COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee Tech seniors Dontey Gay and
Richmond Tooley have been voted as recipients of a couple of the
Ohio Valley Conference weekly honors for the roles each played in
the Golden Eagle victory over Austin Peay Saturday that clinched
the team's first conference championship since 1975.
Gay, a runningback from Lexington, Ky., was named co-Offensive
Player of the Week along with Murray State quarterback Casey
Brockman. Tooley, a cornerback from Memphis, was tabbed as the
Defensive Player of the Week.
Gay earned his second OVC Offensive Player of the Week honor of
the season after rushing for 192 yards and a touchdown and reaching
the 1,000-yard plateau. He carried the ball 25 times and averaged
7.7 yards/carry. The 192 yards was the 11th-best single-game
performance in Golden Eagle history. With 1,009 yards, Gay is just
the seventh player in Tech history to reach that achievement. His
2-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter was his 15th rushing
touchdown of the season, which established a new TTU single-season
record. Gay currently ranks eighth nationally in scoring (9.0
points/game) and his 90 points this season has tied the Tennessee
Tech single-season record.
Tooley helped key a Tech defense that limited Austin Peay to 255
total yards. He had eight tackles, an interception, a 19-yard
fumble recovery and return for a touchdown and a pass breakup in
the game. Tooley’s touchdown came in a key third quarter
stretch where the Golden Eagles scored three touchdowns in less
than four minutes, turning a 21-7 lead into a 42-7 advantage. His
interception came earlier in the third quarter, ending an Austin
Peay drive near midfield and leading to a TTU touchdown that put
the team up 28-7 just five plays later.
For the remaining OVC awards, James Esco of Jacksonville State was
named the Special Teams Player of the Week and Kevin Hamlin of
Eastern Kentucky won the Newcomer of the Week award.