Friday, November 13, 2009 11:07 PM CST
Strong UT Martin running game collides with strong Eastern Illinois run defense
UT Martin (4-5) at Eastern Illinois (7-2)
Kickoff: 1:30 p.m. today at O'Brien Field
TELEVISION: WEIU Channel 51 (Channel 6 on Coles County cable)
Radio: Panther Radio
By BRIAN NIELSEN, Sports Editor
bnielsen@jg-tc.com
CHARLESTON -- Statistically, Miguel Barnes ranks second in Ohio Valley Conference rushing to Austin Peay’s Ryan White.
Actually, Barnes may rank as the second running back on UT Martin’s team to Brandyn Young, who gives the Skyhawks two of the top five ground gainers in the conference.
“Brandyn is a guy we rely on more,” UT Martin coach Jason Simpson said. “He takes care of the ball and can catch the ball. Miguel is short and powerful. Brandyn is the guy we rely on most of the time.”
Having the choice must be nice.
The running backs are among the concerns for Eastern Illinois, which is trying to clinch at least a share of the OVC football championship in today’s 1:30 p.m. game at O’Brien Field against the visiting Skyhawks.
Simpson does not have to do much of a sales pitch with Eastern about the ability of Young.
“Young is the guy who had 213 yards against us,” EIU defensive coordinator Roc Bellantoni said remembering his team’s 29-26 loss last year at UT Martin. “(Jason) McNair, Steve McNair’s nephew, is no joke either. They put him in there for the Wildcat.”
The nephew of the late NFL quarterback, Jason McNair gives UT Martin three dangerous backs for a team that ranks second in the Ohio Valley and 25th in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision in rushing offense with 169.67 yards per game.
That running attack that has UT Martin, 4-5 overall but at 3-3 in the OVC still has a shot at tying for the league title, now faces a key match-up against an Eastern Illinois team that leads the conference in rushing defense while standing 7-2 overall, 5-1 atop the OVC, 13th in the FCS Coaches Poll and 14th in the Sports Network’s national rankings for the Football Championship Subdivision.
“It’s hard to run the ball against them, no question,” Simpson said of the Panthers, who are allowing just 112.0 rushing yards per game. “They load the box up. They make it difficult. Roc does a great job and it’s an honor to coach a game against coach (Bob) Spoo.”
Spoo, standing 139-11-1 in his 22nd EIU season, in recent years has learned about the challenges of facing a revived UT Martin program.
“You’re not kidding and they’ve gotten to us three of the last five years,” Spoo said. “They run the ball well, they throw the ball well, they have good receivers and they have a strong offensive line. They’re just a good football team and we’re trying to get ready to play them.”
Don’t forget, UT Martin also has the OVC’s Preseason Offensive Player of the Year in quarterback Cade Thompson, who by now is running well behind Jacksonville State’s Ryan Perrilloux as well as EIU’s Jake Christensen for that award but still leads a UT Martin team that ranks second in the OVC in most offensive categories.
Barnes has had four games of more than 100 yards rushing and another with 98 before being limited to five carries last week when he injured his ankle.
Young took up the slack in last week’s 28-7 win over Tennessee State, gaining a season-high 192 yards and scoring two touchdowns.
Barnes’ ankle is better now so both are ready today.
So should Eastern’s defense remembering Young’s 213-yard game that led to the Skyhawks’ win.
“We’ll mention that a few times this week,” Bellantoni said on Wednesday. “They also had 300 yards as a team against us. Penn State didn’t even do that to us.”
While Eastern’s defense can use last year’s loss at UT Martin as motivation, the Panthers’ offense does not need that long of a memory.
“It may be different for us,” EIU offensive coordinator Roy Wittke said. “Our kids really feel we haven’t done our job the last couple of games. We feel it’s our turn to do our part of the bargain.”
Contact Brian Nielsen at bnielsen@jg-tc.com or 238-6856.
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