TENNESSEE ST. IS ONE OF FEW BRIGHT SPOTS IN OVC SO FAR

Ohio Valley Conference football teams as a whole have not fared very well against non-league opponents so far this season.

But you sure can't blame Tennessee State for the OVC's overall 8-11 record against non-conference foes.

The high-flying Tigers have certainly held up their end of the bargain as they have been -- as expected -- by far the OVC's most impressive squad through three weeks of the season.

Tennessee State, the defending OVC champion and the heavy favorite to repeat, is off to a 3-0 start, with all the wins over non-conference opponents.

Two of the Tigers' victories have been worth noting as they have posted back-to-back wins over nationally-ranked opponents.

Just one week after knocking off Jackson State, the Tigers followed that up last Saturday with a 42-25 win over Florida A&M in Atlanta. It was Tennessee State's first win over the Raiders since 1990 and lifted the Tigers to eighth in this week's NCAA Division I-AA poll.

The OVC boasts one other nationally-ranked team this week as Eastern Kentucky moved back into the ratings at No. 24 after a 31-24 victory over Indiana State.

That triumph impressed legendary Colonels' coach Roy Kidd, who is trying to get his team back on track after last year's disappointing 6-5 season that saw the perennial OVC power Colonels finish fourth in the league.

"We looked like the `old' EKU," said Kidd.

Eastern Kentucky, at 2-1, joins Tennessee State as being one of just three OVC squads with winning records so far. Western Kentucky, also 2-1, is the third.

* Western Kentucky was handed its first loss of the season last Saturday as nationally-ranked South Florida defeated the Hilltoppers 21-6 in Bowling Green, Ky.

Two OVC squads notched their first wins of the season last Saturday as Murray State belted Southeast Missouri 45-18 and Tennessee Tech upended non-league foe Liberty 18-15.

Southeast and Eastern Illinois are the only OVC teams still looking for their initial victories, the Panthers being routed at home 34-6 by surprising Southern Illinois.

* Three of the eight OVC teams have an open date this Saturday.

Two conference matchups are on tap as Southeast Missouri travels to Western Kentucky and Tennessee-Martin visits Eastern Illinois.

Outside the league, Eastern Kentucky is at Samford.

* Tennessee State quarterback Leon Murray and Western Kentucky rover back Scooter Asel are this week's OVC offensive and defensive players of the week.

Murray gained offensive honors as he completed 25 of 40 passes for 345 yards and four touchdowns in the win over Florida A&M.

Asel earned the defensive nod after making 10 tackles, including nine solo, forcing two fumbles and breaking up a pass in the victory over Indiana State.