• ESPN3 Information and FAQ | Direct Link to Jacksonville State/Eastern Kentucky Game
This week the OVC Football "Game of the Week" series on ESPN3 features Eastern Kentucky at No. 3 Jacksonville State. The game is slated to kick-off at 3:00 p.m. CT on Saturday.
This contest is the third of an exclusive eight-game package that will air on ESPN3 this season.
The games are being produced by Tupelo Raycom (formerly WebStream Sports), a Raycom Media company, brings together Tupelo-Honey (founded 1996) and WebStream Sports (2006). With offices in New York, Indianapolis, Charlotte, Nashville and Los Angeles the company develops new programming and delivers live events, music specials and branded features for broadcast, digital and in-venue entertainment.
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 104.1 FM/AM 540 (ESPN Clarksville), will provide analysis. The duo has worked together each of the past five years in the league's TV package.
The OVC Football Game of the Week package is part of an overall multiyear agreement with ESPN which was announced in October 2013.
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 the ESPN App. 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.
GAME PREVIEW
Eastern Kentucky Colonels (1-4, 1-2 OVC)
at #3 Jacksonville State Gamecocks (4-1, 2-0 OVC)
Saturday, October 14 • 3:00 p.m. CT
Burgess-Snow Field at JSU Stadium (24,000) • Jacksonville, Ala.
TV:...................................................................... ESPN3
Live Stats:
http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=186742
Series Record:....................... Jacksonville State leads 8-6
Last Meeting:......... Jacksonville State won 24-7 (10/22/16)
Mark Elder at Eastern Kentucky:.................... 4-12 (2 yrs.)
Mark Elder Overall:.................................................. same
John Grass at Jacksonville State:................... 37-7 (X yrs.)
John Grass Overall:................................................. same
Eastern Kentucky Last Week: L, 45-21 vs. Tennessee State
Jacksonville State Last Week:...... W, 34-14 at Austin Peay
GAME NOTES: Since 2003 (when Jacksonville State joined the OVC) the two most successful OVC teams in terms of Conference winning percentage will meet on Saturday in Richmond. JSU is 89-24 (.788) while Eastern Kentucky is 79-35 (69.3%). The teams have played 14 previous times with Jacksonville State holding an 8-6 advantage after winning the previous four meetings. A year ago Jacksonville State did not score an offensive touchdown, but had three interception returns for touchdowns in a 24-7 victory in Richmond. Joel McCandless (41 yards), Jaylen Hill (60 yards) and Reggie Hall (88 yards) all scored on pick sixes for the Gamecocks. Josh Clemons rushed for 149 yards for JSU while Tyler Swafford passed for 141 yards and a touchdown for EKU. Jacksonville State enters the week with a 26-game OVC winning streak, tied with Eastern Kentucky (1992-95) for the longest streak in Conference history (and second-longest streak in FCS history).
SCOUTING EASTERN KENTUCKY: Eastern Kentucky overcame a 17-0 deficit to lead Tennessee State 21-17 early in the fourth quarter, only to see the Tigers score 28 unanswered points (21 coming on interception returns for touchdowns) in falling 45-21. Overall the Colonels were intercepted four times during the game, although Tim Boyle did complete 18-of-27 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns. Ryan Markush caught five of those passes for 74 yards and two touchdowns; he currently ranks eighth nationally in receiving touchdowns (8). Dan Paul added eight catches for 76 yards. Daryl McCleskey led the Colonels with 73 rushing yards on 11 attempts (6.6 ypc). Jeffrey Canady had a team-high nine tackles and ranks 50th nationally in tackles (8.8/game). Punter Keith Wrzuszczak averaged 45.2 yards/punt on four attempts and now ranks fifth nationally in punting (45.2 yards/punt). As a team Eastern Kentucky is first nationally in net punting (43.22 yards/punt), seventh in punt return yardage defense (2.33 yards/return) and ninth in tackles-for-loss allowed (4.0/game).
SCOUTING JACKSONVILLE STATE: Jacksonville State ran its regular season winning streak against non-FBS opponents to 35 games with a 34-14 win over Austin Peay. The Gamecocks jumped out to a 20-0 lead and added an 87-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by De’Marcus Flowers in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach (it was JSU’s first kickoff return touchdown since 2011). APSU had entered the game ranked seventh nationally in total defense and had not allowed any team to rush for more than 165 yards in a game. Jax State rushed for 296 total yards, including 135 yards and two touchdowns from Roc Thomas who was named OVC Offensive Player of the Week. Thomas currently ranks 11th nationally in rushing (106.4 yards/game) and now has seven 100-yard rushing games in his two-year JSU career. Linebacker Jonathan Hagler had a career-high 11 tackles and intercepted a pass; Hagler leads the team with 35 tackles and two interceptions on the season. Darius Jackson has recorded at least one tackle-for-loss in eight consecutive games; he leads the OVC and ranks 14th nationally in that category (1.7/game). JSU moved up one spot in the Top 25 to No. 3; the Gamecocks have been ranked in the Top 6 of at least one of the major FCS polls for 34 consecutive weeks. JSU enters this week ranked 12th nationally in total defense (279.0 yards/game) and scoring defense (16.2 points/game).