Saturday night roundup

Here's what went down today, with the exception of Eastern Illinois' tilt at Hawai'i, which doesn't kick off for another 20 minutes or so. I plan to be fast asleep when that one wraps up, so I'll have to follow up tomorow.

• Jacksonville State 28, Eastern Knetucky 0 - Preseason favorites shut out at home, fall behind in title race. School record 75-yard punt from JSU's Zach Walden, by the way.
• Florida A&M 24, Tennessee State 22 - Another overtime thriller in a classic for the Tigers, but they come out on the wrong end of this one.
• Tennessee Tech 20, Murray State 14 - Another OT nailbiter. Murray's Taylor Lanigan gets a TD on a 93-yard fumble recovery. Unfortunately, that one play eclipses Murray's rushing total by a wide margin, and nearly matches their passing total. Hey folks, don't look now, but the Golden Eagles have the league lead all to themselves.
• UT-Martin 20, Austin Peay State 10 - The Govs threaten early, taking a 10-6 lead at the half, but Martin shuts them out from there on for the win. AP's Mark Cunningham threw for 297 yards, 21 for 35, with two interceptions and a TD. Martin's Donald Chapman racks up 155 on the ground.
• Southeast Missouri State 19, Samford 14 - The second half was all Bulldogs, but the first half was all Redhawks, and fortunately for the home team that was enough.

And they're now underway at Aloha Stadium, scoreless with 14:55 left in the first. Let's go Panthers!

G'night, folks.

OVC play underway

I've got Jacksonville State and Eastern Kentucky on OVCSports.tv now. There was some trouble logging in (grrr.), and I missed 17 minutes of the broadcast, including a Jax State touchdown. It's 7-0 JSU now, and EKU's Mark Dunn just fumbled to give JSU control again. 2:45 to go in the first.

What's your gameday experience like so far? Click below to comment and let us know. Anyone else have trouble with the webcast?

EDIT (3:07 p.m.): Halftime in Richmond, with Jax State over EKU 10-0. Clay Green scored on an 8-yard run to end the first drive of the game. A nifty fake field goal by JSU's Gavin's Halford turns into a punt, pinning the Colonels deep in their own territory. Then, just as the first half ends, Hallford kicks one for real to make it 10.

6:20 left in the half at the Georgia Dome. FAMU misses a long field goal to make it 3-0 over Tennessee State. That game, by the way, is on Turner South, not Fox Sports South. (Though Fox does own that network now, I think.)

EDIT (4:03 P.M.): 15-0 Jax State and the end of the third in Richmond. JSU scores a weird safety on a blocked punt that the EKU punter kicked out of the end zone after the block. Then another Jax State Field goal. The Colonels' offense is struggling. Some good throws by Greco but dropped by the receivers. Greco sacked to end the third ... 4th now underway and he's saked again on the first play, forcing a punt. JSU three and out on its first possession of the quarter. As I'm typing, EKU fumbles the punt return, giving Jax State the ball.

In Atlanta, it looks like TSU managed to score. The Tigers now lead FAMU at halftime, according to sportsnetwork.com.

EDIT (4:31 p.m.) It's over in Richmond, 28-0 Jax State. EKU, favored by league coaches and SIDs to win it all, would appear to be out of the conference title race. JSU looked very, very strong.

Tennessee State's now down 10-7 with six minutes left in the third quarter. FAMU has the ball at the TSU 28. EDIT (4:35 p.m.) Make that 16-7 FAMU. The Rattlers scored just as I hit "publish."

EDIT (5:34 p.m.): TSU looks to be headed into overtime with FAMU. It looked a little like a repeat of the end of the Jackson State game two weeks ago, with TSU coming from behind and getting a two-point conversion with 15 seconds left. Score's now 22-22.

Edit (5:52 p.m.): FAMU wins on a field goal in overtime, after a Javarris Williams fumble at the 2-yard line for TSU. Final score 25-22.

Saturday gameday news

There's a lot of football going on around the OVC today. Everybody's in action, which won't happen again until Nov. 4. There are three league games and three non-conference contests, one of them a I-A game. Here's the lineup (all times Central):

• Tennessee State at Florida A&M, Atlanta, Ga. (Atlanta Football Classic), 2 p.m. Fox Sports South
• Jacksonville State at Eastern Kentucky, Richmond, Ky., 2 p.m., OVCSports.tv
  
• Tennessee Tech at Murray State, Murray, Ky., 6 p.m., OVCSports.tv
• Samford at Southeast Missouri State, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 6 p.m., OVCSports.tv
• UT-Martin at Austin Peay State, Clarksville, Tenn., 6 p.m., OVCSports.tv
• Eastern Illinois at Hawai'i, Honolulu, 11 p.m.

And here's what's in the papers this morning:

Everybody's got somebody they love to hate when it comes to football. Will that kind of mutual loathing develop between UT-Martin and Austin Peay State? The (Clarksville, Tenn.) Leaf Chronicle says the Govs think this series could develop into a healthy rivalry. The schools are 86 miles apart. UT-Martin probably enjoys seeing this game on their schedule. APSU is one of the few teams over which the Skyhawks hold a series lead, 28-24-2 (sorry for that, Martin fans).

The Jackson (Tenn.) Sun says UT-Martin coach Jason Simpson isn't worried about breaking into the I-AA top 25. The Skyhawks are just outside the official poll, in the "others receiving votes" category. It would, however, be a big step for the program to be ranked. Simpson, though, knows an even bigger step would be winning the conference title, and to do that he must keep his team focused on winning the next game.

The (Charleston, Ill.) Jornal Gazette/Times-Courier says Eastern Illinois' visit to Hawai'i gives the Panthers a chance to shine on an NFL stage (Aloha Stadium hosts the Pro Bowl) and gives the EIU coaches a chance to measure up against an NFL-caliber staff (with June Jones and Jerry Glanville holding clipboards for the Warriors). One interestin g pre-game stat: Hawai'i is third in I-A in fumbles lost; EIU is first in I-AA in opponents' fumbles rcovered.

The Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader previews the EKU-JSU game, noting that both teams are trying to figure out what's gone wrong lately. Colonels coach Danny Hope would like to beat the Gamecocks, and then see them win the rest of the season.

The Birmingham (Ala.) News says JSU is hoping for about the same thing, and notes that this is familiar territory for the team. In 2003 and 2004 JSU lost one OVC game each year on its way to conference titles, spending much of the season winning and watching league results with an anxious eye.

In another story, The News says Samford coach Bill Gray is concerned about SEMO's improving ground game. " "You can see them transforming into more of a two-back power team on offense," Gray tells the paper. "You can see them making progress in what they are trying to do."

The Murray (Ky.) Ledger & Times notes that the home team has won the Tennessee Tech-Murray State matchup each of the last five seasons. That's gotta make Racers coach Matt Griffin a little more comfortable, but Tech's upset of EKU last week might balance that optimism out.

The (Cookeville, Tenn.) Herald-Citizen says the TTU-MSU matchup pits two new OVC coaches agaisnt eachother ... sort of. Griffin's in his first year at Murray after three season at UT-Martin. Tech coach Doug Malone was the Golden Eagles' offensive coordinator before taking over as "interim" head coach for Mike Hennigan, who's on a medical leave of absence. Here's a link to the HC sports section.

The Southeast Missourian says both SEMO and Samford probably need to win today's game to have any hope of contending for the OVC title. Redhawks coach Tony Samuel is convinced his team is better than the 38-7 showing it made at Jax State back in Week 2. After a few complaints online, SEMO officials say there are no changes to the school's official tailgating policies, though student tailgating has been moved to another area. The schools' policies on free beer and food remain the same. Did I just type "free beer?" I think my travel scedule for next season just got an update.

The (Nashville) Tennessean says Tennessee State is under more pressure in each new game, a trend that continues today at the Georgia Dome, where they'll face Florida A&M in the Atlanta Football Classic. A crowd of 59,297 watched TSU lose 12-7 last year, with what could have been a late touchdown pass going incomplete instead.

Friday news

Here's what's up this morning:

The (Clarksville, Tenn.) Leaf Chornicle reports on the friendship between Austin Peay State's freshmen linebackers Daniel Becker and Kit Hartsfield. Both have managed their way into starting roles for the Govs this season.

Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader columnist Rick Bailey notes that Eastern Kentucky likely must beat Jacksonville State Saturday or put off their return to the I-AA playoffs for another year. MUrray State coach Matt Griffin tells Bailey the conference race is "wide open."

The Southeast Missourian syas SEMO tailback Tim Holloman, the team's leading rusher, may miss Saturday's game against Samford. Holloman, who has 263 yards, 5.6 per carry over the Redhaks' first three games, injured his ankle at JSU two weeks ago.

The (Nashville) Tennessean has a story on Tim Ehert, who's handling both punts and kickoffs for Tennessee State. Ehert's route to college football wasn't the usual one: from high school to Florida Atlantic, where he signed to play soccer, then to junior college, and then to Nashville, where he tried out for the Arena Football League's Kats. They wanted to see some college game film, so he went to TSU to get it.

The Nashville City Paper says TSU coach James Webster has to work to get his players motivated for OVC games, as opposed to the HBCU classics the team plays in. “I think they re may have been more emphasis [on classic games] than on OVC games before we arrived,” he tells the paper. "The thing I’ve had to do is make sure every game counts. Then you have to let the players understand we want to win championships and the way to do that is to win in the OVC.”

The (Cookeville, Tenn.) Herald-Citizen (story links don't work, so here's a link to the sports section) says Tennessee Tech has pulled off one rare feat by upsetting Eastern Kentucky on the road. Now they'll try for another rarity: winning an OVC game on the road. The Golden Eagles haven't come up with a victory in 11 consecutive road games in the league, stretching all the way back to 2002. In his OVC Insider column, Buddy Pearson notes Tech's upset win and UT-Martin's victory over Jax State last week as perhaps a sign that the end times are upon us. JSU coach Jack Crowe took it as a sign of an improving league, or as Pearson quotes him, "I see more parody. That's my take on it." I think Crowe may have actually said another P-word, but there's an argument for this one too, I suppose. On the brighter side, this is now the early season leader for the Unfortunate Homonym Substitution of the Year award.

Thursday papers

Quick look at the papers today; I'm out of time. Here's what's up:

The Leaf Chronicle has a story about sophomore left tackle David Haskins leaving the Austin Peay State team, reportedly for academic reasons, on his own.

The Anniston Star has a story on Jacksonville State quarterback Matt Hardin and center Ronald Murray, who played at the same high school, and wound up at JSU together by coincindence.

Missed this one yesterday from The Huntsville Times: a rare JSU preview, on the upcoming game against Eastern Kentucky.

The Southeast Missourian says SEMO defensive end Edgar Jones will have a lot of family on hand, all the way from Louisiana, for this week's home game against Samford.

Wednesday news

We're back in business. Here's what's up in the papers today:

The (Clarksville, Tenn.) Leaf Chronicle says Austin Peay has developed a second threat at wide receiver: senior Kevin Carter hauled in six catches for 110 yards against Dayton Saturday, adding to sophomore Lanis Frederick's 124 yards on eight receptions.

The (Charleston, Ill.) Journal Gazette/Times-Courier notes that while Jacksonville State and Eastern Kentucky will be fighting for their lives in Richmond Saturday, Eastern Illinois will be taking an island vacation half a world away from those concerns. The Panthers visit I-A Hawai'i Saturday, and when they return, EKU and JSU will have made the conference title race a little clearer for them.

The Anniston (Ala.) Star (sorry, subscribers only) says JSU coach Jack Crowe's feathers a bit ruffled over the fact that UT-Martin outrushed his Gamecocks Saturday, and held JSU to just 91 yards on the ground. The Star also says JSU and EKU, judging by their games so far, might not have a high-scoring affair this weekend. And the paper ntoes that the visiting team has won the last two meetings between the Colonels and 'Cocks.

The Murray (Ky.) Ledger & Times says Murray State coach Matt Griffin opened up on Monday, after having left the stadium without a word after the Racers' loss to Illinois State. Griffin said his team needs to focus for the entire game, on offense, defense and special teams, instead of playing on highs and lows.

The Southeast Missourian says EIU, EKU and JSU went 18-0 against the rest of the league last season. That record's already out the window, after Tennessee Tech's upset of the Colonels and Martin's victory over JSU.

The (Nashville) Tennessean says Tennessee State is still looking for a solid fill-in for wide receiver Mike Mason, who's expect to be aout another at least another two weeks. Sophomore Chris Johnson didn't work out so well against Vanderbilt, and is moving back to his old position.

Sorry folks

I wasn't able to post my morning papers roundup today, thanks to some serious technical difficulties here at OVC Football Blog headquarters. I'm addressing that now, with a major upgrade to our systems (i.e., I got a new computer to replace the old that died just as I hit the "Publish" button this morning).

We should be back to normal tomorrow morning.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Tuesday news

Here's what's in the papers this morning:

The (Charleston, Ill.) Journal Gazette/Times-Courier says Eastern Illinois players and staff are gearing up for their visit to Hawai'i this week. What's safety Tristan Burge looking forward to most about the trip? "Fish tacos," he told the paper. And there you have it.

The Richmond (Ky.) Register examines the reasons for Eastern Kentucky's second-half collapse against Tennessee Tech this weekend, its second such loss in a row: "Turnovers, penalties, poor field position, missed field goals and a stunningly stagnant offense have been the main culprits," the paper says. Anything else?

The Anniston (Ala.) Star (sorry, subscribers only) says this week's meeting between Jacksonville State and EKU could eliminate the loser from the conference title race. The story also discusses at length last season's possibility of a three-way tie among EIU, EKU & JSU by way of raising the same spectre for this season. Seems a bit early for that, doesn't it?

The Gadsden (Ala.) Times also examines the possibility of JSU's elimination as a contender for the OVC crown. Coach Jack Crowe, though thinks if a team could ever win the league race with two losses, this could be the year ... well, sort of. "If there was ever a year where there could be saturation at the top with teams with two losses, I wouldn't be so profound as to say no-way, Jose," Crowe says. Profound, indeed.

The Murray (Ky.) Ledger & Times manages to get up some coverage of Murray State's loss Saturday to #6 Illinois State. The Racers had it tied at halftime, but a "mistake-filled second half" handed the Redbirds the game, the papers says. That apparently got MSU coach Matt Griffin mad enough that he didn't want to talk about it. The L&T says Griffin stormed out of Stewart Stadium after the game without talking to the media.

The Southeast Missourian says SEMO coach Tony Samuel is putting an interesting spin on Jacksonville State's loss to UT-Martin this weekend. Samuel's Skyhawks were beaten by the Gamecocks the previous weekend, 38-7. Normally, it's hard to find anything positive in seeing a team that creamed you lose its next game, but Samuel says JSU's 24-14 loss proves the Gamecocks are "human," and that SEMO could have played with them if not for having been "out of position too much."

The (Nashville) Tennessean says the controversy between Tennessee State and Vanderbilt over defensive lineman Lamar Divens continues. Divens transferred to TSU this summer after academic difficulty at Vandy. Coach James Webster has said Divens' transcript had showed him cleared to play. But The Tigers got a letter from VU officials Thursday before the schools' first-ever meeting on the gridiron saying there'd been a mistake and Divens wasn't eligible to play. Now, VU officials say they told TSU compliance staff of Divens' situation "no later than Sept. 15." The letter was just a formality, apparently. The Tennessean also says TSU freshman James Bell has been extradited to Florida, where he faces charges of attempted murder and carjacking.

Survey says ...

The Monday polls are in, and the results are about as I suspected. Eastern Illinois is now the OVC's only ranked team, at #20, in The Sports Network's poll, the official I-AA poll. They're at #18 in the AnGivenSaturday.com fan poll.

Several OVC teams are getting consideration just outside the top 25. UT-Martin's win over Jax State Saturday apprears to have impressed several voters. The Skyhawks got 59 points, for an effective #31 ranking in The Sports Network poll. They got 10 points, tied for an effective #30 ranking with Georgia Southern in the AGS poll.

Tennessee State got 20 points in the SNW poll, for what would be a #36 ranking. Eastern Kentucky follows with 13 points for an effective #39 spot, and Jax State got 6 points for what would be #48.

Monday papers

Here's the ink on the OVC this morning:

The (Clarksville, Tenn.) Leaf Chronicle says Austin Peay State's defense can at least celebrate forcing their first turnovers of the year, despite the Govs' loss to Dayton Satyurday. APSU forced four fumbles, recovering two of them.

The (Charleston, Ill.) Journal Gazette/Times-Courier heaps more praise on Eastern Illinois running back Vincent Webb, who had 208 yards against Samford on Saturday. That was enough to rank him third in I-AA so far this season, at 139.5 yards per game. The paper says tt also got him offenseive player of the week honors from the OVC (again this week, though, no release abouts weekly honos up at the OVC Web site).

The Anniston (Ala.) Star (sorry, subscribers only) says Jacksonville State coach Jack Crowe has decided UT-Martin simply had too many big men in the box on a crucial 4th-and-inches play for the quarterback sneak he called to work. You think?

The (Nashville) Tennessean says Tennessee State coach James Webster is still ticked about getting a letter from Vanderbilt saying Lamar Divens wasn't eligible to play after all. Divens had struggled academically at Vandy, and transferred to TSU this summer. At the beginning of the season, VU officials cleared him to play for the Tiger. Then, two days before the crosstown schools squared off for the first time in their history, Vandy changed its mind and Divens sat out. The real rub is that Divens is doing well in class at TSU, Webster said. In a column, Mike Organ says that hopefully, this will have been the worst week of the Tigers' season. It couldn't get much worse, after all: debilitating injuries, attempted murders and obfuscating bureacracy. Oh, and the loss. It can only get better, right?

The Nasville City Paper says at least one Commodore is boasting about Vandy's win over TSU. The story also calls TSU "one of the nation's premeir Division I-AA programs," and says Vanderbilt Coach Bobby Johnson wouldn't mind playing the Tigers again.

Sunday morning papers

Here's the roundup after Saturday's action:

The (Clarksville, Tenn.) Leaf Chronicle says Austin Peay State failed in its "upset bid" at Dayton Saturday. (The Govs fell 28-23). Tough as the game might have been, especially after losing to this team 46-0 last year, a team fielding 30 players on scholarship does not "upset" a team fielding 0 players on scholarship (well, certainly not in this game, anyway). The Govs obviosuly are improving, but they appear to have a long way to go to build a solid program.

The Anniston (Ala.) Star (sorry, subscribers only) says a fourth-quarter fourth-and inches try on a JSU drive with the Gamecocks down by a field goal was the key play at UT-Martin Saturday night. The Skyhawks kept JSU quarterback Matt Hardin from getting anywhere on a sneak, and went on to win 24-14. Another story picks apart that play and coach Jack Crowe's decision to call it. A notebook roundup looks at UT-Martin coach Jason Simpson's view of the game - he was a Jax State assistant under Mike Williams from 1997-99.

The Birmingham (Ala.) News gives Eastern Illinois senior running back Vincent Webb much of the credit for the Panthers' 24-13 win at Samford Saturday night. Webb had 208 yards - a career best - against the Bulldogs.

Tennessee State might have had a shot against Vanderbilt, had the Tigers not coughed up the ball three times in two minutes and 15 seconds in the seond half, giving up 21 points to the crosstown Commodores, as The (Nashville) Tennessean reports. The paper says TSU coach James Webster was just as disgusted by something that happaned two days before the game: Vandy notified him that it had made a mistake with the transcripts of former Commodore Lamar Divens, thereby making him ineligible to play for TSU in yesterday's game. Maurice Patton focuses on the turnovers in a short column. Mike Organ turns his pen on TSU quarterback Antonio Heffner, who kept the Tigers in the game until throwing two interceptions to help take them out of it. There's also a notebook roundup of short items from the game. All the pieces above, by the way, are listed on The Tennessean's Web site as "Vandy" items. I guess there's no question who the paper thought was the real hometown team on the field yesterday.

The (Cookeville, Tenn.) Herald-Citizen finally gets its coverage of Tennessee Tech's game online today. I feel compelled to note here that the game was played on Thursday. The main game story starts off describing Tech's upset of #24 Eastern Kentucky like this: "Sometimes you just have to believe." One story examines the Tech defense, and another looks at the improved running game. And yet another says a surprise gift from coach Doug Malone might have inspired the Golden Eagles to victory: new uniforms, bright gold trimmed in purple, presented just after the on-field warm-ups before the game. Here's a link to the HC sports section, since links to individual stories never seem to work.

Saturday night roundup

All league games are over. It turned out to be a rough week for the OVC's national status, as two of the three teams in the top 25 lost conference games. Here's what happened tonight:

Vanderbilt 38, Tennessee State 9 - Tigers can't compete in the first-ever meeting with their Nashville neighbors.
Illinois State 35, Murray State 14 - Racers look good early, taking a tie game to the locker room at halftime, but ISU takes over in the second half.
UT-Martin 24, #25 Jacksonville State 14 - Skyhawks win what was pitched as a battle of the OVC's best defenses. Martin's offense didn't look bad either.
#20 Eastern Illinois 24, Samford 13 - The OVC's top ranked team wins its first league game, on the road no less, to take command of the conference title race.

Considering #24 Eastern Kentucky's loss to Tennessee Tech Thursday, I'd say the OVC will have just one team in the top 25 come Monday, unless UT-Martin gets a little credit at 3-1 with a victory over what had been a top-25 team. The chances of an at-large playoff bid for the league are all but dead.

I'd say EIU now appears to be favored to repeat as OVC champs, but there's a lot of football left to be played, and Tech and Martin have proven anything is possible.

Mid-game report

Here's a quick look at what's happening so far in the OVC tonight.

I've got JSU vs. UT-Martin on via OVCsports.tv. I know I had some questions about the service after media day earlier this summer, but I'm pleased with my $8 purchase so far tonight. It beats driving to Martin, Tenn.

The Skyhawks are looking strong so far, with a 10-7 lead at halftime. The UTM o-line is giving their backs plenty of room to run, and that's dangerous with Marcus Dawson and Donald Chapman in the backfield. JSU's offense has struggled, getting only one first down in the first half until their scoring drive late in the second quarter.

Murray State has #6 Illinois State tied at halftime. That would be a heck of an upset if the Racers can get the lead and hang on. EDIT (7:25 p.m.): SportsNetwork.com lists this game tied at 14, but ESPN says it's 14-7 Illinois State.

Eastern Illinois is up 14-7 at halftime at Samford. Most have the Panthers listed as big favorites in this one, but the Bulldogs have to have plenty of hope being down only a touchdown at the half.

Tennessee State is down 7-0 at Vanderbilt in the first quarter. Hopefully the Tigers can get something going and make some noise against their "big-time" neighbors.

Saturday gameday news

There are two games among OVC teams today and two non-conference matchups. Here's a quick roundup of who's where and when.

#20 Eastern Illinois at Samford, 6 p.m. (all times Central)
#25 Jacksonville State at UT-Martin, 6 p.m.
#6 Illinois State at Murray Satte, 6 p.m.
Tennessee State at Venderbilt, 6 p.m.
Also, Austin Peay State visits Dayton at noon.

Here's what's in the papers today:

APSU is on its third straight road game, against a Dayton team that's 179-35-2 at home over the last 25 years, the (Clarksville, Tenn.) Leaf-Chronicle says.

Samford likely will have its eyes on Eastern Illinois wide receiver Micah Rucker today, according to the (Charleston, Ill.) Journal Gazette/Times-Courier. The transfer from Minnesota has five touchdown rceptions over three games. Near the end of the story, EIU defensive coordinator Roc Bellantoni says injured all-American lineman Clint Sellers asked if he could strap his arm to his side and play today. Was he serious, the paper asks? “Dead serious,” Bellantoni said. “He said, ‘I’m frustrated not being able to help the team.’ I said, ‘Get out of my office and get to class.’ ”

The JG-TC also has a story on Norris Smith, a highly-touted running back recruit out of Ely, Fla., in 2003. He may finally be getting a chance to start collecting yards after an up-and-down run with the Panthers.

The Birmingham (Ala.) News says Samford Coach Bill Gray would like to have had an extra two weeks to prepare his team for EIU. As it was, the Bulldogs got an extra two days, having defeated APSU last Thursday night.

The Murray (Ky.) Ledger & Times checks in with a pair of stories on Murray State's game against #6 Illinois State today. The first says the Racers will see a much different team than the Redbirds' conference mates Indiana State, who MSU beat 59-40 last week. The Sycamores are on a 20-game losing streak. Illinois State, meanwhile, beat then-#18 EIU last week, and nearly pulled off an upset of Kansas State in the first week. The other story examines Redbirds coach Denver Johnson, who once led the Racers.

Southeast Missouri State is off today, but school officials can celebratie the recent Black College Coaches Asssociation as a victory, according to the Southeast Missourian. SEMO got an A in the report, for hiring Tony Samuel to lead the Redhawks. Samuel was one of four African Americans hired at Division I football programs in the off-season. There are only 11 black coaches at non-historically black schools in all of Division I.

The (Nashville) Tennessean says Tennessee State coach James Webster and his Tigers will go into today's first-ever game against Vanderbilt expecting to win. Webster tells the paper, "For anybody to say we don't have anything to lose means that we don't expect to win. You're trying to tell us we don't have a chance to win. We've got a chance to win this game. We expect to win. We expect to win every game we play."

The Jackson (Tenn.) Sun says UT-Martin and its second-ranked OVC defense will have a tough test in Jacksonville State, which has the highest-rated defense in the league so far.

Friday news

Here's what's online this morning, starting with the aftermath of Tennessee Tech's surprise upset of #24 Eastern Kentucky last night:

The Richmond (Ky.) Register suggests there may be no words to describe the Colonels' second-half meltdown against the Golden Eagles. After dominating the first half - but missing on some opportunities to score - EKU watched the Golden Eagles put 20 unanswered points on the board in the second half for a final score of 27-14.

The Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader in its report on the game has a couple of quotes from EKU coach Danny Hope offering explanations. Among them, he points to the play of QB Josh Greco: "(Greco) wasn't throwing in rhythm and was holding the ball too long. We were lacking big-play potential."

NOTE: Tech fans, I'm not slighting your team by not examining what the Golden Eagles did to win the game. All I've got so far is reports from Kentucky papers, for which the first question, obviously, is: "What the heck happened to EKU?" The Cookeville paper ought to have a report up this afternoon.

The (Clarksville, Tenn.) Leaf Chronicle says Austin Peay State's former conference mates Dayton know they're facing a very different team than the one they've beaten in six consecutive seasons. "We put the tapes on last week, and it took us six plays to see they were a whole different ball club," Dayton coach Mike Kelly told the paper. "All of a sudden they're are bigger, faster and stronger. They play with more athletic ability." Dayton hosts the Govs Saturday at noon.

The Birmingham (Ala.) News says Samford's staff took Homewood product Rodney Shepherd on as a linebacker on the advice of his high school coach, and are glad they did. Shepherd has 25 tackles over the Bulldogs' first three games, for an average of 8.7 per game. He's hoping to get a few more against defending OVC champ Eastern Illinois, which visits Saturday at 6 p.m.

The Southeast Missourian says Don Hansen's Football Gazette named SEMO punter David Simonhoff its national special teams palyer of the week for his effort against Jacksonville State last week. Simonhoff punted eight times for an average of 51.2 and a long of 66 yards.

Several Tennessee State items from The (Nashville) Tennessean today. The smallest, but the most important to note: wide receiver Mike Mason will be back this season after all. His posterior cruciate ligament turns out to be sprained and not torn. He'll miss four to five weeks rather than the entire season. With Msaon out for Saturday's contest against Vanderbilt, Chris Johnson is expected get on the field a lot, where he'll likely see his good friend Marcus Buggs, a Vandy linebacker. The two haven't spoken at all this week, the paper says. Everybody else in Nashville, though, has been talking about this game, for decades, it seems. The paper says TSU and Vandy supporters have wanted to see the teams line up against eachother since the 1960s, when the Tigers were loaded with talent that at the time was more likely to play for historically black schools. They'll finally see it happen Saturday, at 6 p.m.

The Nashville City Paper says William Overton had a tough decision to make in 1970, when Venderbilt offered him a scholarship to play football for the Commodores. Overton felt pressure from within his African-American community to play at Tennessee State instead. He chose the road less traveled, heading to Vandy instead, one of the first black players to do so. As if missing Mason wasn't bad enough, the paper says TSU's starting quarterback Antonio Heffner may miss some of the Vandy game, too. Heffner injured his right foot against Jackson State last week. He'll play on Saturday, coach James Webster said, but could be pulled early.

Holy crap

I just signed on to check the score of the Eastern Kentucky-Tennessee Tech game, and got a complete surprise.

TTU 27, #24 EKU 14.

The Golden Eagles had been 0-3 to start the year, with losses to UT-Chattanooga, Gardner-Webb and Middle Tennessee State. Only the GW game was close.

EKU was the pre-season pick to win the league, and was looking forward to a bright season after besting their rivals Western Kentucky just two weeks ago. Last week they dropped a heartbreaker to Western Carolina.

EKU was expected to win handily.

As it turned out, the Colonels had what looked like a repeat of the WCU game, getting a lead early and then disappearing in the second half. Eastern QB Josh Greco was 21 of 35 for 211 yards passing, with an interception and a touchdown, and another TD on foot. Mark Dunn added 104 yards on the ground in a 150-yard ground game for the Colonels. EKU lost three of four fumbles. Tech got it done with 114 yards through the air from Lee Sweeny, who was 10 of 15 with an interception and two touchdowns. Of the Golden Eagles' 187 rushing yards, 110 came from Anthony Ash. Stats are from the box score at sportsnetwork.com.

Wow.

Thursday gameday news

There's one game set for tonight in the OVC; Eastern Kentucky visits Tennessee Tech, for a contest to be televised live on ESPNU. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. Here's the news from around the league:

The (Clarksville, Tenn.) Leaf Chronicle takes a lok at Jason Vanatta and David Haskins, a pair of defenders for Austin Peay State who each have 22 tackles for the Govs over their first three. games.

The Richmond (Ky.) Register says Eastern Kentucky players & staff didn't get much time to reflect on Saturday's loss to Western Carolina before it was time to start prepping for tonight's game.

The Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader picks the EKU-TTU matchup as its top football story from among the "state colleges" lineup today.

The Anniston (Ala.) Star (sorry, subscribers only) looks at JSU linebacker Alex Henderson ... or is that defensive back, or rover or fullback? Different JSU publications list him at all those positions, and there's a nugget of truth in each. But Henderson, who walked on two years ago with the Gamecocks, is firmly entrenched now at linebacke; he had seven tackles in Saturday's win over Southeast Missouri State, including one for a loss.

The (Nashville) Tennessean says Tennessee State's crop of I-A transfers should help them measure up better against Vanderbilt on Saturday than they otherwise would.

The Jackson (Tenn.) Sun says running back Donald Chapman will play for UT-Martin agaisnt Jacksonville State on Saturday. The star missed last week's game against Gardner-Webb with an ankle sprain. With No. 2 back Josh Chapman serving a one-game suspension, Marcus Dawson got a lot of carries. The paper says Dawson was the OVC's newcomer of the week, but I haven't seen a release yet from the league about players of the week. I wonder who the rest of them are?

Wednesday news

Here's what's up this morning.

First the bad news. It's real bad, and it's all coming from Tennessee State. The (Nashville) Tennessean says Tennessee State offensive lineman James Bell was arrested in class Tuesday morning by Nashville police. He is charged by aouthrities in his native Osceola County, Fla., of armed robbery with a firearm, two counts of attempted murder, armed carjacking, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, two counts of grand theft with a firearm, and grand theft. The crimes allegedly occured June 25. Bell, an 18-year-old freshman, has played in all three of the Tigers' games this season.

As if that wasn't bad enough, The Tennessean says it appears TSU receiver Mike Mason is out for the season following a posterior cruciate ligament injury in his knee in last week's game against Jackson State. The North Carolina transfer was expected to help spark the Tigers' offense this season.

The (Charleston, Ill.) Journal Gazette/Times-Courier says both Samford and Eastern Illinois will be a bit unsettled going into Saturday's contest between the teams. Samford starter Jefferson Adcock was pulled from Saturday's game against Austin Peay after an 0-5 start, in favor of Dante Williams, who's listed as the starter for this week. EIU's Mike Donato hasn't lost his job yet, but coach Murk Hutson says he'll have to do better than the three interceptions he threw in Saturday's loss to Illinois State. The paper also says the OVC is touting the fact that three league teams are ranked in The Sports Network's top 25 this week; EIU is #20, Eastern Kentucky is #24 and Jacksonville State is #25.

The Anniston (Ala.) Star (sorry, subscribers only) says JSU coach Jack Crowe has loads of respect for the defense of his opponent this week, UT-Martin. The Gamecocks and Skyhawks have posted the best defensive statistics in the league so far this year. In the paper's weekly list for the Gamecocks, The Star said JSU must move the ball well, score when they're in the red zone and bottle up both UT-Martin quarterbacks to win the game.

The Sutheast Missouiran takes note of the fact that JSU's 38-7 rout of SEMO on Saturday got the Gamecocks into the top 25 this week, as part of the paper's weekly OVC roundup.

Tuesday news

As promised, here's the roundup of Tuesday's news. Turns out this would have been a good day to get it done fast early in the morning; there's not much out there. Here's what I've found:

The Anniston (Ala.) Star (sorry, subscribers only) says Jacksonville State is heading into the toughest stretch of its conference schedule, with games against UT-Martin and Eastern Kentucky on the road over the next two weeks, before hosting Murray State at home on a Thursday night.

The Gadsden (Ala.) Times says JSU and UT-Martin mach up extremely well in msot statistical categories, especially on defense. JSU coach Jack Crowe thinks the game might be a showdown between the league's best defensive units.

The Murray (Ky.) Ledger & Times says Murray State's victory over Indiana State Saturday was a validation for the program and its new leadership under coach Matt Griffin. While the 59-40 victory gave the RAcers plenty to celebrate, they've got to improve a lot of defense, Griffin tells the paper. While Indiana State now holds the nation's longest winning streak at 20 games thanks to the Racers, MSU this week faces #6 Illinois State, which knocked off defending OVC champs Eastern Illinois last week.

The Southeast Missourian says SEMO coach Tony Samuel is thankful for his team's week off following Saturday's 38-7 loss to JSU. Samuel tells the paper, "First of all, Jacksonville State is a very good football team. But we made them look better than they are. We didn't perform well."

In his column today, The (Cookeville, Tenn.) Herald-Citizen's Buddy Pearson says Tennessee Tech still has a chance at winning the OVC title in 2006. (Here's a link to the HC sports section) Their chances, he points out, are at least better than his odds at winning the lottery or the world ending tomorrow. But hey, the Golden Eagles are undefeated in OVC play; all things are possible when you're 0-0. TTU hosts Eastern Kentucky Thursday night in a game to be televised live on ESPNU at 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday news late

Sorry folks, gotta be to work awful darn early in the morning. I'm afraid I won't have time for my usual morning news roundup. I should be able to get it up later in the evening after I get home. Trust me, if I could find a way to make the blog pay the bills you'd get 'round the clock coverage of the OVC.

Until then, how about some thoughts from you? Have the first three weeks of action from OVC teams changed your thoughts about who might win the league crown and who might make the playoffs? Click on the "Comments" link below and discuss.

Silver lining in the polls

This week's up-and-down results in the OVC has led to some mixed results in the top 25 polls today. First, the good news: While Eastern Kentucky and Eastern Illinois both lost ground in The Sports Netowrk Top 25 following their losses, Jacksonville State edged its way in, giving the OVC three teams in the top 25.

EIU is at #20, down from #18. EKU is at #24, down from #19. Jax State comes in at #25. Tennessee State, meanwhile, is now on the radar screen, getting 20 points in the "others receiving votes" category.

Things were not so good in the fan poll over at AnyGivenSaturday.com. While Eastern Illinois lost just one spot, falling to #18 from #17, Eastern Kentucky dropped out of the top 25 from the #22 spot. EKU received 21 points in the voting, followed by Jax State with 16 points.

The three ranked OVC teams all will get chances to solidify their standings this week, facing competition from wihtin the league. All three are on the road, with EKU at Tennessee Tech Thursday night. Saturday EIU is at Samford and Jax State visits UT-Martin. Sept. 30 could feature the first contest between ranked OVC teams, as JSU visits the Colonels.

Monday news

Here's what online this morning:

The (Charleston, Ill.) Journal Gazette/Times-Courier says three interceptions thrown by Eastern Illinois quarterback Mike Donato Saturday led to three Illinois State scores. That, plus good play from Pierre Jackson, filling in for injured Redbird Laurent Robinson, combined to bring the Panthers down, the paper says.

The Anniston (Ala.) Star (sorry, subscribers only) says Jacksonville State coach Jack Crowe beleives his defense needs to improve. And that's after holding Southeast Missouri State to 163 yards Saturday, the third-lowest by a JSU opponent since the Gamecocks entered Division I.

The (Nashville) Tennessean says it's unclear how badly Tennessee State wide receiver Mike Mason was injured on a first-quarter kickoff return Saturday against Jackson State. Mason had tests Sunday to see if his posterior cruciate ligament was sprained or torn. The senior transfer from North Carolina figures big in the Tiger's hopes to rise in the OVC standings this season. In a column, TSU beat writer Mike Organ says Tigers coach James Webster showed another side to his normally calm and collected personality Saturday. In post-game interviews after the 31-30 overtime win, Webster shouted "this head coach never gives up baby! Never gives up!’’

The Nashville City Paper notes that Tennessee State is now on its first winning streak under Webster. For the record, the streak stands at two. And for what it's worth, TSU's next game is accross town at Vanderbilt.

OOC roundup and Sunday papers

The OVC was 4-3 in non-conference games this week, bringing the season total to 10-13. That's already better than last year's 7-21 mark. With seven non-con games left to play (four of them against I-A teams) the OVC stands to improve its reputation a bit, but not as much as it would have if Jacksonville State, Eastern Illinois and Eastern Kentucky had managed to win against Furman, Illinois State and Western Carolina, respectively.

Here's a roundup of this week's results:
Middle Tennessee 44, Tennessee Tech 0
Samford 17, Austin Peay 10
Murray State 59, Inidiana State 40
UT-Martin 35, Gardner Webb 9
Jacksonville Sate 38, Southeast Missouri State 7 (OVC game)
Western Carolina 20, #19 Eastern Kentucky 17
Tennessee State 31, Jackson State 30 (OT)
#7 Illinois State 44, #18 Eastern Illinois 30

Heres what in the Sunday papers after Saturday's action:

The Richmond (Ky.) Register says EKU appeared to dominate the first half, with 315 yards of offense and a 17-7 lead, but couldn't answer Western Carolina's second-half comeback. EKU quarterback Josh Greco threw three interceptions in the game, including two in the second half and the Colonels missed two field goals.

The Anniston (Ala.) Star (sorry, subscribers only) says JSU was more than convincing in the win over SEMO. The Gamecocks got 473 yards on offense, 303 on the ground, and allowed just 163 by the Redhawks. Another story says JSU's star running back Clay Green got a lot of extra work in the off week following the season-opening loss to Furman. He says the work helped him get 120 yards and three touchdowns yesterday. There's also a feature story on JSU's six players with relatives who are playing or have played in the NFL.

The Birmingham (Ala.) News highlights Green's performance (he's a product of Huffman High in the Birmingham area) in its coverage of the JSU victory.

The Southeast Missourian says SEMO coach Tony Samuel called JSU "a good, experienced football team." He told the paper, "We couldn't get them off the field. They just marched and marched and marched. It looked like my old Nebraska offense." Another piece notes that the Redhawks had no trouble with the 87-degree heat (maginified on the field by the artificial surface), and that all-American punter David Simonhoff booted eight punts for SEMO, with an average of 51.2 yards and a long of 66.

The (Nashville) Tennessean says TSU backup quarterback Richard Hartman made a snap decision to throw the winning two-point conversion pass to Brandon Williams in overtime. The Tigers might not have needed overtime to beat Jackson State if wide receiver Mike Mason hadn't been on the sidelines for much the game after straining a leg muscle in a kickoff return in the first quarter.

Big day

Just got in from Paul Snow Stadium in Jacksonville, in time to see Jackson State score late in the fourth and add a 2-point conversion to tie Tennessee State at 23. Hopefully the Tigers (the TSU ones) can get the edge and give the OVC a solid non-conference victory.

It's been a mixed bag elsewhere for the league.

#18 Eastern Illinois trails #7 Illinois State by a pair of touchdowns, 30-23 in the fourth quarter.

#19 Eastern Kentucky lost to Western Carolina 20-17.

Murray State, meanwhile, picked up its first victory of the year in a barnburner with Indiana State, 59-40.

UT-Martin topped Gardner-Webb 35-9 earlier today.

And of course, Jacksonville State beat OVC foe Southeast Missouri State 38-7 here in Jacksonville.

EDIT (9:06 p.m.): End of regulation in Memphis at the Jackson State-Tennessee State game, headed to overtime to solve the 23-23 tie.

EDIT (9:17 p.m.): TSU wins! Jackson State scores forst in OT, but Tenn. State answers quickly, and a two-point conversion pass gives TSU a 31-30 victory!

EDIT (9:38 p.m.): It's over in Terre Haute. llinois State 44, Eastern Illinois 30. The OVC is having a rough time against ranked opponents this year.

Final 38-7 JSU.

Final 38-7 JSU.

Getting ugly. 31-0 JSU to

Getting ugly. 31-0 JSU to start the 4th.

Now halftime. 17-0 Jax State.

Now halftime. 17-0 Jax State.

14-0 Jax State at the

14-0 Jax State at the end of the first quater.

Big crowd? Outside JSU's stadium

Big crowd? Outside JSU's stadium now. Parking lots already are full for a 2:30 game. Wow.

Saturday gameday news

Six games being played by OVC teams today. I'll be at one of them, the only conference game on the slate, as Southeast Missouri State's Redhawks visit my Jacksonville State Gamecocks. I'll have a digital camera in hand, and also try a couple of new features: score updates and live game photos via cell phone to the blog. Stay tuned!

Here's what's up about the OVC in today's papers:

The (Charleston, Ill.) Journal Gazette/Times-Courier says there'll be some stars out in tonight's game between #18 Eastern Illinois and #7 Illinois State. Both teams will be without Buchannan Award-nominated linebackers - EIU's Clint Sellers and ISU's Clint Sikowic both are out. Redbirds receiver Laurent Robinson also is nursing an ankle injury, and it's unclear if he'll play.

The Richmond (Ky.) Register says Eastern Kentucky players still are trying to get over their win against arch-enemy Western Kentucky last week, heading into today's contest with Western Carolina.

The Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader says EKU coach Danny Hope and crew know a victory today would go a long way toward their case for an at-large playoff bid, should the OVC title be awarded to another team.

The Anniston (Ala.) Star doesn't put its Saturday college "hot reads" online for some reason, but they are in the paper that arrived at the foot of my driveway this morning. The paper says Southeast Missouri State will have the advantage today against Jacksonville State on offense, defense and special teams, while JSU has the edge in "intangibles." Still, The Star predicts a 27-13 Gamecock victory. Interesting. The Star also is continuing is practice of putting a full-color gameday wrap around papers printed when JSU is playing at home. Today there's a big picture of linebacker George Summers staring folks in the face over their morning coffee.

The Murray (Ky.) Ledger & Times says that both teams will be looking for a rare victory in today's matchup between Murray State and Indiana State. Murray has lost 11 of its last 13; ISU is on a 19-game losing streak.

The Southeast Missourian says SEMO has pretty much crusied to its 2-0 start, beating D-II UM-Rolla and an Austin Peay squad with 30 players on scholarship. Coach Tony Samuel said he knows his team faces a much tougher task at JSU today.

The Tiger mascots won't be the only similarity between Tennessee State and Jackson State when the teams take the field today in Memphis, according to The (Nashville) Tennessean. Both squads went 1-9 last year, and both are counting on a stable of I-A transfers to help boost them to victory this year. TSU has five former I-A on the roster; Jackson State has nine.

Here's a link to the (Cookeville, Tenn.) Herald-Citizen's sports section. They've got their coverage up of Thursday's 44-0 loss by Tennessee Tech to old rival, now I-A Middle Tennessee. The score might not look like there's much to celebrate, but the Golden Eagles are proud of their defense, holding MTSU to a field ghoal in the first half. The offense, with its five turnovers and zero points, is another story (literally).

Friday news

Here's what's online from the papers this morning:

The Birmingham (Ala.) News says Samford had to find a running game last night to eek out that 17-10 win over Austin Peay State. The Bulldogs had 136 yards on the ground compared to 114 through the air. Both Samford touchdowns were gained on foot. The Govs got 105 yards on the ground from running back Chris Fletcher.

The Nashville City Paper says Middle Tennessee State looked like "an OVC also-ran" at times in the Blue Raiders' eventual 44-0 rout of old rival Tennessee Tech last night. I-A MTSU managed only a field goal in the first half, but finally picked up steam in the third quarter.

There's no game coverage up yet from the (Cookeville, Tenn.) Herald-Citizen, an afternoon paper. But they ran a couple of items Thursday on the MTSU-TTU rivalry. In one, writer Buddy Pearson makes the classic "Division I" mistake; he writes, "But the Blue Raiders made the jump from I-AA to Division I." I-AA is Division I, Buddy. That's what the "I" in "I-AA" is for. MTSU made the jump to I-A. What's really disappointing is TTU coach Doug Malone makes the same mistake in the other story. He should know better. It's hard to expect anyone else to understand and respect your brand of football if the people running your program can't even get it right. Here's a link to the HC sports section.

The Southeast Missourian gives some ink to SEMO defensive back Romae Rucker, who already has plenty of it. Rucker's body is covered in tatoos, including the Serenity Prayer in large, cursive script accross his chest. He's been getting marked up since he was 13.

The (Nashville) Tennessean examines another I-A transfer making an impact at Tennessee State, former Vanderbilt defensive tackle Lamar Divens. Writer Mike Organ is perhaps a bit off sides is saying skills like Divens' are "seldom seen in Division I-AA football," and that he "belongs on a higher level." I've not seen Divens play, though I'm sure he's good. But there are plenty of quality footballers in I-AA, and I'm left wondering if Organ wants us to feel sorry for Divens for having to play for the likes of TSU, or for TSU for not being worthy of such a skilled player.

Thursday gamenight update

Just got a chance to check in on the scores. Both OVC Games tonight are still in progress, and both gave me a bit of a surprise. (Scores are from the OVC scoreboard at SportsNetwork.com.

In the third quarter at Murfreesboro, it's Middle Tennessee State 16, Tennessee Tech 0. At halftime the score was 3-0 MTSU. That's a much better showing than I would have given Tech credit for ahead of time. Of course, I have no idea what's happened in the game, but looking at that score the game isn't out of reach for the Golden Eagles.

Meanwhile, down in Homewood, Austin Peay State and Samford are tied in the second quarter, 3-3. That's much tighter than I would have predicted. I expected Samford to be walking all over the Govs.

Stay tuned for final scores. Looks like an interesting night in the O-Valley.

EDIT (8:30 p.m.): Update ... as soon as I hit "refresh," things looked a little bit worse for the league. MTSU's now up 23-0 with the third quarter about to expire, and it's still 3-3 just into the third frame in the APSU-Samford game.

EDIT (9:02 p.m.): It's getting worse for Tech. MTSU's now up 37-0 with a little over 2 minutes to play. At least TTU played a half of good football. Meanwhile, both teams have had a touchdown in the third to keep the score tied between Samford and AP. It's now 10-10 with just under 9 minutes to go in the fourth.

EDIT (10:17 p.m.): All over now. MTSU apparently did all they could to make it look like a slaughter at the end, running it up to 44-0. The Blue Raiders only managed 301 yards of offense for all those points. Reports over at AnyGivenSaturday.com from those watching the game on ESPNU say it was sloppy throughout on both sides. Six turnovers in all, five of them by TTU. They're gonna have to work on that. It's a shame Tech couldn't break through for a score. Why was this game televised?

Samford escapes with a 17-10 victory over Austin Peay. Much better showing by the Govs' defense than in the 38-13 game against Southeast Missouri State a week ago.

Thursday gameday news

Two games tonight, Austin Peay State at Samford and Tennessee Tech at Middle Tennessee. Here's what's in the papers this morning:

The (Clarksville, Tenn.) Leaf Chronicle says APSU's quarterback and running back are confident their offensive line can give them all the room they need, even with backup filling in.

The Birmingham (Ala.) News reports on Samford junior wide receiver Jeff Moore, who's looking forward to being the target for passes instead of defnding against them. The Bulldog staff moved him to defense for last week's game at Georgia Tech.

The Nashville City Paper notes that an old OVC rivalry is being renwed for a night as MTSU hosts TTU. Middle has faced the Golden Eagles more than any other opponent in its history, holding a slight 35-32-7 edge in the series. The paper says the game is in part an effort by MTSU to revive fan interest in the program (makes one wonder why they left the OVC, dunnit?)

The (Cookeville, Tenn.) Herald Citizen has more on the history of the series. For one thing, TTU apparently has a slightly different take on the record, 35-31-6 in Middle's favor. MTSU has won 15 of the 19 games played since 1980. The teams haven't met since 1998. (Links to HC stories never work, for some reason, so here's a link to the sports section. From there, click on the headline.)

The (Nashville) Tennessean's Mike Organ wirtes a bit about the MTSU-TTU game tonight, set for a live broadcast on ESPNU. The Tennessean has more on the game: Both teams have needed lessons in the rivalry's history, the paper says. There's also a story on Chris Grimes, a local product now playing cornerback for the Golden Eagles.

The (Charleston, Ill.) Journal Gazette/Times-Courier says Illinois State coach Denver Johnson has had plenty of luck against Eastern Illinois. Seventh-ranked ISU hosts the #18 Panthers Saturday in a game that will figure big in the OVC's quest for respect.

The Richmond (Ky.) Register says Eastern Kentucky offensive coordinator Kurt Beathard will be in familiar territory Saturday. Beathard worked for the Colonels' opponent, Western Carolina, from 1996-2001.

The Tennessean reports that Tennessee State's offense appears to be in good hands with Antonio Heffner. The transfer from South Carolina is 27-48 in his first two starts, averaging 218 yards per game, and the Tigers are still racking up yards on the run, too.

Bad news for UT-Martin. The Jackson (Tenn.) Sun says star running back Donald Chapman sprained an ankle in Saturday's victory over Urbana, and will miss this week's game against Gardner-Webb. The No. 2 back, Josh Chapman (no relation) is serving a one-game suspension.

Dougherty says ...

Matt Dougherty, the I-AA guru over at The Sports Network, in his "Extra Point" column today, predicts the OVC will go 2-5 in non-conference competition this week. I'd criticize him, but the last time I did that his overall predicition turned out to be right.

Matt picked the score for three games involving OVC teams:
Jacksonville State 41, Southeast Missouri State 14 (OVC game)
#19 Eastern Kentucky 24, Western Carolina 20
#7 Illinois State 27, #18 Eastern Illinois 13

He predicted just the winner in the following games:
Samford over Austin Peay State
Middle Tennessee over Tennessee Tech
Indiana State over Murray State
Gardner-Webb over UT-Martin
Jackson State over Tennessee State

If Matt turns out to be right again, the OVC would be 7-14 in non-conference contests for the year so far, with eight games left t play. That would match the total number of non-con wins last year, when the OVC went 7-21.

Wednesday news

Here's the news this morning around the Ohio Valley Conferece:

The (Clarksville, Tenn.) Leaf Chronicle looks at the bonds between Samford coach Bill Gray and Austin Peay State coach Carroll McCray. McCray was an assistant at Samford from 1994-2000, along with Gray, when McCray was diagnosed with cancer. The paper also includes Gray's comments from yesterday's coaches' teleconference.

In a column today, Brian Nielsen of the (Charleston, Ill.) Journal Gazette/Times-Courier looks at the lack of natural rivalries in the OVC, and says that Eastern Illinois is "stuck" in the league. The paper, in a story borrowed from the Bloomington (Ill.) Pantagraph, also runs down injuries among the Panthers' opponents Saturday, Illinois State.

The Richmond (Ky.) Register notes the increased production of Eastern Kentucky's ground game after leaning heavily on the pass for the past several years.

Echoing the story above, The Anniston (Ala.) Star (sorry, subscribers only) says Jacksonville State's staff saw a team transformed when they popped in film of Southeast Missouri State's first two games. When the Gamecocks line up against SEMO on Saturday, they'll face a team that largely has abandoned the pass for a power running game under new head coach Tony Samuel. In a list of four things The Star thinks JSU must do to beat SEMO, the paper says the Gamecocks must get their own running game going, get good play from special teams, defend on both the line of scrimmage and in the backfield, and control Redhawks quarterback Kevin Ballatore.

The Gadsden (Ala.) Times previews JSU's home opener with SEMO, saying JSU coach Jack Crowe thinks a few young players maturing is all that needs to happen to make the Gamecocks a "real solid football team."

Murray State coach Matt Griffin says his Racers gave away lastweek's game against Tennessee State. The Murray (Ky.) Ledger & Times says Griffin cited a few key MSU mistakes gave the Tigers the game. (Nothing to do with Heffner and Mason, then?)

The Southeast Missourian notes that that TSU victory put the Tigers in first place in the OVC race, for now. The paper has its run-down of the league today.

Tuesday news - Samford's staying

Here's what's in the papers this morning:

The most important item comes from The Birmingham (Ala.) News, where in his column today Mike Perrin takes note of the tug-of-war between the OVC and the Southern Conference. When UT-Chattanooga announced it was turning down the OVC's invite to join, school officials mentioned Samford as a possible new member for the SoCon. The folks at Samford apparently were expecting this, and had a statement prepared. "The OVC has been good to us," Samford AD Bob Roller told The News. "They were there for us when no one else was and we've been very competitive. We're convinced the OVC is the right place for us."

Well, I guess that settles that. Now all we've got to worry about is Tennessee State and the SWAC.

The (Clarksville, Tenn) Leaf Chronicle says the Thursday night game against Samford gives the Govs little time to prepare for the second of its three OVC opponents this season. Of course, coach Carroll McCray notes, that also gives them 10 days to prepare for Dayton the following week.

The Louisville (Ky.) Courier-Journal says Bobby Washington has forgetten all about that I-A team he used to play for (North ... somthing?). And it's a good thing for Eastern Kentucky. The running back got 103 yards and a touchdown against Western Kentucky Saturday.

The Anniston (Ala.) Star (sorry, subscribers only) says Jacksonville State coach Jack Crowe has backed off his threat to load up the Gamecocks' special teams units with offensive and defensive starters. That was the plan immediately after JSU dropped a tight one to Furman Sept. 2, in part because of blown coverage on a late kickoff. The Star notes that JSU went 0-3 to start last year, including a loss to Furman; their first win came against Southeast Missouri. That's the Gamecocks' first league opponent this week,too. Crowe says his team should have its hands full.

The Murray (Ky.) Ledger & Times finally checks in with its run-down of Murray State's loss Saturday to Tennessee State.

The Southeast Missourian says SEMO has fixed its problems with punting and penalties that lingered last season. It helps when the punter you're working on is David Simonhoff.

Tennessee State punter Tim Ehert will play Saturday in the Tigers' Heritage Classic matchup against Jackson State. TSU had said the Florida Atlantic transfer had used up his eligibility before the Murray State game last week. Now, after checking NCAA rules again, they've changed their minds.

Climbing the ladder

The OVC's two ranked teams took a couple of steps up this week in the polss, both after solid victories against teams from the traditionally strong Gateway Football Conference.

The Sports Network's official I-AA poll has Eastern Illinois at #18, up from #20, after a win against Indiana State. Eastern Kentucky is right behind them at #19, up from #23 after knocking off archrival Western Kentucky.

The fan poll at AnyGivenSaturday.org puts the Panthers at #17, up from #20. EKU is ranked #22, up three spots from #25.

EIU will look to give the OVC its first win against a ranked opponent this week, taking on in-state foe #7 Illinois State, also from the GFC. Eastern Kentucky takes on Western Carolina, of the Southern Conference.

Jacksonville State was the only other OVC team to receive votes in either poll. The Gamecocks had 55 points in the TSN poll, putting them effectively at #33. JSU got five votes in the AGS poll, for the effictive #38 spot. JSU opens league play this week, hosting Southeast Missouri State.

Monday news

Here's what's up this morning:

The (Clarksville , Tenn.) Leaf Chronicle says Austin Peay State running back Chris Fletcher is wondering if cutting of his lengthy braids had something to do with the Govs' win Saturday.

The (Charleston, Ill.) Journal Gazette/Times-Courier says everything ent wrong in the first half of Eastern Illinois' game Saturday against Indiana State. Fortunately, everything in the second half seemed to go right.

The Richmond (Ky.) Register says Eastern Kentucky's Colonels got a little extra incentive to welcome Wester Kentucky and quarterback Justin Haddix to campus. Haddix, who grew up nearby and wanted to attend EKU, had told a couple of state papers before the game that he felt at home in Roy Kidd Stadium. “The last time I checked, he wasn’t a Colonel," said EKU defensive lineman Mark Cristiani. "We’re the only ones who should be feeling good at home.”

The Anniston (Ala.) Star (sorry, subscribers only) notes that with EIU's Bob Spoo out 4-6 weeks and Tennessee Tech's Mike Hennigan on a medical leave of absence, Jacksonville Sate's Jack Crowe suddenly finds himself the longest-tenured OVC head coach, in his seventh season.

The (Nashville) Tennessean points out the good play Saturday of Tennessee State cornerback Dominique Rogers-Cromartie, who picked off three passes in the win over Murray State. Coach James Webster also notes the strong play of the Tigers' transfers: "Lets face it: they're D-I players,'' Webster told the paper. "Where'd your big plays come from? They came from Heffner, they came from Mason, they came from Divens.'' Coach, all your players are D-I players. You mean "I-A." In a column, TSU beat writer Mike Organ says one of those transfers, quarterback Antonio Heffner, is reluctant interview, trying to sneak past waiting reporters after both games so far this year.

The Nashville City Paper also points out Haffner's shy streak. Webster notes that his Tigers, at least for now, are in first place in the OVC after Saturday's win.

Players of the week

Your OVC Players of the Week for Week Two, fresh from the official OVC site, are:

Offense: Eastern Illinois' senior running back Vincent Webb - 171 yards and a touchdown against Indiana State to pass the career 3,000-yard mark.

Defense: Eastern Kentucky's senior linebacker Brandon Rosser - got 10 tackles in the win against WKU Saturday, forced a fuble and recovered another.

Specialist: Samford's senior punter Chris Hicks - booted it nine times for a 46.3-yard average against Georgia Tech, getting one inside the 20 and a long of 53 yards.

Newcomer: Eastern Illinois' Micah Rucker, a junior wide receiver - the Minnesota transfer had six catches for 183 yards, two 60-plus-yard TD passes and averaged 30 yards per reception.

Sunday papers & gameday roundup

It was a decent weekend for the OVC. Better than last week, at least. The league was 4-2 in non-conference competition, 2-2 against Division I teams, 2-1 gainst I-AA squads. That includes two important wins for two teams picked to lead the OVC this season. Plus, we got league play underway in Nashville. For the record, the OVC is now 6-9 in non-conference play. Here's a round up of the week's results:

UT-Martin 28, Urbana 0 (Thursday)
Georgia Tech 38, Samford 6
Gardner-Webb 30, Tennessee Tech 26
Eastern Kentucky 26, Western Kentucky 21
Eastern Illinois 31, Indiana State 21
Tennessee State 25, Murray State 15
Southeast Missouri State 44, UM-Rolla 23

And here's what the papers have to say about yesterday's action in the OVC:

The (Clarksville, Tenn.) Leaf-Chronicle says Austin Peay State running back Chris Fletcher fought through bangs and brusies in the game's final minute to score the game-winning touchdown, making the final 28-21 over Cumberland. it snapped a streak of 13 staright losses on the road for the Govs. Of course, if you're a Division I team and you want a road win, visiting an NAIA team ought to be a sure way to do it (visiting an NAIA team?). Thank goodness for Fletcher.

Eastern Kentucky's defense forced four straight incomplete passes from Western Kentucky's Justin Haddix to kill any hopes of a Hilltopper comeback late in the fourth quarter, according to the Richmond (Ky.) Register. The Colonels' victory in the Battle of the Bluegrass was their first since 1999, when WKU was still an OVC team. The win was appropriately celebrated in Richmond Saturday, complete with field-mobbing and goal-post felling. The Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader notes it was EKU's first non-conference win in 10 tries, since besting Appalachian State in 2003. The (Louisville,Ky.) Courier-Journals says it's Western's sixth-straight loss dating back to last season, the longest slide since losing seven in a row in the mid-90's.

The Southeast Missourian says SEMO ran most of the way to its 44-23 victory over D-II UM-Rolla. The Redhawks had 303 yards of rsuhing offense, with two back over 100 yards apiece in the team's first victory of the season.

In the first OVC contest of the season, Tennessee State used a quick, no-huddle offense to find the end zone early and often in the first half against Murray State, according to The (Nashville) Tennessean. The Tigers jumped out to a 22-0 lead. The Racers started to come alive in the second half, but it wasn't enough, and TSU was on top at the end, 25-15. TSU coach James Webster said the quick-strike approach is the game plan for the rest of the year.

The (Cookeville, Tenn.) Herald-Citizen says Tennessee Tech battled back from a 21-6 deficit to take a 26-21 lead against Gardner-webb in the third quarter. But the Golden Eagles couldn't finish the job, falling 30-26.

Maybe I missed something, but The Birmingham (Ala.) News again appears to have completetly ignored Samford, this time carrying nothing on its Web site about the Bulldogs' visit to Georgia Tech Saturday.

Jacksonville State wasn't on the field Saturday, but Raynodd Zeine is glad to even be near a field for the Gamecocks this season. The Anniston (Ala.) Star takes a look at the senior fullback and the incident at a Jacksonville nightclub (since closed) this spring that left him with a six-inch gash on his neck and a better perspective on life.

Saturday gameday news

Here's what's up today as the OVC swings into action for week two:

The (Clarksville. Tenn.) Leaf Chronicle says Austin Peay will be fighting more than just the Bulldogs of Cumberland today, they also be taking on a 13-game road losing streak. The last time they won on the road was Oct. 25, 2003, 31-21 at Davidsoon.

The (Charleston, Ill.) Journal Gazette/Times-Courier says Eastern Illinois will be looking for new stars in today's game against Indiana State, to be televised live on Fox Sports Midwest. Someone will have to fill the role of all-American linebacker Clint Sellers, still out with a shoulder injury.

The Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader says Eastern Kentucky will be looking to avenge last year's last-play loss on a field goal to the evil denizens of Bowling Green, Western Kentucky's Hilltoppers. They'll be looking for a chance like the team that lost to WKU on a late field goal attempt in 1978, coming back in '79 to block yet another last-second kick. The Battle of the Bluegrass, it seems, has a knack for producing nailbiters.

The (Louisville, Ky.) Courier-Journal says the pressure is on EKUto win today's contest against Western. The Colonels' last victory in the series came in 1999, and for the first time in a long time, they're favored going into the game. The paper also notes Murray State's contest against Tennessee State today.

The Birmingham News takes a short look at the challenge facing Samford today in Atlanta, where the Bulldogs will take on Georgia Tech.

The Murray (Ky.) Ledger & Times notes that a lot has changed since Murray State and Tennessee State last met in 2004. It was the Racers' turn to skip TSU last year, and now the teams will face eachother with new coaches and new approaches to the game.

Southeast Missouri State is playing down this week, but their opponents, D-II UM-Rolla, are likely to take to the air. The Miners have one of the more potent passing games in their division, according to the Southeast Missourian.

Another year, another Matt Griffin-coached team for Tennessee State's OVC opener, notes The (Nashville) Tennessean. Griffin's UT-Martin Skyhawks dropped the Tigers 42-20 last year. Now he comes to Nashville leading Murray State instead.

Tennessee Tech faces a young Gardner-Webb team in Boiling Springs, N.C., according to the (Cookeville, Tenn.) Herald-Citizen. The Bulldogs knocked off non-scholarship Jacksonville last week, 49-14.