Bob Belvin has broadcast games across the OVC for over a decade, and served as host of league Media Day events. Each week this season he will share his thoughts and opinions on matchups and happenings around the OVC and FCS.
With only two weeks remaining in the regular season, several teams remain in contention for the league's automatic berth in the FCS Playoffs.
Lindenwood at UT Martin may have the biggest impact on the conference title race, while Gardner-Webb at Western Illinois is nearly as significant with Western Illinois still firmly in championship contention. Heading into Week 11, Southeast Missouri, Western Illinois, and Lindenwood are all battling near the top of the league standings. Enjoy another exciting Saturday of Ohio Valley Conference football as the march toward the FCS Playoffs continues.
Southeast Missouri at Charleston Southern
2:00pm ET, ESPN+ | Charleston, S.C.
Southeast Missouri heads to the Lowcountry this weekend among the conference contenders and will look to keep pace in a crowded field near the top of the standing. Charleston Southern is seeking a late-season upset on its home field after a challenging conference slate. The Redhawks have been one of the league's most consistent teams this season and cannot afford a stumble. CSU will honor 15 seniors in pre-game including Steve “Tackles” Zayachowsky. HC Gabe Giardina got a bit sentimental this week when talking about him saying, “he looked like a surfer and now 300 tackles later here we are.” Giardina added he had been on the job for only about six hours when they first met.
Eastern Illinois at Tennessee State
2:30pm CT, ESPN+ | Nashville, Tenn.
Eastern Illinois travels to Nashville looking to strengthen its position in the middle of the conference standings. Tennessee State will be playing in front of the home crowd at Nissan Stadium and searching for its first conference victory. The Panthers will attempt to build momentum heading into the season's final week, while the Tigers hope to finish strong under the bright lights. EIU Head Coach Chris Wilkerson noted this week his teams drop in sacks and tackles for loss allowed have been “a real collective effort to reduce the amount of sacks his team has given up this season, among the offensive line, running backs and even wide receivers knowing their reads and responsibilities.” Wilkerson on TSU: “offensively they have great skill on the perimeter and their quarterback is a real problem, an accurate passer who can makes play with his feet.” TSU Head Coach Reggie Barlow noted, “They’ve got good two running backs and we haven’t stopped the run well this season.” On then Barlow dropped a reference not heard lately in the OVC adding EIU QB Cole LaCrue reminds him in part to EIU great Tony Romo.
Lindenwood at UT Martin
2:00pm CT, ESPN+ | Martin, Tenn.
One of the week's most important conference matchups features Lindenwood at UT Martin. The Lions enter the weekend in the thick of the conference title chase. Expect a physical contest between two teams familiar with one another after several competitive meetings in recent seasons. Lindenwood HC Jed Stugart noted in this week’s Media Zoom that his team “has matured and become veterans this season” and has understood how to endure the process and not necessarily “love” the process of being a football player. He added his staff was able to “pinpoint things” and let left the matter up to the team to respond to and resolve. UT Martin will play teams ahead of them in the standings in the next two weeks giving them a chance to claim the title. UT Martin HC Jason Simpson took an opportunity this week to congratulate 5th year senior LaMarion Pearce who scored last week on a 57-yard pick six. Simpson added that Lindenwood is a program that “has gotten better every year in the league and that they have a lot of high school players that have been in the program for a long time and that leads to a lot of familiarity and knowledge” that factors into their success.
Gardner-Webb at Western Illinois
1:00pm CT, ESPN+ | Macomb, Ill.
Western Illinois enters the weekend tied among the conference frontrunners and controls much of its playoff destiny. Gardner-Webb will attempt to play spoiler and earn a key road victory in Macomb. The Leathernecks have been one of the conference's hottest teams in recent weeks, making this a critical game in the championship race. Gardner-Webb goes from one contender (Lindenwood) to another in successive weeks. Head Coach Pete Bennett said the loss to LU came down to six plays, noting, WIU QB Kennedy McGill “is one of the best, if not the best player we’ve seen all season and the thing that stands out to me the most is how physical he is as a quarterback.” GWU LB Tre Yanez tallied 19 tackles last week capturing the OVC Defensive Player of the Week award for the third time this season. Bennett called him “a student of the game." WIU is averaging 37 points per game in the recent three game win streak with HC Joe Davis calling it “ a team statistic requiring a collective effort on that side of the ball” which began in January and is manifesting itself in November.