This Week's Schedule
Thursday, September 8
Maryville at Tennessee Tech, 7:00 p.m. (OVCSports.TV)
Saturday, September 10
Eastern Illinois at Northwestern, 2:30 p.m. (BTN)
Murray State at Mississippi Valley St., 4:00 p.m. (Racer TV Network)
#10 Jacksonville State at #23 Chattanooga, 5:00 p.m.
Missouri State at Eastern Kentucky, 5:00 p.m. (OVCSports.TV)
Tennessee State vs. Jackson State, 6:00 p.m. (Memphis, Tenn.)
This Week's OVC Highlights/Storylines
The first week of the 2011 season saw OVC schools go 0-4 against teams from the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), but 2-1 against teams from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS)...In FBS games Eastern Kentucky gave Kansas State all they could handle before losing 10-7 when the Wildcats scored with 1:39 to play in the game...OVC schools have six games with FBS teams remaining this season including Eastern Illinois at Northwestern this week...In FCS action Eastern Illinois topped rival Illinois State in the 100th meeting of the Mid-American Classic while Tennessee State dominated rival Southern 33-7 in the 13th annual John Merritt Classic in Nashville...TSU rushed for 342 yards in the game, a mark the was third-best nationally in week one of the 2011 season...The only OVC school to lose a non-conference FCS game was Southeast Missouri who fell 38-10 to No. 17 ranked Southern Illinois...Week one also saw an OVC game off the bat, as No. 9 Jacksonville State overcame a 13-point fourth quarter deficit to top UT Martin 24-23 in front of 17,919 fans at Burgess-Snow Field at JSU Stadium...The Gamecocks did most of it without senior quarterback Marques Ivory who was injured early in the game and will be lost for the year with a broken fibula; in his place sophomore Coty Blanchard, last year's OVC Freshman of the Year passed for 133 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 32 yards...Besides EIU playing at Northwestern, this week's games include Tennessee Tech hosting Maryville (Tenn.), Murray State playing at Mississippi Valley State, Jacksonville State (now No. 10 in the polls) traveling to No. 23 Chattanooga (in a battle of two FCS ranked teams), Eastern Kentucky hosting Missouri State and Tennessee State and Jackson State playing in the Southern Heritage Classic at the Liberty Bowl in Memphis...In addition Austin Peay, Southeast Missouri and UT Martin have bye weeks during week two.
This Week's adidas® OVC Players of the Week
OFFENSIVE
Coty Blanchard, QB/P • So., 6-0, 185 • Leesburg, Ala. • Jacksonville State
Blanchard came off the bench to replace injured starter Marques Ivory and led No. 9 Jacksonville State to a 24-23 come-from-behind victory over UT Martin in the season and OVC openers for both teams. Blanchard completed 9-of-17 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown and carried the ball nine times for 32 yards. With his team trailing 23-10 early in the fourth quarter, Blanchard found newcomer Washaun Ealey for a 43-yard touchdown strike to cut the deficit to six points. With 4:27 to play in the game he led the offense on a 9-play, 50-yard drive that was capped by a Calvin Middleton rushing score with just 38 seconds to play. On that final drive Blanchard rushed for 28 yards. As the team's punter Blanchard punted seven times for a 37.7 yards/punt average including putting three inside the UT Martin 20-yard line.
Others Nominated: Lorence Ricks, Eastern Illinois; Mike Harris, Murray State; Matt Scheible, Southeast Missouri; Trabis Ward, Tennessee State; Dontey Gay, Tennessee Tech; Derek Carr, UT Martin.
DEFENSIVE
Patrick McClellan, DB • Sr., 6-4, 212 • Maineville, Ohio • Eastern Kentucky
McClellan was part of a defensive unit that forced five Kansas State turnovers and held them to their lowest point total in more than a year as the Colonels nearly topped the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) foe before losing 10-7 in the final two minutes of the game. The senior forced two fumbles and recovered one in the third quarter that he returned 18 yards to the 1-yard line which set up EKU's lone touchdown of the night (and the first score of the game by either team). McClellan also had seven tackles (six solo) and 1.5 tackles-for-loss.
Others Nominated: Nick Martinez, Eastern Illinois; Rashad Smith, Jacksonville State; Darrell Davis, Murray State; Blake Peiffer, Southeast Missouri; Rico Council, Tennessee State; Julius McNair, UT Martin.
SPECIALIST
Jordan Berry, P • So., 6-5, 195 • Essendon, Australia • Eastern Kentucky
Berry was the key to pinning Kansas State deep in its own territory most of the night as Eastern Kentucky gave the Wildcats all it wanted before falling 10-7 in the final minutes on Saturday. Berry punted 10 times on the night and averaged 41.8 yards/punt. He had two punts that were longer than 60 yards, including a 67-yard blast in the third quarter, and four of his punts were downed inside the K-State 20-yard line.
Others Nominated: Lorence Ricks, Eastern Illinois; Gabriel Chambers, Jacksonville State; Kienan Cullen, Murray State; Cody Sandlin, UT Martin.
NEWCOMER
Washaun Ealey, RB • Jr., 5'11, 215 • Stillmore, Ga. • Jacksonville State
Making his Jacksonville State debut, the University of Georgia transfer carried the ball 13 times for a team-best 41 yards and caught a 43-yard touchdown pass as the No. 9-ranked Gamecocks overcame a 13-point fourth quarter deficit to win 24-23. With his team down 23-10 early in the fourth quarter, Ealey caught Coty Blanchard's pass and raced 43 yards to cut the deficit to just six points.
Others Nominated: A.J. Woodson, Eastern Illinois; Sam Small, Murray State; Quentin Sims, UT Martin.
Notes From Around the Gridiron
OVC Teams Versus FBS Foes: In week one of this season four OVC schools squared off in games against teams from the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS); overall OVC schools will play 10 games against FBS teams during the 2011 season. Despite going 0-4 in those games, the closest game involved Eastern Kentucky losing 10-7 at Kansas State as the Wildcats scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1:39 to play. OVC schools are 18-143-1 all-time against FBS foes. Last year the league snapped a 50-game losing streak to FBS opponents when Jacksonville State topped Ole Miss 49-48 in double overtime to begin the season. That victory was one of seven for Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) foes over FBS teams in 2010; so far two FCS teams have topped FBS teams in 2011 (Richmond beat Duke and Sacramento State beat Oregon State).
NCAA Stats Leaders: In the latest set of NCAA statistical leaders, Eastern Illinois senior Lorence Ricks leads the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) in all-purpose yards (255.0 yards/game) and third nationally in kick returns (35.25 yards/return). His teammate Jimmy Garoppolo is third nationally in points responsible for (24.00/game) and 11th in passing efficiency (177.75). Tennessee State running back Trabis Ward is sixth in rushing (141.0 yards/game). Defensively EIU senior defensive back Nick Martinez leads the country in interceptions (2.0/game) while TSU senior linebacker Rico Council is fifth in sacks (2.0/game) and tackles-for-loss (3.0/game) and Eastern Kentucky's Justin Bell is fifth in passes defended (3.0/game). As a team Tennessee State is third nationally in rushing (342.0 yards/game), third in turnover margin (+3.0/game), eighth in total offense (512.0 yards/game), 10th in rushing defense (37.0 yards/game) and 11th in scoring defense. Eastern Illinois and Eastern Kentucky are also tied with TSU for third in turnover margin (+3.0/game) while EKU is second in fumbles recovered (4) and EIU is sixth in passes intercepted (2).
OVC Teams in Top 25: Currently only one OVC team is ranked in the two major FCS polls, as Jacksonville State comes in at No. 10 in the Sports Network/Fathead.com poll (the FCS Coaches poll will not be released until Tuesday of this week). Seven of the eight other OVC schools received votes in the polls, including Eastern Kentucky, Murray State, Southeast Missouri, Eastern Illinois, UT Martin, Tennessee State and Tennessee Tech. Jacksonville State has been ranked in the Top 25 for 32 consecutive weeks (entering week No. 2 of the season).
Spoo Tied for Fourth All-Time in OVC Wins; Will Retire After 2011 Season: With a victory over Tennessee State on Nov. 6 of last season, Eastern Illinois head coach Bob Spoo moved into a tie for fourth place on the OVC all-time career Conference victory list. Spoo has now won 67 OVC games in his tenure at EIU, which has spanned the school's entire time in the OVC (1996 through the present, although he was not on the sidelines for the 2006 season). Spoo trails only Roy Kidd (207 OVC wins at EKU), Boots Donnelly (102 wins at Austin Peay and Middle Tennessee) and Charles Murphy (73 wins at Middle Tennessee) on the all-time list and he is currently tied with Jimmy Feix (67 wins at Western Kentucky). In all games as head coach since Eastern Illinois joined the OVC in 1996, Spoo has registered 91 victories, fifth-most in league history. Following the end of the 2010 season, Spoo announced he would retire at the conclusion of the 2011 season, which will be his 25th as the Panthers head coach.
Murray State's Brockman on Walter Payton Award Watch List: Murray State junior quarterback Casey Brockman is one of 20 candidates on the 2011 Walter Payton Award Preseason Watch list, released by The Sports Network and sponsored by Fathead.com. Brockman is one of 12 quarterbacks on the initial list honoring the top offensive player in the FCS. The Walter Payton Award was established in 1987, will celebrate its 25th anniversary this season and is presented annually to the most outstanding college football player on the FCS level. When the award was established, it was the only such award to be presented to an individual player in FCS football. It has since been joined by the Buck Buchanan Award, which was established in 1995 and honors the outstanding defensive player in the FCS. The OVC has had one player previously win the Walter Payton Award, when Eastern Illinois quarterback Tony Romo took home the award in 2002 after passing for 2,950 yards and 33 touchdowns while leading the Panthers to a playoff berth. The Payton Award Watch List will undergo revision during the 2011 season. Ballots will be sent to a panel of about 200 sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries after the regular season on Nov. 21. Three finalists will be announced on Dec. 1 and invited to The Sports Network/Fathead FCS Awards Presentation.
EKU's Caldwell on Buck Buchanan Award Watch List: Eastern Kentucky senior cornerback Jeremy Caldwell is one of 20 candidates on the 2011 Buck Buchanan Award Preseason Watch List released by The Sports Network and sponsored by Fathead.com. Caldwell is one of six senior defensive backs named to the list (five or which are cornerbacks). The Buchanan Award is in its 17th season and will be presented to the FCS' outstanding defensive player at the national awards banquet Thursday night, Jan. 5 in Frisco, Texas. The OVC has never had a player win the Buchanan Award. The Buchanan Award Watch List will undergo revision during the 2011 season. Ballots will be sent to a panel of about 200 sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries after the regular season on Nov. 21. The Buck Buchanan award is named for Junious "Buck" Buchanan, the NAIA All-American and Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive lineman who played for Grambling State University from 1959 through 1962. As a freshman, Buchanan came to Grambling on an "if" scholarship, to receive financial help if he played well. After a season of playing both varsity basketball and football, Buchanan decided to concentrate solely on football. By the time he finished four years at Grambling, his coach, Eddie Robinson, asserted that Buchanan was "... the finest tackle I have ever seen."
Sgt. York Trophy Enters Fifth Season in 2011: The Sgt. York Trophy is a challenge trophy which goes to the annual winner of the quadrangular season series between the four OVC institutions in the state of Tennessee (Austin Peay, Tennessee State and Tennessee Tech and UT Martin). In July 2007, the Nashville Sports Council and the Ohio Valley Conference announced the creation of the trophy, which is only the second traveling trophy involving more than two schools nationwide (the other is the Commander in Chief's Trophy). It is named after Sgt. Alvin C. York, a native of Pall Mall, Tenn. and a Soldier who was one of the most honored of World War I. He received the Congressional Medal of Honor after the war and returned to his home state to dedicate his life to improving education and facilitating educational opportunities for children in the state of Tennessee. The trophy goes to the team with the best record against the other schools, and in case of a tie there will be co-champions and the actual trophy will go to the institution that has gone the most seasons without winning the trophy. In 2007 Tennessee State and Austin Peay finished in a tie for the trophy with identical 2-1 records; both shared the award but Tennessee State went home with the hardware due to a 1-point win in the head-to-head meeting during the season. Tennessee State went 3-0 in Sgt. York play in 2008 to claim its second trophy. In 2009 Tennessee Tech claimed the trophy after going undefeated in Sgt. York games and a year ago UT Martin became the third-straight OVC team to go 3-0 and win the trophy in claiming its first title.
A Look at the Coaches: All nine head coaches from last season return to their schools in the Ohio Valley Conference this season. The Dean of OVC Coaches is Eastern Illinois coach Bob Spoo who is in his 25th and final season with the Panthers in 2011. Jacksonville State's Jack Crowe is the second longest tenured coach in the league (in his 12th season at JSU) while Murray State's Chris Hatcher and Tennessee State's Rod Reed have been at their schools the fewest years, as each are in their second seasons.
FCS Playoff Information: For the first second time this season the NCAA Division I playoff field features 20 teams (the field was upped from 16 prior to the 2010 season, which was the first expansion since the field grew from 12 to 16 teams in 1997). The field will include 10 automatic bid teams and 10 at-large selections. The eight lowest-rated teams will play in the first round, while the 12-highest rated teams will receive a bye into the second round. For the second-straight year the championship game will be played in Frisco, Texas at Pizza Hut Park, a 23,500-seat multi-purpose stadium. The Southland Conference will serve as the host of the championship, which will be held on Saturday, Jan. 7.
Preseason Forecasts: For the third time in the past four seasons Jacksonville State University was picked the favorite in the Ohio Valley Conference football race. The Gamecocks picked up 13 of the 18 first-place votes in the 2011 poll which is a vote of league head coaches and sports information directors. Jacksonville State was one of three schools to receive at least one first-place vote in the poll and the Gamecocks received 123 total points, which was 17 points ahead of second-place Murray State. The Racers received four first-place votes and were tabbed second in the poll (106). Eastern Kentucky (93) was picked third and defending champion Southeast Missouri (81) was picked fourth and received the remaining first-place vote. The poll is rounded out by Tennessee Tech (73), UT Martin (64), Eastern Illinois (57), Tennessee State (33) and Austin Peay (18). Is being picked first in the preseason poll necessarily a good thing? In the past 33 years of preseason polls (all that were available), the preseason predicted champion has only gone on to win the OVC Championship 12 times (36.4%). Over the past eight years not once has the eventual champion been predicted in the preseason poll (it was last done correctly in 2002).
Murray State's Brockman, Jacksonville State's Lewis and Tennessee State's Council Headline Preseason All-OVC Team: Murray State junior quarterback Casey Brockman was named 2011 Ohio Valley Conference Preseason Offensive Player of the Year while Jacksonville State senior defensive lineman Monte Lewis and Tennessee State senior linebacker Rico Council were tabbed OVC Preseason Co-Defensive Players of the Year in a vote on by the league's head football coaches and sports information directors. Eastern Kentucky led the way with seven selections on the preseason team while Jacksonville State and Murray State had five players apiece on the squad. Each of the league's nine teams had at least one player on the preseason squad. Returning players who were first-team All-OVC selections last season (nine in total) were automatic selections to the preseason team this year. The squad also included 10 players who were second-team selections in 2010. Of the 31 total selections, 21 were seniors, seven were juniors and three were sophomores.
NFL Connections: As of the start of the 2011 season, 14 former Ohio Valley Conference players are on NFL rosters (11 active players, 3 practice squad members). Those players include former Eastern Illinois standout Tony Romo, a three-time Pro Bowl pick, Cortland Finnegan (Samford), who has been a Pro Bowl defensive back selection with the Tennessee Titans and Tennessee State's Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who was a starter for the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, has been a Pro Bowl selection and is now in his first season with the Philadelphia Eagles. Seven of the nine current OVC football schools have at least one player in the NFL with Eastern Kentucky leading the way with three active players. Several NFL coaches also have connections to OVC schools, including two who went to Eastern Illinois, the "Cradle of NFL Head Coaches." Those coaches include Super Bowl champion Sean Payton (New Orleans) and Mike Shanahan (Washington). UT Martin graduate and former assistant coach Jerry Reese made waves in 2007 when he led the New York Giants to Super Bowl XLII in his first season as General Manager with the franchise.
I-AA No More: Although some people may accidentally 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 retired. Beginning with the 2006 National Championship game, the term Football Championship Subdivision (or FCS) is to be used. FCS is the only Division I football rank to host a NCAA-sponsored national championship (one of 89 championships the NCAA sponsors). The division formerly known as I-A was changed to Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and those teams compete for the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) national championship. Teams who play at the FCS level can offer a maximum of 63 scholarships (FBS teams can offer 85) and compete in a 20-team playoff at the end of the season to determine the national champion.
OVCSports.TV: For the sixth consecutive year, fans can watch every Conference matchup and all non-conference home contests at OVCSports.TV. The venture with NeuLion (formerly JumpTV Sports) allows fans to access live and on-demand streaming video and audio of all conference matchups on their home computer. The premium Web site was launched in July 2006 and streamed over a thousand events in its first five seasons, including all Conference matchups in football and men's and women's basketball as well as select baseball, soccer, softball and volleyball games and OVC Championship events. Packages are available on a yearly, seasonally, monthly or per-event basis.