Murray State's turnaround has Racers a win away from playoffs

After being routed by Eastern Kentucky 31-7 in its second Ohio Valley Conference game, Murray State definitely did not have the look of a league championship contender.

But the Racers regrouped -- and now they are just one win away from a share of the OVC title and an automatic NCAA Division I-AA playoff berth.

The OVC's automatic representative in the playoffs will be determined Saturday when defending champion Eastern Illinois (8-2, 5-0 OVC) visits Murray, Ky., to take on the Racers (6-4, 4-1).

A Murray State victory would cause a tie for the conference championship and give the Racers the automatic playoff spot based on beating the Panthers.

Defending OVC champion Eastern Illinois, which has won 13 straight conference games and is ranked second and fifth in the two major national polls, will almost certainly receive an at-large playoff berth even with a loss Saturday.

Murray State coach Joe Pannunzio was a bit down following that Oct. 19 game at Eastern Kentucky, but the Racers have responded with four consecutive victories, including three straight conference wins.

"I'm proud of the kids, the way they were able to bounce back" after the Eastern Kentucky loss, Pannunzio said during the OVC's weekly teleconference Monday. "We have faced some adversity this year and I think the adversity we've faced has made us better."

Pannunzio was referring particularly to a one-point loss at Illinois State and a double-overtime setback at Indiana State, a pair of consecutive non-conference defeats early in the season that dropped the Racers to 1-3.

But those results, as well as the Eastern Kentucky debacle, are a distant memory for the Racers, who are chasing their first playoff berth since 1996.

"When the season started we wanted to win an OVC championship and that's still out there for us," Pannunzio said. "But we haven't gotten it yet. We still have a ways to go."

Standing in the Racers' way is an Eastern Illinois team that has not lost an OVC game since 2000 and features quarterback Tony Romo, the conference's offensive player of the year the past two seasons.

"Romo is such a great player, like Michael Jordan on our level," Pannunzio said. "We're excited about being in a game like this. We'll have to play the best game we've ever played, but stranger things have happened. We're happy to be at home. We've played pretty well in the five games we've had at home."

Indeed, the Racers are 5-0 at home this year. That, coupled with the fact Murray State is on a roll, has Eastern Illinois coach Bob Spoo concerned.

"They're playing their best ball now and that's dangerous. You always talk about getting better each week and they've done that," Spoo said. "We've been a good road team. We've found ways to win. It hasn't been easy for us, but we've had the ability to withstand things and hopefully we can do it again."

Indians rooting for EIU

Southeast Missouri State, which finished the regular season with an 8-4 record for its best showing since 1969, has been notified that it is being considered for a berth in the 16-team I-AA playoff field.

Although the chances of the Indians making the playoffs appear slim, any hopes they do have hinge on Eastern Illinois beating Murray State to gain the automatic bid. If the Racers win, then the Panthers will almost certainly receive an at-large berth and there is no way three OVC teams will get in.

"Me and Joe are good friends and I usually root for him, but this time I'm going to root for him to lose," Southeast coach Tim Billings said, laughing.

The OVC has put more than one team in the playoffs just once in the past five years, probably due in large part to the league's recent lack of playoff success. The OVC has just one postseason victory in the last five seasons and conference teams are just 4-15 in the playoffs over the past decade.

Ponder gets Kidd's vote

Roy Kidd, Eastern Kentucky's legendary coach who is retiring following this season, is mighty impressed with Southeast Missouri senior wide receiver Willie Ponder.

Ponder, who caught 87 passes for 1,453 yards and 15 touchdowns this year -- the yardage and TD totals are OVC single-season records -- torched Kidd's team for nine catches, 185 yards and three TDs during a 35-21 upset victory in Richmond, Ky., two weeks ago.

Kidd, who is on the All-American selection committee, is squarely in Ponder's corner.

"He's got my vote for All-American," Kidd said. "He was just a man among boys against us."

Taylor sets rushing record

Eastern Illinois tailback J.R. Taylor rushed for an OVC record 308 yards during Saturday's 47-6 non-league rout of Florida Atlantic.

Taylor, who scored four touchdowns, became the first player in the conference in five years to have back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons. He leads the OVC with 1,260 yards.

Eastern Kentucky sophomore tailback C.J. Hudson, who has 990 yards, is likely to also post his second straight 1,000-yard rushing season as the Colonels close out their schedule Thursday at Tennessee State.

Marty Mishow covers the OVC and Southeast football for the Southeast Missourian.