bowe which rambled 13-yards for his seventh touchdown of the season to stretch the lead to 17-7.
UT Martin would put a cap of its offensive output on the opening drive of the fourth quarter. After senior Ladevin Fair started the drive with a three-yard rush, Cook would look to the air to find a sprinting Lee for a 56-yard touchdown.
Southeast Missouri would look to make a move down the stretch, tallying a 20-yard field goal midway through the fourth to make it a 24-10 ballgame. After a long drive by the Skyhawks to milk the clock, the Redhawks would look down the field one last time but Hagens would tally his second interception of the game to eliminate the threat and seal the victory.
TENNESSEE TECH 44, TENNESSEE STATE 16
NASHVILLE - When Tennessee Tech last had a field goal kicker set the school record for field goal distance, Nick Madonia wasn't even born.
But with a 57-yard kick, 14 yards longer than his career-best, Madonia didn't just break the Tech record, he shattered it.
However, that was only the tip of the iceberg as the Golden Eagles routed Tennessee State 44-16 on Saturday.
For Tech (4-6, 4-3 Ohio Valley Conference), the Golden Eagles claim a share of the Sergeant York Trophy for the first time since 2011, forcing a three-way tie with UT Martin and TSU. The Skyhawks, however, will get to keep the large trophy as the defending champion.
Madonia saw his eight-consecutive field goal streak snapped as he missed his first attempt, but his kick in the second quarter, with the wind blowing into the uprights made history.
Murray Cunningham had Tech's first 53-yarder in 1974. Ryan Weeks tied the record in 1993.
But 42 years after the initial kick, 26 after the tying kick, Madonia knocked those players off the top of the charts, nailing a 57-yarder.
The original plan in the situation was to punt, but Satterfield changed his mind and went for the longest field goal in Tech history.
Madonia also recovered the onside kick to start that scoring drive, waiting for the right moment and grabbing the loose ball.
Madonia ended the game with three field goals, hitting from 57, 39 and 33 yards, after missing from 45 in the first quarter. He has hit 11 of his last 12 tries and is 11-for-14 on the season.
However, Madonia wasn't the only one who had a monster game.
Yeedee Thaenrat rushed 19 times for 164 yards and a touchdown, then picked up a 29-yard pass from Michael Birdsong to put together a 193 all-purpose yard day. The 164 rushing yards was the most for a Tech rusher since Darian Stone in 2012 against UT Martin. The 295 rushing yards as a team were the most since beating Cumberland in 2013.
Dontez Byrd had two touchdowns in the game as he had 152 all-purpose yards – 112 yards and a touchdown receiving, six yards and a touchdown rushing and 34 yards on a kickoff return.
Not to be outdone, Birdsong also rushed for a touchdown, while Matthew Leifheit was moved over to tight end and caught a three-yard touchdown pass.
The 463 yards of total offense is the second most for the Golden Eagles this season, shy of the 493 recorded at Austin Peay.
The Tech defense was solid, holding the Tigers (6-4, 3-4 OVC) to just field goals through three quarters. TSU scored its lone touchdown in the fourth quarter as Ronald Butler completed a 22-yard strike to Steven Newbold with 8:08 remaining.
Josh Poplar had his third recovery of the season, while A.J. Flemister picked off a pass and returned it 13 yards.
State ended the game with 295 yards of offense. Erick Evans ran for 47 yards on nine carries, while Patrick Smith caught five passes for 65 yards.
Ronald Butler threw for 202 yards on 16-for-31 passing.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 67, AUSTIN PEAY 30
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Three scoring drives that lasted 1:35 or less fueled 39 first half points as the Eastern Kentucky University football team buried Austin Peay State University, 67-30, on Saturday in Clarksville, Tennessee.
Eastern Kentucky tied the program record of 67 points in a game, set against Morehead State in 1925.
True freshman Daryl McCleskey Jr. rushed for three touchdowns, totaling a season-high 109 yards on 11 carries. As a team EKU rushed for 346 yards and totaled 531 yards of offense.
The Colonels took their first possession and drove 66 yards in 3:20 for a touchdown. That drive ended with a 45-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Swafford to Devin Borders. A run by James Smith Jr. added the two-point conversion. Eastern’s third possession lasted 4:24 and resulted in a field goal for an 11-0 lead.
EKU scored four more times in the first half with none of the drives lasting more than 2:59. Its final three scoring drives were 0:59, 1:07 and 1:35.
Jared Sanders had a 16-yard touchdown run and McCleskey Jr. had a 3-yard touchdown scamper. Those two scores made it 25-0 early in the second quarter.
A 22-yard touchdown catch by Dan Crimmins from Swafford and an 8-yard touchdown run by run by Henry Enyenihi made it 39-7 with 6:51 left before halftime. Austin Peay tacked on another touchdown before intermission.
Eastern Kentucky had 352 yards of total offense in the first half, 190 on the ground and 162 through the air. The Colonel defense held the Governors to 108 yards of offense, including only 23 passing yards.
Eastern’s first possession of the second half ended with a 35-yard touchdown run by McCleskey, a drive that took just 2:37 off the clock.
Sixteen points in the third quarter and early fourth quarter allowed the Governors to get as close as 16. Jared Sanders answered an APSU field goal with a 90-yard kickoff return for a 53-30 lead with 14:39 left in the game.
Austin Peay was held to 346 yards of offense for the game, including just 82 passing yards. The Governors turned the ball over three times while Eastern did not have a turnover. The Colonel defense stopped APSU on third down nine times on 14 tries.
Smith finished with 89 yards on six carries. Ralph Patton added 61 yards and a touchdown while playing just the final 10 minutes of the game. Swafford completed 15-of-26 passes for 182 yards. He threw two touchdown passes and no interceptions.
Jeffrey Canady had a team-best nine tackles for Eastern. Xavier Garcia and Damon Lowe each recorded a sack.
Kentel Williams led Austin Peay with 176 rushing yards.