Babers named OVC coach of the year

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. - Ohio Valley Conference champion Eastern Illinois took home two of the four major 2012 postseason OVC football awards while Southeast Missouri State won the other two in voting conducted by league head coaches and sports information directors.

Eastern Illinois redshirt junior wide receiver Erik Lora was named Offensive Player of the Year while his head coach, Dino Babers, was named the OVC Roy Kidd Coach of the Year. In the other major awards, Southeast Missouri State senior linebacker Blake Peiffer was tabbed Defensive Player of the Year while Southeast Missouri redshirt freshman quarterback Scott Lathrop earned the Freshman of the Year award.

Tennessee State led the way with six first-team selections (including five on the offensive side of the ball) while Eastern Kentucky led the way with 13 total selections across the first-team, second-team and All-Newcomer squads. Tennessee State and Eastern Illinois were second with 12 total selections apiece. The first-team included 13 seniors, nine juniors and three sophomores while the second-team had 14 seniors, nine juniors, four sophomores and a freshman.

Lora, a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, is the third different Eastern Illinois player to win the Offensive Player of the Year award, joining quarterback Tony Romo (who won the award three-straight years from 2000-02) and running back Vincent Webb (2006). After missing the 2011 season due to injury, the redshirt junior returned to action this year and led the Panthers to its sixth OVC Championship and first since 2009. During the year he set the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) record for receptions in a season (124), eclipsing the old mark of 123 set during the 2009 season. With at least one game remaining for Lora in the NCAA Division I Football Championship, he is just 181 yards away from setting the FCS record for receiving yards in a season. During the regular season Lora led the nation in receptions/game (11.27), receiving yards/game (139.18) and total receiving yards (1,531). His 12 receiving touchdowns this season ranked eighth in OVC history. Lora began the season with seven-straight 100-plus yard receiving games, breaking the OVC record of five-straight; the seven-straight games are tied for the most in the NCAA in the past 12 years. Lora finished the regular season with eight 100-yard receiving games in 11 total contests. In the team's 50-49 overtime victory over Murray State on Sept. 22, Lora hauled in an OVC single-game record 21 catches (breaking a 43-year old record); the 21 catches were the fourth-most in FCS single-game history and tied for the most in Division I football (FBS or FCS) this season. He finished that game with 21 catches for 269 yards and three touchdowns and also threw the winning two-point conversion pass in overtime to lift his team to the victory; that performance earned him National Player of the Week honors. In seven OVC games this season Lora averaged 12.6 receptions and 157.3 yards/game. Lora is the fifth wide receiver to be named OVC Offensive Player of the Year and second in as many years (Tennessee Tech's Tim Benford won the award a season ago).

Babers entered his first season as a collegiate head coach with the task of replacing OVC Hall of Fame member Bob Spoo, who retired after 25 years as Eastern Illinois head coach following the 2011 season. Spoo, who ranked fifth in OVC history for wins (92) and fourth for Conference victories (68), had hired Babers as an assistant coach on his first EIU staff in 1987. Babers took over a team that had recorded back-to-back 2-9 overall seasons and finished in last place (1-7) in the OVC in 2011. Picked eighth in the 2012 OVC preseason poll, Babers installed his high octane spread attack that saw the Panthers rank sixth nationally in each total offense (480.45 yards/game) and passing offense (345.27 yards/game) and seventh in scoring offense (38.91 points/game). That offensive prowess and a solid defense would help Eastern Illinois to a 7-4 overall and 6-1 OVC record which was good enough for the program's sixth OVC Championship (2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2012). That marked just the fourth worst-to-first turnaround in the 65-year history of the OVC. Babers also became just the fourth coach in OVC history to lead his team to the championship in his first season as a collegiate head coach. Along with the OVC Championship the Panthers earned the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship, marking the 14th appearance for the program and first since 2009; the 14 playoff appearances are the eighth-most in FCS history. Babers is the second EIU head coach to earn the OVC Coach of the Year award, joining Spoo who won the honor three times (2001, 2005, 2009). The OVC Coach of the Year award is named after Eastern Kentucky legend Roy Kidd, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, who won the OVC Coach of the Year award a record 10 times during his career (1964-2002) and retired with 314 victories, second-most in I-AA/FCS history.

Peiffer, a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, finished the season ranked 17th nationally in tackles/game (10.64). In total he recorded 117 tackles (60 solo) on the season to go along with 8.0 tackles-for-loss, two forced fumbles and a pass breakup. He recorded six games with double-digit stops including a season-high 18 against rival Southern Illinois. The 18 tackles were the second-most in the OVC and 17th-most nationally in a game this season. He added 15 tackles, including two for loss, in the team's overtime win over defending OVC champion Tennessee Tech and had 14 stops against nationally-ranked Tennessee State. Peiffer, who had back-to-back 100-tackle seasons, finished his career with 359 career tackles, which ranked third in Southeast Missouri State history. He is the third Southeast Missouri State player to be named OVC Defensive Player of the Year and first since 1997. The other Redhawk past winners were defensive linemen Doug Berg (1994) and Angel Rubio (1997).

Entering the season the OVC outlook included eight of nine teams returning its starting quarterback from 2011. The lone team not to return its starting signal caller was Southeast Missouri who then lost projected starter, sophomore transfer Kyle Snyder, to a season-ending injury just nine days into preseason camp. In his place stepped Lathrop, the redshirt freshman, who finished the season with 1,824 yards of total offense and directed the team to the ninth-best rushing offense nationally (262.36 yards/game). Lathrop completed 91-of-158 passes for 1,025 yards and seven touchdowns and carried the ball in the Redhawks option attack 211 times for 824 yards and seven touchdowns. He continued to get better as the season went along, including rushing for 100 or more yards in three of his final four and four of his final six games of the season. That included a 179-yard, two-touchdown performance in a road victory over Austin Peay that earned him OVC Newcomer of the Week honors. Against nationally-ranked Tennessee State Lathrop rushed for 145 yards and a touchdown and passed for 222 yards and a score. Lathrop finished the season ranked seventh in the OVC in rushing (74.9 yards/game) in all games and sixth in OVC-only contests (94.0 yards/game). Lathrop is the first Southeast Missouri State player to be named OVC Freshman of the Year since the award was started in 2004. Overall he is the sixth quarterback (and fourth in a row) to earn the honor in the nine-year history of the award.

The All-OVC first-team was highlighted by Lora at the wide receiver spot. Joining Lora on the first-team was Murray State senior quarterback Casey Brockman who was a first-team selection for the second-straight season. Brockman capped his walk-on to All-American career by breaking nearly every OVC passing record. This year he set the Conference season marks for passing yards (3,729), completions (359) and completion percentage (69.4%), the single game mark for touchdown (8) and the career totals for total offense (10,502), passing yards (9,990) and completions (938). Nationally this season Brockman ranked first in completions (32.64/game), second in total offense (345.64 yards/game), second in total passing yards (3,729), third in passing yards/game (339.0) and fourth in points responsible for (19.45/game). The running back selections included two of the Top 10 rushers nationally in Eastern Kentucky senior Matt Denham and Tennessee State junior Trabis Ward. Denham earned his second-straight All-OVC first-team selection after rushing for 1,386 yards (9th nationally) and 14 touchdowns in helping EKU to an 8-3 overall record. No FCS back carried the ball more than Ward, who had 309 carries for 1,422 yards (8th nationally) and 15 touchdowns in also leading his team to an 8-3 mark; the 1,422 rushing yards were the third-most in TSU history. Teammate A.C. Leonard, in his first season with TSU after transferring from Florida, was the first-team tight end selection after catching 51 passes for 733 yards and six touchdowns; the 733 yards were the most by a tight end at the FCS level this year. Joining Lora at the wide receiver position was UT Martin senior Quentin Sims who capped his career by breaking the OVC record for touchdown catches in a season (16). In total Sims had 86 catches (sixth-most in OVC history) for 1,092 yards (10th-most in OVC history) and caught a touchdown pass in every game of the season, including three in the finale to help his team to an 8-3 overall record and share of the Sgt. York Championship. His 7.82 catches/game ranked sixth nationally while his 99.27 receiving yards/game was 12th. The first-team offensive line was dominated by Tennessee State who had three of the selections, each of who moved up from the second-team a season ago. The Tiger picks included senior center Sherman Carter, senior tackle Rogers Gaines and junior guard Kadeem Edwards. The team also included Eastern Kentucky senior tackle Aaron Adams and Eastern Illinois sophomore guard Collin Seibert.

The first-team defense was headlined by Peiffer, one of two repeat first-team selections from a season ago. The other repeat selection was Eastern Kentucky junior linebacker Anthony Brown who made the switch from defensive end this year. Brown netted 60 tackles, 12.5 tackles-for-loss, 2.5 sacks, six quarterback hurries and three forced fumbles during the season. The other linebacker spot was filled by UT Martin junior Ben Johnson, who was an All-Newcomer pick a year ago. Johnson led the OVC and ranked fifth nationally in tackles/game (11.91) this season while also recording 5.0 tackles-for-loss, 4.0 sacks and forcing and recovering two fumbles. The defensive line selections included a quartet of seniors in Eastern Illinois' Artavious Dowdell, Eastern Kentucky's Robert Knowles, Jacksonville State's DeMitrio Tyson and UT Martin's Montori Hughes. Dowdell helped EIU to the OVC Championship by ranking first in the OVC in sacks (7.5) and tackles-for-loss (13.5) and also netting 51 tackles, seven quarterback hurries and forcing three fumbles. Knowles concluded his career with 40 tackles, 11.0 tackles-for-loss and 5.0 sacks for the top rushing defense in the OVC. Tyson had 30 tackles, 7.0 tackles-for-loss and 3.5 sacks for the Gamecocks while Hughes provided 42 tackles, 8.5 tackles-for-loss, 4.0 sacks and 13 quarterback hurries for the Skyhawks. The defensive back selections included Eastern Kentucky senior Brooklyn Fox, Southeast Missouri State senior Tylor Brock, Eastern Illinois junior Nick Beard and Tennessee State sophomore Steven Godbolt. Godbolt, the lone sophomore on the defensive unit, picked off six passes in 10 games to rank second nationally in interceptions/game (0.60). Fox, who had six picks in 11 games, ranked third nationally in that category (0.55). Brock, a first-team All-OVC pick in 2010, had four interceptions to rank 23rd nationally (0.36/game) while Beard was second on EIU with 82 tackles in addition to his eight pass breakups.

The first-team All-OVC specialists each earned the first postseason honors of their careers. Eastern Illinois junior kicker Camera Berra missed just one field goal in 12 attempts all season (and that miss was affected by heavy winds), and converted a perfect 5-of-5 kicks in attempts between 40-and-49 yards. He also made 47 extra points for the high-octane Panther offense to finish the season with 80 points. In his first season with Tennessee Tech, junior Chad Zinchini averaged a league-best (and TTU record) 44.8 yards/punt, a figure that was fifth-best in the FCS. He had 25 punts travel 50 yards or more and downed 19 of his punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line. Murray State junior Walter Powell, who was a second-team selection as a wide receiver, finished the year as one of the top return specialists in the nation. Powell ranked fifth nationally in punt returns, averaging 15.8 yards/return including returning two for touchdowns; in the season finale against Southeast Missouri, Powell became the first player since the FCS was formed in 1978 to return a punt 100 yards for a touchdown. Powell also averaged 26.3 yards per kickoff return (19th nationally), including a long return of 83 yards during the final game of the season. Overall Powell was second nationally in all-purpose yards (193.0/game).

The All-OVC second-team offensive unit included two quarterbacks, Eastern Illinois junior Jimmy Garoppolo and UT Martin senior Derek Carr, for the first time since the 2004 season. Garoppolo ranked fifth nationally in total offense (328.09 yards/game), fifth in total passing yards (3,602), fifth in points responsible for (18.73/game), sixth in passing yards/game (327.45) and seventh in completions/game (27.82) while Carr was sixth in total passing yards (3,276), seventh in passing yards/game (397.82) and seventh in points responsible for (17.45/game). The running back selections were Eastern Illinois senior Jake Walker (1,008 yards, 11 TDs) and Southeast Missouri State senior Levi Terrell (1,349 yards, 6 TDs, ranked 10th nationally with 122.64 rushing yards/game). The wide receivers included Eastern Kentucky senior Tyrone Goard (41 catches, 900 yards, 8 TDs) and Murray State's Powell, who also earned first-team honors as a return specialist; Powell had 94 catches (the second-most in OVC history) for 1,213 yards (fourth-most in OVC history) and 10 touchdowns. The second-team tight end selection was Eastern Illinois sophomore Sam Hendricks (34 catches, 294 yards, 2 TDs). The second-team offensive line picks were Eastern Kentucky junior guard Justin Meredith and senior tackle Patrick Ford, Eastern Illinois senior center Kevin Kapellas, Murray State senior tackle Roderick Tomlin and Jacksonville State senior guard Tori Mobley.

Due to a tie in voting the second-team defensive unit was comprised of five defensive lineman, including Eastern Illinois seniors Roosevelt Holliday (52 tackles, 9.0 TFL, 2 FF) and Pat Wertz (51 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 3 FF), Eastern Kentucky junior Shawn Shupperd (56 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 16 QBH), Tennessee State junior Antonio Harper (36 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks) and UT Martin senior DJ Roberts (53 tackles, 11.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 11 QBH). The linebacker selections were Eastern Kentucky senior Kevin Hamlin (60 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 3.0 sacks) and junior Ichiro Vance (56 tackles, 4.0 TFL, 1 INT) and Tennessee State sophomore Nick Thrasher (105 tackles, 9.0 TFL). The second-team defensive backs included Eastern Kentucky senior Justin Bell (56 tackles, 2 INT, 10 PBU) and sophomore Brandon Stanley (81 tackles, 3 PBU, 2 FF), Tennessee State sophomore Daniel Fitzpatrick (61 tackles, 1 INT, 8 PBU) and UT Martin junior Thad Williams (44 tackles, 2 INT, 7 PBU).

The second-team specialists were Tennessee State junior kicker Jamin Godfrey (16-of-20 FGs, 33-of-36 PATs, 81 points), UT Martin sophomore punter James Satterfield (42.54 yards/punt average which ranked 15th nationally) and a pair of return specialists in Tennessee Tech freshman Ladarius Vanlier (20.9 yards/kick return, 1 TD) and UT Martin senior Jason McNair (17.56 yards/punt return which ranked second nationally).

Eleven players were selected to the All-OVC Newcomer squad. To be selected to the team an individual had to be a first-year player (freshman or transfer) in the OVC. One of the selections was Southeast Missouri's Lathrop, who was named OVC Freshman of the Year. The team also included three players who were either first or second-team selections including Tennessee State tight end Leonard (first-team), Tennessee Tech punter Zinchini (first-team) and TTU return specialist Vanlier (second-team). The remaining All-Newcomer selections included Austin Peay redshirt freshman running back Reco Williams (496 yards, 2 TD, 17 catches, 1 receiving TD), Eastern Illinois junior linebacker LeQuince McCall (76 tackles, 5.0 TFL), Jacksonville State freshman defensive back Jermaine Hough (42 tackles, 3 INT, 8 PBU), Murray State junior running back Jaamal Berry (675 yards, 7 TDs, 29 catches, 1 receiving TD), Tennessee State freshman tight end Joe Bowens (28 catches, 348 yards, 2 TDs), Tennessee Tech junior wide receiver Da'Rick Rogers (61 catches, 893 yards, school record tying 10 TDs) and UT Martin junior wide receiver Jeremy Butler (51 catches, 750 yards, 10 TDs).

2012 All-OVC Football Team

OVC Offensive Player of the Year: Erik Lora (WR), Eastern Illinois

OVC Defensive Player of the Year: Blake Peiffer (LB), Southeast Missouri

OVC Freshman of the Year: Scott Lathrop (QB), Southeast Missouri

OVC Roy Kidd Coach of the Year: Dino Babers, Eastern Illinois

FIRST-TEAM OFFENSE

QB - Casey Brockman, Murray State

RB - Matt Denham, Eastern Kentucky

RB - Trabis Ward, Tennessee State       

WR - Erik Lora, Eastern Illinois             

WR - Quentin Sims, UT Martin

TE - A.C. Leonard, Tennessee State     

C - Sherman Carter, Tennessee State

OG - Collin Seibert, Eastern Illinois                

OG - Kadeem Edwards, Tennessee State

OT - Aaron Adams, Eastern Kentucky

OT - Rogers Gaines, Tennessee State   

FIRST-TEAM DEFENSE

DL - Artavious Dowdelll, Eastern Illinois

DL - Robert Knowles, Eastern Kentucky

DL - DeMitrio Tyson, Jacksonville State

DL - Montori Hughes, UT Martin            

LB - Anthony Brown, Eastern Kentucky

LB - Blake Peiffer, Southeast Missouri

LB - Ben Johnson, UT Martin

DB - Nick Beard, Eastern Illinois           

DB - Brooklyn Fox, Eastern Kentucky   

DB - Tylor Brock, Southeast Missouri

DB - Steven Godbolt, Tennessee State

FIRST-TEAM SPECIALISTS
K - Cameron Berra, Eastern Illinois                 

P - Chad Zinchini, Tennessee Tech       

RS - Walter Powell, Murray State          

SECOND-TEAM OFFENSE

QB - Jimmy Garoppolo, Eastern Illinois

QB - Derek Carr, UT Martin                   

RB - Jake Walker, Eastern Illinois         

RB - Levi Terrell, Southeast Missouri     

WR - Tyrone Goard, Eastern Kentucky

WR - Walter Powell, Murray State         

TE - Sam Hendricks, Eastern Illinois     

C - Kevin Kapellas, Eastern Illinois        

OG - Justin Meredith, Eastern Kentucky

OG - Tori Mobley, Jacksonville State    

OT - Patrick Ford, Eastern Kentucky

OT - Roderick Tomlin, Murray State

SECOND-TEAM DEFENSE

DL - Roosevelt Holliday, Eastern Illinois

DL - Pat Wertz, Eastern Illinois             

DL - Shawn Shupperd, Eastern Kentucky               

DL - Antonio Harper, Tennessee State

DL - DJ Roberts, UT Martin                  

LB - Ichiro Vance, Eastern Kentucky

LB - Kevin Hamlin, Eastern Kentucky

LB - Nick Thrasher, Tennessee State     

DB - Justin Bell, Eastern Kentucky       

DB - Brandon Stanley, Eastern Kentucky       

DB - Daniel Fitzpatrick, Tennessee State        

DB - Thad Williams, UT Martin

SECOND-TEAM SPECIALISTS
K - Jamin Godfrey, Tennessee State

P - James Satterfield, UT Martin           

RS - Ladarius Vanlier, Tennessee Tech  

RS - Jason McNair, UT Martin

ALL-NEWCOMER TEAM

RB - Reco Williams, Austin Peay          

LB - LeQuince McCall, Eastern Illinois

DB - Jermaine Hough, Jacksonville State       

RB - Jaamal Berry, Murray State           

QB - Scott Lathrop, Southeast Missouri

TE - A.C. Leonard, Tennessee State     

TE - Joe Bowens, Tennessee State       

WR - Da'Rick Rogers, Tennessee Tech          

RS/RB - Ladarius Vanlier, Tennessee Tech     

P - Chad Zinchini, Tennessee Tech