Ohio Valley Conference

Teleconference Audio
Below is embedded audio from this week's OVC Football Coaches media teleconference. For a listing of this week's games and previews scroll down below the audio links.












This Week’s Schedule

Thursday, September 6
North Greenville at Tennessee Tech, 7:00 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)

Saturday, September 8
Austin Peay at #16 Virginia Tech, 12:30 p.m. (ESPN3)
Morehead State at #21 Eastern Kentucky, 5:00 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)
Eastern Illinois at Western Michigan, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN3)
Chattanooga at #24 Jacksonville State, 6:00 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)
Mars Hill College at Southeast Missouri, 6:00 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)
#20 Central Arkansas at Murray State, 6:00 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)
Tennessee State vs. Jackson State, 6:00 p.m. (Memphis, Tenn.)
UT Martin at Northern Illinois, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN3)

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North Greenville Crusaders (0-1)
at Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (1-0, 0-0 OVC)
Thursday, Sept. 6 • 7:00 p.m. CT
Tucker Stadium (16,500) • Cookeville, Tenn.
TV:................................................... OVC Digital Network
Live Stats: http://livestats.prestosports.com/ttusports/fball
Series Record:............................................. First meeting
Last Meeting:.............................................................. n/a
Carroll McCray at North Greenville:..................... 0-1 (1 yr.)
Carroll McCray Overall:............................................ same
Watson Brown at Tennessee Tech:................ 26-31 (6 yrs.)
Watson Brown Overall:......................... 120-182-1 (28 yrs.)
North Greenville Last Week:.......... L, 24-12 at Albany State
Tennessee Tech Last Week:............ W, 41-31 vs. Hampton
 
GAME NOTES: Thursday night marks the first-ever meeting between Tennessee Tech and North Greenville. It marks the second-straight week that TTU will be playing on a Thursday night. With a victory Tennessee Tech can open the season 2-0 for the first time since the 1989 season.
 
SCOUTING NORTH GREENVILLE: North Greenville, located in the state of South Carolina, is a NCAA Division II program that started its football team in the 1992 season. The Crusaders were 11-3 a year ago and lost 28-23 to No. 1 seed Delta State in the NCAA Division II Playoff quarterfinals. Following the season head coach Jamey Chadwell moved on to a head coaching job at Delta State and Carroll McCray took over at North Greenville. McCray served as head coach at Austin Peay from 2003-06 and was most recently at Mercer (2011) and Furman (2007-10). In week one of the season the Crusaders dropped a 24-12 decision at Albany State, a game that was a first round playoff rematch from 2011. Nelson Hughes completed 15-of-27 passes for 104 yards while NGU’s rushing attack gained 75 yards on the ground.
 
SCOUTING TENNESSEE TECH: Tennessee Tech improved to 6-0 in home openers under head coach Watson Brown by topping Hampton (a team that was 7-4 last year) 41-31 last Thursday night. The high octane Tech offense ran 82 total plays and netted 548 yards of total offense, the second most in Brown’s tenure with the Golden Eagles. The TTU defense was also stout, holding Hampton to just 192 yards on the night. Senior quarterback Tre Lamb passed for 339 yards and four touchdowns, as he completed 24-of-35 passes with no interceptions. The 339 yards was the second-highest total of Lamb’s career. Running back Adam Urbano carried the ball 25 times for a career-high 158 yards (6.3 yards/game) and a touchdown. After sitting out last season Tremaine Hudson returned to the field on Thursday night and tied his career-high with eight receptions for 62 yards. Junior newcomer Da’Rick Rogers, who transferred from Tennessee just days before the Hampton contest, saw limited action but still managed to haul in three passes for 75 yards and a touchdown. For his efforts Rogers was named OVC Co-Newcomer of the Week. Defensively Marty Jones returned from missing all of last season to lead the team with 13 tackles while Howard Griffin added 12 tackles.
 
 
Austin Peay Governors (0-1, 0-0 OVC)
at #16/18 Virginia Tech Hokies (1-0, 1-0 ACC)
Saturday, Sept. 8 • 12:30 p.m. CT
Lane Stadium (65,632) • Blacksburg, Va.
TV:...................................................................... ESPN3
Live Stats:......... http://www.hokiesports.com/football/live/
Series Record:............................................. First meeting
Last Meeting:.............................................................. n/a
Rick Christophel at Austin Peay:................... 18-38 (6 yrs.)
Rick Christophel Overall:.......................................... same
Frank Beamer at Virginia Tech:............... 210-98-2 (26 yrs.)
Frank Beamer Overall:.......................... 252-121-4 (32 yrs.)
Austin Peay Last Week:........ L, 49-10 at Western Kentucky
Virginia Tech Last Week:     W, 20-17 vs. Georgia Tech OT)
 
GAME NOTES: Austin Peay travels to nationally-ranked Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponent Virginia Tech on Saturday. It marks the first-ever meeting between the two schools. It also makes the second-straight week that Austin Peay has played a FBS opponent. The Govs are 2-16 all-time against FBS foes; its last win over a FBS team was in 1987 (a 25-22 win over Kansas State).
 
SCOUTING AUSTIN PEAY: Austin Peay began the 2012 season against former OVC foe Western Kentucky. It marked the first matchup between the two schools since 2006, and first since WKU moved up to the FBS level. The Hilltoppers got off to a quick start, leading 35-0 at halftime before Wesley Kitts put the Governors on the board with a 68-yard run on the first play of the third quarter. That run tied a career-long for Kitts, matching a 68-yard run he had against Cumberland in 2010. Kitts finished the game with 104 yards, his second career 100-plus yard rushing game. Stephen Stansell added a 44-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to account for the final score. It marked the 74th-straight game in which the Governors had avoided being shutout. While APSU finished with 143 yards on the ground, the team was limited to just 11 passing yards. That marked the lowest passing output for the team since recording just five yards against Eastern Kentucky on Nov. 14, 1992. Senior safety Antwaun Majors led Austin Peay with 10 tackles on the night and also netted the team’s only sack.
 
SCOUTING VIRGINIA TECH: Virginia Tech opened the season on Monday night by topping ACC rival Georgia Tech 20-17 in overtime. The Hokies used a 41-yard field goal by Cody Journell to time the game as regulation time expired and then Journell connected from 17 yards out in overtime to lift his team to the victory. Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas completed 21-of-38 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns while Michael Holmes led the rushing attack with 54 yards on 13 carries. The Hokies now have the short week before hosting Austin Peay just five days later.  VT is coached by Frank Beamer, who started his college head coach career at Murray State. At MSU Beamer compiled a 42-23-2 record in six seasons and captured a share of the 1986 OVC Championship. Overall Beamer has notched 252 career victories, eighth most all-time among FBS coaches and the most among active coaches. He has led the Hokies to three Big East (1995, 1996, 1999) and four ACC (2004, 2007, 2008 and 2010) conference championships and been named a conference Coach of the Year five times. Virginia Tech is the only FBS team to win 10 or more games in each of the past eight seasons; the team has also appeared in 19-straight bowl games. VT returns three offensive and nine defensive starters from last season. The Hokies are ranked 16th in this week’s FBS AP Top 25 poll and 18th in the USA Today Coaches Poll.


Morehead State Eagles (1-0, 0-0 Pioneer)
at #21 Eastern Kentucky Colonels (0-1, 0-0 OVC)
Saturday, Sept. 8 • 5:00 p.m. CT
Roy Kidd Stadium (20,000) • Richmond, Ky.
TV:................................................... OVC Digital Network
Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/eku/football/index.htm
Series Record:................. Eastern Kentucky leads 49-16-4
Last Meeting:............ Eastern Kentucky won 16-8 (9/13/08)
Matt Ballard at Morehead State:.................. 99-98 (19 yrs.)
Matt Ballard Overall:............................. 134-123-1 (25 yrs.)
Dean Hood at Eastern Kentucky:.................. 26-21 (5 yrs.)
Dean Hood Overall:................................................. same
Morehead State Last Week:.. W, 55-0 vs. Southern Virginia
Eastern Kentucky Last Week:................. L, 48-6 at Purdue
 
GAME NOTES: Rivals Eastern Kentucky and Morehead State will meet for the 60th time on Saturday and first time since the 2008 season. Although Morehead State is a member of the OVC in all other sports, the Eagles play in the non-scholarship Pioneer League in football. Overall EKU has won six in-a-row in the series and 24 of the last 25 overall. The only Morehead State victory in that stretch was a 27-17 victory in 1990. In the last meeting the Colonels came out on top 16-8 thanks to three Taylor Long field goals and a C.J. Walker touchdown run.
 
SCOUTING MOREHEAD STATE: Morehead State opened the 2012 season with a convincing 55-0 victory over Southern Virginia last Thursday night in front of 6,579 fans at Jayne Stadium. Zach Lewis was named Pioneer League Offensive Player of the Week after going 16-of-22 for 249 yards and four touchdowns; Lewis now has 7,545 passing yards and 51 touchdowns in his college career. Sophomore running back Rees Macshara had 53 yards and 11 carries. Senior kicker Rainer Duzan connected on field goal attempts of 24 and 50 yards and made seven extra point attempts; the 50-yarder was a career-best. Jordan Hendrix led the Eagles with 11 tackles and also recovered a fumble.
 
SCOUTING EASTERN KENTUCKY: Eastern Kentucky was over-matched by Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) foe Purdue in the season opener, losing 48-6 to the Big Ten foe. The Colonels fell behind 20-0 early in the second quarter and were limited to only 190 yards of total offense on the afternoon. Purdue, on the other hand, amassed 547 yards of total offense. EKU was without senior quarterback T.J. Pryor who was out with an injury; in his place Jared McClain made his second career start and passed for 85 yards and rushed for 33 additional yards. Senior All-American Matt Denham was contained to 47 yards on the ground but did score the Colonels lone points on the game with a 30-yard touchdown scamper in the second quarter. Senior safety Brooklyn Fox was named OVC Defensive Player of the Week after tallying two interceptions and recovering a fumble in the contest. He was the first EKU defender to tally three turnovers in a game since 2009. Fox now has five career interceptions. Overall the Colonels defense netted five forced turnovers, but did not score any points off those Purdue miscues. The game marked the seventh-straight season that Eastern Kentucky had opened the year on the road. It was also the 13th consecutive season the team has played a FBS opponent; the Colonels have not topped a FBS foe since 1985. The Colonels enter this week ranked No. 21 in the Sports Network Top 25 and No. 25 in the FCS Coaches poll.
 
 
Eastern Illinois Panthers (1-0, 0-0 OVC)
at Western Michigan Broncos (0-1, 0-0 MAC)
Saturday, Sept. 8 • 6:00 p.m. CT
Waldo Stadium (30,200) • Kalamazoo, Mich.
TV:...................................................................... ESPN3
Live Stats:............................................ http://bit.ly/fro0oL
Series Record:............................ Eastern Illinois leads 1-0
Last Meeting:............... Eastern Illinois won 28-20 (8/29/96)
Dino Babers at Eastern Illinois:.......................... 1-0 (1 yr.)
Dino Babers Overall:............................................... same
Bill Cubit at Western Michigan:...................... 47-40 (8 yrs.)
Bill Cubit Overall:..................................... 81-58-1 (12 yrs.)
Eastern Illinois Last Week:.... W, 49-28 vs. Southern Illinois
Western Michigan Last Week:.................. L, 24-7 at Illinois
 
GAME NOTES: Eastern Illinois will play its lone Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponent of the 2012 season on Saturday when it travels to Kalamazoo. The matchup is the second all-time between EIU and Western Michigan; the two teams met in the 1996 season with the Panthers pulling off the 28-20 victory. In that game Mike Simpson completed 24-of-38 passes for 321 yards and four touchdowns. The win is one of four all-time for Eastern Illinois against FBS opponents (three of which have come while being a member of the OVC). Overall EIU is 4-26 against FBS opponents, last winning in 2004 (Eastern Michigan). The Panthers are 3-4 all-time against teams from the Mid-American Conference.
 
SCOUTING EASTERN ILLINOIS: Eastern Illinois started the 2012 season with a victory over rival Southern Illinois, the same program the Panthers ended the 2011 season against with a loss. The game marked the debut for Dino Babers as the Panthers head coach; Babers became just the sixth coach in EIU history to win his first game as head coach. Junior quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo earned National Player of the Week honors from each College Sporting News and College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) after completing 32-of-49 passes for 369 yards and five touchdowns. He is the first EIU player to throw for five touchdowns in a game since Tony Romo did so in Oct. 2002. In addition to those five touchdowns wide receiver Erik Lora and tight end Sam Hendricks also tossed touchdown passes given the Panthers seven on the night; the seven passing touchdowns set a new Eastern Illinois single-game record. Returning to the field after missing the entire 2011 season due to an injury Lora, the junior wideout, hauled in 13 passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns in addition to throwing a 24-yard touchdown pass. The 13 receptions were the most in FCS football in week one of the season and the fourth-best single-game total in Eastern Illinois history. The 49 points were the most scored in a game by the Panthers since 2009 and were the most in a season opener since scoring 62 against Lock Haven in 1991. The Panthers defense forced six turnovers in the SIU contest, the first time since Oct. 2005 that the team had forced six or more turnovers in a game. The Panthers continue to receive votes in the Sports Network Top 25.
 
SCOUTING WESTERN MICHIGAN: For the third-straight season Western Michigan was picked to finish third in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) West Division. This year the team picked up four of the 17 first-place votes in that division. WMU returns four All-MAC selections from 2011, including Davey O’Brien, Walter Camp Player of the Year and Manning Award candidate Alex Carder. The Broncos got the season started last week by falling 24-7 at Illinois. In that game Carder completed 26-of-43 passes for 239 yards and a touchdown but was picked off three times and sacked twice. The WMU defense held Illinois to 248 total yards, the least amount the team had allowed since Sept. 2010. Johnnie Simon led the Broncos with 18 tackles (10 solo) while Terry Easmon added 11 stops.
 
 
Chattanooga Mocs (0-1, 0-0 Southern
at #24 Jacksonville State Gamecocks (0-1, 0-0 OVC)
Saturday, Sept. 8 • 6:00 p.m. CT
Burgess-Snow Field at JSU Stadium (24,000) • Jacksonville, Ala.
TV:........................................ WJXS/OVC Digital Network
Live Stats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=7505
Series Record:........................... Chattanooga leads 25-11
Last Meeting:................. Chattanooga won 38-17 (9/10/11)
Russ Huesman at Chattanooga:.................... 17-17 (4 yrs.)
Russ Huesman Overall:............................................ same
Jack Crowe at Jacksonville State:............... 81-53 (13 yrs.)
Jack Crowe Overall:.................................... 95-83 (18 yrs.)
Chattanooga Last Week:............. L, 34-13 at South Florida
Jacksonville State Last Week:..... L, 49-24 at #10 Arkansas
 
GAME NOTES: Jacksonville State kicks off the home portion of its 2012 season by hosting regional rival Chattanooga on Saturday. The teams are meeting for the 37th time overall and third-straight season. After winning four in a row (and 5 of 6) Jacksonville State lost 38-17 to Chattanooga a year ago on the road. The game was tied at 17 late in the second quarter before the Mocs scored the final 21 points of the game. Coty Blanchard completed 13-of-23 passes for 164 yards while Washaun Ealey ran for a team-high 49 yards and a score. UTC was led by quarterback B.J. Coleman, who is now with the Green Bay Packers practice squad, who passed for 296 yards and two scores while Chris Awuah ran for 77 yards and two touchdowns. Both teams started last week against teams from the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
 
SCOUTING CHATTANOOGA: Chattanooga opened the year at FBS opponent South Florida on Saturday, falling 34-13 to the Big East foe. The Mocs did not commit a turnover while the defense forced two takeaways from the Bulls. Freshman quarterback Jacob Huesman, the son of the Mocs head coach Russ Huesman, was 9-of-13 for 87 yards in his debut. Junior linebacker Wes Dothard, a Buck Buchanan Award candidate, had a team-high eight tackles including tackle-for-loss. Junior D.J. Key had a 43-yard interception return that helped set up Chattanooga’s first half touchdown.
 
SCOUTING JACKSONVILLE STATE: Facing one of the top teams in the FBS, Jacksonville State led Arkansas 14-7 early in the second quarter before eventually falling 49-24 to the 10th ranked team in the nation. In his collegiate debut freshman running back Troymaine Pope earned OVC Co-Specialist of the Week honors after carrying the ball 14 times for a team-high 65 yards and catching a 19-yard touchdown pass that tied the game at seven in the first quarter. Wide receiver Alan Bonner caught eight passes for 107 yards and a touchdown and carried the ball twice for 13 yards and another score. Making his return after suffering a season-ending injury in the first game of last season, Marques Ivory completed 14-of-28 passes for 160 yards and two scores; the two touchdown passes gave him 27 for his career, tying him for eighth in JSU history. Junior linebacker Rashad Smith led Jacksonville State with eight tackles, recovered a fumble that he returned 49 yards, forced another fumble and had a pass breakup. The fumble return was the first of his career and longest for a JSU player since the 2001 season. Junior kicker Griffin Thomas connected on a 49-yard field goal in the third quarter; the field goal was the longest of his career and fifth-longest in school history. Overall JSU allowed Arkansas to net 564 yards of total offense, the most the team has allowed in a game since 2003 (641 vs. Kansas). The game was played in front of 71,420 fans, the second-largest crowd to ever see the Gamecocks play (behind only 71,420 fans at Florida State in 2009). Jacksonville State slipped two spots to No. 24 in the Sports Network Top 25; the Gamecocks are still receiving votes in the FCS Coaches poll.
 
 
Mars Hill College Lions (0-1, 0-0 South Atlantic)
at Southeast Missouri State Redhawks (0-1, 0-0 OVC)
Saturday, Sept. 8 • 6:00 p.m. CT
Houck Stadium (10,000) • Cape Girardeau, Mo.
TV:................................................... OVC Digital Network
Live Stats: http://www.redhawkstv.com/LiveStats/2013Live/Football/xlive.htm
Series Record:............................................. First meeting
Last Meeting:.............................................................. n/a
Tim Clifton at Mars Hill:............................. 106-94 (19 yrs.)
Tim Clifton Overall:.................................................. same
Tony Samuel at Southeast Missouri:............. 25-44 (7 yrs.)
Tony Samuel Overall:................................ 59-101 (15 yrs.)
Mars Hill Last Week:.............. L, 42-14 at Western Carolina
Southeast Missouri Last Week: L, 38-27 at Central Michigan
 
GAME NOTES: Southeast Missouri State will open up its home slate against Mars Hill College on Saturday. The Redhawks welcome the Division II foe to Houck Stadium in the first-ever meeting between the two teams. The Redhawks are 5-1 in season openers under current head coach tony Samuel.
 
SCOUTING MARS HILL: Mars Hill is a Division II member of the South Atlantic Conference and is located in Mars Hill, S.C. The Lions are coming off an 8-3 season a year ago where the team made its first-ever NCAA playoff appearance; the squad returns 46 letterwinners and 15 starters this season. Mars Hill opened the season last Thursday against another Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) foe, Western Carolina. The Lions fell behind 17-0 at halftime and were down 24-0 before Jon Richt and Dimitri Holmes hooked up on a 17-yard pass play in the third quarter. Richt finished the game with 120 passing yards on the night while Holmes hauled in five passes for 71 yards and the score. On the ground Shaikel Davis carried the ball 18 times for 109 yards (6.1 yards/carry). Overall Mars Hill tallied 207 rushing yards but allowed Western Carolina to amass 342 rushing yards. Jasper Mason finished the game with 16 tackles, including 2.5 for loss.
 
SCOUTING SOUTHEAST MISSOURI: Southeast Missouri more than held its own against Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponent Central Michigan in its season opener last Thursday. The Redhawks led 24-10 in the second quarter after D.J. Foster caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from redshirt freshman Scott Lathrop. But CMU would outscore Southeast 28-3 the rest of the way in coming from behind to win 38-27. In his collegiate debut Lathrop completed 10-of-17 passes for 120 yards and a touchdown and ran for 31 yards and another score on 17 total carries. Senior Levi Terrell led the Redhawks rushing attack (which netted 203 total yards) with 88 total yards while sophomore Spencer Davis added 48 yards and a touchdown. Foster was the top receiver for Southeast, netting six passes for 97 yards and a score. Overall the Redhawks did not commit a turnover and forced three (2 fumbles, 1 interception) from CMU. George Neuhaus had two of the team’s takeaways when he recovered a fumble and added an interception; Neuhaus also had four tackles in his first career start. Senior All-American Blake Peiffer had eight tackles against CMU, giving him 250 career tackles, which is 17th all-time in Redhawks history. Junior punter Joe Vucic averaged 47.6 yards/punt including a long of 68 (the second-longest of his career; after one week of the season he currently ranks third nationally in punting average. Overall Southeast Missouri had eight different players make their first career starts in the Central Michigan game. In the first set of NCAA statistical rankings, Southeast leads the FCS in red zone offense (100%), fewest turnovers (0) and fumbles lost (0) and is third in turnover margin (+3.0/game).
 
 
#20 Central Arkansas Bears (0-1, 0-0 Southland)
at Murray State Racers (0-1, 0-0 OVC)
Saturday, Sept. 8 • 6:00 p.m. CT
Roy Stewart Stadium (16,800) • Murray, Ky.
TV:................................................... OVC Digital Network
Live Stats:................................ http://www.GoRacers.com
Series Record:...................... Central Arkansas leads 2-0-1
Last Meeting:........... Central Arkansas won 21-20 (9/18/10)
Clint Conque at Central Arkansas:............... 89-52 (13 yrs.)
Clint Conque Overall:............................................... same
Chris Hatcher at Murray State:................... 107-37 (13 yrs.)
Chris Hatcher Overall:................................... 13-10 (3 yrs.)
Central Arkansas Last Week:.............. L, 49-27 at Ole Miss
Murray State Last Week:............ L, 69-3 at #7 Florida State
 
GAME NOTES: After a trip to nationally-ranked Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) foe Florida State last weekend, Murray State opens its home season on Saturday with fellow Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) opponent Central Arkansas. The teams are meeting for the fourth time overall. The series dates back to meetings in 1939 and 1940 (which ended in a tie) but after those two games the squads did not play again until a 2010 contest at UCA. That year was the first under head coach Chris Hatcher for the Racers; MSU would come up just short as the Bears scored with 4:21 to play in the game to pull out the 21-20 victory. Nathan Dick paced Central Arkansas by passing for 210 yards and a touchdown while Jackie Hinton rushed for two scores. Jeff Ehrhardt had 247 passing yards and two scores for Murray State.
 
SCOUTING CENTRAL ARKANSAS: Central Arkansas made its first NCAA Division I Playoff appearance last season after joining the FCS in 2006.  The team ended the year by winning eight-straight games (including a first round playoff victory over Tennessee Tech) before losing to Montana in the second round. The Bears finished 2011 ranked 14th and 15th in the two national polls and began this season ranked No. 21 in the FCS Coaches Poll and No. 24 in the Sports Network Top 25. Central Arkansas began the season at FBS foe Ole Miss, jumping ahead 20-14 at halftime before eventually falling 49-27 as Ole Miss scored on five-straight possessions in the second half to end the upset bid. Jackie Hinton led the UCA rushing attack, netting 52 yards on 13 carries. Quarterback Wynrick Smothers completed 25-of-32 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns. Senior Rojae Jackson led the defense with 10 tackles, 2.5 tackles-for-loss and 1.5 sacks. UCA is ranked 20th in this week’s FCS Coaches poll and 25th in the Sports Network Top 25.
 
SCOUTING MURRAY STATE: Playing against one of the top teams in the country, Murray State was out-distanced 69-3 by No. 7 ranked Florida State on Saturday. FSU scored 14 first quarter points and led 28-3 at halftime before scoring 41 unanswered points in the second half. MSU’s only score came in the second quarter when Jordan Benton converted a 28-yard field goal. All-American quarterback Casey Brockman was limited by the Seminoles vaunted defense, completing just 19-of-36 passing for 117 yards. Junior Walter Powell caught nine of Brockman’s passes for 62 yards. Freshman Pokey Harris came off the bench to rush for 27 yards on nine carries. Making his collegiate debut, junior punter Steven Mix averaged 40.8 yards on nine punts, including punts of 50 and 52 yards. Junior newcomer Darian Yahyavi had eight tackles and recovered a fumble for the Racers.
 
 
Tennessee State Tigers (1-0, 0-0 OVC)
vs. Jackson State Tigers (0-1, 0-0 SWAC)
Saturday, Sept. 8 • 6:00 p.m. CT
Liberty Bowl (61,008) • Memphis, Tenn.
TV:.......................................................................... none
Live Stats:................................................................ TBD
Series Record:................... Tennessee State leads 23-20-2
Last Meeting:............... Jackson State won 35-29 (9/10/11)
Rod Reed at Tennessee State:....................... 9-14 (3 yrs.)
Rod Reed Overall:................................................... same
Rick Comegy at Jackson State:.................... 41-27 (7 yrs.)
Rick Comegy Overall:............................... 149-78 (22 yrs.)
Tennessee State Last Week:...... W, 17-14 vs. Florida A&M
Jackson State Last Week:....... L, 56-9 at Mississippi State
 
GAME NOTES: Tennessee State and Jackson State meet in the 23rd annual Southern Heritage Classic at the Liberty Bowl in Memphis on Saturday night. This marks the 19th year in a row (and 21st overall) that the teams have squared off in this Classic which began in 1990 (the two other games were between TSU and Mississippi Valley State and Grambling). Tennessee State had won seven straight in the series until Jackson State pulled out a 33-26 victory in 2010 and added a 35-29 win a season ago (2011). In last year’s meeting Jackson State scored early in the third quarter to grab a 28-24 lead that it would not relinquish. TSU quarterback Jeremy Perry passed for 226 yards and two scores while Trabis Ward rushed for 35 yards and a touchdown. All-American linebacker Rico Council led the TSU defense with 11 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. Casey Therriault completed 27 passes for 337 yards and three scores for JSU. Six of the last seven meetings have been determined by a combined 31 points (including two of those that went into overtime). Tennessee State is 11-11 all-time in the event while Jackson State is 9-11. The all-time series between the two schools is at 23-20-2 in favor of Tennessee State.
 
SCOUTING TENNESSEE STATE: Tennessee State opened the 2012 season with its third-straight win in the John Merritt Classic, besting Florida A&M 17-14 thanks to a goal-line stand. After going ahead 17-0 with 4:11 to play in the third quarter, TSU saw FAMU score a pair of touchdowns and then drive to its own 1-yard line in the final minute of the game. But quarterback sneaks on back-to-back plays were both stopped short of the goal line, giving the Tigers back-to-back wins over FAMU for the first time since the 1986-87 seasons. Sophomore quarterback Michael German completed 22-of-32 passes for 263 yards and a touchdown for TSU while senior running back Trabis Ward carried the ball 28 times for 124 yards and a score. Florida transfer A.C. Leonard had a nice debut with a game-high seven catches for 47 yards. Sophomore linebacker Nick Thrasher, making his first start, was named Defensive MVP of the Classic after registering 11 tackles (9 solo) including 2.0 tackles-for-loss.
 
SCOUTING JACKSON STATE: Jackson State opened the 2012 season with a 56-9 loss at Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponent Mississippi State. The Tigers fell behind 35-0 late in the second quarter before getting on the board on a nine-yard touchdown pass from Dedric McDonald to E.J. Drewery. The team would later add a 25-yard field goal from Ryan Deising in the fourth quarter. McDonald finished the day with 136 passing yards and the touchdown. Milton Patterson led JSU with 10 tackles (5 solo).
 
 
UT Martin Skyhawks (1-0, 0-0 OVC)
at Northern Illinois Huskies (0-1, 0-0 MAC)
Saturday, Sept. 8 • 6:00 p.m. CT
Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium (24,000) • DeKalb, Ill.
TV:...................................................................... ESPN3
Live Stats:......................................... http://bit.ly/OJJcW4
Series Record:............................................. First meeting
Last Meeting:.............................................................. n/a
Jason Simpson at UT Martin:........................ 38-31 (7 yrs.)
Jason Simpson Overall:........................................... same
Dave Doeren at Northern Illinois:..................... 11-4 (2 yrs.)
Dave Doeren Overall:.............................................. same
UT Martin Last Week:....................... W, 20-17 at Memphis
Northern Illinois Last Week: L, 18-17 vs. Iowa (Chicago, Ill.)
 
GAME NOTES: A week after knocking off the first Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponent in its program history, UT Martin plays its second-straight FBS foe, this week traveling to DeKalb, Ill. to play Northern Illinois. The matchup is the first between the two teams.
 
SCOUTING UT MARTIN: After previously being 0-13 against teams from the FBS, UT Martin finally notched a victory, topping Memphis 20-17 at the Liberty Bowl on Saturday night. The game marked the first loss for Memphis against a Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) opponent in 23 years. Memphis had a 10-7 lead in the third quarter before DJ McNeil scored from five yards out to put the Skyhawks on top 14-10. Senior kicker Cody Sandlin, who had missed his first two field attempts of the night, added a 26-yard field goal with 4:52 to play to extend the lead to 17-10. But the Tigers marched 71 yards in 11 players and capped a scoring drive with a 20-yard pass from Jacob Karam to Marcus Rucker to tie the game. The Skyhawks went 3-and-out and punted, but Memphis fumbled the punt return which was recovered by Nate Rotero at the Tiger 27-yard line. Three plays later Sandlin connected from 43-yards out to give UT Martin the victory. The two clutch fourth quarter field goals earned Sandlin OVC Specialist of the Week honors. Skyhawk quarterback Derek Carr completed 19-of-38 passes for 211 yards and a touchdown to Quentin Sims (who had eight catches for 70 yards on the night). Senior Jason McNair added 82 yards on the ground while Tevin Barksdale ran for 50 yards and McNeil had 42 on the ground. The UTM offense did not allow a sack during the game while the UTM defense notched a pair of sacks and 8.0 tackles-for-loss. DJ Roberts, Ben Johnson and Chris Wright each recorded nine tackles to lead the defense. The game included a two hour and 47 minute weather delay; the game began at 6:02 p.m. but did not conclude until 11:47 p.m. It marked the first season-opening road victory for UT Martin since the 1994 season (a win at Southern Illinois).
 
SCOUTING NORTHERN ILLINOIS: Entering its second season under head coach Dave Doeren, Northern Illinois is coming off an 11-3 season in 2011 that saw the team top Arkansas State 38-20 in the GoDaddy.com Bowl. The team returns 18 starters (including 10 on defense) this season. NIU opened the 2012 campaign by battling Iowa in a game played in front of 52,117 fans at Soldier Field in Chicago (the second year in a row NIU played a home game at the NFL venue). The Huskies built a 17-9 advantage with 9:43 to play in the third quarter before Iowa scored nine fourth quarter points to pull out the 18-17 victory; the last score came on a 23-yard rush with 2:15 to play in the game. Making his first career start quarterback Jordan Lynch had 119 rushing yards on 18 carries and passed for 54 yards. The NIU defense recorded six total sacks on the night and limited Iowa to 268 yards; a season ago the Huskies held only one opponent to under 268 yards of total offense. It marked the end of the team’s nine-game losing streak dating back to last season; it had been the longest winning streak in the FBS entering the season.