This Week's Schedule
Saturday, September 11
Central Arkansas at #22 Eastern Illinois, 1:30 p.m. (OVCSports.TV)
Eastern Kentucky at Louisville, 2:30 p.m. (WHAS-TV/ESPN3.com)
Chattanooga at #5 Jacksonville State, 6:00 p.m. (OVCSports.TV)
*Southeast Missouri at Murray State, 6:00 p.m. (Wazoo/OVCSports.TV)
Tennessee State vs. Jackson State, 6:00 p.m. (Memphis) (FS South)
Tennessee Tech at #6 TCU, 6:00 p.m.
UT Martin at Southeastern Louisiana, 6:00 p.m.
Austin Peay at Middle Tennessee, 6:00 p.m.
This Week's OVC Highlights/Storylines
In what was arguably the league's biggest win since Eastern Kentucky claimed the 1982 I-AA National Championship, Jacksonville State went on the road and topped SEC foe Ole Miss 49-48 in double overtime on Saturday...The win was the first for an OVC team over an SEC squad since the OVC was formed in 1948; prior to that OVC teams had been 0-22 against SEC teams (prior to the OVC being formed Southeast Missouri topped Ole Miss in 1907 and Tennessee Tech tied Vanderbilt in 1939)...The win was also the first for an OVC team over a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponent since 2004 (when Eastern Illinois beat Eastern Michigan) and snapped a 50-game losing streak to FBS opponents by OVC schools...Jacksonville State had entered the week ranked No. 17 in the FCS Top 25 polls and vaulted to No. 5 in the Sports Network poll (No. 6 in FCS Coaches) on Monday, the highest ranking for an OVC team since Western Kentucky ended the 2000 season at No. 5...JSU will host Chattanooga this Saturday in a game that will open the new expansion at Burgess-Snow Field at JSU Stadium; Chattanooga is coming off a near upset of Appalachian State last Saturday...This week will include three more games against FBS foes as Eastern Kentucky plays at Louisville, Austin Peay is at Middle Tennessee and Tennessee Tech plays at No. 6 TCU...It also marks the start of Conference play at Southeast Missouri State travels to Murray State for an OVC game.
OVC Players of the Week
CO-OFFENSIVE
Marques Ivory, QB • Jr., 6-1, 235 • Warner Robins, Ga. • Jacksonville State
Coty Blanchard, QB/P • Fr., 6-0, 180 • Leesburg, Ala. • Jacksonville State
The quarterback duo of Ivory and Blanchard led Jacksonville State to a 49-48 double-overtime win at Ole Miss, the first win for an OVC team over a SEC school since the OVC was formed in 1948. The starter Ivory was 13-for-23 for 126 and two touchdowns while true freshman Blanchard was 9-for-13 for 126 yards and two touchdowns. The duo led the Gamecocks to five straight touchdowns to end the game, as JSU trailed 31-13 entering the fourth quarter. Jax State outscored the Rebels 21-3 in the final quarter behind the two-quarterback attack. Blanchard had a four-yard touchdown with 6:17 left to cut the lead to 31-26 and Ivory had a 19-yard score to Alan Bonner with 18 seconds left to make the score 34-32. Ivory then completed a 2-point conversion pass to La'Ray Williams to force overtime. Each quarterback scored a touchdown in overtime, as Ivory connected for a 7-yard score in the first overtime, and Blanchard completed a 30-yard pass on 4th and 15 in the second overtime. Blanchard then completed a two-point conversion pass to Calvin Middleton to win the game (and earn No. 2 play of the day honors on SportsCenter. The Gamecocks duo did not throw an interception in the game.
Others Nominated: Terrence Holt, Austin Peay; T.J. Pryor, Eastern Kentucky; Jeff Ehrhardt, Murray State; Henry Harris, Southeast Missouri.
DEFENSIVE
Rodney Garrott, LB • Jr., 6-1, 255 • Huntsville, Ala. • Jacksonville State
Garrott played every snap in Jacksonville State's double overtime victory over Ole Miss. The junior tallied 13 total tackles (8 solo), 2.5 tackles-for-loss and forced a fumble. The forced fumble in the first quarter was recovered by a teammate and returned for a touchdown (the Gamecocks first score). He was part of the defensive unit that held the Rebels to just a field goal in the second half as Jax State rallied from a 21-point deficit to tie the game at 34 at the end of regulation. Ole Miss tallied just 54 yards in the third quarter and 52 yards of offense in the fourth quarter.
Others Nominated: Antonio Faulkner, Austin Peay; Nick Martinez, Eastern Illinois; Justin Woodlief, Southeast Missouri; Rico Council, Tennessee State.
SPECIALIST
Rayshawn Weatherspoon, KR • R-Fr., 6-1, 177 • S. Pittsburgh, Tenn. • Tennessee State
The redshirt freshman returned the opening kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown to spark Tennessee State in its 27-14 victory over Alabama A&M in the John Merritt Classic. The return put the Tigers up 6-0 just 14 seconds into the game and helped TSU build a 27-0 halftime lead on its way to the victory. The kickoff return was the longest-ever in the 12-year history of the John Merritt Classic. The defensive back also had a tackle and four pass break-ups in the contest.
Others Nominated: Stephen Stansell, Austin Peay; Logan O'Connor, Eastern Kentucky; Coty Blanchard, Jacksonville State; Kienan Cullen, Murray State; Drew Geldbach, Southeast Missouri; Joe Hook, UT Martin.
NEWCOMER
Coty Blanchard, QB/P • Fr., 6-0, 180 • Leesburg, Ala. • Jacksonville State
Blanchard was instrumental in leading Jacksonville State to a 49-48 double-overtime victory over Ole Miss on Saturday. Splitting time at quarterback, the true freshman was 9-for-13 for 126 ayards and a pair of touchdowns. Blanchard made back-to-back big plays in the second overtime, completing a 30-yard touchdown pass to Kevyn Cooper in the back of the end zone on 4th and 15 to pull the Gamecocks to within one then completing a two-point conversion pass to win the game; the plays earned him the No. 2 play of the day on SportsCenter. As a punter, Blanchard punted four times for an average of 45.5 yards, including a long of 49 yards and another punt that was downed at the Rebel 3-yard line. The win for JSU was the first for an OVC opponent over a SEC foe since the OVC was formed in 1948.
Others Nominated: Ioshua Siliva, Austin Peay; Arthur Brackett, Murray State; Rayshawn Weatherspoon, Tennessee State.
Notes From Around the Gridiron
Jacksonville State Tops Ole Miss, Ends 50-Game OVC Losing Streak to FBS Schools: Jacksonville State's 49-48 double overtime victory over Ole Miss on Sept. 4 helped the OVC end a 50-game losing streak to Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponents that extended back to the 2004 season when Eastern Illinois beat Eastern Michigan 31-28. Jacksonville State nearly ended the streak a season ago, losing in the final minute at Florida State. It was the program's first win over a FBS team since a 31-28 victory at Arkansas State in 2001 (prior to joining the OVC). All-time the OVC is 18-135-1 against FBS schools.
More FCS Over FBS: Jacksonville State's win over Ole Miss was the first for an FCS team over an FBS team this season (North Dakota State beat Kansas later on Sept. 4 to mark the second win for FCS teams). It marked the 19th time since 2004 that an FCS squad had bested an FBS school (20th including NDSU). With two FCS teams beating FBS teams on Sept. 4, it marked the fifth time that had occurred on the same day in the last five years (and first since the 2007 season when it happened three different times).
OVC Finally Tops the SEC: Jacksonville State's victory over Ole Miss also marked the first time since the OVC was formed in 1948 that an OVC team had topped a squad from the Southeastern Conference. Prior to Jax State's victory, the OVC had been 0-22 against SEC teams since the league was formed. Prior to the OVC being formed Southeast Missouri State had topped Ole Miss in 1907 and Tennessee Tech had tied Vanderbilt in 1939 in the only game with positive outcomes for current OVC teams.
Jacksonville State Cracks Top 5 of Sports Network FCS Poll: With its win over Ole Miss, Jacksonville State leaped from 17th to No. 5 in the Sports Network FCS Top 25 poll (the Gamecocks went from 17th to 6th in the FCS Coaches Top 25 poll). The No. 5 ranking is the highest for an OVC team since Western Kentucky was ranked fifth in the final poll of the 2000 season. The last time an OVC team was higher was in 1999 when Tennessee State was No. 1 in the final regular season poll of that season. JSU has now been ranked for 16-straight weeks (its longest stretch since joining the Division I ranks); the No. 5 ranking is the highest for the Gamecocks at the Division I level, besting a No. 12 ranking earned last season.
Ivory and Blanchard Share National All-Star Honors From College Sporting News (Sept. 6): The Jacksonville State quarterback tandem of Marques Ivory and Coty Blanchard earned National All-Star (Player of the Week) honors from the College Sporting News on Sept. 6 for their parts in the Gamecocks double overtime win at Ole Miss. The duo shared the Offensive Award with Appalachian State quarterback DeAndre Presley. The starter Ivory was 13-for-23 for 126 and two touchdowns while true freshman Blanchard was 9-for-13 for 126 yards and two touchdowns. The duo led the Gamecocks to five straight touchdowns to end the game, as JSU trailed 31-13 entering the fourth quarter. Jax State outscored the Rebels 21-3 in the final quarter behind the two-quarterback attack. Blanchard had a four-yard touchdown with 6:17 left to cut the lead to 31-26 and Ivory had a 19-yard score to Alan Bonner with 18 seconds left to make the score 34-32. Ivory then completed a 2-point conversion pass to La'Ray Williams to force overtime. Each quarterback scored a touchdown in overtime, as Ivory connected for a 7-yard score in the first overtime, and Blanchard completed a 30-yard pass on 4th and 15 in the second overtime. Blanchard then completed a two-point conversion pass to Calvin Middleton to win the game (and earn No. 2 play of the day honors on SportsCenter. The Gamecocks duo did not throw an interception in the game.
Tennessee Tech Starts Season With Back-to-Back Top 25 FBS Opponents: Tennessee Tech has the tough task of being one of just four Division I teams (FBS or FCS) to start the 2010 season with two nationally-ranked Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponents. The Golden Eagles lost at No. 17 Arkansas last week and will play at No. 6 TCU this weekend. The other three teams to start the season against two nationally-ranked FBS teams are Marshall (Ohio State and West Virginia), San Jose State (Alabama and Wisconsin) and UNLV (Wisconsin and Utah).
Jacksonville State/Chattanooga Selected for FCS Game of the Week Radio Broadcast: When Jacksonville State hosts Chattanooga on Sept. 11 at the newly renovated Burgess-Snow Field at JSU Stadium, the game will be broadcast as part of the FCS Game of the Week radio package. This marks the fifth year for the FCS Game of the Week series. The games are brought to the public by Clear Channel Communications, Gino Communications and Broadcaster Marketing Services and heard on WCKY AM 1530 out of Cincinnati. Frank Santore returns for his fifth year as play-by-play voice.
League Announces "OVC Game of the Week" Television Package With Wazoo Sports: In July 2010 the Ohio Valley Conference announced its a partnership with Wazoo Sports to produce and distribute an "OVC Game of Week" football package for 2010. The 10-game package will begin with Austin Peay at Tennessee State and feature a different game every week through the end of the regular season (Nov. 20). Eight of the 10 games will have a 6 p.m. CT kickoff. Each of the nine OVC football schools will appear on the broadcast at least twice during the season. For a full schedule and affiliate information check out links at OVCSports.com. Wazoo Sports, Inc. is a Regional Sports Network that delivers coverage of NCAA, NAIA high school, and youth sports live and on-demand on television and over the Internet. Wazoo Sports has produced over 360 LIVE games and is currently in over 650,000 households in Kentucky. Wazoo Sports is headquartered in London, Ky.
APSU's Holt Among All-Time Best in FCS in Kickoff Returns: Austin Peay senior Terrence Holt is among the best all-time at the FCS level in kickoff returns. Holt broke the FCS all-time kickoff return yardage record in 2009 and currently has 3,636 yards. He is the only player in FCS history to have three 1,000+ yard kickoff return seasons and will look to make that four-straight this year. Holt also holds the FCS career record for total kick return yardage (kickoffs and punt returns) with 4,105 yards. In 2008 Holt broke the NCAA record for kickoff returns in a season (52) and total kick returns (kickoffs plus punts) with 66.
EKU's Caldwell on Buck Buchanan Watch List: Eastern Kentucky University football player Jeremy Caldwell was one of 20 Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) players named to the initial Buck Buchanan Award watch list. The award, which is presented by The Sports Network, is handed out annually to the nation's top FCS defensive player. Caldwell, a junior defensive back from Chattanooga, Tenn., led the Ohio Valley Conference and tied for fourth nationally in the FCS last year with seven interceptions. Besides posting seven interceptions, Caldwell also led the Colonels with six pass break-ups and finished sixth on the team with 48 tackles. Caldwell was the lone OVC player to make the initial watch list. The Buchanan Award watch list can undergo revision during the 2010 season, when updated lists are announced on Oct. 4 and 25. Ballots will be sent to a panel of approximately 200 sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries following the conclusion of the regular season on Nov. 22. The Buchanan Award will be presented to the FCS national defensive player of the year on Thursday, Jan. 6 in Frisco, Texas - the night before the national championship game. 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." The Buck Buchanan Award has been handed out annually since 1995. Some of the past winners include Minnesota Vikings' Jared Allen (Idaho State - 2003), Jacksonville Jaguars' Rashean Mathis (Bethune-Cookman - 2002) and Dexter Coakley (Appalachian State - 1995, 1996), who played 10 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys and St. Louis Rams.
A Look at the Coaches: There are two new coaches and seven returnees among the head coaching ranks in the Ohio Valley Conference this season. Chris Hatcher takes over at Murray State after tenures at Valdosta State and Georgia Southern and Rod Reed is now in charge at Tennessee State (his alma mater) after serving on the staff as an assistant and defensive coordinator. The Dean of OVC Coaches is Eastern Illinois coach Bob Spoo who is in his 24th season with the Panthers in 2010. Spoo has 88 total wins while EIU has been a member of the OVC, a mark that ranks fifth in OVC history. Spoo also has 65 Conference victories, which is also fifth all-time. He is just two OVC wins away from passing WKU's Jimmy Feix (67 OVC wins) and moving into fourth place on the all-time list.
FCS Playoff Expansion: For the first time in 2010 the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoff field will include 20 teams, up from 16 a year ago. In April 2008 the NCAA Board of Directors approved the expansion. It marks the first expansion since the field grew from 12 to 16 teams in 1997. The field will be comprised of 10 automatic bids (up from 8) and 10 at-large berths. This season there will be four first round matchups (8 total teams), while 12 teams will receive a bye into the second round. For the first time in 2010, 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 Friday, Jan. 7.
2010 Marks Fourth Season For Sgt. York Trophy: The 2010 season marks the fourth season for the Sgt. York Trophy, 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. Last year Tennessee Tech claimed the trophy after going undefeated in Sgt. York games.
Preseason Forecasts: For the second-straight season five different schools received at least one first-place vote in the preseason predicted order of finish balloting. Jacksonville State received the most (11 of 18) while Eastern Illinois (4), Eastern Kentucky (1), Tennessee Tech (1) and Tennessee State (1) were also in the mix. JSU was picked first for the third time in the past six seasons. Is being picked first in the preseason poll necessarily a good thing? In the past 31 years of preseason polls (all that were available), the preseason predicted champion has only gone on to win the OVC Championship 12 times (38.7%). Over the past seven years not once has the eventual champion been predicted in the preseason poll (it was last done correctly in 2002).
Holt and Bey Headline Preseason All-OVC Team: Austin Peay senior running back/kick returner Terrence Holt and UT Martin senior linebacker Josh Bey have been tabbed the 2010 Ohio Valley Conference Preseason Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year in a vote on by the league's head football coaches and sports information directors. Eastern Illinois, Jacksonville State and Tennessee Tech each had four selections apiece on the preseason team to lead the league. Eastern Kentucky had the next-most selections with three. Each of the league's nine teams had at least one player on the preseason squad. Returning players who were first-team All-OVC picks last season (12 in total) were automatic selections to the preseason team this year. The squad also included seven players who were second-team selections in 2009. Of the 25 total selections, 13 were seniors, 11 were juniors and there was one sophomore pick.
Let's Get It Started: The 63rd season of Ohio Valley Conference football will get underway on Thursday, Sept. 2 when four OVC squads take to the gridiron; the remaining five schools will play on Saturday, Sept. 4. The OVC is made up of nine football-playing schools in 2010. Since its beginning, 14 of the 18 total schools that have played football in the league have claimed at least one championship.
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.
NFL Connections: As of September 1, 18 former Ohio Valley Conference players are on NFL rosters for the 2010 season (14 active players, 4 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 and was a Pro Bowl selection last season. There are three players on NFL rosters who played in the OVC last season including Eastern Illinois offensive linemen Chris Campbell (Green Bay Packers - practice squad) and Otis Hudson (Cincinnati Bengals - practice squad) and Murray State defensive lineman Austen Lane (Jacksonville Jaguars). Six of the nine current OVC football schools have at least one player in the NFL with Tennessee State leading the way with four active players (and one practive squad member). Several NFL coaches also have connections to OVC schools, including three who went to Eastern Illinois, the "Cradle of NFL Head Coaches." Those coaches include Brad Childress (Minnesota), 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.
OVCSports.TV: For the fifth 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 four 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.