NASHVILLE – Jacksonville State picked up the most first-place votes and was tabbed to win the 2010 Ohio Valley Conference football championship on Monday in a vote of the league's head coaches and sports information directors.
The Gamecocks received 11 of 18 first-place votes to earn 120 points and was picked first for the third time since joining the league in 2003. Eastern Illinois was picked second with 114 points, followed by Eastern Kentucky (102), Tennessee Tech (78) and Tennessee State (70). Five different schools received one first-place vote.
UT Martin was picked sixth with 59 points, followed by Austin Peay and Southeast Missouri State in a tie for seventh with 38 points. Murray State was picked ninth with 29 total points.
Jacksonville State finished with the best record in the OVC last season with an 8-3 overall mark and a 6-1 in the OVC after winning its final four games of the season. Jax State has 46 returning lettermen but will have to replace All-American quarterback and OVC Player of the Year
Ryan Perrilloux.
The Gamecocks return seven offensive starters, including three preseason All-OVC selections in tight end
Cory Freeman and offensive linemen
Tylor Chambers and
Curt Porter.
Defensively, senior defensive back
T.J. Heath was also tabbed on the preseason All-OVC team after earning All-America honors last season by three different outlets. The Alexandria, Ala., native ranked third nationally in passes defended (1.45/game) and 10th nationally in interceptions (0.55/game). Heath has also been named to several preseason All-American teams, including The Sports Network team, which was released earlier today.
Jack Crowe, who enters his 11th season with the Gamecocks in 2010 and is the winningest active coach in the OVC with a .769 winning percentage, will have an updated stadium for his team to play in this season.
The re-named Burgess-Snow Field at JSU Stadium will open on Sept. 11 with a new seating capacity of 24,000, which marks the end of an 18-month, $47 million expansion that includes 393 new dorms, 33 luxury skyboxes, 1,026 club level seats and a new press box.
Austin Peay's Terrence Holt was named the OVC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while UT Martin's Josh Bey was tabbed the OVC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
The Gamecocks open the 2010 season on Sept. 4 at Ole Miss in a game televised regionally by CSS. Jax State's preseason camp is less than two weeks away, as the team reports to campus on Thursday, August 5.
Preseason All-OVC Team
OFFENSE
QB Matt Scheible, Southeast Missouri
RB Ryan White, Austin Peay
RB Terrence Holt, Austin Peay
WR Tim Benford, Tennessee Tech
WR Marcus Harris, Murray State
TE Cory Freeman, Jacksonville State
C Willie Henderson, Eastern Illinois
G Tylor Chambers, Jacksonville State
G Slade Adams, Tennessee Tech
T Curt Porter, Jacksonville State
T Malcolm Jones, Tennessee Tech
DEFENSE
DL Andrew Soucy, Eastern Kentucky
DL Perry Burge, Eastern Illinois
DL J.J. Sanchez, Southeast Missouri
DL Donte'e Nicholls, Tennessee State
LB Josh Bey, UT Martin
LB Jordan Dalrymple, Eastern Kentucky
LB Nick Nasti, Eastern Illinois
DB Eugene Clifford, Tennessee State
DB
T.J. Heath, Jacksonville State
DB CJ James, Eastern Illinois
DB Jeremy Caldwell, Eastern Kentucky
SPECIALTY
RS Terrence Holt, Austin Peay
K Kienan Cullen, Murray State
P Kienan Cullen, Murray State
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Terrence Holt (RB/KR), Austin Peay
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Josh Bey (LB), UT Martin
2010 OVC Preseason Football Poll
| |
Order of Finish |
Points |
| 1 |
Jacksonville State (11) |
120 |
| 2 |
Eastern Illinois (4) |
114 |
| 3 |
Eastern Kentucky (1) |
102 |
| 4 |
Tennessee Tech |
78 |
| 5 |
Tennessee State |
70 |
| 6 |
UT Martin |
59 |
| 7 |
Southeast Missouri |
38 |
| |
Austin Peay |
38 |
| 9 |
Murray State |
29 |
