2019 Ohio Valley Conference Football Report
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2019 Ohio Valley Conference Football Report Austin Peay | Eastern Illinois | Eastern Kentucky | Jacksonville State | Murray State | Southeast Missouri | Tennessee State | Tennessee Tech | UT Martin October 14, 2019 Ohio Valley Conference FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 215 Centerview Drive, Suite 115 Contact: Kyle Schwartz Brentwood, TN 37027 Phone: (615) 690-6685 OVCSports.com Email: [email protected] Twitter: @OVCSports OVC STANDINGS (In games through October 13) OVC OVERALL W L PCT. PF PA W L PCT. PF PA Home Away Neutral Streak UT Martin 3 0 1.000 133 49 4 2 .667 189 142 2-0 2-2 0-0 W3 Austin Peay 2 0 1.000 80 57 4 2 .667 199 145 3-1 1-1 0-0 W2 Jacksonville State 2 1 .667 92 95 5 2 .714 226 207 4-0 1-2 0-0 W2 Murray State 2 1 .667 62 74 4 3 .571 197 209 3-0 1-3 0-0 W2 Eastern Kentucky 1 1 .500 70 54 3 3 .500 165 132 2-1 1-2 0-0 L1 Southeast Missouri 1 1 .500 67 65 3 3 .500 184 189 3-0 0-3 0-0 L1 Tennessee Tech 1 2 .333 91 127 4 3 .571 236 271 2-1 2-2 0-0 L2 Tennessee State 0 3 .000 56 104 1 6 .143 183 255 1-2 0-3 0-1 L6 Eastern Illinois 0 3 .000 66 92 0 7 .000 85 205 0-3 0-4 0-0 L7 THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE LAST WEEK'S RESULTS Saturday, October 19 Saturday, October 12 *Eastern Illinois at UT Martin, 2:00 p.m. (ESPN+) *#17 Jacksonville State 28, @Eastern Illinois 20 *Eastern Kentucky at Murray State, 2:00 p.m. (ESPN+) @Austin Peay 28, *#20 Southeast Missouri 24 *Southeast Missouri at #14 Jacksonville State, 3 p.m. (ESPN3) *Murray State 31, @Tennessee State 17 *#19 Austin Peay at Tennessee State, 4:30 p.m. (ESPN+) *UT Martin 55, @Tennessee Tech 14 * Indicates OVC Contest ALL TIMES CENTRAL THIS WEEK’S OVC HIGHLIGHTS/STORYLINES Two teams remain undefeated in OVC play as UT Martin is now 3-0 and Austin Peay 2-0...UT Martin is off to its best OVC start since 2006 (the year it won its lone conference championship, starting 5-0 and fi nishing 6-1)...Austin Peay knocked off No. 20 Southeast Missouri which came after they defeated nationally-ranked Jacksonville State in its last game prior to its bye week; it marks the fi rst- time in program history the team has ever beaten two ranked opponents in the same season...APSU is off to a 4-2 start, its best overall since 2007...The Govs are ranked No. 19 in this week's AFCA FCS Coaches Poll (its highest-ever ranking the Coaches Poll) and No. 20 in the STATS Top 25, its highest ranking since being No. 8 in the Sept. 22, 1979 AP poll (when only 10 total teams were ranked)... This marks just the fourth-ever season in APSU history the team has been ranked (1978, 1979, 2018, 2019)...Jacksonville State is also ranked and UT Martin, Southeast Missouri and Murray State are receiving votes, meaning more than half the OVC is ranked or receiving votes this week...JSU quarterback Zerrick Cooper threw for three touchdown passes for the fi fth-straight game, the fi rst player in school history to accomplish that feat...JSU wide receiver Josh Pearson caught two touchdown passes to increase his career total to 28, moving him into eighth place in OVC history...SEMO's Kristian Wilkerson has 27 receiving touchdowns which is ninth in OVC history...TSU's Chris Rowland caught a school record 14 passes in his team's game with Murray State; Rowland is on pace for 120 catches this season, which would be the third-most in OVC history...17 different OVC players have had two or more rushing touchdowns in a game this season (only fi ve different OVC players have rushed for 100 or more yards in a game this season)...OVC play continues with four games this weekend (Tennessee Tech has a bye)...Three games will air on ESPN+ and one game is on ESPN3...This season 69 of 72 total OVC football games will air on ESPN Networks, including 52 on ESPN+ and 12 on ESPN3.....This year marks the 150th anniversary of the fi rst college football games. 2019 OVC Football Weekly Release - October 14 • 1 OVC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK OVC MEDIA INFORMATION OFFENSIVE Kyle Schwartz Asst. Commissioner/Strategic Communications John Bachus III, QB • 6-2, 210, R-Fr. • Pulaski, Tenn. • UT Martin Phone: (615) 690-6685 Bachus threw for fi ve touchdown passes as UT Martin defeated Tennessee Tech 55- Cell: (615) 775-1937 E-mail: [email protected] 14 to improve to 3-0 in OVC play for the fi rst time since 2006. The redshirt freshman Web: http://www.OVCSports.com completed 16-of-22 passes for 331 yards (and no interceptions), tallying career-highs ONLINE PRESS BOX: The OVC Football Online Press Box is a in both yards and touchdown passes. He had touchdown passes of 22, 24, 73, 21 one-stop shop for gathering information about the OVC and its and 66 yards and completed passes to eight different receivers. He also carried the member schools. Media can access it at www.OVCSports.com/ ball four times for 20 yards. Bachus ranks 25th nationally in completion percentage footballpressbox or through links at OVCSports.com. (63.3%) and 28th in passing effi ciency (148.8). SOCIAL MEDIA: Get breaking news about the OVC by follow- ing the OVC through Social Media. Check out the OVC sites at http://www.twitter.com/OVCSports and http://www.facebook. Others Nominated: Ahmaad Tanner, Austin Peay; James Sheehan, Eastern Illinois; com/ovcsports. Also check out www.YouTube.com/ohiovalley- Zerrick Cooper, Jacksonville State; Preston Rice, Murray State; Kristian Wilkerson, conference and the league’s blog at OVCExtra.com. Southeast Missouri; Chris Rowland, Tennessee State. WEEKLY NOTES: The OVC will release its Players of the Week each Sunday afternoon throughout the season. The full weekly notes report will be released each Monday throughout DEFENSIVE the season by 5 p.m. CT. The report is available via e-mail, and Traco Williams, SAF • 5-11, 195, Sr. • Valley, Ala. • Jacksonville State is posted on the league’s Web site in text and PDF versions. Statistics are updated after each gameday on the OVC Web site. Williams had fi ve tackles and two interceptions as Jacksonville State picked up its fi rst road victory of the season, a 28-20 win over Eastern Illinois. His fi rst interception 2019 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK came in the end zone in the second quarter, thwarting a Panther 12-play drive and OFFENSIVE resulting in an ensuing 12-play drive for JSU who would go ahead 21-7. His second Sept. 1 Bailey Fisher, Tennessee Tech pick of the day came on the fi nal play of the fi rst half, where Williams picked it off at Sept. 8 Zerrick Cooper, Jacksonville State Chris Rowland, Tennessee State the 20-yard line and returned it 40 yards to keep the score 21-7. Williams ranks 24th Sept. 15 Zerrick Cooper, Jacksonville State nationally in interceptions (0.4/game). Sept. 22 Josh Pearson, Jacksonville State Bailey Fisher, Tennessee Tech Sept. 29 JaVaughn Craig, Austin Peay Others Nominated: Shaun Whittinghill, Austin Peay; Dytarious Johnson, Eastern Bailey Fisher, Tennessee Tech Oct. 6 Zerrick Cooper, Jacksonville State Illinois; Kendrick Catis, Murray State; Josh Green, Tennessee State; TJ Jefferson, Oct. 13 John Bachus III, UT Martin UT Martin. Oct. 20 Oct. 27 Nov. 3 SPECIALIST Nov. 10 Nov. 17 Ryan Courtright, K • 6-0, 195, R-Jr. • Lexington, Tenn. • UT Martin Nov. 24 Courtright hit a pair of fi eld goals and was 7-of-7 on PATs in UT Martin's 55-14 victory DEFENSIVE over Tennessee Tech. The junior connected from 45 yards in the fi rst quarter and Sept. 1 Wayna Moton, UT Martin added a 30-yard fi eld goal in the second quarter. He has not missed a fi eld goal or Sept. 8 Nigel Walton, Murray State Sept. 15 Kordell Jackson, Austin Peay PAT this season and has helped the Skyhawks to a 3-0 start in OVC play (its best Sept. 22 Seth Carlisle, Tennessee Tech since 2006). Sept. 29 Kordell Jackson, Austin Peay Oct. 6 T.J. Warren, Murray State TJ Jefferson, UT Martin Others Nominated: Devin Stuart, Austin Peay; Stone Galloway, Eastern Illinois; Oct. 13 Traco Williams, Jacksonville State Oct. 20 Steve Dawson, Murray State; Antonio Zita, Tennessee State. Oct. 27 Nov. 3 Nov. 10 NEWCOMER Nov. 17 John Bachus III, QB • 6-2, 210, R-Fr. • Pulaski, Tenn. • UT Martin Nov. 24 Bachus threw for fi ve touchdown passes as UT Martin defeated Tennessee Tech 55- SPECIALIST 14 to improve to 3-0 in OVC play for the fi rst time since 2006. The redshirt freshman Sept. 1 Antonio Zita, Tennessee State Terry Williams, UT Martin completed 16-of-22 passes for 331 yards (and no interceptions), tallying career-highs Sept. 8 Logan Birchfi eld, Austin Peay in both yards and touchdown passes. He had touchdown passes of 22, 24, 73, 21 Sept. 15 Chris Rowland, Tennessee State Sept. 22 Jason Pierce, Jacksonville State and 66 yards and completed passes to eight different receivers. He also carried the Ty Terrell, Murray State ball four times for 20 yards. Bachus ranks 25th nationally in completion percentage Sept.