EKU EMERGING FROM SLOW START (OVC NOTES)

As the old saying goes, the supposed demise of Eastern Kentucky's football team has been greatly exaggerated.

The Colonels, a perennial NCAA Division I-AA and Ohio Valley Conference power, lost their first three games of the season -- all coming against teams at one time or another ranked among the nation's top 10 squads this year.

But since that time, the Colonels have rebounded nicely. The got their first win of the season by ripping outmanned Austin Peay 56-3 two weeks ago, then last weekend opened OVC play with a surprisingly lopsided 49-7 win at Tennessee State.

Now the Colonels have a chance to prove that they really will be a prime contender for the 1997 OVC championship. Saturday, EKU visits Murray State in an early conference showdown.

The Racers have won the past two OVC titles and are riding a 19-game league winning streak. But they20didn't get all that much respect in the preseason poll based on voting done by the league's head coaches and sports information directors, being picked to finish third.

Despite losing a host of key defensive performers from last year, the Racers rank first in the OVC in total defense, first in rushing defense and second in scoring defense. They're 5-2 overall, 3-0 in OVC play and ranked 17th nationally.

EKU, which was the OVC's dominant team before Murray State took over the last two seasons, was picked to finish second in the league's preseason poll.

Preseason OVC favorite Eastern Illinois, like Murray off to a 3-0 conference start, will also have a key game Saturday, playing host to Middle Tennessee State, which was tabbed for fourth in the preseason poll and is 1-2. The Panthers, ranked 10th nationally, are 5-1 overall while the Blue Raiders are 2-3.

* Other OVC games Saturday will feature Tennessee-Martin at Tennessee Tech and Tennessee State at Chattanooga, the latter serving as a designated conference affair even though Chattanooga isn't a member of the league.

Tennessee-Martin is still looking for its first victory; the Skyhawks are 0-6 overall and 0-4 in the OVC. Tennessee Tech is 3-2 and 1-1 while Tennessee State is 1-5 and 1-1.

* Games from last weekend, in addition to Eastern Kentucky's rout of Tennessee State, saw Tennessee Tech edge Southeast Missouri 17-14, Murray State rip Austin Peay 51-0 and Middle Tennessee down Tennessee-Martin 37-24.

* Eastern Kentucky tailback Derick Logan and Murray State linebacker Mancel Elam earned the OVC's offensive and defensive player of the week honors.

Logan rushed for 126 yards on 18 carries and scored three touchdowns against Tennessee State while Elam had five tackles and a sack against Austin Peay.

Southeast Missouri's Justin Terrill was named special teams player of the week after booming nine punts for a 48.9-yard average against Tennessee Tech. His longest punt went 74 yards.