RICHMOND, Ky. - After using an open date last weekend to help heal some injuries, coach Roy Kidd's Eastern Kentucky University Colonels jump back into Ohio Valley Conference action Saturday night by hosting Tennessee State University in a 7:00 p.m. contest at EKU's Roy Kidd Stadium.
EKU, ranked No. 8 in The Sports Network and No. 9 in the USA Today/ESPN I-AA polls, has won back-to-back road games and now stands 3-1 overall and 1-0 in the Ohio Valley Conference.
Tennessee State, 2-2 overall and 0-1 in the OVC, has alternated wins and losses since the season began and is coming off a 59-24 decision over Alabama A&M.
"This looks like this is the toughest Tennessee State team we've played in quite some time," said Kidd. "They have outstanding team speed, loads of talent and they seem to be a more balanced team.
"On offense, they give you a lot of formations and try to confuse you and, then on defense, they keep you off balance by blitzing a lot. We've got to be ready Saturday because this team is very explosive and capable of putting a lot of points on the board."
Coach L.C. Cole's TSU Tigers possess the third most potent passing offense in the nation, averaging 314 yards per game through the air. TSU also ranks sixth in the nation in total offense (454.5 ypg.) and eighth in the country in scoring offense (35.5 pg.).
Offensive stars for the Tigers include wide receivers Tyrone Butterfield and Corey Sullivan, quarterback Leon Murray and tailback Calvin Davenport. Murray has hit 73-138 passes for 1,215 yards and 12 TD's, while only being intercepted three times. Davenport leads the Tiger rushing game with 221 yards on the ground and two TD's.
Butterfield and Sullivan are Murray's top targets. Butterfield has caught 29 passes for 400 yards and six scores, while Sullivan has 22 catches for 494 yards and four TD's. Butterfield is seventh in the nation in receptions per game (7.25) and 13th in receiving yards per game (100). Sullivan is second in the country in receiving yards per game (123.5).
Butterfield, the OVC's Co-Offensive Player of the Year in 1997 along with EKU quarterback Simon Fuentes, is also the nation's eighth best kickoff returner (30.5) and is fifth in the country in all-purpose yardage (190.5).
EKU will counter TSU's firepower with a balanced attack of its own led by quarterback Jon Denton, tailback Corey Crume and wide receiver Rondel Menendez.
Denton, the top-rated passer in the OVC with his rating of 188.1, has hit 32-55 passes this season for 584 yards and eight TD's with just two interceptions. His main target, Menendez, returned in fine fashion from a shoulder separation suffered in the season opener, by catching six passes for 140 yards and two TD's vs. Middle Tennessee. He leads Colonel receivers this year with nine catches for 250 yards and four scores.
Crume, who carried the ball 36 times for 126 yards against MTSU, leads Colonel rushers with 392 yards on 74 carries with five TD's. His runningmate at tailback , junior Derick Logan, is still listed as doubtful for Saturday's game with TSU because of a sprained left ankle that has not responded to treatment.
Free safety Shawn Gallant, who sprained his right ankle in the MTSU contest, has practiced this week and should be ready for duty Saturday night vs. the Tigers.
Tickets to all five of Eastern's remaining home games are on sale weekdays at the EKU Athletics Ticket Office in Room 126 of Alumni Coliseum. Tickets may also be purchased by phoning the Ticket Office at (606) 622-2122 or 1-800-262-7493, inside Kentucky.
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