Golden Eagles picked fourth in OVC; Three on preseason team
Tennessee Tech has been picked to finish fourth in the Ohio Valley Conference in the annual OVC poll of coaches and sports information directors. Three Golden Eagles, all on defense, were named to the preseason all-OVC team.
NASHVILLE -- Despite winning a share of the 2011 Ohio Valley
Conference championship, Tennessee Tech has been picked fourth in
the league heading into the 2012 campaign in the annual OVC poll of
coaches and sports information directors.
For the first time since the 2009 season, Eastern Kentucky has
been picked as the favorite, while Jacksonville is second and
Murray State grabbed the third spot. The Colonels picked up 12 of
the 18 first-place votes and totaled 124 points to top the poll.
The only other school to receive first-place votes was Jacksonville
State, who picked up the remaining six votes and had 117 total
points. Murray State had 85 points, followed closely by
Tennessee Tech in fourth (83). The poll was
rounded out by Tennessee State (69), UT Martin (67), Southeast
Missouri (44), Eastern Illinois (42) and Austin Peay (17).
It marks the 12th time in the last 25 years that Eastern Kentucky
has been picked the preseason favorite in the OVC race. Last season
Eastern Kentucky finished in a three-way tie for the OVC
Championship, winning its 21st league title, which is the most
conference championships by one team in Football Championship
Subdivision (FCS) history. The Colonels also received an at-large
bid to the FCS Playoffs, marking its 20th appearance in the event,
which is the second most in NCAA history. This season the Colonels
return 10 offensive and seven defensive starters from that team
that lost to James Madison by three points in the playoffs. Among
the returning starters for head coach Dean Hood is senior running
back Matt Denham, who is one of 20 players on the Walter Payton
Award Watch List. Despite not starting until the fifth game of the
season, Denham rushed for 1,570 yards and nine touchdowns in
earning All-American honors. Over the final eight games of the
season Denham ran for 100 or more yards in each contest (the only
player nationally to do so) and averaged 184.5 yards/game (the most
nationally over that stretch). Senior quarterback T.J. Pryor is
poised to become EKU's all-time passing leader this season; Pryor
needs just 622 yards to set the all-time record. Among the team's
defensive returning stars is junior Anthony Brown who is making the
switch from defensive line to linebacker in 2012. As a lineman last
year Brown had 72 tackles, 10.5 tackles-for-loss and 3.5 sacks.
Overall EKU had 10 of the 26 total players selected to the
Preseason All-OVC squad.
Jacksonville State also finished in the tie for the OVC
Championship last year, claiming a share of its first Conference
crown since the 2004 season. The Gamecocks finished 7-4 overall but
were left out of the FCS Playoffs after earning an at-large bid in
2010. Following the retirement of Eastern Illinois Hall of Famer
Bob Spoo, JSU head coach Jack Crowe takes over as the "Dean" of OVC
coaches, entering his 13th year overall with the Gamecocks. Crowe
has compiled a 67-34 record since his program joined the OVC in
2003; the 67 wins rank him eighth in OVC history. Crowe has the
advantage of having not one but two returning starting quarterbacks
this year, as redshirt senior Marques Ivory and junior Coty
Blanchard both return this season. The duo split time in 2010,
including pulling off a double overtime win at Ole Miss, but Ivory
suffered a season-ending injury in the 2011 opener, leaving
Blanchard to start the remainder of the schedule. During the 2010
season Ivory passed for 2,248 yards and 18 touchdowns, including
throwing for a school record 444 yards against Eastern Kentucky. No
matter which quarterback is under center they will have the luxury
of handing the ball off to senior All-American Washaun Ealey who
rushed for 1,082 yards and eight touchdowns in his debut season
with the team last year. Ealey, who was the leading rusher at the
University of Georgia for two seasons before coming to Jax State,
was named a Preseason All-American this season. The Gamecocks have
a challenging non-conference schedule this year that is bookended
by a pair of SEC teams: Arkansas in Week 1 and Florida in Week
12.
Murray State head coach Chris Hatcher has seen his program break
numerous school and OVC records in the first two years of his
"Hatch Attack" offense. The gaudy numbers have also led the team to
wins, as the squad won six games in 2010 and seven games a season
ago, marking the first back-to-back winning seasons for the program
since 1999-2000. The Racers return eight offensive and eight
defensive starters this season including senior All-American
quarterback Casey Brockman. Brockman has put together two
outstanding seasons under Hatcher, including passing for 3,276
yards and 25 touchdowns last season (he also rushed for four
touchdowns and caught two touchdown passes during the year); those
numbers have earned him the nod as OVC Preseason Offensive Player
of the Year and landed him on the Walter Payton Award Watch List.
Brockman has a chance to set the OVC's all-time passing yards and
total offense marks this year. The Racers will look at Preseason
All-OVC selection Qua Huzzie to anchor the defense from the
linebacker position. Huzzie transferred to Murray State prior to
last season and led the OVC in tackles-for-loss (14.0) while also
adding 80 tackles and 3.0 sacks.
Entering last season not a lot of attention was on Tennessee Tech
and head coach Watson Brown. But Brown, who enters
his sixth season with the program in 2012 (and 28th year as a
Division I head coach), led the Golden Eagles to a 6-2 OVC mark and
a share of the program's first OVC Championship since the 1975
season. The team also earned the league's automatic bid to the FCS
Playoffs, marking the first playoff appearance in Tennessee Tech
history. This season the Golden Eagles return seven offensive and
seven defensive starters with senior quarterback Tre
Lamb leading the way. Last season Lamb completed 65.2
percent of his passes for 2,342 yards and 17 touchdowns and also
rushed for an additional six touchdowns. Defensively, Tech had
three players selected to the Preseason All-OVC Team, including
senior lineman Marcus
Edwards, senior defensive back Will
Johnson and sophomore defensive back Austin
Tallant. Edwards had 9.5 tackles-for-loss and 5.0
sacks last year to go along with his 41 tackles. Johnson added 45
tackles and an interception in eight games, while Tallant led the
team with 92 tackles in his freshman season.
After going winless in Conference play during his debut OVC in
2010, Tennessee State head coach Rod Reed got the Tigers on the
right track last year, going 4-4 in the Conference, including an
exciting 42-40 win over eventual OVC Champion Tennessee Tech. That
victory helped TSU win the Sgt. York Trophy, which goes to the
winner of the quadrangular season series between the four OVC
schools from the state of Tennessee. This season Reed, a TSU
alumnus, returns nine offensive and five defensive starters. The
offense will be led by sophomore quarterback Michael German who was
a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award last season (the award is given
to the top freshman in the FCS). After taking over the starter's
role German completed 140 passes for 1,889 yards and 12 touchdowns
in helping TSU to a 4-2 record down the stretch. Junior defensive
end Antonio Harper earned a spot on the Preseason All-OVC team this
season after registering 44 tackles, 9.0 tackles-for-loss and 6.5
sacks a season ago. Sophomore return specialist Weldon Garlington
is one of just two sophomores on the Preseason All-OVC Team;
Garlington returned both a kickoff and a punt for a touchdown last
season.
UT Martin dropped the final three games of last season, all of
which were on the road, to finish 5-6 overall and 4-4 in Conference
play (tied for fifth place). Now in his seventh season, head coach
Jason Simpson has never had a losing season in Conference play;
this season his squad returns seven offensive and eight defensive
starters. The offense is led by senior signal caller Derek Carr who
threw for 2,482 yards and 25 touchdowns last year for the
high-octane Skyhawk offense. The team also returns the running back
tandem of Jason McNair and Tevin Barksdale who combined for 1,467
yards and 13 touchdowns last year. Returners on the defensive side
of the ball for UTM include linebacker Ben Johnson, who had a
team-best 96 tackles last season, and space-eater Montori Hughes,
who had 30 tackles and 6.5 tackles-for-loss a year ago after
transferring from the University of Tennessee.
After winning the OVC Championship in 2010, Southeast Missouri
finished 2-6 in OVC play last season under now seventh year head
coach Tony Samuel, who won the Eddie Robinson Award as the National
Coach of the Year in 2010. Despite losing starting quarterback Matt
Scheible, who became the first player in OVC history to having
4,000 passing and 2,000 rushing yards in a career, the Redhawks do
return nine offensive and seven defensive starters. Among the
returning starters on offense are four linemen, including
All-American tackle Evan Conrad. The Southeast Missouri defensive
unit will be keyed by senior linebacker Blake Peiffer who was named
OVC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and is on the Sports
Network's Buck Buchanan Award Watch List (the award is given to the
top defensive player in the FCS). A season ago Peiffer ranked third
nationally with 13.7 tackles/game, netting 151 total tackles, which
set a Southeast Missouri single-season record.
The only new head coach in the OVC calls Charleston, Ill. home as
former Baylor assistant coach Dino Babers was named the 22nd head
coach in Eastern Illinois history on Dec. 9, 2011. Babers replaces
OVC Hall of Famer Bob Spoo who retired last season after 25
seasons. It was Spoo who hired Babers as an assistant coach on his
first EIU staff in 1987. Babers will bring a fast-paced offensive
attack to the Panthers program, employing a style Baylor used to
help Robert Griffin III win the Heisman Trophy a year ago. Junior
Jimmy Garoppolo returns for his third season as a starter in 2012;
a year ago he completed 62.2 percent of his passes for 2,644 yards
and 20 touchdowns. His favorite target from a year ago, Chris
Wright, also returns this season. Wright caught 42 passes for 735
yards and 11 touchdowns in 2011. Also returning is wideout Erik
Lora who missed all of last season with an injury but caught 50
passes for 478 yards as a sophomore in 2010. The tight end tandem
of Von Wise (32 catches, 348 yards, 2 touchdowns) and Sam Hendricks
(17 catches, 194 yards, 3 touchdowns) also return on offense for
the Panthers. On the defensive side of the ball EIU returns
Preseason All-OVC selection Artavious Dowdell, who had 45 tackles,
7.5 tackles-for-loss and 5.0 sacks a season ago.
Austin Peay head coach Rick Christophel has 60 letterwinners back,
including seven offensive and nine defensive starters, from last
year's squad that was 3-8 overall and 2-6 in the OVC. Senior
quarterback Jake Ryan returns for his fourth season as a starter
after throwing for 1,476 yards and 12 touchdowns a season ago. His
favorite target, senior Devin Stark, is also back after catching 52
passes for 622 yards and seven touchdowns last season. Defensively
senior safety Antwaun Majors will key the defensive unit; Majors
finished last season with 88 tackles, ranking eighth in the OVC in
stops (8.0/game).
2012 OVC
Preseason Football Predicted Order of Finish
1. Eastern Kentucky (12 first-place votes) -
124
2. Jacksonville State (6) - 117
3. Murray State - 85
4. Tennessee Tech - 83
5. Tennessee State - 69
6. UT Martin - 67
7. Southeast Missouri - 44
8. Eastern Illinois - 42
9. Austin Peay - 17
Murray State's Brockman, SEMO's Peiffer Named Preseason
Players of the Year
NASHVILLE - Murray State senior quarterback
Casey Brockman was named 2012 Ohio Valley
Conference Preseason Offensive Player of the Year while Southeast
Missouri State senior linebacker Blake Peiffer was
tabbed OVC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year in a vote of by
the league's head football coaches and sports information
directors. Eastern Kentucky led the way with 10 selections on the
preseason team while Murray State, Tennessee State and Tennessee
Tech had three picks apiece.
Returning players who were first-team All-OVC selections last
season (13 in total) were automatic selections to the preseason
team this year. The squad also included nine players who were
second-team selections in 2011. Of the 26 total selections, 18 were
seniors, six were juniors and two were sophomores.
The offensive unit was led by Brockman who was tabbed Preseason
Player of the Year for the second-straight season. Brockman set
numerous OVC records last season while throwing for 3,276 yards and
25 touchdowns, rushing for four touchdowns and even catching a pair
of touchdown passes. He enters this season with a chance to become
the OVC's all-time leader in passing yards. He is joined on the
team by Eastern Kentucky senior running back Matt
Denham (1,570 rushing yards, 9 TDs) and Jacksonville State
tailback Washaun Ealey (1,082 rushing yards, 8
TDs), Eastern Kentucky senior Tyrone Goard (39
receptions, 627 yards, 11 TDs) and UT Martin senior Quentin
Sims (54 catches, 712 yards, 10 TDs) at the wide receiver
spot and Eastern Illinois senior tight end Von
Wise (32 catches, 348 yards, 2 TDs). The offensive line
included three Eastern Kentucky players, senior center O.J.
Enabosi and senior tackles Aaron Adams
and Patrick Ford. The line was rounded out by
Jacksonville State senior guard Tori Mobley and
Tennessee State junior guard Kadeem Edwards.
Defensively Peiffer ranked third nationally in tackles/game last
season (13.7), finishing the year with 151 total stops, which set
the school's single-season record. Four linebackers joined Peiffer
on the team including Eastern Kentucky juniors Anthony
Brown (59 tackles, 10.5 RFL, 3.5 sacks) and Ichiro
Vance (78 tackles, 9.5 TFL) and the Murray State duo of
senior Sam Small (115 tackles, 9.5 TFL) and junior
Qua Huzzie (80 tackles, 14.0 TFL, 3.0 sacks). The
three defensive linemen selected to the squad were Tennessee Tech
senior Marcus Edwards (41 tackles, 9.5 TFL, 5.0
sacks), Eastern Illinois senior Artavious Dowdell
(45 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 5.0 sacks) and Tennessee State junior
Antonio Harper (44 tackles, 9.0 TFL, 6.5 sacks).
The four defensive backs on the team included the Tennessee Tech
duo of senior Will Johnson (45 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1
INT) and sophomore Austin Tallant (92 tackles, 2.0
TFL) and Eastern Kentucky senior teammates Justin
Bell (48 tackles, 2 INTs) and Brooklyn
Fox (80 tackles, 3 INTs).
Specialists selected to the preseason team included UT Martin
senior kicker Cody Sandlin (14-of-17 FGs, 45-of-48
PATs), Eastern Kentucky junior punter Jordan Berry
(41.0 yards/punt) and Tennessee State sophomore return specialist
Weldon Garlington (20.9 yards/kickoff return, 1
TD; 19.4 yards/punt return, 1 TD).
2012 Preseason
All-OVC Football Team
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Casey
Brockman (QB), Murray State
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Blake
Peiffer (LB), Southeast Missouri
QB - Casey Brockman, Murray State
RB - Matt Denham, Eastern Kentucky
RB - Washaun Ealey, Jacksonville State
WR - Tyrone Goard, Eastern Kentucky
WR - Quentin Sims, UT Martin
TE - Von Wise, Eastern Illinois
C - O.J. Enabosi, Eastern Kentucky
OG - Kadeem Edwards, Tennessee State
OG - Tori Mobley, Jacksonville State
OT - Aaron Adams, Eastern Kentucky
OT - Patrick Ford, Eastern Kentucky
DL - Marcus Edwards, Tennessee Tech
DL - Artavious Dowdell, Eastern Illinois
DL - Antonio Harper, Tennessee State
LB - Anthony Brown, Eastern Kentucky
LB - Ichiro Vance, Eastern Kentucky
LB - Blake Peiffer, Southeast Missouri
LB - Qua Huzzie, Murray State
LB - Sam Small, Murray State
DB - Will Johnson, Tennessee Tech
DB - Austin Tallant, Tennessee Tech
DB - Justin Bell, Eastern Kentucky
DB - Brooklyn Fox, Eastern Kentucky
K - Cody Sandlin, UT Martin
P - Jordan Berry, Eastern Kentucky
RS - Weldon Garlington, Tennessee State
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