OVC Football Previews - Week 7

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Week seven of the regular season includes three Conference matchups, including a battle of teams - Western Illinois and Southeast Missouri - who are 1-0 in OVC play. Other OVC contests include Gardner-Webb at UT Martin and Lindenwood at Eastern Illinois. In non-conference action Tennessee State hosts No. 24 Morgan State and Charleston Southern heads to Clemson.

Saturday, October 17
Charleston Southern at Clemson, 11:00 a.m. (ACC Network)
*Lindenwood at Eastern Illinois, 2:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
*Gardner-Webb at UT Martin, 2:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
*Western Illinois at Southeast Missouri, 2:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
#24 Morgan State at Tennessee State, 5:30 p.m. (ESPN+)

Charleston Southern Buccaneers (3-3) at Clemson Tigers (3-2)
Saturday, October 17 • 11:00 a.m. CT
Memorial Stadium (81,500) • Clemson, S.C.
Video (ACC Network): https://bit.ly/47f4BGQ
Live Stats: https://bit.ly/47VK4ah
Series Record: Clemson leads 1-0
Last Meeting: Clemson won 66-17 (9/9/23)

Noteworthy: Charleston Southern is playing its fifth-straight game in the state of South Carolina (3 at home, 2 on the road) when they travel to FBS foe Clemson. It is the team's second game against a FBS team this year ... CSU is coming off its first win over a ranked team since 2024 (No. 15/16 Furman) when they knocked off No. 21 South Carolina State 49-39. The 49 points were the most the team had scored against a D1 team since 2017 (52 vs. Savannah State) ... The Bucs scored on a 60-yard punt return (Hakeem Watters) and a 98-yard kickoff return (Quay Kindell) in the game ... In his first collegiate start, QB Jared Echols completed 17-of-29 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions ... Clemson suffered its first ACC loss of the season last week, falling at Miami. That snapped a three-game winning streak for the Tigers.

Lindenwood Lions (1-4, 1-1 OVC) at Eastern Illinois Panthers (2-4, 1-0 OVC)
Saturday, October 17 • 2:00 p.m. CT
O'Brien Field (10,000) • Charleston, Ill.
Video (ESPN+): https://bit.ly/47NyE8z
Live Stats: https://bit.ly/2oWwWzR
Series Record: Lindenwood leads 3-1
Last Meeting: Lindenwood won 42-12 (11/15/25)

Noteworthy: Eastern Illinois and Lindenwood meet for the fifth time since the Lions joined the OVC ahead of the 2022 season. Three of the previous four games were decided by six points or less. Lindenwood has won each of the last two meetings ... Brayon Crawford returned a fumble 86-yard for a touchdown in the third quarter of the matchup with SEMO to tie the game at 21. The Redhawks would go on to score 17 unanswered points and win 38-27 ... All-Conference running back Steve Hall made his return to the lineup and ran for 83 yards and two touchdowns ... EIU won its second road game of the season and improved to 1-0 in OVC action with a 21-7 win at Gardner-Webb. It was a rainy day that saw the Panthers only attempt four passes ... EIU forced six turnovers and now has 12 on the season, first in the OVC. The team's +1.5/game turnover margin is fourth nationally.

Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs (2-5, 1-1 OVC) at UT Martin Skyhawks (2-4, 1-0 OVC)
Saturday, October 17 • 2:00 p.m. CT
Hardy M. Graham Stadium (7,500) • Martin, Tenn.
Video (ESPN+): https://bit.ly/4yNAjXK
Live Stats: https://bit.ly/4yKsLEV
Series Record: UT Martin leads 4-3
Last Meeting: UT Martin won 37-7 (10/18/25)

Noteworthy: UT Martin welcomes Gardner-Webb on Saturday for the eighth all-time meeting between the teams. The Skyhawks have won each of the past two meetings ... GWU played in a scoreless first half against Eastern Illinois in the rain last week. After EIU took a 7-0 lead, the Runnin' Bulldogs tied the game on a Kory Jones 37-yard reception ... GWU had 12 tackles for loss last week and is averaging 9.1 tackles for loss per game, which ranks second nationally ... UT Martin claimed the Sgt. York Trophy, coming from behind to beat Tennessee State. UTM scored 28 second half points to win 42-28 ... The Skyhawks had a 98-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown by Ferand Washington and a 23-yard interception return by Joel Castleberry against TSU. That increased the Skyhawks defensive touchdown total this season to four which is first nationally.

Western Illinois Leathernecks (3-3, 1-0 OVC) at Southeast Missouri State Redhawks (3-3, 1-0 OVC)
Saturday, October 17 • 2:00 p.m. CT
Houck Stadium (8,000) • Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Video (ESPN+): https://bit.ly/47huHJ6
Live Stats: https://bit.ly/47bNk18
Series Record: Southeast Missouri leads 3-0
Last Meeting: Southeast Missouri won 22-17 (11/15/25)

Noteworthy: Southeast Missouri will travel to Western Illinois for the fourth all-time meeting between the teams (and third since WIU joined the OVC). SEMO holds a 3-0 advantage, including winning 22-17 a year ago. The game is a matchup of a pair of 1-0 teams in OVC play and is Homecoming for SEMO (the Redhawks are 7-1 in their last eight Homecoming games) ... Western Illinois beat Tennessee State prior to its bye week last week. In that game QB Kennedy McGill tallied 429 yards of total offense with 241 passing and 188 rushing yards. His 497 rushing yards on the season is third among FCS quarterbacks ... WIU ranks 23rd nationally in total offense and third in total defense ... Braylen Ragland threw for three touchdowns and ran for another as SEMO topped Lindenwood in the "Game Ball Brawl" game last weekend ... SEMO ranks fifth nationally in net punting (42.17 yards/punt).

#24 Morgan State Bears (5-1) at Tennessee State Tigers (1-5)
Saturday, October 17 • 5:30 p.m. CT
Nissan Stadium (69,143) • Nashville, Tenn.
Video (ESPN+): https://bit.ly/47f5bV2
Live Stats: https://bit.ly/3b4F8CT
Series Record: Tennessee State leads 4-0
Last Meeting: Tennessee State won 37-17 (10/31/87)

Noteworthy: Tennessee State welcomes Morgan State to Nashville for its annual Homecoming game ... It marks the first meeting for the teams in 39 years, with the teams last playing in 1987. That matchup was the third meeting in as many years between the programs (1985-87); the teams are scheduled to meet next year in Baltimore ... Tennessee State is playing the second of three-straight home games The Tigers have won seven-straight Homecoming contests (their last loss was in 2017) ... WR Cam Bulluck caught seven passes for 191 yards and three touchdowns against UT Martin. He had a 99-yard touchdown reception, the longest catch by a Division I player (FBS or FCS) this season ... Off to its best start in 17 years, Morgan State entered the Stats Perform Top 25 poll for the first-time ever this week, coming in at No. 24. The Bears have surpassed last year's win total with its lone loss came to FBS Arizona State.

OVC Football Previews - Week 7

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