SATURDAY'S SCORES
@Eastern Kentucky 23, UT Martin 16
@#21 Tennessee Tech 49, Austin Peay 7
Murray State 35, @Southeast Missouri 34
Jacksonville State 38, @Tennessee State 16
EASTERN KENTUCKY 23, UT MARTIN 16
RICHMOND, Ky. - Junior running back Matt Denham scored the game-winning touchdown with 1:08 remaining to lift the Eastern Kentucky University football team to a 23-16 win over UT Martin Saturday at Roy Kidd Stadium. With the win, the Colonels claimed a share of the 2011 Ohio Valley Conference title.
The Colonels conclude the regular season 7-4 overall and 6-2 in the OVC. The conference title is the 21st overall for EKU and the second in four years under head coach Dean Hood. However, Tennessee Tech claimed the OVC automatic berth to the FCS playoffs with a convincing win over Austin Peay.
Eastern Kentucky scored on its first three possessions to take a 13-0 lead. Following a blocked punt, the Colonels got on the board with a 19-yard field goal from sophomore Luke Pray. Junior quarterback T.J. Pryor then found fellow junior Tyrone Goard behind the Skyhawks' defense for a 32-yard score midway through the first quarter. The Colonels moved inside the UT Martin 10-yard line on the third possession, but had to settle for another field goal.
UT Martin's only score in the first half came on a wind-aided 53-yard field goal. The Skyhawks looked ready for another score late in the second quarter until junior linebacker Kevin Hamlin came away with an interception at the EKU seven-yard line.
EKU had a chance to extend its lead on its first possession of the second half, but had a 35-yard field goal attempt blocked. The Skyhawks quickly turned the game around just three plays later when quarterback Derek Carr hit Stephen Shiver for a 62-yard touchdown strike.
The Colonels then missed numerous chances to pull away from UT Martin. Eastern was stuffed at the UTM one-yard line on 4th-and-goal on the first play of the fourth quarter. Later in the fourth, the Colonels missed on two more field goal attempts including a second blocked field goal with 7:35 remaining.
UTM finally took advantage of EKU's missed opportunities when Carr found a wide open Quentin Sims for a 44-yard touchdown pass with 2:43 left. However, the Skyhawks missed the PAT which kept the score tied at 16-all.
A pivotal UT Martin fumble in the final two minutes gave life back to Eastern Kentucky at the UT Martin 23-yard line. The Colonels would not miss on this chance as the home team found the end zone two plays later. Denham accounted for all 23 yards with a 16-yard rush followed by a seven-yard touchdown scamper around the left end.
Eastern's defense sealed the win with its fourth turnover seconds later thanks to sophomore defensive lineman Anthony Brown's sack and forced fumble. Senior Emory Attig recovered the loose ball allowing the Colonels to run out the clock.
Denham reached 100 yards rushing for the eighth consecutive game as he finished with a career-high 41 carries and 188 yards. The native of Rineyville, Ky., tallied 1,445 rushing yards this season which ranks sixth on the single season EKU charts.
#21 TENNESSEE TECH 49, AUSTIN PEAY 7
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - It was a long time coming, but the 36-year drought made Tennessee Tech's 2011 Ohio Valley Conference championship victory Saturday that much sweeter.
The Golden Eagles used a big third quarter to dispatch in-state rival Austin Peay, 49-7, en route to claiming the school's first league title since 1975.
Officially, the Golden Eagles finish in a three-way tie atop the conference with Eastern Kentucky and Jacksonville State, but by virtue of head-to-head victories over both EKU and JSU, Tech receives the OVC's automatic berth to the FCS playoffs. The Golden Eagles will find out their opponent at 9 a.m. Sunday morning via the nationally-televised selection show on ESPNU.
A crowd of 9,142 reveled in the celebration along with their team. Students swarmed the field in the game's closing seconds and Tech was presented the OVC championship trophy on the field.
Tennessee Tech fought its way through a first-half in which it lost three fumbles but still managed to lead 14-7 at the break. The Golden Eagles took firm control early in the second half, however, scoring four third-quarter touchdowns to take a 42-7 lead into the final period.
Tre Lamb faked the hand-off and found a hole off tackle, carrying in a 12-yard touchdown with 10:04 left in the third quarter to put the Golden Eagles up 21-7 and begin the barrage of Tech scoring.
The defense then did its part as Richmond Tooley intercepted a Jake Ryan pass at the Austin Peay 47-yard line. After a 27-yard carry by Dontey Gay set up the Golden Eagles at the 13-yard line, Lamb carried two yards for his third rushing touchdown of the afternoon to put Tech ahead 28-7 and well within grasp of the title.
Gay had a big day, carrying 25 times for 192 yards and eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark for the season. His two-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter also made Gay the all-time leader in single-season rushing touchdowns at Tech with 15. Gay finished the day with 1,009 yards on the year.
Gay's effort led a 346-yard rushing day for Tech. The Golden Eagles finished with 458 yards of total offense while holding Austin Peay to 255.
While Tech did most of its damage on the ground, quarterback Tre Lamb completed 7 of his 11 passes for 112 yards and one touchdown while also running for 52 yards on 14 carries.
Austin Peay was led offensively by running back Ryan White, who carried 30 times for 140 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Jake Ryan went 11-for-28 for 102 yards.
Tech got on the scoreboard first in the first quarter when Lamb capped off a 5-play, 36-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown dive. The Golden Eagles added to that lead just minutes later when Lamb completed a bomb to a wide-open Cody Matthews, who ran the rest of the way to paydirt, completing a 61-yard scoring strike.
Austin Peay finally got its offense in gear in the second quarter, launching a drive that resulted in an 18-yard touchdown scamper by White.
The Golden Eagles struggled over the rest of the second quarter. Lamb fumbled on a quarterback sneak attempt from the Austin Peay two-yard line, then lost the ball again on a carry deep inside Tech territory. Jordan Johnson and Jake McIntosh combined to turn away an Austin Peay rush attempt, however, on fourth down from the 2-yard line to maintain a 14-7 lead at the break.
With Tech holding a 28-7 lead in the third quarter, McIntosh picked off Ryan for the second time and returned it to midfield, setting up another Tech scoring drive that resulted in an eight-yard touchdown run by Cody Forbes.
TTU struck again very quickly as Luke Woodason forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff and Richmond Tooley picked it up and carried it in from 19 yards out, taking the lead to 42-7.
Gay scored Tech's final touchdown from two yards out in the fourth quarter.
MURRAY STATE 35, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 34
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Casey Brockman ran, caught and threw for touchdowns, Mike Harris surpassed 1,000 rushing yards on the season, and a failed extra point near the end of the fourth quarter for the second time in three weeks helped Murray State close out the regular season with a 35-34 win at Southeast Missouri on a cloudy and windy day at Houck Stadium in Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Tyler Evans blocked what would have been the game-tying extra point attempt with 1:03 remaining in the fourth quarter after Southeast Missouri scored on a two yard run from quarterback Matt Scheible, his third rushing score of the day.
Darrian Skinner recovered the ensuing onside kick, but the Racers gave back possession two plays later on a Harris fumble at the Southeast Missouri 44 yard line.
Scheible rushed for 16 yards into Murray State territory on the Redhawks first play with possession, carrying it to the MSU 40. Two plays later, Julian Whitehead broke up a pass to Chantae Ahamefule that would have given SEMO possession inside the Murray State 10. The MSU defense held on the last two plays of the game, forcing a turnover on downs before running out the clock to seal the one point victory.
Harris scored the Racers fifth touchdown of the game to break a 28-28 tie with 3:10 remaining in the fourth quarter. His five yard run on third-and-goal was his 13th rushing TD of the season. He eclipsed 1,000 yards on the season earlier in the possession for the first time in his career and the 10th time in school history on an 11 yard gain. He ended the game with 130 yards rushing and now has 1,018 yards on the season.
The Racers (7-4, 5-3 OVC) scored the first points of the day on the game's opening drive as Brockman scampered between the hash marks from six yards out for his fourth rushing touchdown of the season to cap a seven play, 70 yard series.
Southeast Missouri (3-8, 2-6 OVC) took advantage of a Brockman fumble later in the first quarter in Murray State territory near mid-field, eventually scoring on a seven yard toss from Scheible to Tyler French in the right side of the end zone to tie the contest at 7-7.
The Redhawks took a 14-7 lead early in the second as Scheible punched it in from a yard out.
The Racers responded quickly on their next possession, driving down the field in 10 plays and tying the game on a 23 yard screen pass to Patrick Robertson along the MSU sideline. The score was Robertson's fifth touchdown reception of the season, tying him with Walter Powell for the team lead.
Late in the first half, Dontrell Johnson got his hands on a Scheible pass, catching the deflected ball for his first interception of the season and returned it for 45 yards to the SEMO 12 yard line.
Two plays later, Brockman pitched the ball to Ricky Mitchell, who threw it back to Brockman along the Racers sideline where he plowed his way in from 10 yards out to give the Racers the lead just before halftime.
The Racers doubled their lead halfway through the third quarter on their second possession of the second half. Brockman found Dexter Barnett cutting through the middle of the field for a 29 yard touchdown pass, the second of the day through the air for Brockman and first of the season for Barnett to take a 28-14 lead with 7:12 remaining in the quarter.
Scheible helped Southeast Missouri cut the lead back to a single possession, leading the Redhawks down the field on a 13 play drive that included a pair of fourth down conversions before he picked up his second rushing touchdown of a yard on the first play of the fourth quarter to leave the Racers leading 28-21.
The Redhawks would come back to tie the game early in the fourth quarter, picking up 66 yards on a Spencer Davis end around down the far sideline to the Murray State six yard line. Southeast Missouri would pick up its fourth fourth-down conversion of the game as Scheible tossed his second touchdown of the game from a yard out to Marq Goodlitt to even the game at 28-28.
Brockman ended the game 31-of-44 passing, throwing for two touchdowns and 222 yards. He added 77 yards on 11 carries and another touchdown, averaging seven yards per carry.
Barnett led all receivers with eight catches and 62 yards. Robertson hauled in six catches for 56 yards and Ja-Vonta Trotter tallied five receptions.
Sam Small led the MSU defense with 13 tackles, with 2.5 for loss. Brandon Wicks recorded 12 tackles with Qua Huzzie the third defender to record double digit tackles with 11. Kevin Robinson topped MSU with three tackles for loss for a total of 11 yards, two of those tackles coming on sacks.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 38, TENNESSEE STATE 16
NASHVILLE - Sophomore quarterback Coty Blanchard was 15-fof-19 for 213 yards and pass for two touchdowns and rushed for another to lead Jacksonville State to its 18th Conference Championship with a 38-16 win over Tennessee State on Saturday.
The Gamecocks, 7-4 overall and 6-2 in the Ohio Valley Conference, will share the OVC Championship with Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee Tech after all three finished with identical 6-2 conference records. It marks the third OVC title for JSU and first since the 2004 season.
The Gamecock senior class became the school's Division I winningest class with a four-year record of 32-13. It's the most wins and is also tops in winning percentage, just ahead of the 2010 senior class's record of 31-14.
Senior Calvin Middleton finished with 72 yards on 15 carries, while Washaun Ealey became just the 10th player in JSU's 108-year football history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season after having 70 yards on 15 carries. Ealey now has 1,069 yards on the season and is the first Gamecock to top 1,000 yards since Clay Green in 2006.
The Gamecocks took an early lead after Ealey raced 14 yards on his first carry of the game to give JSU a 7-0 lead with 8:41 left in the first quarter.
Tennessee State got on the scoreboard after Jamin Godrey kicked a 28-yard field goal to cut the lead to 7-3 with 5:16 left, and the Tigers took the lead two plays later.
The Gamecocks fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Tennessee State recovered. Dante' Thomas raced 24 yards on the second play of the drive to give the Tigers a 10-7 lead with 4:32 left in the first quarter.
Jax State answered early in the second quarter after Blanchard raced down the right sidelines 27 yards for a touchdown to give the Gamecocks a 14-10 lead with 11:04 left.
Jacksonville State extended the lead to 17-10 after Esco kicked a 42-yard field goal with 1:23 left in the second quarter to give the Gamecocks the lead at the intermission.
Jax State extended the lead in the third quarter after Blanchard connected on a two-yard touchdown pass to Middleton to give the Gamecocks extended the lead to 24-10 with 6:49 remaining.
Tennessee State then went 74 yards and scored on the final play of the quarter when JeMarcus Sears caught a six-yard touchdown pass from Mike German to cut the lead to 24-16.
The Gamecocks then scored two late touchdowns, thanks to a Blanchard to Middleton 16-yard touchdown pass with 2:30 left in the game to make the score 31-16.
Pierre Warren then returned an interception 98 yards, the third longest in JSU history, with just 1:01 left in the game for the final margin.
Blanchard tied his career-high with two touchdown passes, while Alan Bonner led seven Gamecock receivers with 127 yards on seven receptions.
Tennessee State was led by German, who was 26-of-43 for 262 yards, but had three interceptions.