Title chase should take shape this weekend

Tennessee State has played just one league game so far and was picked to finish sixth in the preseason poll of coaches and sports information directors -- but TSU is among only two teams to have not yet suffered an Ohio Valley Conference loss.

Contender or pretender? Tennessee State certainly figure to find out more about that this week -- and you can bet a host of OVC squads would love to see the Tigers come through.

In a game featuring the two remaining undefeated OVC teams, Tennessee State (3-2, 1-0) visits defending champion Jacksonville State (5-0, 3-0).

"We're definitely looking forward to that, against the leader of the conference," Tennessee State coach James Reese said during Tuesday's weekly OVC coaches teleconference.

"We're going to have to go out there and play our best game and keep our mistakes to a minimum," Reese added.

Five of the other nine OVC teams have just one conference loss, meaning the race still is wide open after just a few weeks of league play.

But Jacksonville State appears to be the only conference squad capable of running away and hiding from the rest of the pack.

"It's a big, big game for us because Tennessee State comes in here with the ambition to win the conference, like us," Gamecocks coach Jack Crowe said. "If we don't take care of it when he have an opportunity, we lose control of our own destiny."

Jacksonville State mauled host Tennessee-Martin 59-12 Saturday for its ninth consecutive OVC win and 10th conference victory in 11 games since joining the league last year.

The Gamecocks, who own the nation's longest regular-season Division I-AA winning streak at 11, have moved up to 14th in this week's Sports Network Division I-AA poll.

Eastern Kentucky (2-3, 2-1) would love to see Jacksonville State stumble. The Colonels are rolling since quarterback Matt Guice returned from an injury, posting two straight wins, including Saturday's 49-6 rout of visiting Eastern Illinois, in which they led 42-0 at halftime.

But the preseason OVC favorite Colonels suffered a seven-point home defeat to Jacksonville State in their OVC opener, which they played without Guice, and need the Gamecocks to lose at least once in order to have a chance at the title.

"I hope that we can win out. ... I would love for it to work out for Jax State to lose a couple where we can be outright winners," Eastern Kentucky coach Danny Hope said. "But we can only be in control of our own destiny. ... Those things will take care of themselves."

The Colonels visit Southeast Missouri State University (1-4, 1-1) this week, so one of those two squads are assured of being saddled with their second conference loss, which would put that team in a deep hole.

"I don't think it would be a good sign at all. ... You never know, but I don't think it's real foreseeable the way Jacksonville State is playing," said Southeast coach Tim Billings of still having a shot at the title with two losses.

Eastern Illinois (2-3, 1-1) will try to bounce back by hosting Murray State (3-3, 2-1) in another matchup featuring teams with one OVC defeat. While the Panthers suffered their most lopsided loss to a Division I-AA opponent since moving up to the division in 1982, the Racers held off visiting Samford 24-21 Saturday after building a 17-0 lead.

Samford (1-5, 0-3), which was picked third in the league's preseason poll behind Jacksonville State and Eastern Kentucky, has all but been eliminated from title contention entering a home game against Tennessee-Martin (1-5, 0-3).

The Bulldogs have been the OVC's tough-luck team so far, losing in four overtimes to Southeast and in two overtimes to Eastern Kentucky before the Murray State setback. All three defeats have been by three points.

"We've been in every ballgame we've played obviously, but have got to find a way somehow to get the job done, and finish the job we're doing," Samford coach Bill Gray said. "Three straight weeks we've fallen by three points. ... We've just got to find a way to get it done in the end."

Tennessee State and Southeast both had open dates Saturday while Tennessee Tech (4-2, 1-1) ventured outside the conference and pounded visiting Chattanooga 52-34. The Eagles, another of those one-loss OVC squads, are off this week.

Extra points

• Tennessee Tech swept the OVC's offensive and defensive player of the week awards after its win against Chattanooga. Junior tailback Trey Bonner was honored after rushing for 213 yards and two touchdowns while junior cornerback Perry Kyles was recognized after making nine tackles, intercepting a pass and breaking up two passes.

Jacksonville State is not only in first place, the Gamecocks also lead the OVC in scoring offense (42.8 points per game), scoring defense (17.0 ppg) and total offense (426.6 yards per game), while ranking second in total defense (304.2 ypg). They are third nationally in scoring.