CREAM ALREADY RISING IN OVC (OVC NOTES)

It's still extremely early in the Ohio Valley Conference football season, but the three teams picked as the prime contenders for the league title own the top three spots in the standings.

Eastern Kentucky, Eastern Illinois and Murray State -- selected to finish one-two-three in the OVC preseason poll -- are all off to 1-0 league starts.

Preseason league favorite Eastern Kentucky received a major test from Middle Tennessee last weekend but the Colonels held on for a 28-24 victory in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Eastern Illinois, picked for second in the league, also got quite a challenge before slipping past visiting Tennessee Tech 13-6.

Murray State, which had won its OVC opener two weeks ago with a hard-fought victory at Southeast Missouri State, ventured outside the conference last weekend and suffered a 43-9 whipping at Division I-A Brigham Young.

All three of the OVC powers -- who all have 3-1 overall records -- remained in this week's Sports Network Division I-AA national poll. Eastern Kentucky is No. 9, with Murray State 14th and Easter Illinois 24th.

* Some interesting games are on tap for this Saturday around the league, including Middle Tennessee State visiting Tennessee Tech and Southeast Missouri traveling to Eastern Illinois.

Middle Tennessee and Southeast Missouri are both 1-1 in the conference, with Tennessee Tech having lost its only league game.

Also Saturday, Murray State plays host to lowly Tennessee-Martin -- the league's only winless team overall at 0-3 -- and Tennessee State entertains Alabama A&M in non-league action.

* Tennessee State quarterback Leon Murray has already passed for 1,007 yards -- in only three games.

Murray State quarterback Justin Fuente has 1,080 yards passing so far, accomplished in four games.

Tennessee State has the league's top two receivers in Tyrone Butterfield and Corey Sullivan, who have caught 24 and 20 passes, respectively.

Eastern Kentucky's Corey Crume leads the OVC in rushing with 392 yards in four games.

* Southeast Missouri tailback Corey Williams was named the OVC Offensive Player of the Week after scoring four touchdowns and gaining 131 yards in a 41-14 romp past Tennessee-Martin.

Eastern Kentucky linebacker Charles Tinsley earned league defensive honors as he had eight tackles and made a key fumble recovery in the big win over Middle Tennessee.