• 2023 OVC Football Report - Final (PDF)
Quick Hitters: Southeast Missouri and UT Martin both finished 5-0 and shared the OVC Championship (due to the unbalanced schedule this year the two teams do not play) ... After all tiebreakers were tied, the final step to determine the Playoff AQ was a coin flip which was won by SEMO ... SEMO made its third playoff appearance in the past five years (and fourth all-time), falling to Montana in the first round ... OVC teams have won playoff games in four of the past five years and have won 13 overall games since 2013 ... Over the past 10 years, six different teams that have represented the OVC have won a playoff game (tied for the most nationally) ... SEMO RB
Geno Hess set the OVC single-game record with 317 rushing yards against Murray State; he is the only FCS player with a 300-yard rushing game this season and overall has three games with 200 or more yards ... Hess ranks third in OVC history with 51 rushing touchdowns, while his 19 rushing touchdowns this season is fourth in OVC history ... Hess has 3,989 career rushing yards, which is second-most among active FCS players ... Hess announced he will return for his fifth and final year of eligibility in 2023 ... UTM's
Rob Hicks had 26 tackles against Kennesaw State (Nov. 5), the most by a NCAA player (any level) this year; the 26 tackles are the second-most in OVC single-game history ... UTM's
Zak Wallace had a 97-yard touchdown run against Lindenwood (Sept. 26), which is tied for the third-longest by a Division I (FBS or FCS) player this season ... SEMO's
Ryan Flournoy had 15 catches for 256 yards against Eastern Kentucky on October 29; the 15 catches are tied for the most in the FCS this season while the 256 yards are tied for fourth-most ... SEMO teammate
Johnny King had 14 receptions at No. 17 Southern Illinois on September 10, which is the fourth-most by a player this year ... Lindenwood DB
Darion Bolden returned an interception 99 yards for a touchdown in the team's win over Murray State on October 22; the 99-yard return is the longest by an FCS player this season ... SEMO kicker
DC Pippin made a 54-yard field goal against Northwestern State on October 23, the seventh-longest field goal in the FCS this season; he also had a 50-yarder earlier this season against Southern Illinois, making him one of four players nationally with two 50-plus yard field goals in 2022 ... Tennessee State kicker
Kaleb Mosley has also connected from 50-plus this season (51 against Lane College on October 1).
All-Americans: This season 11 different OVC players earned a total of 24 All-American selections across the eight
teams. Austin Peay DB Koby Perry had the most selections (5). Additionally, four different players earned Freshman All-American honors and five players earned Sophomore All-American honors. SEMO's
Geno Hess was named to five of the teams (including three first-team honors).
Southeast Missouri and UT Martin Share 2022 OVC Championship: Southeast Missouri and UT Martin each finished the Conference season 5-0 and shared the 2022 OVC Championship. The teams did not play this season because of an unbalanced schedule due to membership transition. The title is the third for each Southeast Missouri (2010, 2019, 2022) and UT Martin (2006, 2021, 2022). It is only the second time in the past 12 years two teams have shared the crown. The tiebreakers to determine the AQ to the FCS Playoffs between the two teams were tied through the final step, which was a coin flip that was won by SEMO.
Recent Playoff Success: Beginning with the 2001 season the OVC went until 2013 without a FCS Playoff victory. But over the past 10 seasons (2013-22) OVC teams have performed well in the playoffs, winning 13 total games and advancing to the FCS Quarterfinals three times in the past seven seasons. In 2013 the OVC placed three teams in the field for the first-time ever (each won a game) and in 2015 the league had a team advance to the National Championship game (the first for the league since 1982). Over the past 10 years, six different teams that have represented the OVC have won a playoff game (Austin Peay, Eastern Illinois, Jacksonville State, Southeast Missouri, Tennessee State and UT Martin).
Six Different OVC Teams With Playoff Wins Since 2013: The OVC is one of just four FCS Conferences to have six different teams win a playoff game over the past nine years (2013-2021). Over that time Austin Peay, Eastern Illinois, Jacksonville State, Southeast Missouri, Tennessee State and UT Martin have all won at least one game while representing the OVC. The other conferences to have six different teams win over that period are the CAA, Missouri Valley and Southern Conferences.
Southeast Missouri in the Playoffs: This year marked the fourth playoff appearance for Southeast Missouri (2010, 2018, 2019, 2022). The Redhawks are now 1-4 all-time in the playoffs, having topped Stony Brook in 2018.
Hess Sets OVC Career Scoring Record: With two touchdowns against Montana in the FCS Playoffs on November 26, Southeast Missouri senior RB
Geno Hess increased his career points total to 330, which broke the previous OVC record of 322 held by EKU's Markus Thomas (1989-92). Hess has 55 career touchdowns (53 rushing, 2 receiving), which is one more than Thomas had.
Hess Sets OVC Single-Game Rushing Record: Southeast Missouri senior RB
Geno Hess set the OVC single-game rushing record with 317 yards in a win over Murray State on November 19. It broke the previous record of 311 yards set by SEMO's Marquis Terry in 2018. Hess is the only FCS player in 2022 to rush for more than 300 yards in a game.
Top 25 Polls: Southeast Missouri finished the year ranked No. 13 in the FCS Coaches Poll and No. 15 in the Stats Perform Poll. UT Martin, which was ranked in 12 of 13 polls during the regular season, finished 2022 receiving votes in both polls (coming in unofficially No. 27 in the Stats Perform Poll and No. 29 in the Coaches Poll). Every current OVC team (except newly Division I Lindenwood) has been ranked in the Top 25 polls for at least one week over the past six years (2016-21).
SEMO Records Fifth-Straight Winning OVC Season: Southeast Missouri finished OVC play 5-0, marking its fifth-straight winning OVC record. It marks its longest streak in program history. The Redhawks have a 26-8 record in OVC play over the past five years. Prior to this run the team had not had a winning OVC record since 2010 and had not had back-to-back winning OVC campaigns since 2002-03.
Gieg Wins Remington Award as Top FCS Center: Southeast Missouri's
Zack Gieg was named the winner of the Rimington Award, which honors the top centers in the Football Championship Subdivision, Division II, Division III and NAIA division. Gieg is the third SEMO player to win the coveted award in program history following Sean Middleton (2010) and Eugene Amano (2003). He helped anchor an offensive line that produced 35.6 points, 225.6 rushing yards and 242.6 passing yards per game.
Matukewicz Named Finalist for Eddie Robinson Award: Southeast Missouri head coach
Tom Matukewicz is one of 16 finalists for the Eddie Robinson Award, presented by Stats Perform to the FCS National Coach of the Year. He finished 15th in the balloting. Matukewicz, now in his ninth year with the Redhawks, led the team to a 9-2 overall and 5-0 OVC mark and its third OVC Championship. Named for the legendary coach of Grambling State and first presented in 1987, the Robinson Award is celebrating its 35th anniversary season. A 50-member, national media panel selected the winner, which was South Dakota State's John Stiegelmeir. Three former OVC coaches have won the Eddie Robinson Awards including Murray State's Houston Nutt (1995), Southeast Missouri's Tony Samuel (2010) and Austin Peay's Will Healy (2017).
Hess Named Walter Payton Award Finalist: Southeast Missouri senior running back
Geno Hess is one of 30 finalists for the Walter Payton Award, presented by Stats Perform and presented after the season to the FCS national offensive player of the year. In the regular season, Hess ranked first nationally in total touchdowns (21) and rushing touchdowns (19) and third in rushing yards (1,569). First awarded in 1987, the Payton has been won by an OVC player twice, Tony Romo in 2002 and Jimmy Garoppolo in 2013. Hess finished fifth in the balloting, the highest since Garoppolo won the award; he picked up 61 total points.
Ford and Norman Named Buck Buchanan Award Finalists: UT Martin linebacker
John H. Ford II and Southeast Missouri State linebacker
Bryce Norman were two of 30 finalists for the Buck Buchanan Award. Ford finished 20th and Norman 21st in the balloting. The award, presented by Stats Perform, is presented to the national defensive player of the year in college football’s Division I subdivision. UT Martin graduate linebacker. First awarded in 1995, the Buchanan Award has twice been won by an OVC player, Jacksonville State's Darius Jackson (2017) and SEMO's Zach Hall (2018).
Franklin Named Finalist for Jerry Rice Award: UT Martin redshirt freshman running back
Sam Franklin was one of 25 players finalists for the Jerry Rice Award, presented by Stats Perform to the national freshman of the year in college football’s Division I subdivision. He finished ninth in the final balloting. Franklin rushed for 676 yards and eight touchdowns on just 85 carries (8.0 yards/carry) and caught 12 passes for 55 yards. The award is in its 12th season. To be eligible for the Rice Award, a freshman must be in his first or second academic year and can’t have surpassed four games played in the previous academic year – similar to the NCAA’s regular redshirt rule. No OVC player has ever won the award.
Deacon Jones Trophy Watch List: Three Tennessee State football players have been named to the Watch List for the Black College Football Player of the Year Award. The award, known as the Deacon Jones Trophy, is presented annually to the most outstanding college football player from a Historically Black College & University (HBCU). The players were quarterback
Draylen Ellis, running back
Devon Starling and linebacker
James Green. Four finalists will be unveiled after the season. The winner of the Black College Football Player of the Year Award, which will be announced during halftime of the 2023 HBCU Legacy Bowl on Saturday, February 25, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. TSU's Chris Rowland won the award in 2019.
Carlisle Named Finalist for Doris Robinson Award: Tennessee Tech linebacker
Seth Carlisle was one of 15 finalists for the 2022 FedEx Ground Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award. Named after the late school teacher and wife of legendary coach Grambling State coach Eddie Robinson, the eighth annual award is presented to an FCS student-athlete who excels not only on the playing field and in the classroom, but in the community and beyond. Carlisle has compiled a 3.61 grade point average in Biology Health Sciences (Pre-Dentistry concentration). He was one three male winners of the 2021-22 OVC Scholar-Athlete Award, and has also received the OVC Academic Medal of Honor, been named to the OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll, the TTU Dean’s List and AD’s Honor Roll. Also named to the FCS ADA Academic All-Star Team.
Hess on CFPA National Performer of the Year Watch List: Southeast Missouri running back
Geno Hess is one of 38 players on the initial Watch List for the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) National Performer of the Year Award.
Individual Awards Winners: Since 2013, the OVC has produced one Walter Payton Award Winner, two Buck Buchanan Award Winners, an Eddie Robinson Award Winner and a Deacon Jones Trophy winner. In addition, the league has had two Doris Robinson Award Winners, as the National Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Three OVC Players Named to FCS Punter of the Year Watch List: Three OVC players have been named to the 2022 FCS Punter of the Year Award Watch List by the Augusta Sports Council. The OVC picks, who were among the 22 nationally on the list, were Southeast Missouri's
Zach Haynes, Tennessee State's
Kaleb Mosely and Murray State's
Lewis Halton. The FCS Punter of the Year Award winner will be voted on by the FCS Punter of the Year Award/Ray Guy Award Committee.
Brister Ties OVC Single-Game Rushing Touchdowns Record: Lindenwood senior quarterback
Cade Brister ran for five touchdowns in a 52-49 win at Central Arkansas on October 8. That tied the OVC record for rushing touchdowns in a game, done by five other players, the last time in 2014.
5 - Cade Brister, Lindenwood vs. Central Arkansas (2022)
5 - Dy’Shawn Mobley, Eastern Kentucky vs. Murray State (2014)
5 - DaMarcus James, Jacksonville State vs. Austin Peay (2013)
5 - Derek White, Tennessee Tech vs. Concordia (Ala.) (2007)
5 - Daniel Williams, Austin Peay vs. UT Martin (1996)
5 - Paris Wicks, Youngstown State vs. Northern Iowa (1981)q2
Simpson Ranks Fourth in OVC Career Victories: UT Martin head coach
Jason Simpson currently ranks fourth in OVC history for career victories. Simpson recorded his 100th victory in the Skyhawks FCS Playoff win over Missouri State in 2021. Including Simpson, only 24 active FCS coaches have 100 or more career wins.
315 - Roy Kidd, Eastern Kentucky (1964-2002)
154 - Boots Donnelly, Austin Peay & Middle Tennessee (1977-78, 79-98)
117 - Charles Murphy, Middle Tennessee (1952-68)
107 - Jason Simpson, UT Martin (2006-present)
99 - Jimmy Feix, Western Kentucky (1968-81)
OVC Teams Against FBS Opponents: In seven of the past 12 seasons (2010-21), an OVC team has knocked off a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponent (2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2020). OVC teams are 36-266-1 all-time against FBS opponents.
Three OVC Players Named to FCS ADA Academic All-Star Team: Three OVC players have been named to the 25th Annual Academic All-Star Team as announced by the Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association (FCS ADA). The trio, who were among 53 indviduals selected nationally, included Lindenwood quarterback
Cade Brister, Tennessee Tech tight end
Hunter Barnhart and TTU linebacker
Seth Carlisle. Football players from all FCS institutions are eligible for the award. Each of the nominees were required to have a minimum grade point average of 3.20 (on a 4.00 scale) in undergraduate or graduate study and have been a starter or key player with legitimate athletics credentials.
Tennessee Tech Earns OVC Team Sportsmanship Award: Tennessee Tech was named the recipient of the 2022-23 Team Sportsmanship Award for football. Voted on by the student-athletes and coaches of the respective sports, the team awards are bestowed upon the Conference squads deemed to have best exhibited the standards of sportsmanship and ethical behavior as outlined by the OVC and NCAA. Included in the areas for evaluation are the conduct of student-athletes, coaches, staff and administrators and fans. The 2022-23 school year marks the 18th year the team sportsmanship honors have been awarded. It marks the fifth-straight and sixth overall award for the Golden Eagles program (2015, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022).
OVC and Big South Association: In February 2022 the Big South Conference and Ohio Valley Conference announced the creation of an association of their football member institutions, to begin with the 2023 NCAA Division I football season and have an initial term of at least four years. The unique agreement combines the two conferences’ football membership to ensure NCAA championship access and stability for the multisport conferences. In creating the association, presidents from each of the multisport conferences pointed to the similarities of the OVC and the Big South, with their complementary geographies and intercollegiate athletic philosophies, as key to making this association possible.
OVC and Southland Conference Partner For Non-Conference Scheduling Alliance: In October 2021, the OVC and Southland Conference announced a football scheduling alliance for the 2022 and 2023 seasons. The collaboration will see institutions from each conference fill available non-conference dates on schedules in 2022 and 2023 with a focus toward competitive balance and reasonable travel. The alliance provides quality Division I FCS non-conference matchups, allows increased visibility, exposure and branding for each Conference. There are eight matchups on the schedule (with a ninth involving Lindenwood who joined the OVC after the schedule was set). OVC teams are 6-2 so far against Southland schools in 2022, with one game remaining.
Hill and Carlisle Named Semifinalists for William V. Campbell Trophy: Two OVC football players were named semifinalists for the 2022 William V. Campbell Trophy® by National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF). The award is college football's premier scholar-athlete award. The selections were Eastern Illinois wide receiver
Isaiah Hill and Tennessee Tech linebacker
Seth Carlisle. The duo were among 156 semifinalists nationally, 37 of which came from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Celebrating its 33rd year, the Campbell Trophy® recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.
Hess Named National Offensive Player of the Week (Nov. 21): Southeast Missouri RB
Geno Hess was named the FedEx Ground National Offensive Player of the Week by Stats Perform on November 21 after his record setting performance against Murray State. Hess broke the OVC single-game rushing record by carrying the ball 26 times for 317 yards (12.2 ypc) and four touchdowns as the Redhawks clinched the OVC Championship. He is the first FCS player to rush for 300 yards in a game in 2022.
Dotson Named National Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 31): UT Martin sophomore defensive end
Daylan Dotson was named the FedEx Ground FCS National Defensive Player of the Week by Stats Perform for his performance in the Skyhawks 52-28 win at Houston Baptist on October 31. Dotson had five tackles, 2.0 sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and a defensive touchdown as UTM forced seven turnovers in the win Dotson played part in three sacks, one solo and combining on two others. Two of his sacks resulted in fumbles, one of which he recovered in the end zone for a touchdown.
Martin Named National Special Teams Player of the Week (Sept. 12): Lindenwood's
Andrew Martin was named the FedEx Ground FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week by Stats Perform for his performance in the Lions' 21-20 win over Houston Baptist on September 10. Martin recovered a blocked punt in the HBU end zone with 28 seconds remaining to give Lindenwood a road victory in its first game as an FCS program. The Lions trailed 20-15 when Jalen Bethany blocked the punt. Martin entered the game without a career TD, but he had two, first scoring on a four-yard run in the third quarter to pull LU to within 20-12. He finished with 49 rushing yards and also had a special teams tackle.
UT Martin Wins Sgt. York Trophy Presented by Delta Dental: The Sgt. York Trophy (founded in 2007 by the Nashville Sports Council and sponsored by Delta Dental) goes to the winner of the season football series between the OVC football-playing schools located in the state of Tennessee (originally it included four schools, but beginning in 2022 includes three schools: Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech and UT Martin). The award is named in honor of Alvin C. York, the most noted Soldier of World War I. As a corporal in the 2nd battalion, 328th Infantry, in the Battle of the Meuse River-Argonne (Oct. 8, 1918), York and seven other soldiers captured 132 prisoners, was promoted to sergeant and received the Distinguished Service Cross, the French Croix de Guerre, the French Legion of Honor, the Croce di Guerra of Italy and the War Medal of Montenegro. Upon his return to the United States in 1919, he was bestowed the Congressional Medal of Honor. UT Martin won its second-straight title by going 2-0 in 2022.
Academic Success: During the past academic year (2021-22) there were 103 OVC football student-athletes who were named to the Commissioner’s Honor Roll for having a 3.25 grade point average or higher. In addition, 10 student-athletes were awarded the OVC Academic Medal of Honor for achieving perfect 4.0 GPAs.
2022 Schedule: The 2022 OVC football schedule features the seven league members playing five Conference games apiece (the exception being new member Lindenwood who will play four; the Lindenwood/EIU game on October 16 did not count in the OVC standings). There is not a full round robin this year as most teams' non-conference schedules were full (including a previously announced non-conference scheduling partnership with the Southland Conference) when Lindenwood joined the league in February 2022.
A Look at the Coaches: Five coaches from last season return to their respective teams in 2022. Among the newcomers is first-year Eastern Illinois head coach
Chris Wilkerson, who played for the Panthers and was later an assistant coach. Also new to the league is
Jed Stugart, who begins his sixth year (fifth season) at Lindenwood, who joined the OVC on July 1. In addition to Wilkerson, Tennessee Tech’s
Dewayne Alexander is also coaching at his alma mater. The longest tenured coach in the league is UT Martin’s
Jason Simpson who enters his 17th season with the Skyhawks in 2022; Simpson is the fourth-winningest coach in OVC history.
Alexander on NCAA Committee on Ethical Conduct and Sportsmanship: Beginning this season Tennessee Tech head coach
Dewayne Alexander is on the NCAA’s Committee on Ethical Conduct and Sportsmanship. The committee's mission is to improve the condition of sportsmanship and ethical conduct in all aspects of college athletics by developing and implementing strategies that foster greater acceptance of the value of respect, fairness, civility, honesty and responsibility. Since the establishment of the committee, the group has focused on two areas: (1) provide best practices and creative tools (e.g., the RESPECT campaign) for campus and conference implementation and (2) increase the awareness and profile of the NCAA Sportsmanship Awards.
UT Martin Tabbed Preseason OVC Favorite: Coming off an OVC Championship and its first FCS Playoff victory, UT Martin has been picked as the preseason football favorites in the Ohio Valley Conference for the 2022 season. The Skyhawks picked up 10 of a possible 14 first-place votes in a poll of league head coaches and communications directors. It marked the first time the Skyhawks have been picked the preseason favorites since joining the league prior to the 1992 season. UT Martin totaled 70 points to finish ahead of Southeast Missouri (59). Murray State (51) was tabbed third, just ahead of Tennessee State (46), who also picked up a first-place vote. The poll was rounded out by Tennessee Tech (29), Eastern Illinois (20) and Lindenwood (19).
Hess and Ford Headline Preseason All-OVC Team: Southeast Missouri senior running back
Geno Hess and UT Martin graduate student linebacker
John H. Ford II were named the 2022 OVC Preseason Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year in a vote of by the league’s head football coaches and communications directors. Tennessee State and UT Martin led the way with eight selections apiece, while Eastern Illinois and Murray State had seven players apiece, Southeast Missouri had six selections, Tennessee Tech added three and newcomer Lindenwood had two players on the team. Returning players who were first- or second-team All-OVC selections last year were automatic selections to the preseason team this year.
NFL Connections: At the end of the regular season there were 13 former OVC players on NFL rosters (8 active, 4 practice squad and 1 IR). Overall the OVC has produced at least one NFL Draft Pick in 14 of the past 19 years (2003-21). In January 2020, Eastern Illinois alum Jimmy Garoppolo became just the eighth former FCS quarterback to start a Super Bowl, doing so with the San Francisco 49ers. For Super Bowl LV in February 2021, there were four participants with OVC connections including a player (Josh Pearson), a coach (Rick Christophel), an official (Jabir Walker) and a broadcaster (Tony Romo).
Romo Becomes Sixth College Football Hall of Famer With OVC Connections: In December 2021 former Eastern Illinois quarterback
Tony Romo was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame Class. Romo is the third player that played in the OVC to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame joining Jim Youngblood from Tennessee Tech and George Floyd Jr., from Eastern Kentucky. Three former head coaches from the OVC have also been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame with Roy Kidd (Eastern Kentucky), James “Boots” Donnelly (Middle Tennessee/Austin Peay) and Frank Beamer (Murray State). At EIU Romo was the winner of the 2002 Walter Payton Award as the top player in the FCS. After going undrafted in 2003, he would put together a standout NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys from 2003-16. The four-time Pro Bowl selection holds Cowboy records for career passing yards and passing touchdowns. Since retiring with the Cowboys, Romo has served as the lead color analyst for CBS’ NFL telecasts, working alongside Jim Nantz.
Let’s Get It Started: The 75th season of Ohio Valley Conference football got underway on Thursday, September 1. The OVC is made up of seven football-playing schools in 2022. Since its beginning, 15 of the 19 total schools that have played football in the league have claimed at least one championship.
I-AA No More: Although some people may still refer to it as I-AA football, the term that represents the level of Division I football in which the Ohio Valley Conference competes has been long retired. Beginning with the 2006 National Championship game, the term Football Championship Subdivision (or FCS) is to be used. Teams who play at the FCS level can offer a maximum of 63 scholarships (Football Bowl Subdivision teams can offer 85) and compete in a playoff at the end of the season to determine the national champion.
FCS All-In: Each week during the 2022 football season, "FCS All-In" will debut a new episode on ESPN+ each Friday night at 6pm CT. The program is a collaborative effort of the NCAA's 15 Division I FCS Conferences..
ESPN+: This season every Conference football game (and select non-conference contests) will be broadcast on ESPN+. This marks the fifth year of the OVC’s deal with ESPN+, the multi-sport, direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for $9.99 a month (or $99.99 per year) or as part of a bundle with Disney+ and ad-supported Hulu ($13.99/month). ESPN+ is an integrated part of the ESPN App and (on mobile and connected devices) and ESPN.com. More information can be found at
www.OVCSports.com/ESPN.