Ohio Valley Conference

Saturday, October 10
#25 Eastern Illinois at #12 Penn State, 11:00 a.m. (ESPN Classic)
*Austin Peay at Southeast Missouri, 1:00 p.m. (OVCSports.TV)
*Tennessee Tech at UT Martin, 2:00 p.m. (OVCSports.TV)
*#18 Jacksonville State at Murray State, 3:00 p.m. (OVCSports.TV)
*Tennessee State at #16 Eastern Kentucky, 5:00 p.m. (OVCSports.TV)

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This Week's OVC Highlights/Storylines
Every OVC team has now played at least one Conference game, as Tennessee State and Jacksonville State both recorded victories in their first OVC contests of the season on Saturday...Jacksonville State was dominant in its 52-7 victory over UT Martin, getting some revenge for a 1-point loss at UTM a season ago...Ryan Perrilloux accounted for four touchdowns in that game (he has 14 touchdowns over the last three weeks) and was named OVC Offensive Player of the Week for the fourth straight week (a first in OVC history)...JSU defensive back T.J. Heath picked off three passes in the game, including returning two for touchdowns; he was named National Defensive Player of the Week by the Sports Network...In its first OVC game, Tennessee State improved to 1-0 with a 23-17 home victory over Southeast Missouri...In the biggest matchup of last week, two nationally-ranked OVC teams squared off for the first time since the 2006 season; Eastern Kentucky came out on top of Eastern Illinois in the matchup, winning 36-31 to improve to 3-0 in Conference play...EKU has now won 22 of its last 23 OVC games dating back to the 2006 season...EKU defensive back Jeremy Caldwell picked off two passes in the game (returning one for a score) and forced a fumble with 12 seconds to play to seal the game (he was named National Defensive Player of the Week by College Sporting News)...In the first Sgt. York Trophy series game of the season Tennessee Tech knocked off Austin Peay 31-23 in Cookeville...Tech will play UT Martin this week, in its second Sgt. York game of the year (the series is contested between the four OVC schools from the state of Tennessee)...In other OVC action this weekend, Austin Peay is at Southeast Missouri, Jacksonville State is at Murray State and Tennessee State plays at Eastern Kentucky...Eastern Illinois steps out of OVC play to travel to Penn State (No. 12 in the FBS), a game that is on ESPN Classic...For the third straight week three OVC teams are in the Top 25 with Eastern Kentucky coming in at No. 16, Jacksonville State No. 18 and Eastern Illinois No. 25.


OVC Players of the Week

OFFENSIVE
Ryan Perrilloux, QB • Sr., 6-3, 223 • LaPlace, La. • Jacksonville State
Perrilloux posted a school-record 277.62 passing efficiency (fourth best in FCS football this season) as the 20th ranked Gamecocks topped UT Martin 52-7 in its home and Conference opener. Perrilloux completed 14-of-16 passes for 205 yards and four touchdowns while not throwing an interception or being sacked. He also rushed for 17 yards. Perrilloux had touchdown tosses of 51, 16, 4 and 51 yards and did not play much of the fourth quarter. Over the last three weeks he has accounted for 14 total touchdowns without playing significant minutes in the fourth quarter of any game. He leads Division I (FBS and FCS) in passing efficiency (199.22), is second in points responsible for (22.5/game), 14th in total offense (271.5 yards/game) and 17th in passing yards (240.25/game). He has now thrown 107 passes without an interception (dating back to last year) and has averaged 35.63 yards per touchdown pass this season (11 total touchdown passes). He has been named OVC Player of the Week four straight weeks, becoming the first player in OVC history to accomplish that feat.

Others Nominated: T.J. Pryor, Eastern Kentucky; Calvin McNairl, Tennessee State; Antonio Robinson, Tennessee Tech.

CO-DEFENSIVE
Jeremy Caldwell, DB • So., 5-10, 172 • Chattanooga, Tenn. • Eastern Kentucky
Caldwell intercepted two passes, including returning one for what proved to be the game-winning score, and forced a fumble to end the game as No. 18 Eastern Kentucky went on the road and topped No. 23 Eastern Illinois to remain perfect in the OVC (3-0). Caldwell picked off a Jake Christensen pass in the third quarter which halted a Panther drive and led to a Colonel score as EKU pulled to within 24-23 with 5:20 to play in the quarter. His most important interception of the day came with 11 minutes to play when he returned the pick 10 yards for a touchdown to notch the game-winning score. With 12 seconds left to go in the game and Eastern Illinois driving for a potential game-winning score, Caldwell forced Christensen to fumble; EKU recovered and took a knee to end the game. He also added seven tackles, a pass break-up and 78 kickoff return yards. Caldwell ranks first nationally in interceptions (1.00/game) and second nationally in passes defended (2.00/game).

CO-DEFENSIVE
T.J. Heath, DB • Jr., 6-1, 170 • Alexandria, Ala. • Jacksonville State
Heath had three interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns, in Jacksonville State’s 52-7 victory over UT Martin. Heath set the tone early as he picked off UTM quarterback Cade Thompson on the fourth play from scrimmage in the game and returned it 26 yards for a touchdown. Eight plays later Heath picked off another pass and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown, putting Jax State up 14-0 without its offense even running a play. His third pick of the game came early in the fourth quarter. Heath added three tackles and a pass break-up. Heath is the first OVC player with three interceptions in a game this season and his two returned for touchdowns set a Jacksonville State Division I record.

Others Nominated: Dedrick Miley, Tennessee Tech.

SPECIALIST
Patrick Tatum, P/K • So., 6-2, 200 • Sylvania, Ala. • Jacksonville State
Tatum scored 10 points for Jacksonville State as the nationally-ranked Gamecocks topped UT Martin 52-7 in its home and Conference opener on Saturday. He was a perfect 7-of-7 on point after attempts and also kicked a 27-yard field goal. Tatum averaged 55.7 yards on nine total kickoffs and on punting duties averaged 41.7 yards on three punts, including a long of 43 yards and one downed inside the 20-yard line. The transfer from Auburn won the award for the second week in a row.

Others Nominated: none

NEWCOMER
T.J. Pryor, QB • R-Fr., 6-2, 181 • Louisville, Ky. • Eastern Kentucky=
In his first career start, Pryor accounted for three scores to help No. 18 Eastern Kentucky to a 36-31 road victory over No. 23 Eastern Illinois. Pryor completed 19-of-30 passes for 293 yards and two touchdowns and also did it with his feet, rushing 16 times for 45 yards and another score. He helped the Colonels convert 10-of-16 (62.5%) third down opportunities as the team took over first place in the OVC standings. Pryor now ranks 14th nationally in passing efficiency (155.49) and 36th nationally in total offense (218.75 yards/game).

Others Nominated: Jeremy Ross, Austin Peay; Kenny Whittaker, Eastern Illinois; Patrick Tatum, Jacksonville State; Justin Woodlief, Southeast Missouri.

Notes From Around the Gridiron

Two of the Longest Tenured Division I Coaches to Square Off on Saturday: When Eastern Illinois travels to Penn State for Saturday’s matchup, two of the top five longest tenured coaches with the same school at the Division I level will match up with each other. Penn State coach Joe Paterno is the longest tenured active coach in Division I (at the same school), having been at Penn State since 1966. Eastern Illinois coach Bob Spoo is the fifth longest tenured coach, having been at Eastern Illinois since 1987. The two coaches have combined for 523 victories (387 by Paterno and 136 by Spoo).

Heath Named National Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 5): Jacksonville State defensive back T.J. Heath was named National Defensive Player of the Week by the Sports Network on Oct. 5 after a three interception performance against UT Martin. On the fourth play from scrimmage, the junior intercepted UT Martin quarterback Cade Thompson and returned it 26 yards for a touchdown. Just eight plays later Heath did the same thing, this time taking it 55 yards for a touchdown making the score 14-0 before Jacksonville State even ran an offensive play from scrimmage. He added his third interception in the fourth quarter and finished the game with three tackles and a pass break-up. The three interceptions was the most by a JSU player in the school’s Division I era.

Caldwell Named National All-Star By College Sporting News (Oct. 5): Eastern Kentucky defensive back Jeremy Caldwell was named a National All-Star (Defensive Player of the Week) after his performance in the Colonels road win over nationally-ranked Eastern Illinois. The sophomore intercepted two passes, including returning one for a touchdown in what proved to be the game-winning score, and forced a fumble at the end of the game to preserve the 36-31 victory. Caldwell picked off a pass in the third quarter, an interception that led to an EKU score as the Colonels trimmed the EIU lead to 24-23. With 11 minutes to play in the game, he picked off another pass and returned it 10 yards for a touchdown. With 12 seconds left in the game he forced Panther quarterback Jake Christensen to fumble as EKU recovered and took a knee to end the game. Caldwell added seven tackles, a pass break-up and 78 kickoff return yards in the game.

Eastern Kentucky Wins Battle of Ranked Conference Foes: In the first matchup of OVC ranked foes since Oct. 28, 2006 (when No. 12 UT Martin topped No. 14 Eastern Illinois 15-9), No. 18 Eastern Kentucky went to Charleston, Ill. and topped No. 23 Eastern Illinois 36-31 on Oct. 3. The very competitive game saw EKU lead 16-7 early and EIU come back to take a 24-16 in the third quarter. But the Colonels would eventually pull ahead and hold off a late Panther rally to secure the victory.

Eastern Kentucky Continues OVC Run: With its 36-31 victory over Eastern Illinois on Oct. 3, Eastern Kentucky improved to 3-0 in OVC play this season. The Colonels, who have won the last two OVC Championships, have won 22 of its last 23 OVC games dating back to the end of the 2006 season. The only blemish on that record over that stretch is a 34-20 road loss to then No. 25 Tennessee State in the squad’s OVC opener a season ago (Sept. 20, 2008). Since then EKU has rolled off 10 straight Conference victories.

Perrilloux Becomes Mr. Efficient: Jacksonville State quarterback Ryan Perrilloux has a 199.22 passing efficiency this season, which is tops at the Division I level (both FCS and FBS). In his four starts he has completed 53-of-187 passes for 12 touchdowns and no interceptions. He also has the highest touchdown percentage in the nation (13.79) as well as the highest per average completion number (11.50 yards per attempt). His 277.63 passing efficiency rating against UT Martin on Oct. 3 was the highest in the OVC since Jax State joined the league in 2003.
Three OVC Student-Athletes Named Semifinalists for Campbell Trophy: Three Ohio Valley Conference student-athletes have been named semifinalists for the 20th Anniversary William V. Campbell Trophy, the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced Thursday. The three student-athletes are Daniel Becker (Austin Peay), Derek Hardman (Eastern Kentucky) and Josh Cain (Jacksonville State). The three are among 154 semifinals for the Campbell Trophy (formerly known as the Draddy Trophy), endowed by HealthSouth, and are three of just 37 candidates from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Nominated by their respective schools, which are limited to one nominee each, semifinalists must be a senior or graduate student in his final year of eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first-team player or significant contributor, and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. Renamed this fall in honor of Bill Campbell, the chairman of Intuit, former player and head coach at Columbia University and the 2004 recipient of the NFF’s Gold Medal, the award comes with a 25-pound bronze trophy and a $25,000 post- graduate scholarship. The NFF Awards Committee will select and announce up to 15 finalists, Oct. 29. Each finalist will be recognized as part of the 2009 NFF National Scholar- Athlete Class, receiving an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship. The Campbell Trophy winner, who will have his scholarship increased to $25,000, will be announced live at the NFF’s Annual Awards Dinner, Dec. 8 at the prestigious Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. A total distribution of $277,000 in scholarships will be awarded that evening.

OVC Teams Against FBS Opponents: OVC schools are 0-7 this season against Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS, formerly I-A) opponents, although two of those games went down to the wire with a chance for the OVC team to pull off a win. In week No. 1 Eastern Kentucky had the ball on Indiana’s 5-yard line before a fumble ended what looked like to be a for-sure scoring drive. IU held on for a 19-13 victory. During week No. 2 Jacksonville State led Florida State 9-7 for most of the contest before the Seminoles came up with two scores in the final 35 seconds to win 19-9. All-time the OVC is 17-128-1 against FBS opponents. The last time an OVC team knocked off a FBS school was during the 2004 season when Eastern Illinois beat Eastern Michigan 31-28. The next game against an FBS school for an OVC team is this week (Oct. 10) when Eastern Illinois plays at Penn State.

NCAA Stat Leaders: In the latest set of NCAA statistical rankings Jacksonville State quarterback Ryan Perrilloux continues to rank first nationally in passing efficiency (199.22), a mark that leads all of Division I (FCS and FBS). He also ranks second in points responsible for (22.5/game) and 14th in total offense (271.5 yards/game). Austin Peay running back/return specialist Terrence Holt is once again first nationally in all-purpose yards (213.00/game) after a big game at Tennessee Tech. Murray State’s Derrick Townsel ranks fourth in punt returns (22.29 yards/return) while teammate Austen Lane is eighth in sacks (1.00/game). Eastern Kentucky defensive back Jeremy Caldwell is first nationally in interceptions (1.00/game) and second nationally in passes defended (2.00/game), while Tennessee Tech’s Richmond Tooley is also tied with Caldwell in passes defended. Southeast Missouri punter Doug Spada is ninth in punting (43.17 yards/punt), while Jacksonville State’s Monte Lewis is second in forced fumbles (0.60/game) and teammate Jawaan Booker is fourth in fumble recoveries (0.60/game) with Southeast Missouri’s Maurice Lyles. In national team rankings Jacksonville State is sixth in scoring offense (36.6 points/game), third in turnover margin (+2.00/game), first in fumbles recovered (12), third in interceptions thrown (1), sixth in turnovers gained (15), fourth in kickoff returns (26.61 yards/return) and second in passing efficiency (169.80). Eastern Kentucky is third in rushing defense (52.25 yards/game), seventh in passes intercepted (7), sixth in sacks (3.50/game) and sixth in tackles for loss (8.50/game). Eastern Illinois is ninth in fumbles recovered (8) and fourth in third down conversion percentage (52.38%). Murray State ranks second in punt returns (24.00 yards/return) and fifth in kickoff returns (26.48 yards/game). Tennessee Tech ranks first in fumbles lost (0) and first in fourth down conversion percentage (100%).

Spoo Now Fifth All-Time in OVC Wins: With a victory over Austin Peay on Sept. 26, Eastern Illinois head coach Bob Spoo moved into fifth place on the OVC all-time career Conference victory list. Spoo has won 61 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), Charles Murphy (73 wins at Middle Tennessee) and Jimmy Feix (67 wins at Western Kentucky) on the all-time list.

Large Crowds: Several OVC teams have played in front of large crowds this season. That includes Jacksonville State who played in front of 71,420 fans at Florida State on Sept. 12. That marked the fifth largest crowd to ever see an OVC team play. On the same day Murray State played in front of 55,510 at N.C. State and on Sept. 26 Tennessee State played Florida A&M in front of 51,950 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Those games marked the 40th time an OVC team had played in front of more than 50,000 fans. A large crowd is expected when Eastern Illinois plays at Penn State on Oct. 10, when Tennessee Tech plays at Georgia on Nov. 7 and Eastern Kentucky plays at Kentucky on the same day.

2009 Marks Third Season For Sgt. York Trophy; Second Matchup This Weekend: The 2009 season marks the third season for the Sgt. York Trophy, a challenge trophy which will go 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 2009 to claim its second trophy; the Tigers are 5-1 all-time in Sgt. York games. The first Sgt. York contest of 2009 was on Oct. 3 when Tennessee Tech topped Austin Peay 31-23. This week Tennessee Tech will play at UT Martin. The final will be the last weekend of the season (Nov. 21) when Austin Peay plays at UT Martin.

JSU’s Perrilloux Named National Weekly All-Star By College Sporting News (Sept. 28): Jacksonville State’s Ryan Perrilloux was named a National Weekly All-Star by the College Sporting News on Sept. 28. In the return to his native Louisiana, Perrilloux accounted for five touchdowns (four passing, one rushing) for the second straight week as Jacksonville State pounded Nicholls State 60-10. He finished the game 14-of-22 for 250 yards and four touchdowns (of 17, 44, 14 and 6 yards) and added 58 rushing yards and a score (38 yard rush) to account for 308 total yards of offense in just three quarters of play (he sat out the fourth quarter). He finished with a passing efficiency of 219.09, the third best total in school history. He became the first Gamecock to post back-to-back five-touchdown games in school history.

Murray State’s Harris Named National Specialist of the Week (Sept. 7): Murray State junior Marcus Harris was honored by The Sports Network on Sept. 7 as the FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week. Harris was honored after becoming the first Racer to return a kickoff and a punt for a touchdown in the same game. He accomplished the task by taking a kickoff back 86 yards with just over three minutes remaining in the third quarter to put the Racers ahead 52-10. After hauling in a 13-yard touchdown reception on the next Racers’ possession, Harris fielded a punt on his own 25 and raced untouched up the middle for the 75-yard touchdown. Harris finished the game with 83 yards on two punt returns and 125 yards on two kickoff returns. He added 17 yard receiving and finished the game with 225 all-purpose yards.

The Safety Dance: No we are not talking about the Men Without Hats song, but the Murray State defense. In the Racers season-opening victory over Kentucky Wesleyan, the defense recorded two safeties which tied the OVC (and Murray State) single-game record done three other times (most recently in 1996 by Middle Tennessee). To put it into perspective on how rare that is, only two OVC schools have had two safeties during an entire season over the last four years.

From Navy Pilot to Assistant Coach: Austin Peay’s new offensive graduate assistant coach Craig Candeto has spent the last six years in the Navy as a fighter pilot, a member of Strike Fighter Squadron 106 "Gladiators" stationed in Virginia Beach, Va., flying T-34, T-45 and F/A-18 jets. The former lieutenant retired from the Navy earlier this year and now is going from piloting a $57 million Super Hornet aircraft to taking flight as the Governors quarterbacks coach. But before his military career, Candeto was a sports star in his own right who shares an NCAA record. The Deland, Fla., native was a two-sport prep star, earning the 1999 6A Florida State High School Player of the Year award. He earned an appointment to the Naval Academy, where he enjoyed a storied athletic career. It was at quarterback where Candeto achieved his greatest stardom. In 2002, he rushed for six touchdowns in Navy’s 58-12 win against Army—those six rushing TDs matched the NCAA record for rushing TDs by a quarterback. In total, he accounted for seven TDs in the game. Candeto is one of just 26 FBS quarterback to have rushed and pass for 1,000 or more yards, respectively. He earned the 2002 and 2003 Rubino Memorial Silver Helmet award as the Outstanding Football Player at the Naval Academy. As co-captain in 2003, he quarterbacked a Navy football team that won three games in the previous three seasons and guided it to an 8-5 record and its first bowl appearance in seven years. That same Navy team led the nation in rushing. Candeto also is a member of the Navy Athletic Hall of Fame.

Eastern Kentucky Tabbed Preseason Favorite: In what was one of the most balanced votes in the history of preseason OVC balloting (five different teams got at least one first-place votes), defending champion Eastern Kentucky was tabbed the preseason favorite by the league head coaches and sports information directors. EKU received 10 of the 18 first-place votes followed by UT Martin (4 first-place votes), Eastern Illinois (2), Tennessee State (1) and Murray State (1). It marks the 17th time that the Colonels have been picked to win the OVC Championship in the preseason poll. But is being picked first in the preseason poll necessarily a good thing? In the past 30 years of preseason polls (all that were available), the preseason predicted champion has only gone on to win the OVC Championship 12 times (40.0%). In each of the last six years, the predicted champion has failed to claim the regular season title. The last time the preseason predicted champion went on to win the title was in 2002 when Eastern Illinois accomplished the feat (EIU also did that same thing in 2001).

Preseason All-OVC Team: UT Martin senior quarterback Cade Thompson, the 2008 OVC Offensive Player, was tabbed the Preseason Player of the Year this season after throwing for 2,680 yards and 24 touchdowns as a junior. Murray State senior defensive end Austen Lane was picked as the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year after ranking fourth nationally in both sacks (1.0) and tackles-for-loss (1.83) per game last season. Those two players led the selections of this season’s Preseason All-OVC Teams. Murray State had six selections to the team, the most of any OVC school. The Racers were followed by UT Martin who had five selections and Jacksonville State who had four picks. Returning players who were first-team All-OVC picks last season (8 in total) were automatic selections to the preseason team this year. The squad also included nine players who were second-team selections in 2008. Of the 26 total selections, 21 were seniors (including the entire offensive unit), four were juniors and there was one sophomore pick. All nine teams had at least one player appear on the squad.

Head Coaches All Return: For the first time since the 2004 season, every head coach in the OVC returns to coach the same team they did last season. All nine coaches are back including the Dean of OVC Coaches, Bob Spoo of Eastern Illinois. Spoo is beginning his 22nd season on the sidelines with the Panthers in 2009 (23rd season overall after missing 2006 with an illness). Spoo is the fifth longest active tenured head coach at the Division I level (tied with Virginia Tech’s Frank Beamer) and trails only Joe Paterno (at Penn State since 1966), Bob Ford (at Albany since 1973), Bobby Bowden (at Florida State since 1976) and Andy Talley (at Villanova since 1985).

Jacksonville State Ineligible for OVC Championship/Postseason Play: In May the NCAA announced the Jacksonville State University received a postseason ban due to an occasion three historic penalty of the APR (Academic Progress Rate). In accordance with OVC by-laws, since Jax State is not eligible for the NCAA postseason, they are also not eligible for the OVC Championship. Jacksonville State will still play a full Conference schedule in 2009 with wins and losses counting for both teams. They will just not be eligible for the title and will be listed at the bottom of the standings with an asterisk.

JSU’s Perrilloux on Walter Payton Award Watch List: Jacksonville State senior quarterback Ryan Perrilloux is one of 20 players named to the Preseason Walter Payton Award Watch List. The award is presented to the FCS Offensive Player of the Year. The All-OVC second-team selection last season completed 187-of-297 for 2,318 yards in 2008, which was the third-highest in school history. His 140.88 passing efficiency was ranked 27th nationally and his 244.18 yards of total offense ranked him 28th nationally. The LaPlace, La, native was named OVC Player or Newcomer of the Week seven times during the 2008 season after he led the Gamecocks to an 8-3 record. He enters his senior season as the school’s career leader in completion percentage (63.0), passing yards per game (210.7) and total offense per game (244.2). The watch list will be revised in October and again in November before the final ballot is announced. Voting from a panel of FCS sports information directors, writers, broadcasters and other football experts will be conducted after the regular season ends. Three finalists will be announced on Nov. 30 and will be invited to the 23rd annual Sports Network Awards banquet on Dec. 17 in Chattanooga, Tenn., the night prior to the NCAA Division I championship game. The Eddie Robinson Award (top FCS Coach) and Buck Buchanan Award (top FCS Defensive Player) will also be presented that night.

Murray State’s Lane on Buck Buchanan Award Watch Lists: Murray State senior defensive end Austen Lane is one of 20 players named to the Preseason Buck Buchanan Award Watch List. The Buchanan Award, established in 1995, honors the best defensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The award is named after Junious "Buck" Buchanan, the NAIA All-American and Pro Football Hall of Fame, defensive lineman who played for Grambling State from 1959 through 1962. He was selected to the NFL’s All-Time Roster, indicative of his standing as one of the greatest football players of all time. Buchanan died of cancer July 16, 1992. His uniform number, 86, was retired by Kansas City in 1992. Lane has garnered national attention after putting together a 2008 campaign that consisted of school records in sacks (12.0) and tackles-for-loss (22.0), both of which ranked among the national leaders. The efforts earned him Sporting News Fabulous 50 All-America honors, as well as Third-Team All-America honors from the Associated Press. Voting from a panel of FCS sports information directors, writers, broadcasters and other football experts will be conducted after the regular season ends. Three finalists will be announced on Nov. 30 and will be invited to the 23rd annual Sports Network Awards banquet on Dec. 17 in Chattanooga, Tenn., the night before the NCAA Division I championship game. The Walter Payton Award and the Eddie Robinson Award will also be presented that night.

Six OVC Schools Have Former FBS Quarterbacks Under Center This Season: This season there are currently six OVC schools with at least one former Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) quarterback competing for the starting job. Three of the quarterbacks are for sure the starter, including Ryan Perrilloux (LSU) starting for the second year at Jacksonville State and 2008 OVC Player of the Year Cade Thompson (South Carolina) starting for the third year at UT Martin. Two other schools have a pair of former FBS signal callers on the depth chart. That includes Eastern Illinois who has Jake Christensen (Iowa) as the starter and Bodie Reeder (Wyoming) as the backup while Tennessee Tech who has Lee Sweeney (Louisville) as the starter with Clint Brewster (Minnesota) on the bench. At Tennessee State Dominic Grooms (Missouri) is in the mix at quarterback while T.C. Jennings (Arkansas State) is the backup at Austin Peay.

FCS Playoffs: For the 13th straight season, the FCS Championship game was held in Chattanooga, Tenn., this year on Friday, Dec. 18 at Finley Stadium/Davenport Field. The playoffs will begin on Saturday, Nov. 28 and continue with second round games on Dec. 5 and semifinal contests on Dec. 11/Dec. 12 before the title game. This will mark the final year under the 16-team playoff format. In April 2008 the NCAA Board of Directors approved a new budget for the Division I Football Championships, which allowed the postseason bracket to expand from 16 to 20 teams beginning in the 2010 season. It marks the first expansion since the playoff field grew from 12 to 16 in 1997. In 2010, the field will be comprised of 10 automatic bids (up from 8 now) and 10 at-large berths (up from 8 now).

FCS Playoffs - Part 2: The OVC will be looking to get multiple teams into the FCS Playoffs for the third time in four years this season. Last year marked the first time since 2005 that just one OVC team (league champion Eastern Kentucky) made the 16-team playoff field. Two other teams (Jacksonville State and Tennessee State) finished with eight Division I victories but did not receive an at-large bid. It marked the first time since the playoffs expanded to 16 teams in 1986 that an OVC team with eight Division I teams did not receive an at-large bid. EKU lost to eventual national champion Richmond in the first round last season.

Eastern Kentucky Searches For 32nd Consecutive Winning Season, 37th Consecutive Non-Losing Season: Eastern Kentucky enters the 2009 season looking for its 32nd consecutive winning season. The team’s current streak of 31 consecutive winning season is second in Division I only to the 32-straight by Florida State. Eastern has not had a non-winning season since finishing 5-5 in 1977. The Colonels also have now had 36 consecutive non-losing seasons, as you have to go back all the way to 1972 to find a year EKU had a losing season (they were 5-6 that year, the only time in the last 42 years they have had a losing season). That streak is currently the longest in all of Division I, as the team overtook Michigan who suffered a losing season for the first time in 41 years in 2008.

The 62nd Season of Football: The 62nd season of Ohio Valley Conference football is underway this season. The OVC is made up of nine football-playing schools in 2009. Since its beginning, 14 of the 18 total schools that have played football in the OVC have claimed at least one championship.

A Look Back at the 2008 Season: For the first time in 61 years of competition, the OVC finished the 2008 season with four teams with eight overall victories. The OVC was one of just two FCS conferences to have four or more teams with eight wins (the CAA was the other, who had five teams reach eight or more wins; each of those five CAA teams made the playoffs while only one OVC school made the field). Eastern Kentucky claimed its 20th OVC Championship (the second most crowns in FCS history trailing only the CAA’s UMass who has 21; however, EKU’s 16 outright conference crowns are the most in FCS history) and second in a row. The Colonels made their 19th FCS Playoff berth (tied for most all-time with Montana) and lost to eventual national champion Richmond in the first round.

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 88 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 16-team playoff at the end of the season to determine the national champion.

OVC and SportsUnlimited Announce Launch of OVC Football Magazine: The Ohio Valley Conference has announced the launch and production of "Ohio Valley Conference Football 2009" a full-color, limited edition football magazine that previews the 2009 football season. The venture with SportsUnlimited ships in late August. Detailed feature articles on all nine OVC teams are included in the publication. For the first time, OVC football will be featured in a full-color magazine dedicated to its nine schools and suitable for display on your coffee table year round. To order your copy log onto www.collegesportsmags.com. The cost of the publication is $4.99 plus tax and shipping.

OVCSports.TV: For the fourth consecutive year, fans can watch every Conference matchup and all non-conference home contests at OVCSports.TV. The venture with 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 three 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.

NFL Connections: As of the start of the 2009 season, 15 former Ohio Valley Conference football players are on NFL rosters for the season (12 active, 2 practice squad members, one IR). Those players include former Eastern Illinois standout Tony Romo, who is the starting quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys and two-time Pro Bowl pick, defensive back Cortland Finnegan (Samford) who was a Pro Bowl selection with the Tennessee Titans last year and Tennessee State’s Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who was a starter with the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII in February. There is one player on a NFL roster who played in the OVC last season, Pierre Walters (Eastern Illinois) who is with the Kansas City Chiefs. Javarris Williams (Tennessee State) is also with the Chiefs but as a member of the practice squad to start the season, as is former Tennessee State offensive lineman Cecil Newton who is on the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad.. Six of nine current OVC schools have at least one player on a NFL roster with Southeast Missouri State leading the way with three. Several NFL coaches also have connections to OVC schools, including two current ones who played at Eastern Illinois - Brad Childress (Minnesota) and Sean Payton (New Orleans). Another EIU alumni - Mike Shanahan - is out of coaching this year but should be back with a team in 2010. UT Martin graduate and former assistant coach Jerry Reese made waves in 2007 when he led the New York Giants to the Super Bowl XLII Championship in his first season as General Manager with the franchise.