Tennessee State University

UTM will not play Tennessee State this season The Tigers enter the 2006 campaign needing to forget about their disastrous year in 2005. Head coach James Webster has been impressed by the preseason performance of sophomore quarterback Antonio Hefner, who will be the team’s starter this season. Running back Javarris Williams also had a good camp and gives Hefner an option in the backfield. Areas of concern will be the offensive line and special teams play.

Tennesee Tech University

Oct. 5 • 7:00 p.m. Cookeville Redshirt junior tailback Derek White returns to action after missing all of 2005 due to injury. White will join senior Anthony Ash in giving the Golden Eagles a potent one-two punch in the backfield. Redshirt freshman Lee Sweeney and junior Stephen Britton split playing time at quarterback evenly throughout spring practice and both should get plenty of experience on the field this season for acting head coach Doug Malone.

Jacksonville State

Sept. 23 • 6:00 p.m. Martin Jacksonville State head coach Jack Crowe could have as many as 15 starters in the season opener against Furman who will be seeing their first college football action. The offense will look to All-America running back Clay Green for a good chunk of yardage this season. The senior is coming off a season in which he ran for a total of 1,352 yards, the second-most in school history. In his three-year career, Green has scored 18 touchdowns.

Samford

Oct. 21 • 2:00 p.m. Birmingham Jefferson Adcock returns under center for the Bulldogs after impressing head coach Bill Gray during preseason camp. As a sophomore last season, Adcock started all 11 games and ranked second in the OVC with 212.5 passing yards and 245.7 yards of total offense per game. Clyde Triplett and Harls Kovacevic return at linebacker for the Bulldogs after combining for 59 tackles last year.

Eastern Illinois

Oct. 28 • 2:00 p.m. Martin The defending OVC champions, led by 20th-year head coach Bob Spoo, will look to garner respect among the media and their fellow OVC members after being picked to finish second in the conference just one year removed from a perfect conference season. Senior linebacker Clint Sellers, the reigning OVC Defensive Player of the Year, is one of 16 players receiving consideration for the Buck Buchanan Award.

SEMO

Nov. 4 • 7:30 p.m. Cape Girardeau The Redhawks feature a Sports Network Preseason All-American in senior punter David Simonhoff. During his three-year career at SEMO, Simonhoff has averaged 43.6 yards per punt. Sophomore kicker Colin Schermann and senior defensive end Edgar Jones join their punter on the team. Offensively, wide receiver Oge Oge returns after missing the entire 2005 season. In 2004, he led the team with 33 catches for 426 yards and three touchdowns.

Eastern Kentucky University

Nov. 11 • noon Martin Junior quarterback and Walter Payton Award candidate Josh Greco returns to lead the Colonel offense after leading the team to a 7-1 conference record last season. Greco led the league in passing yards per game (260.1), touchdown passes (25), pass efficiency (131.0), and total offense (276.7 ypg) as a sophomore. The reigning OVC Offensive Player of the Year tied or broke nine school records last season. He is one of seven returning offensive starters.

Murray State University

Nov. 17 • 7:00 p.m. Martin Former UTM head coach Matt Griffin replaces Joe Pannunzio as the leader of the Racers. Pannunzio was dismissed after last year’s disappointing 2-9 finish that included a 1-7 mark in the OVC and a season-ending loss to the Skyhawks in Martin. Griffin will look to senior running back Dante Woods to provide leadership to the offense and balance the passing attack led by junior quarterback Ryne Salyer and a young wide receiver corps.