• ESPN3 Information and FAQ | Direct Link to Southeast Missouri/Jacksonville State Game
This week the OVC Football "Game of the Week" series on ESPN3 features Southeast Missouri at Jacksonville State. The game is slated to kick-off at 3:00 p.m. CT on Saturday.
This contest is the third of an eight-game package that will air on ESPN3 this season.
The games are being produced by Tupelo Raycom, a Raycom Media company that 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 ESPN Clarksville, will provide analysis. The duo has worked together each of the past seven 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 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
Southeast Missouri State Redhawks (3-3, 1-1 OVC)
at #14 Jacksonville State Gamecocks (5-2, 2-1 OVC)
Saturday, October 19 • 3:00 p.m. CT
Burgess-Snow Field at JSU Stadium (24,000) • Jacksonville, Ala.
TV:...................................................................... ESPN3
Live Stats:........................................
http://bit.ly/2MCdikO
Series Record:..................... Jacksonville State leads 17-6
Last Meeting:....... Southeast Missouri won 37-14 (10/20/18
Tom Matukewicz at Southeast Missouri:....... 27-37 (6 yrs.)
Tom Matukewicz Overall:............................. 28-37 (7 yrs.)
John Grass at Jacksonville State:................. 57-14 (6 yrs.)
John Grass Overall:................................................. same
Southeast Missouri Last Week:...... L, 28-24 at Austin Peay
Jacksonville State Last Week:.. W, 28-20 at Eastern Illinois
GAME NOTES: The two OVC teams who participated in the FCS Playoffs a season ago and were tabbed the top two teams in the OVC heading into this season will meet on Saturday in Jacksonville. The Gamecocks had won 10 in a row in the all-time series until Southeast Missouri won in convincing fashion, 37-14 over the No. 4 ranked Gamecocks in Cape Girardeau a year ago. In that contest SEMO jumped out to a 30-7 lead after three quarters thanks as Daniel Santacaterina threw for two touchdowns and Bydarrius Knighten had an 85-yard blocked field goal return for a score. Linebacker Zach Hall had a game-high 15 tackles (2.5 for loss), two quarterback hurries, a blocked kick and a safety in the win. Zerrick Cooper threw for 323 yards and two touchdowns for Jax State.
SCOUTING SOUTHEAST MISSOURI: Southeast Missouri dropped to 1-1 in OVC play after a 28-24 loss at Austin Peay. The evenly matched affair saw the Redhawks take a 24-21 advantage with 9:52 to play in the game when Daniel Santacaterina connected with Aaron Alston for a 13-yard touchdown. But the Governors took the ensuing possession and scored the game-winning touchdown three and a half minutes late and SEMO's final possession saw the team turn the ball over on downs. Santacaterina passed for 221 yards and three touchdowns in the victory and in the process went over 4,000 career passing yards in his two-year SEMO career. Kristian Wilkerson caught five passes for 122 yards and two touchdowns and in the process moved his career receiving touchdown total to 27, second in SEMO history and ninth in OVC history. Wilkerson has a trio of 100-yard receiving games this season (and nine for his career). SEMO's offense had an average starting field position of its own 21-yard line in the game. Marcus Lucas and Zach Hall each had eight tackles to lead the defense. With its loss the Redhawks fell out of the Top 25 polls for the first time since October 22 of last season.
SCOUTING JACKSONVILLE STATE: Jacksonville State won for the first time this season on the road in topping Eastern Illinois 28-20. On a cold and windy day, the Gamecocks were able to tally 422 yards of total offense, including 237 yards through the air from Zerrick Cooper. It marked the fifth-straight game Cooper had thrown three touchdown passes, the first player in school history to achieve that feat. Cooper also became just the second player in school history to throw for 50 or more touchdowns in a career and just the fifth to reach 6,000 yards of career total offense. Entering this week Cooper ranks eighth nationally in total offense (329.3 yards/game) and fifth in passing touchdowns (19). Two of his touchdown passes went to senior Josh Pearson, who now has 28 for his career, which moved him into eighth place in OVC history (the OVC record is 35). Pearson has multiple touchdown catches in each of his last four games and his 11 receiving touchdowns on the season is first among all FCS players. Michael Matthews led the rushing attack with 92 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries (6.1 ypc). Senior safety Traco Williams was named OVC Defensive Player of the Week after tallying five tackles and a pair of interceptions in the victory. His first pick came in the end zone to end a 12-play EIU drive; his second came just before halftime at the JSU 20-yard line to keep the team's lead at 14 points entering intermission. Williams ranks 24th nationally in interceptions (0.4/game). JSU has now been ranked for 82-straight weeks, coming in at No. 14 in the Coaches Poll and No. 16 in the STATS poll.