The Skyhawks (5-3) travel to Nashville to take on #25 Tennessee State Tigers (6-2) on Saturday, Nov. 2. The in-state Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) matchup will determine second place in the Big-South OVC standings.
The Skyhawks are coming off of a strong win against Eastern Illinois and are on a four-game win streak coming into Saturday. The Tigers see the Skyhawks’ four-game win streak and raises them a four-game win streak of their own led by head coach and Tennessee sports legend Eddie George.
Led by senior QB Draylen Ellis, the Tigers operate the fourth best passing offense in the Big South-OVC at 223.3 yards per game. Ellis has been solid for the Tigers this season. A stat line of 1,772 yards and 13 touchdowns with only four interceptions shows Ellis’ ability to push the ball downfield without putting it in harm’s way.
The Tigers have enjoyed spreading the ball around this season with three separate players with 28 catches or more. Leading the trio is junior WR Karate Brenson (awesome name) with 584 yards (4th in OVC) and three touchdowns.
The other two of the trio, Sr. Jalal Dean and Jr. Bryant Williams, have 28 catches each. However, Dean has gotten more bang for his buck with 361 yards and four touchdowns. Though, Williams is no slouch either with 270 yards while adding two touchdowns of his own.
On the ground, the Tigers are led by a committee that includes running backs and quarterbacks. Four separate players have 49 carries or more so far for the Tigers. This includes RB Jaden McGill, RB CJ Evans, RB Jordan Grant and QB Draylen Ellis. McGill leads the way with 280 yards and a touchdown while Evans and Grant sit behind him with 204 and 175 yards respectively.
Ellis was included on the list because he has 51 carries to his name. However, they’ve been less than favorable. Ellis has managed to accumulate a mere 75 yards and a touchdown despite having the second most carries on the team. The Tigers really want to get him involved in the run game despite his lack of effectiveness so far.
Defensively the Tigers are 12th nationally in passing defense and 2nd in the Big-South OVC in sacks.
Leading the Tiger defense is DL Keandre Booker, a transfer from SEMO who currently leads the Big-South OVC with six sacks. Booker isn’t the only guy getting after the quarterback though. DL Eriq George is third in the conference with 4.5 sacks of his own.
Other contributors on defense include leading tackler Ahmad Nelson with 54 tackles and top defensive back Boogie Trotter with four passes defensed and three interceptions.
Historically, the Skyhawks are down 15-18 in games against the Tigers. However, in recent years, the series has shifted in the Skyhawks’ favor. Since the hiring of head coach Jason Simpson in 2006, the Skyhawks have a series record of 11-6 and currently look to extend a three-game winning streak against the Tigers.
A win Saturday solidifies the Skyhawks’ path to another OVC title match and likely earns them a spot in the top 25 nationally.
