BRENTWOOD, Tenn. -- Richmond Tooley played a big role Saturday
night in limiting Eastern Illinois to minus six yards rushing as
Tennessee Tech earned a tough, 31-20 Ohio Valley Conference road
victory over the Panthers.
On Sunday, the TTU senior cornerback was voted the league's
Defensive Player of the Week for the second time in his career.
At EIU, Tooley broke up three passes and led Tech with 10 total
tackles. One of the passes he knocked down was a two-point PAT
attempt in the fourth quarter as the Panthers were attempting to
forge a comback.
Tooley, a 5-11, 185-pound veteran from Memphis, was joined on the
league's honor roll by Murray State quarterback Casey Brockman as
Offensive Player of the Week, punter Scott Weatherford of Eastern
Illinois as Special Teams Player of the Week, and linebacker
Clarence Jackson of Jacksonville State as Newcomer of the Week.
Tooley and the Golden Eagles, winners of their last two games, put
their unbeaten OVC record (1-0) on the line Saturday when they host
defending OVC champion Southeast Missouri at 7 p.m.
Casey Brockman, QB • Jr., 6-2, 215 • Murray,
Ky. • Murray State
Brockman completed 45-of-67 passes for 600 yards and
seven touchdowns and also caught a 15-yard touchdown pass as Murray
State topped Tennessee State 58-27 on Saturday. The 600 passing
yards and seven touchdowns are the most at any level of NCAA
football this season (FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III). The 45
completions broke the previous OVC record of 44 (set by UTM’s
Brady Wahlberg in 2003) and the 600 yards broke the OVC record of
570 which Brockman set a year ago against Missouri State. The 600
passing yards was just 24 shy of the Football Championship
Subdivision (FCS) all-time record (held by Weber State’s
Jamie Martin). Brockman threw for 422 yards in the first half,
which set a new FCS single-game record, breaking the old record of
383 held by Marshall’s Michael Payton. The seven touchdowns
(five of which came in the first half) tied the OVC single-game
record that Brockman set last year (and which is shared with
Morehead State’s Chris Swartz).
Others Nominated: Devin Stark, Austin Peay; Coty
Blanchard, Jacksonville State; Tim Benford, Tennessee Tech; Jason
McNair, UT Martin.
DEFENSIVE
Richmond Tooley, CB • Sr., 5-11, 185 • Memphis,
Tenn. • Tennessee Tech
Tooley had 10 tackles (5 solo) and three pass breakups in
Tennessee Tech’s 31-20 road victory over Eastern Illinois on
Saturday. The senior helped key a Golden Eagle defensive effort
that held the Panthers to -6 rushing yards, the second-lowest
output given up by a TTU team in school history. Tooley currently
leads the OVC in passes defended (1.33/game).
Others Nominated: Clarence Jackson, Jacksonville
State; Darrian Skinner, Murray State; Darrin Nalls, UT Martin.
SPECIALIST
Scott Weatherford, P • So., 6-1, 180 • Terre
Haute, Ind. • Eastern Illinois
Weatherford punted six times for an average of 44.8 yards
in Eastern Illinois’ game with Tennessee Tech on Saturday.
The sophomore had a long punt of 60 yards and downed two punts
inside the TTU 20-yard line as the Panthers were able to limit the
Golden Eagles to just eight yards per punt return. Weatherford is
averaging 41.0 yards/punt on the season.
Others Nominated: CJ Estelle, UT Martin.
NEWCOMER
Clarence Jackson, LB • So., 6-2, 220 • Atlanta,
Ga. • Jacksonville State
Jackson, a transfer from Ole Miss, made an immediate
impact in his debut with Jacksonville State on Saturday. The
linebacker led the Gamecocks in tackles and also returned a blocked
punt 34 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter to put his team
on top 14-7. It was the first blocked punt Jax State had returned
for a score since the 2007 season. Jackson finished the game with
seven tackles (3 solo), including one on the opening kickoff of the
game.
Others Nominated: Ricky Mitchell, Murray State;
Zach Sharp, Tennessee Tech; Matt Hewett, UT Martin.