HEAD COACH INTERVIEWS
Each league head coach particpated in a Zoom on Tuesday to preview this week's games. Scroll down to access the audio from that Zoom. The video can be accessed on the
OVC's YouTube page.
This Week’s Schedule
Saturday, September 17
Murray State at Ball State, 1:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Nicholls
at Southeast Missouri, 2:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
#16 UT Martin at Boise State, 3:00 p.m. (FS1)
#24 Samford
at Tennessee Tech, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN3)
Tennessee State at Middle Tennessee, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Keiser
at Lindenwood, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN3)
Eastern Illinois at Illinois State, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
Murray State Racers (0-2, 0-0 OVC)
at Ball State Cardinals (0-2, 0-1 MAC)
Saturday, September 17 • 1:00 p.m. CT
Scheumann Stadium (22,500) • Muncie, Ind.
Video:..............................
https://es.pn/3qgyBN1 (ESPN+)
Live Stats:.......................................
https://bit.ly/3RAsNtu
Series Record:............................................. First meeting
Last Meeting:.............................................................. n/a
Dean Hood at Murray State:........................... 11-9 (3 yrs.)
Dean Hood Overall:................................... 66-47 (11 yrs.)
Mike Neu at Ball State:.............................. 82-88 (13 yrs.)
Mike Neu Overall:.................................................... same
Murray State Last Week:...... L, 34-3 vs. Jacksonville State
Ball State Last Week:......... L, 37-30 vs. Western Michigan
NOTEWORTHY
• In search of its first win of the 2022 season, Murray State will play a road game at Ball State on Saturday.
• Murray State is facing its second FBS opponent of the young season, after falling to Texas Tech in week one. The Racers are 3-32-1 all-time against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents.
• Although not technically a FBS opponent yet, MSU played Jacksonville State last week, a team that is making the transition up to Conference USA next season. JSU led 10-3 at halftime but outscored MSU 24-0 in the second half on the way to a 34-3 victory.
• Murray State forced three turnovers in the game Saturday, two interceptions and a fumble. Quinaz Turner got both picks for Murray State in the game, while Chris Hill, Jr. forced the fumble.
• Preseason All-OVC selection Erica Samuta proved why he is one of the best defensive players in the league by racking up 13 tackles, 11 of which were solo stops. Jamari Dailey also had a big night defensively with eight tackles and 2.0 tackles-for-loss, while Lawaun Powell had six tackles, 1.0 sacks and two pass breakups.
• With a 45-yard field goal in the second quarter, Aaron Baum tied Stan Watts for 10th on MSU's all-time made field goals list with 21. He is now 21-for-30 in field goal attempts with the Racers for a career percentage of 70.0-percent.
• After a season-opening loss to Tennessee, Ball State opened the home portion of its schedule last Saturday, falling to MAC foe Western Michigan 37-30.
• The team put up 447 yards of offense, highlighted by a 147-yard performance and one touchdown on the ground from running back Carson Steele and a 291-yard aerial attack on 23-of-39 passing with two touchdowns from quarterback John Paddock.
• Ball State led 30-29 early in the fourth quarter, but gave up a 60-yard rushing touchdown with 7:33 left that proved to be the difference.
• Defensive backs Jaquan Amos and Jordan Riley guided Ball State with eight tackles apiece, while Amos added 3.0 tackles-for-loss.
Nicholls Colonels (0-2, 0-0 Southland)
at Southeast Missouri State Redhawks (1-1, 0-0 OVC)
Saturday, September 17 • 2:00 p.m. CT
Houck Stadium (10,000) • Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Video:..............................
https://es.pn/3x3htOw (ESPN+)
Live Stats:........................................
https://bit.ly/3QxYja8
Series Record:...................................... Nicholls leads 1-0
Last Meeting:........................ Nicholls won 18-17 (10/4/75)
Tim Rebowe at Nicholls:.............................. 44-37 (8 yrs.)
Tim Rebowe Overall:............................................... same
Tom Matukewicz at Southeast Missouri:....... 42-50 (9 yrs.)
Tom Matukewicz Overall:........................... 43-50 (10 yrs.)
Nicholls Last Week:................................... L, 35-7 at ULM
Southeast Missouri Last Week: W, 34-31 at #17 Southern Illinois
NOTEWORTHY
• Southeast Missouri will open the home portion of its schedule on Saturday by hosting Nicholls. The teams are meeting for the first time since the 1975 season, a game the Colonels won by one point.
• SEMO recently broke ground for the first phase of a new transformational Houck multiuse complex, which will include the construction and replacement of the south sideline and grandstand of Houck Field as well as new seating, turf replacement, concession stands, restrooms, ADA access and associated HVAC, mechanical and other systems work.
• SEMO knocked off rival Southern Illinois 34-31 in Carbondale last week. It marked the eighth time the Redhawks have defeated a nationally-ranked FCS opponent under head coach Tom Matukewicz.
• A big part of the win was quarterback newcomer Paxton DeLaurent who completed 33-of-44 passes for 332 yard and four touchdowns without an interception. He threw two touchdowns in the final six minutes, including the game-winner with 11 seconds to play. He was named OVC Offensive Player and Newcomer of the Week.
• Kicker DC Pippin was named OVC Co-Specialist of the Week after making 2-of-3 field goals (45, 50) and 4-of-4 PATs. He is one of four players in the FCS with a 50-yard field goal this season.
• Johnny King had 14 receptions for 125 yard and two touchdowns. The 14 catches are the second-most by a FCS player this season
• SEMO is now receiving votes in the Stats Perform Poll after its win over SIU.
• Nicholls has had a tough start to the season, playing a pair of FBS opponents in South Alabama and ULM
• Nicholls has had five-straight winning seasons and made three-straight playoffs from 2017-19.
• Through two weeks quarterback Kohen Granier has passed for 337 yards and a touchdown.
• Kaiden Jones leads Nicholls with 14 tackles.
#16 UT Martin Skyhawks (1-1, 0-0 OVC)
at Boise State Broncos (1-1, 1-0 MWC)
Saturday, September 17 • 3:00 p.m. CT
Albertsons Stadium (35,944) • Boise, Idaho
Video:..................................
https://foxs.pt/3RzzLim (FS1)
Live Stats:........................................
https://bit.ly/3TZjzbN
Series Record:................................. Boise State leads 1-0
Last Meeting:..................... Boise State won 63-14 (9/7/13)
Jason Simpson at UT Martin:.................... 101-81 (17 yrs.)
Jason Simpson Overall:........................................... same
Andy Avalos at Boise State:............................. 8-6 (2 yrs.)
Andy Avalos Overall:............................................... same
UT Martin Last Week:........... L, 35-30 at #5 Missouri State
Boise State Last Week:............... W, 31-14 at New Mexico
NOTEWORTHY
• UT Martin will travel to Boise State for the second all-time meeting between the schools and first since 2013.
• In that game, the Skyhawks tied the game 7-7 in the first quarter but would not score again until the final stanza, falling 63-14 to the Broncos.
• This is the first of two FBS opponents for UT Martin this season (they will play Tennessee later in the year). UTM is 1-29 all-time against FBS foes, with the lone win coming against Memphis in 2012.
• In a rematch of last year's FCS Playoffs, UT Martin came up short, 35-30, at No. 5 Missouri State last Thursday. The Skyhawks led 24-21 entering the fourth quarter before falling by five points.
• Quarterback Dresser Winn completed 29-of-41 passes for 344 yards and three touchdowns. He has been protected through the first two games, as the UTM offensive line has not allowed a sack this season.
• Colton Dowell caught 10 passes for 159 yards and reached the 2,000 career receiving yard mark, the fourth player in UTM history to achieve the feat. He is just 475 receiving yards away from the school record.
• The Skyhawks recorded five sacks against Missouri State, including 2.0 by John H. Ford II. Ford also had 12 tackles and was named OVC Co-Defensive Player of the Week.
• UT Martin is now ranked No. 16 in the Stats Perform Top 25 and No. 18 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll.
• After a loss to Oregon State in the season-opener, Boise State bounced back with a victory over Mountain West foe New Mexico.
• Senior quarterback Hank Bachmeier threw three touchdowns, including two to redshirt sophomore wide receiver Latrell Caples, and finished the game 16-for-27 and 170 yards.
• The Bronco defense kept New Mexico off the scoreboard until the fourth quarter and held the Lobos to just 64-total yards in the first half. Boise State finished the game with 12 tackles-for-loss and six sacks.
#24 Samford Bulldogs (1-1, 0-0 SoCon)
at Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (1-1, 0-0 OVC)
Saturday, September 17 • 6:00 p.m. CT
Tucker Stadium (16,500) • Cookeville, Tenn.
Video:..............................
https://es.pn/3x5pwKu (ESPN3)
Live Stats:......................................
https://bit.ly/3RxZRm9
Series Record:.................................. Samford leads 14-11
Last Meeting:......................... Samford won 52-14 (9/2/21)
Chris Hatcher at Samford:............................ 40-37 (7 yrs.)
Chris Hatcher Overall:.............................. 161-94 (22 yrs.)
Dewayne Alexander at Tennessee Tech:...... 13-30 (5 yrs.)
Dewayne Alexander Overall:...................... 54-63 (12 yrs.)
Samford Last Week:........................ L, 33-0 at #2 Georgia
Tennessee Tech Last Week: W, 26-25 vs. Texas A&M-Commerce
NOTEWORTHY
• Samford returns to Cookeville for the first time since 2019 and the Bulldogs and Golden Eagles play for the 26th time. Samford was a member of the OVC from 2003-07.
• The two teams have had some memorable meetings, including a 59-52 Samford win in 2007 in Cookeville, and a 59-58 Tennessee Tech double overtime victory in Cookeville in 2019. In those two games the teams have combined for over 2,300 yards of total offense.
• Last season the two teams opened the season in Birmingham, with Liam Welch throwing for 370 yards and four touchdowns as Samford won 52-14.
• Tennessee Tech fell behind 16-3 at halftime and was down 19-6 entering the fourth quarter before exploding for 20 points to pull out a 26-25 victory.
• Newcomer Jeremiah Oatsvall threw two touchdown passes in the final 3:19 of the game, the last coming with two seconds left on a pass to Willie Miller. Oatsvall finished the game 20-of-26 for 226 yards through the air while rushing for 65 yards.
• David Gist added 67 yards and a touchdown on the ground for the Golden Eagles.
• Seth Carlisle had a team-high nine tackles against Texas A&M-Commerce and lead the team with 14 through two games.
• Samford head coach Chris Hatcher coached in the OVC for five seasons with Murray State (2010-14). In that time he had four .500 or better Conference seasons.
• Samford upended No. 8 ranked Kennesaw State in week one of the season, before having to challenge defending FBS National Champion Georgia this past weekend. UGA pulled out the 33-0 victory, marking only the second time Samford had been shutout since the end 2000 season, when TTU won 29-0 (the other since then was Auburn in 2019).
• In his Samford debut in week one against KSU, quarterback Michael Hiers completed 18-of-24 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns and earned Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors. Two of his touchdowns came in the fourth quarter as the Bulldogs overcome a three-point deficit.
• Samford is No. 24 in the Stats Perform Poll and No. 25 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll. Tennessee Tech's last win over a ranked team came against No. 13 Austin Peay on February 21, 2021.
Tennessee State Tigers (0-2, 0-0 OVC)
at Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (1-1, 0-0 CUSA)
Saturday, September 17 • 6:00 p.m. CT
Floyd Stadium (30,788) • Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Video:............................
https://es.pn/3D5Moxe (ESPN+)
Live Stats:.......................................
https://bit.ly/3d3faUM
Series Record:..................... Middle Tennessee leads 11-8
Last Meeting:........... Middle Tennessee won 45-26 (9/7/19)
Eddie George at Tennessee State:................... 5-8 (2 yrs.)
Eddie George Overall:............................................. same
Rick Stockstill at Middle Tennessee:......... 102-99 (17 yrs.)
Rick Stockstill Overall:............................................. same
Tennessee State Last Week: L, 16-3 vs. Jackson St. (in Memphis)
Middle Tennessee Last Week:. W, 34-19 at Colorado State
NOTEWORTHY
• Former OVC rivals meet for the second time in four years; prior to the 2019 meeting the two squads had not played since 1998 when the Blue Raiders left the conference for the FBS.
• Tennessee State won six of the first seven games in the all-time series (which began in 1973), before the Blue Raiders won six-straight from 1987-92. TSU won back-to-back games in 1996 and 1997 before dropping the 1998 and 2019 matchups.
• Tennessee State is 5-9 all-time against FBS opponents, with its last win coming in 2017 at Georgia State.
• Tennessee State has started the season with games against two nationally-ranked FCS opponents (Eastern Washington, Jackson State).
• After tallying 547 yards of total offense in the season-opener at Eastern Washington, TSU was limited to just 140 yards against Jackson State, including two net rushing yards after quarterback Draylen Ellis was sacked eight times.
• Devon Starling did manage 70 yards on 18 carries and leads the OVC with 138.5 yards/game through two contests.
• Houston transfer Gleson Sprewell had a team-high 10 tackles (nine solo) and forced a fumble against JSU.
• The TSU defense limited Jackson State to just 16 points after that high-powered offense had 59 points in its season-opener with FAMU.
• After a season-opening loss at James Madison (who moved from the FCS to the Sun Belt), Middle Tennessee went to Colorado State and won 34-19, marking its first September road victory since 2017.
• Tra Fluellen intercepted a pass on the first play from scrimmage and never looked back in building a 34-0 lead. The MTSU defense added nine sacks, tied for the most in a single game in program history.
• Quarterback Chase Cunningham completed 31-of-39 passes for 266 yards and a touchdown at CSU. The 31 completions were a new career-high.
Keiser University Seahawks (1-2, 0-0 Sun)
at Lindenwood Lions (1-0, 0-0 OVC)
Saturday, September 17 • 6:00 p.m. CT
Hunter Stadium (6,000) • St. Charles, Mo.
Video:............................
https://es.pn/3BmeBPm (ESPN3)
Live Stats:........................................
https://bit.ly/3BtZfYV
Series Record:............................................. First meeting
Last Meeting:.............................................................. n/a
Doug Socha at Keiser:................................. 34-11 (5 yrs.)
Doug Socha Overall:............................................... same
Jed Stugart at Lindenwood:.......................... 27-21 (5 yrs.)
Jed Stugart Overall:................................. 118-45 (15 yrs.)
Keiser Last Week:............... L, 26-8 at Mississippi College
Lindenwood Last Week:......... W, 21-20 at Houston Baptist
NOTEWORTHY
• Lindenwood will have its home opener on Saturday when it hosts Keiser University in the first meeting between the times. It is one of eight first-time opponents on Lindenwood's schedule this season.
• In its first game as a Division I member. Lindenwood came from behind to knock off Houston Baptist 21-20 on Saturday.
• Lindenwood managed just six points in the first half but chipped away at the lead in the second half. Trailing 20-15 late in the game, Jalen Bethany found a lane to block the HBU punt, sending the ball into the end zone which was recovered by Andrew Martin for the game-winning touchdown.
• It marked the program's second-ever win over a Division I opponent (the other game against Northern Colorado in 2011).
• Martin, who had never scored a touchdown before the game, also rushed for a four-yard score in the third quarter and finished the game with 49 rushing yards. For his performance he was named the FedEx Ground National Special Teams Player of the Week by Stats Perform.
• Linebacker Tyron Griffin was named OVC Co-Defensive Player of the Week after tallying nine tackles (including a sack) and two pass breakups in the win at HBU.
• Kicker Logan Seibert made field goals from 41, 44 and 44 yards and was named OVC Co-Specialist of the Week.
• Keiser, in its fifth year of football, is a member of the NAIA Sun Conference located in West Palm Beach, Florida. They entered last week ranked No. 7 nationally prior to a loss at Mississippi College. It marked the team's second-straight loss to a NCAA Division II opponent.
• Linebacker Jaelin Willis recorded a career-high 13 tackles (11 solo) against Mississippi College. He leads the team with 19 tackles through three games.
• Wide receiver Seth Rolle led Keiser with a career-high six catches last week. Rolle has caught five or more passes in each of the team's first three games.
Eastern Illinois Panthers (0-2, 0-0 OVC)
at Illinois State Redbirds (1-1, 0-0 MVFC)
Saturday, September 17 • 6:30 p.m. CT
Hancock Stadium (13,391) • Normal, Ill.
Video:..............................
https://es.pn/3Qqhu5Z (ESPN+)
Live Stats:.......................................
https://bit.ly/3DeiNC7
Series Record:.......................... Illinois State leads 58-42-9
Last Meeting:.................. Illinois State won 31-24 (9/18/21)
Chris Wilkerson at Eastern Illinois:..................... 0-2 (1 yr.)
Chris Wilkerson Overall:............................... 51-29 (9 yrs.)
Brock Spack at Illinois State:...................... 90-61 (14 yrs.)
Brock Spack Overall:............................................... same
Eastern Illinois Last Week:... L, 38-20 vs. #10 Chattanooga
Illinois State Last Week:............... W, 28-21 vs. Valparaiso
NOTEWORTHY
• Saturday marks the 110th edition of the Mid-American Classic. The rivalry began in 1901 and 11 years ago was re-branded with the Mid-American Classic moniker. Illinois State has won four in a row and six of the last seven in the series.
• In last year's game, Illinois State's Pha'leak Brown scored on a rush with 1:54 to play to give the Redbirds the 31-24 victory.
• Illinois State head coach Brock Spack was an assistant at Eastern Illinois under Hall of Fame coach Bob Spoo from 1987-90.
• Although it was a one-score game entering the fourth quarter, Eastern Illinois could not complete the comeback to top No. 10 Chattanooga in its home opener. It marked the 13th-straight loss for the Panthers against a nationally-ranked team (dating back to 2017).
• Colin Bohanek led the Panthers defense with 10 tackles against UTC. He has 17 tackles through two games this year.
• Kicker Stone Galloway made two field goals (36, 33) against the Mocs and has now made eight-straight dating back to last season.
• Quarterback Jon O'Brien tossed two touchdowns, his second multi-touchdown game of the young season.
• After opening the season with FBS foe Wisconsin, Illinois State returned to FCS competition last week, topping Valparaiso 28-21 in its home opener. The Redbirds led 28-14 in the fourth quarter, before Valpo trimmed the margin to seven and got the ball back a sack by Zeke Vandenburgh and an interception by Franky West sealed the victory.
• Jalen Carr returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown, the first by an ISU player since the 2017 season.
• Quarterback Zack Annexstad, a transfer from Minnesota, completed 14-of-22 passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns and also ran for a touchdown.
• Redshirt freshman tailback Wenkers Wright recorded his first career 100-plus yard rushing effort, finishing the game with 101 yards on 21 carries thanks to a strong second half that saw him rush for 85 yards to seal the win.