This Week's Schedule
Thursday, September 1
Murray State at Louisville, 5:00 p.m. (ESPNU)
*UT Martin at #9 Jacksonville State, 6:00 p.m. (OVCSports.TV)
Illinois State at Eastern Illinois, 6:30 p.m. (Comcast Chicago)
Saturday, September 3
Tennessee Tech at Iowa, 11:00 a.m. (BTN)
#17 Southern Illinois at Southeast Missouri, 6:00 p.m. (OVCSports.TV)
Southern at Tennessee State, 6:00 p.m. (OVCSports.TV)
Austin Peay at Cincinnati, 6:00 p.m. (Fox Sports Ohio/ESPN3.com)
Eastern Kentucky at Kansas State, 6:00 p.m. (K-StateHD.TV)
Murray State Racers (0-0, 0-0 OVC
at Louisville Cardinals (0-0, 0-0 Big East)
Thursday, Sept. 1 • 5:00 p.m. CT
Papa John's Cardinal Stadium (55,000) • Louisville, Ky.
TV:...................................................................... ESPNU
Live Stats: http://www.uoflsports.com/gametracker/launch/gt_mfootbl.html?event=987920
Series Record:.................................. Louisville leads 11-6
Last Meeting:....................... Louisville won 73-10 (8/30/07)
Chris Hatcher at Murray State:........................... 6-5 (1 yr.)
Chris Hatcher Overall:............................... 100-32 (11 yrs.)
Charlie Strong at Louisville:................................ 7-6 (1 yr.)
Charlie Strong Overall:............................................ same
Murray State Last Week:............................................. n/a
Louisville Last Week:.................................................. n/a
GAME NOTES: The 2011 football season kicks off on Thursday night and Murray State and Louisville will be the first game shown on television, as the two teams play on ESPNU at 6:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. CT. This marks the second time in the last five years the teams have opened the the season against each other, as they also battled to open the 2007 season. All-time the Racers and Cardinals have done battle 17 times with UofL coming out on top 11 times. Murray State is 6-12 all-time against teams from the Big East Conference (the only other Big East team they have ever played is Connecticut). This year marks the 11th time since the 1969 season that the Racers have opened the season against a team from the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS); six of the previous 10 meetings to open the season against a FBS team has come in the last 11 years. Murray State is 47-35-4 all-time in season openers and 4-6 in the last decade.
SCOUTING MURRAY STATE: Murray State opens its 87th season of football on Thursday night with much higher expectation than they had in the first year under head coach Chris Hatcher in 2010. Picked last to begin the 2010 season, the Racers finished fourth overall and were 6-5 overall, marking the first winning season for the program since 2004. This season the team was picked second in the OVC preseason poll and are receiving votes in both major Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Top 25 polls. The Racers will look to junior quarterback Casey Brockman to help lead the offensive attack. Brockman is one of 20 FCS players on the Walter Payton Award Watch List after he threw for 2,442 yards and 15 touchdowns in just six starts in 2010. Those numbers helped the MSU offensive attack rank fourth nationally in passing offense (313.55 yards/game), fifth in total offense (449.73 yards/game) and fifth in scoring offense (36.09 points/game). A key part to that offensive attack is also the offensive line which returns all five starters from last year's squad. The team also has senior running back Mike Harris back this season; Harris ran for 904 yards in just nine games last year. Murray State will wear gold helmets for the first time in school history on Thursday night.
SCOUTING LOUISVILLE: Louisville begins its second season under head coach Charlie Strong who led the team to a 7-6 record and victory in the Beef O'Brady Bowl in his debut season in 2010. Louisville returns four starters on offense and seven on defense and will start Will Stein at quarterback. Stein will make his third collegiate start and first since 2009; overall he is 52-of-92 for 522 yards and one touchdown in his career. The Cardinals defense is anchored by safety Hakeem Smith who had 88 tackles last year and was named Big East Freshman of the Year. Sophomore B.J. Butler is one of three starters returning on the defensive line; Butler had 6.0 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks last year. Last season Louisville averaged 369.0 yards of total offense (175 of those coming on the ground) and allowed 311.7 yards/game on defense.
UT Martin Skyhawks (0-0, 0-0 OVC)
at #9 Jacksonville State Gamecocks (0-0, 0-0 OVC)
Thursday, Sept. 1 • 6:00 p.m. CT
Burgess-Snow Field at JSU Stadium (24,000) • Jacksonville, Ala.
TV:................................................. WJXS/OVCSports.TV
Live Stats:................. http://www.jsugamecocksports.com
Series Record:..................... Jacksonville State leads 26-6
Last Meeting:......... Jacksonville State won 30-20 (10/9/10)
Jason Simpson at UT Martin:........................ 32-25 (5 yrs.)
Jason Simpson Overall:.......................................... same
Jack Crowe at Jacksonville State:.............. 74-48 (11 yrs.)
Jack Crowe Overall:................................... 88-78 (16 yrs.)
UT Martin Last Week:.................................................. n/a
Jacksonville State Last Week:..................................... n/a
GAME NOTES: It's rare for two OVC schools to open up a season against each other but that will happen on Thursday night when No. 9 ranked Jacksonville State will host UT Martin. It marks the first time since the 2007 season that two OVC schools have played a Conference game to open the year (that season Eastern Illinois beat Tennessee Tech). It is the first time that has happened to Jacksonville State since 1979 (prior to their OVC days) and first time UT Martin has opened the year with a Conference foe since 1999 (WKU). The two teams have played 32 times previously with Jacksonville State winning 26 of those, including the last two. UT Martin last won in the series in 2008, a 31-30 victory in a rainy home game. New Jacksonville State defensive coordinator Chris Boone spent the last five seasons in the same position at UT Martin before joining the Gamecocks staff. In addition Gamecock cornerbacks coach Brandon Cooper played for UTM from 2003-06 and coached for three years with the Skyhawks prior to this season. Jacksonville State is opening the season at home on a Thursday night for the first time since 2005.
SCOUTING UT MARTIN: UT Martin was picked sixth in the preseason OVC poll of head coaches and sports information directors and is coming off a 6-5 campaign under head coach Jason Simpson, who enters his sixth season with the program. Simpson will look to junior quarterback Derek Carr to spark the Skyhawks offense attack. Last season Carr passes for an OVC-best 2,543 yards, the fifth-most yards in UTM single-season history. In the backfield running back Jason McNair is just 161 yards away from becoming the seventh player in school history to rush for 1,000 or more yards in a career. On the defensive side of the ball Darrin Nalls enters the season with 11 career tackles-for-loss and six career sacks. UTM is opening the season with a nationally-ranked opponent; last season the Skyhawks lost to a pair of nationally-ranked teams in No. 3 Jacksonville State (30-20) and No. 11 Southeast Missouri (24-17).
SCOUTING JACKSONVILLE STATE: After finishing second in the OVC a year ago and hosting a home playoff game, the expectations are once again high for Jacksonville State this season. The Gamecocks are currently the only OVC team in either of the two FCS Top 25 polls and JSU was picked as the preseason favorite in a vote of league coaches and sports information directors. The team opens its 108th season of football this season and had five players named preseason All-OVC, including defensive lineman Monte Lewis who was named Preseason OVC Co-Defensive Player of the Year. The Gamecocks also return quarterback Marques Ivory (who passed for 2,248 yards last year) and backup quarterback and starting punter Coty Blanchard who was the OVC Freshman of the Year in 2010. Jacksonville State is 44-18-3 all-time in home openers ate Paul Snow Stadium (since 1946). Last season the program unveiled a $47 million dollar expansion to the stadium and finished the year averaging 17,330 fans per game, which ranked seventh among FCS programs.
Illinois State Redbirds (0-0, 0-0 MVFC)
at Eastern Illinois Panthers (0-0, 0-0 OVC)
Thursday, Sept. 1 • 6:30 p.m. CT
O'Brien Field (10,000) • Charleston, Ill.
TV:................................ Comcast Chicago/OVCSports.TV
Live Stats:.......... http://www.sidearmstats.com/eiu/football
Series Record:......................... Illinois State leads 51-39-9
Last Meeting:................. Illinois State won 27-23 (11/13/10)
Brock Spack at Illinois State:........................ 12-10 (2 yrs.)
Brock Spack Overall:.............................................. same
Bob Spoo at Eastern Illinois:................ 142-122-1 (24 yrs.)
Bob Spoo Overall:................................................. same
Illinois State Last Week:.............................................. n/a
Eastern Illinois Last Week:........................................... n/a
GAME NOTES: Eastern Illinois and Illinois State will meet for the 100th playing of the Mid-American Classic on Thursday night. This season marks the first time they will be playing for a traveling trophy which was announced earlier this summer when the rivalry was re-branded with the Mid-American Classic moniker. Illinois State leads the all-time series 51-39-9 including winning 27-23 in Normal last season (a game that ended the season for both teams). The two programs first met back in the 1901 season. Eastern Illinois head coach Bob Spoo, who enters his final season on the sidelines this year, is 10-10-1 all-time against the Redbirds. This year marks the fourth in a row that EIU has opened the season on a Thursday night. Overall EIU and ISU have met eight times to open a season, with Eastern holding a 6-2 advantage in those season-opening games. Illinois State head coach Brock Spack was an assistant coach under Spoo at Eastern Illinois; he is now in his third season with Illinois State.
SCOUTING ILLINOIS STATE: Illinois State is led by quarterback Matt Brown who is in his third season as the signal caller for the Redbirds. Last season Brown threw for 2,665 yards and 22 touchdowns and is the top returning passer in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. Senior center Cal McCarthy, who will snap the ball to Brown, is a preseason All-MVFC selection. On the defensive side of the ball linebacker Josh Howe led the team with 112 tackles while defensive tackle Eric Brunner had 9.5 tackles-for-loss a year ago. The Redbirds were picked fifth in the Missouri Valley Football Conference preseason poll.
SCOUTING EASTERN ILLINOIS: As Eastern Illinois begins the 25th and final season under head coach Bob Spoo, the Panthers are looking to finish better than seventh place finish they were predicted to finish in a preseason vote of coaches and sports information directors around the league. EIU finished last season just 2-9 overall (and 2-6 in the OVC); the team did finish last season strong, winning two of its final three games of the 2010 season. Eastern Illinois returns senior linebacker Cory Leman, who is the leading returning tackler in the OVC last season (95). The squad also has a pair of preseason All-OVC selections in senior offensive lineman Eric Zink and junior defensive end Artavious Dowdell (12.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks in 2010). At quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo enters his sophomore season as the starter after taking over that role midway through his freshman season. Garoppolo passed for 1,639 yards and 14 touchdowns a season ago.
Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (0-0, 0-0 OVC)
at Iowa Hawkeyes (0-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
Saturday, Sept. 3 • 11:00 a.m. CT
Kinnick Stadium (70,585) • Iowa City, Iowa
TV:........................................................................... BTN
Live Stats: http://www.hawkeyesports.com/gametracker/launch/gt_mfootbl.html?event=979854
Series Record:............................................. First meeting
Last Meeting:.............................................................. n/a
Watson Brown at Tennessee Tech:.............. 18-27 (4 yrs.)
Watson Brown Overall:......................... 112-178-1 (26 yrs.)
Kirk Ferentz at Iowa:................................... 89-60 (12 yrs.)
Kirk Ferentz Overall:.................................. 101-81 (15 yrs.)
Tennessee Tech Last Week:........................................ n/a
Iowa Last Week:......................................................... n/a
GAME NOTES: A sellout crowd of 70,585 fans are expected to be on hand at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday as Tennessee Tech and Iowa square off for the first time. Iowa has won 10-straight season openers while Tennessee Tech is 2-2 in season opening games over the last four years. Tennessee Tech is opening the season against a team from the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) for the second year in a row (they lost at Arkansas last year). Overall the Golden Eagles are 0-25 against FBS teams since 1984. This marks the second-straight season that Iowa has played a team from the OVC; the Hawkeyes topped Eastern Illinois 37-7 last season in its first-ever matchup against an OVC team.
SCOUTING TENNESSEE TECH: Tennessee Tech begins its fifth season under head coach Watson Brown who is in his 27th season overall as a collegiate head coach. The Golden Eagles return 21 starters from last season including everyone on offense. The team's top offensive player is senior All-American Tim Benford who enters the campaign needing only six catches to move into the OVC's career receptions Top 10. Benford is ranked as one of the top 10 wide receivers in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) by the Sports Network. Benford will catch passes from junior Tre Lamb who played in seven games a season ago while passing for 10 touchdowns. After coming from behind to top No. 4-ranked Jacksonville State in its season finale last season, Tennessee Tech switched its offensive formation to a spread offense it has named the "Fastest 60 Minutes in Football."
SCOUTING IOWA: Iowa is coming off an 8-5 season that saw the Hawkeyes finish 4-4 in the Big Ten and top Missouri 27-24 in the Insight Bowl. It marked the team's ninth bowl game in the past 10 years. Head coach Kirk Ferentz enters his 13th year at Iowa and 16th year overall as a collegiate head coach. The Hawkeyes are receiving votes in both the USA Today Coaches Poll and Associated Press Top 25 poll. Iowa has five starters returning on each offense and defense as well as a pair of kickers. Junior James Vandenberg is set to take over the quarterback duties from Ricky Stanzi who graduated last season. Iowa is 89-31-2 all-time in season-opening games, including 10-2 under Ferentz. Iowa is 21-1 overall in its last 22 non-conference contests.
Southern Illinois Salukis (0-0, 0-0 MVFC)
at Southeast Missouri State Redhawks (0-0, 0-0 OVC)
Saturday, Sept. 3 • 6:00 p.m. CT
Houck Stadium (10,000) • Cape Girardeau, Mo.
TV:........................................................... OVCSports.TV
Live Stats:........................... http://www.GoSoutheast.com
Series Record:............... Southeast Missouri leads 37-31-8
Last Meeting:........ Southeast Missouri won 24-21 (9/18/10)
Dale Lennon at Southern Illinois:................... 25-11 (3 yrs.)
Dale Lennon Overall:................................. 127-43 (14 yrs.)
Tony Samuel at Southeast Missouri:............. 22-35 (5 yrs.)
Tony Samuel Overall:.................................. 56-92 (13 yrs.)
Southern Illinois Last Week:......................................... n/a
Southeast Missouri Last Week:.................................... n/a
GAME NOTES: Regional rivals Southern Illinois and Southeast Missouri State battle for the 77th time on Saturday night in Cape Girardeau. Southeast Missouri holds a 37-31-8 advantage in the series including a 24-21 victory a season ago. Southern Illinois entered that game ranked fifth nationally and jumped out to a 21-3 advantage late in the third quarter. But Southeast Missouri added a touchdown late in the third quarter and then All-American Henry Harris rushed for two fourth quarter touchdowns, including a 67-yarder to clinch it with 3:41 to play, to give the Redhawks the victory. Harris finished the game with 142 rushing yards. The victory snapped a four-game losing streak in the series for Southeast.
SCOUTING SOUTHERN ILLINOIS: After starting last season high in the national polls, SIU finished the year with a 5-6 overall record (its first losing season since 2002) but was 4-4 (tied for third) in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. Overall the team has 75 victories since 2003, the third-most among all FCS programs. This season, the 99th of football for the Salukis, the team returns 14 starters (six offensive, six defensive, two specialists) and was picked third in the preseason MVFC poll. Southern Illinois has named junior Paul McIntosh its starting quarterback; McIntosh has seven starts over the last two seasons including passing for 231 yards and three touchdowns and rushing for 222 yards and another score last season. Offensive linemen Bryan Poemer and David Pickard and defensive back Mike McElroy were all named preseason MVFC selections.
SCOUTING SOUTHEAST MISSOURI: Southeast Missouri will look to continue on the momentum the program established a season ago when they were 9-3 overall, won the OVC Championship and made its first playoff appearance at any level of football in its 104-year history. After a season-opening loss at Ball State last season, the Redhawks topped Murray State before going on the road to top Southern Illinois, who was ranked fifth-nationally at the time. That win put the Redhawks on the national map and the squad had a nine-game winning streak that went to the last week of the regular season. Southeast would eventually lose to eventual national champion Eastern Washington in the second round of the FCS Playoffs. Head coach Tony Samuel was named the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year for leading the transformation of the Redhawk program. Although the team lost several key players from last year, Southeast Missouri was picked fourth in the OVC preseason poll and returns first-team All-OVC quarterback Matt Scheible. Scheible completed 59.9 percent of his passes last season for 1,246 yards and eight touchdowns and rushed for 887 yards and seven scores. His 73.9 rushing yards/game ranked him third overall in the league. Overall the team averaged 265.1 rushing yards/game. Also returning is defensive back Tylor Brock who has been named a preseason All-American by several different outlets. Brock had six interceptions (two of which he returned for touchdowns) a season ago.
Southern Jaguars (0-0, 0-0 SWAC)
at Tennessee State Tigers (0-0, 0-0 OVC)
Saturday, Sept. 3 • 6:00 p.m. CT
LP Field (68,798) • Nashville, Tenn.
TV:........................................................... OVCSports.TV
Live Stats: http://www.tsutigers.com/liveStats/liveStats.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=19600
Series Record:................... Tennessee State leads 26-12-2
Last Meeting:....................... Southern won 21-17 (9/19/09)
Stump Mitchell at Southern:.............................. 2-9 (1 yr.)
Stump Mitchell Overall:................................ 10-33 (4 yrs.)
Rod Reed at Tennessee State:......................... 3-8 (1 yrs.)
Rod Reed Overall:.................................................. same
Southern Last Week:................................................... n/a
Tennessee State Last Week:........................................ n/a
GAME NOTES: The 13th annual John Merritt Classic (JMC) will feature the host Tennessee State Tigers and the Southern Jaguars on Saturday at LP Field in Nashville. It marks the second time the two teams have squared off in this event in Nashville as the Jags came to Nashville in 2008 as TSU scored a 34-32 victory behind future pro running back Javarris Williams. Overall the Tigers and Jaguars have met 40 previous times on the field, which the last meeting coming in 2009 in Baton Rouge as Southern won 21-17. Overall Tennessee State is 7-5 in JMC games, having won two of its last three in the Classic. Last season TSU topped Alabama A&M in the JMC, as Jeremy Perry was named the Offensive MVP and Eugene Clifford was tabbed the Defensive MVP of the game.
SCOUTING SOUTHERN: Southern returns 45 letterwinners, seven offensive and six defensive starters from last year's team that was 2-9 overall and 1-8 in the SWAC. Lyvonia "Stump" Mitchell returns for his second season as head coach of the Jaguars after coaching running backs with the Washington Redskins where he tutored Clinton Portis. Mitchell also spent time with the Seattle Seahawks (1999-2007) as a running backs coach. Despite posting the worst record in SU football history last year, the team was close in several of the losses, losing three games by a touchdown or less. True sophomore Dray Joseph will be the team's starting quarterback; Joseph passed for 1,117 yards and five touchdowns in 10 games in 2010. The Jags offense line includes three returning players from last season, including All-SWAC selection Ramon Chinyoung.
SCOUTING TENNESSEE STATE: Despite going winless in the OVC a season ago in the first season under head coach Rod Reed, Tennessee State was very competitive last season and lost five games by a touchdown or less including a two-point road loss to OVC champion Southeast Missouri. Most of the team's losses came late in the season after the team lost All-American running back Preston Brown. Brown was a second-team All-OVC selection despite playing in only five games before his injury as he rushed for 760 yards in those contests. Dante' Thomas, who returns this season, got most of the rushes after Brown went down and finished the year with 793 yards and six touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball TSU returns senior linebacker Rico Council who was named the OVC Preseason Co-Defensive Player of the Year. Last season Council had 79 tackles, 6.0 tackles-for-loss and 4.0 sacks to key the Tigers defensive unit. He had a career-high 15 tackles in the team's loss to Southeast Missouri.
Austin Peay Governors (0-0, 0-0 OVC)
at Cincinnati Bearcats (0-0, 0-0 Big East)
Saturday, Sept. 3 • 6:00 p.m. CT
Nippert Stadium (35,000) • Cincinnati, Ohio
TV:..................................... Fox Sports Ohio/ESPN3.com
Live Stats: http://www.gobearcats.com/gametracker/launch/gt_mfootbl.html?event=996393
Series Record:................................... Cincinnati leads 4-0
Last Meeting:........................ Cincinnati won 42-10 (9/4/93)
Rick Christophel at Austin Peay:................... 15-29 (4 yrs.)
Rick Christophel Overall:......................................... same
Butch Jones at Cincinnati:.................................. 4-8 (1 yr.)
Butch Jones Overall:................................... 31-21 (4 yrs.)
Austin Peay Last Week:.............................................. n/a
Cincinnati Last Week:.................................................. n/a
GAME NOTES: Austin Peay will travel to Cincinnati for the fifth all-time meeting with the Cincinnati Bearcats. The two teams have not played since the 1993 season when UC won 42-10. The teams also met during the 1985, 1987 and 1988 seasons. Austin Peay has never scored more than 10 points against Cincinnati in a single game.
SCOUTING AUSTIN PEAY: The fifth season under head coach Rick Christophel will begin with a matchup against Cincinnati from the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). Last season the Governors played two FBS opponents, losing at Wisconsin and Middle Tennessee State. Those two games were the first against FBS foes for the Govs since the 1996 season (when the team left the OVC to play non-scholarship football for a decade before returning in 2007). Cincinnati is one of two FBS teams on the schedule for APSU this year as the team will battle in-state foe Memphis in two weeks. This year the Governors return 47 letterwinners including seven offensive and nine defensive starters. Among the returnees is senior running back Ryan White who enters the season ranked fifth all-time in Austin Peay rushing history (2,450 yards). White rushed for 769 yards and four touchdowns as a junior which was one year after leading the OVC in rushing with 1,081 yards. He will rush behind an offensive line that includes preseason All-OVC selection Tim Schmid (offensive center). On defense senior safety Amius Smith is back after recording 82 total tackles last season, a mark that ranked ninth per game in the OVC (7.5). On special teams junior Stephen Stansell is back one season after connecting on two 50-plus yard field goals.
SCOUTING CINCINNATI: Cincinnati begins the second year under head coach Butch Jones in 2011. Last season the team was 4-8 overall and 2-5 in the Big East and this season returns five offensive and 11 defensive starters including the Big East's top returning passer, receiver, rusher, tackler and leader in all-purpose yards. The Bearcats return senior quarterback Zach Collaros who passed for 2,902 yards and 26 touchdowns last season on his way to first-team All-Big East honors. Tailback Isaiah Pead scored six touchdowns and rushed for 1,029 yards last season while senior linebacker J.K. Schaffer had 110 tackles in 2010. Wide receiver and return specialist D.J. Woods averaged 154.9 all-purpose yards/game last season and earned second-team All-Big East honors.
Eastern Kentucky Colonels (0-0, 0-0 OVC)
at Kansas State Wildcats (0-0, 0-0 Big 12)
Saturday, Sept. 3 • 6:00 p.m. CT
Bill Snyder Family Stadium (50,000) • Manhattan, Kan.
TV:............................................................ K-StateHD.TV
Live Stats: http://kstatesports.cstv.com/gametracker/launch/gt_mfootbl.html?event=988656
Series Record:............................................. First meeting
Last Meeting:.............................................................. n/a
Dean Hood at Eastern Kentucky:.................. 19-15 (3 yrs.)
Dean Hood Overall:............................................... (same
Bill Snyder at Kansas State:................... 149-80-1 (19 yrs.)
Bill Snyder Overall:................................................. same
Eastern Kentucky Last Week:...................................... n/a
Kansas State Last Week:............................................ n/a
GAME NOTES: Eastern Kentucky and Kansas State are meeting for the first time in program's history on Saturday. It also marks the first game against a Big 12 opponent for the Colonels. It marks the 12th-straight year that Eastern Kentucky has squared off with a team from the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS); EKU is 4-16 all-time against FBS foes with its last win coming over Louisville in the 1985 season. This marks the sixth consecutive season (and 10th time in 11 years) that the team has gone on the road to begin the year. Overall EKU has lost 10-straight season-opening games. Eastern has lost 18 consecutive non-conference road games dating back to the 2002 season (9 of the 18 losses have come to FBS teams).
SCOUTING EASTERN KENTUCKY: Eastern Kentucky enters the 2011 season picked to finish third in the OVC and the Colonels are receiving votes in both FCS Top 25 polls. The team ended last season winning its last four games and returns nine offensive and seven defensive starters. Among those starters is junior quarterback T.J. Pryor who led EKU in rushing last season (505 yards) while also throwing for 1,613 yards. Pryor, however, is doubtful for Saturday's game due to a hand injury suffered in a preseason scrimmage on August 20. If Pryor cannot play on Saturday the starting signal caller duties will fall to either Jared McClain or Travis Carlyle who are both true freshmen. Another returning player who was expected to make an impact this season was wide receiver Orlandus Harris who had 940 receiving yards and seven touchdowns last season; Harris, however, suffered an injury prior to the season and is expected to miss the entire season. On defense the team returns defensive back Jeremy Caldwell who is one of 20 FCS players on the Buck Buchanan Award Watch List (the award is given to the top defensive player in the FCS). Last season Caldwell scored touchdowns via kick return, punt return and interception return and set an EKU single-season record for kickoff return yardage (33.7 yards/return - which was second nationally).
SCOUTING KANSAS STATE: Kansas State begins its 20th season under legendary head coach Bill Snyder on Saturday. The Wildcats return 30 letterwinners from last season's team that was 7-6 overall, 3-5 in the Big 12 and lost to Syracuse by two points in the Pinstripe Bowl. This year's starting quarterback is Collin Klein who saw some action last season and completed 11-of-18 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 432 yards and six scores. Defensively the team has a pair of tackles returning up-front in Raphael Guidry and Ray Kibble. K-State has an 18-game winning streak in season openers under Snyder; the team has not lost an opener under him since 1989 (Arizona State). The Wildcats are 111-26-1 (80.8%) at home over the past 20 seasons.