CHARLESTON -- Reminded that Tennessee State stands last in Ohio Valley Conference scoring, Roc Bellantoni didn’t flinch.
Whether he is genuinely sleepless at night or just being publicly polite, Eastern Illinois’ defensive coordinator week after week, year after year, will make the upcoming opponent’s offense sound prolific.
One joke two weeks ago, when the Panthers did not have a game, was that Bellantoni thought “bye” had two or three of All-American candidates.
This week, if you merely look at a statistics sheet, you see that all that is standing between Eastern and an outright conference championship and automatic NCAA playoff berth is today’s visiting Tennessee State Tigers, who rank 111th out of 118 Football Championship Subdivision teams with a 123.80-yards-per-game passing offense, 107th with a 14.0-point-per-game scoring offense and 97th with 270.9-yards-per-game total offense.
“They’re really talented,” Bellantoni said without hesitation. “They have some good players. The quarterback is the one who played against us two years ago. He’s their leading rusher, and we’ve had trouble with those kinds of quarterback.”
In all fairness, this could be more than just coachspeak as Eastern, 8-2 overall, 6-1 atop the OVC and 13th and 14th in national FCS rankings, tries to wrap up a postseason playoff berth in an ESPNU-televised game to kick off at 5:30 p.m. at O’Brien Field against Tennessee State, 3-7 and 2-4.
Sophomore Calvin McNairl, who has been part of a revolving door for Tennessee State’s injury-riddled quarterbacks, might be more dangerous than his averages of 87.2 passing yards and 63.4 rushing yards per game suggest.
“We’re really excited about Calvin McNairl and what he did against Austin Peay,” Tennessee State coach James Webster said of his quarterback who completed 17 of 23 passes for 189 yards and three touchdowns while adding 42 yards on 13 running plays in last week’s 24-21 loss. “For the first time we had a quarterback start and finish a game. Calvin is a dual threat and just a sophomore. He’s been hurt all year and is still banged up.”
Looking to protect the banged-up quarterback is an offensive line whose two-deep includes weights of 355, 350, 345, 305, 304 and 300.
“They’ve got some dangerous players who can make plays and a big offensive line,” Bellantoni said.
While the Tigers’ highest scoring output this year was just a 23-17 win over the OVC’s cellar-dwelling Southeast Missouri, they also own a 20-17 Oct. 10 win over two-time defending league champion Eastern Kentucky one week after the Colonels handed EIU its only league loss, 36-31.
Until last week’s fourth straight defeat, Tennessee State was still in the OVC championship picture mainly because of a defense ranking third in the league allowing 19.8 points per game.
So the Tigers’ defense figures to challenge an EIU offense that had struggled before erupting for last week’s 49-13 rout over UT Martin.
“They’ve been real solid,” EIU offensive coordinator Roy Wittke said of the Tigers. “They’re just the opposite of Tennessee-Martin in that they’re not nearly as multiple and diverse with their coverages but their kids get after it. They can run and they are really big, something we haven’t really seen since Penn State. We’ll earn everything we get against them.”
What the Panthers, who last week clinched at least a tie for the OVC championship, are trying to earn tonight is the outright title and playoff berth without having to hope that Eastern Kentucky loses Saturday at Jacksonville State.
“We haven’t clinched anything yet,” EIU head coach Bob Spoo said. “Right now our concern is playing Tennessee State.”
TENNESSEE STATE (3-7) AT EASTERN (8-2)
Kickoff: 5:30 p.m. today at O’Brien Field
Television: ESPNU
Radio: Panther Radio Network (WEIU Hit Mix 88.9 FM, WHOW 1510 AM and WMKR 94.3 FM; www.weiuhitmix.net)
This year
Eastern Illinois (8-2 overall, 6-1 OVC)
Eastern 31, Illinois State 6
Eastern 31, Indiana State 0
Eastern 23, Southeast Missouri 14
Eastern 30, Austin Peay 20
Eastern Kentucky 36, Eastern Illinois 31
Penn State 52, Eastern 3
Eastern 23, Tennessee Tech 15
Eastern 28, Jacksonville State 20
Eastern 16, Murray State 10
Eastern 49, UT Martin 13
Tennessee State (3-7 overall, 2-4 OVC)
Alabama A&M 24, Tennessee State 7
Tennessee State 14, Jackson State 7
Southern University 21, Tennessee State 17
Florida A&M 31, Tennessee State 12
Tennessee State 23, Southeast Missouri 17
Tennessee State 20, Eastern Kentucky 17
Murray State 9, Tennessee State 6
Tennessee Tech 20, Tennessee State 13
UT Martin 28, Tennessee State 7
Austin Peay 24, Tennessee State 21
Series: Eastern Illinois leads 7-5 and has won seven of the last nine meetings but Tennessee State won last year 45-24 at Nashville, Tenn. In last year’s game the Tigers took a 24-0 lead as Antonio Heffner threw to of his four touchdown passes in the first quarter.
EIU leaders: Ranking 18th in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision and second in the Ohio Valley Conference with his 145.74 passing efficiency rating, Jake Christensen is on the verge of several top 10 categories on Eastern’s season lists. In his first season with the Panthers as transfer from Iowa, Christensen is 162-for-260 for 2,042 yards with 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He needs 196 passing yards to match Eric Arnold’s 2,238 for 10th on the passing yardage list, eight completions to tie current senior Bodie Reeder for 10th , one touchdown pass to equal Mike Simpson for 10th and three TD passes to match his father, Jeff Christensen, who is tied for seventh. Mon Williams is the OVC’s fourth leading rusher at 72.4 yards per game. He totals 724 yards on 159 carries and has nine of Eastern’s 10 rushing touchdowns. The other rushing TD was scored last week by Chevon Walker, who has 325 yards on 65 carries. Jimmy Potempa has a team-high 30 receptions for 222 yards with two touchdowns and also has 186 yards on 45 rushes. Kenny Whittaker has 24 receptions for 301 yards and two touchdowns and Charles Graves 22 catches for 296 yards and two TDs. Lorence Ricks has the most receiving yards with 347 on 17 catches three for TDs. Kevin Cook is the OVC’s leading punter and ranks 13th in the nation averaging 41.4 yards on 40 punts, 11 of them inside the 20-yard line. Austin Signor is second in the OVC and 19th in the nation with 13 field goals in 19 tries, his longest a 48-yarder. He is perfect on 32 extra-point kicks and his 25 touchbacks lead the FCS as he averaged 66.9 yards on 55 kickoffs. Nick Nasti totals 60 tackles although Cory Leman, returning to action today after an injury, has the team’s best per game average of 8.0 with 56 in seven games. C.J. James is third in the OVC and 14th in the FCS with his five interceptions, two of them returned for touchdowns. Rashad Haynes has nine pass breakups, Perry Burge five quarterback sacks and Trevor Frericks 8.5 tackles for loss.
Tennessee State leaders: Calvin McNairl is the team’s leader in both passing and rushing ranking sixth in the Ohio Valley Conference in both with his 108.43 passing efficiency rating and 63.44 rushing yards per game. Playing in nine games and starting seven, the sophomore quarterback has completed 69 of 131 passes for 785 yards with seven touchdowns and eight interceptions. He has netted 571 yards on 110 carries with five touchdowns. Preston Brown adds 474 yards and four touchdowns on 128 rushes. Joseph Hills is fifth in the OVC with his 3.7 receptions per game totaling 37 catches for 461 yards and three touchdowns. Travis James has 21 catches for 228 yards and one TD. Linebacker John Jones has 66 tackles, eight for loss, three pass break-ups and three quarterback hurries while ends Kellen Woodard and Rodney Fritz have five sacks each.
Next week: A win tonight would assure Eastern Illinois a spot in the NCAA’s Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. With a loss, the Panthers would need either an Eastern Kentucky loss Saturday at Jacksonville State or an at-large berth when the 16-team playoff pairings are announced at 2 p.m. Sunday.
PROBABLE LINEUPS
Eastern Illinois offense
SE – Lorence Ricks, 6-1, 176, so.
LT – Chris Campbell, 6-5, 320, sr.
LG – Chris Vacarro, 6-3, 288, sr.
or Eric Zink, 6-6, 284, so
C – Chaz Millard, 6-3, 291, sr.
RG – Willie Henderson, 6-2, 273, so.
RT – Otis Hudson, 6-3, 331, sr.
TE – Danny Vehovic, 6-2, 227, jr.
F – Kenny Whittaker, 5-10, 183, fr.
Slot – Charles Graves, 6-1, 179, jr.
QB – Jake Christensen, 6-1, 215, grad
RB – Mon Williams, 6-2, 220, jr.
Eastern Illinois defense
LE – Colin Luczynski, 6-1, 234, jr.
LT – Andre Lima, 6-0, 289, sr.
RT – Trevor Frericks, 6-1, 289, sr.
RE – Perry Burge, 6-2, 235, so.
OLB – Cory Leman, 6-0, 219, so.
MLB – Gordy Kickels, 6-1, 216, so
OLB – Nick Nasti, 6-1, 237, jr.
CB – Rashad Haynes, 5-11, 177, jr.
Rov – Bobson Mercier, 5-10, 187, jr.
FS – Seymour Loftman, 5-11, 189, sr.
CB – C.J. James, 5-8, 183, jr.
Tennessee State offense
WR – Enoch Hill, 6-5, 280, so.
LT – Roger Morris, 6-5, 355, sr.
LG – Duvan Young, 6-0, 296, jr.
C – Dumaka Atkins, 6-4, 304, sr.
RG – Brent Davis, 6-3, 275, jr.
RT – Darius Myers, 6-4, 305, jr.
WR – Joseph Hills, 6-4, 200, jr.
SE – Travis James, 5-10, 170, fr.
WR – Julian Sample, 6-0, 215, sr.
QB – Calvin McNairl, 5-11, 190, so.
FB – Johntae Gleaves, 6-0, 260, fr.
HB – Travbis Ward, 5-10, fr.
Tennessee State defense
E – Kellen Woodard, 6-3, 255, sr.
T – Jason Towson, 6-4, 300, sr.
NG – Gerhorn Jordan, 6-5, 320, jr.
E – Rodney Fritz, 6-1, 245, jr.
SLB – Kalvin Baker, 6-1, 260, sr.
MLB – Rico Council, 6-0, 254, so.
WLB – John Johns, 6-3, 215, jr.
LC – Ty’Ron Johnson, 5-9, 175, sr.
SS – Eugene Clifford, 6-2, 195, jr.
FS – Anthony Levine, 6-1, 195, jr.
RC – Marquez Hall, 5-9, 170, jr.
OVC STANDINGS
Conf. All
Eastern Illinois 6-1 8-2
Eastern Kentucky 5-2 5-5
Tennessee Tech 4-3 5-5
Austin Peay 3-4 4-6
UT Martin 3-4 4-6
Tennessee State 2-4 3-7
Murray State 2-5 3-7
Southeast Missouri 1-7 2-8
Jacksonville State* -- 7-3
*-ineligible for conference championship
Last week’s scores
Eastern Illinois 49, UT Martin 13
Southeast Missouri 49, Murray State 13
Austin Peay 24, Tennessee State 21
Jacksonville State 55, Tennessee Tech 28
Western Carolina 24, Eastern Kentucky 7
Today’s game
Tennessee State at Eastern Illinois
Saturday’s games
Eastern Kentucky at Jacksonville State
Austin Peay at UT Martin
Murray State at Tennessee Tech
Southeast Missouri at Southern Illinois
Contact Brian Nielsen at bnielsen@jg-tc.com or 238-6856.
