OVC Football Previews - Week 0

• Weekly Report (PDF) | YouTube Interview Playlist

The 2026 season gets underway this week with all eight OVC teams in action (six on Thursday, two on Saturday). Included in that is the first Conference matchup of the season as Lindenwood hosts Charleston Southern. Western Illinois and UT Martin also play at home on Thursday while Gardner-Webb is at nationally-ranked Austin Peay and Eastern Illinois travels to Murray State. On Saturday, Southeast Missouri heads to Indiana State while Tennessee State hosts Jackson State in the John Merritt Classic.

Thursday, August 27
*Charleston Southern at Lindenwood, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Gardner-Webb at #17/18 Austin Peay, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Northwestern College (Iowa) at Western Illinois, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Eastern Illinois at Murray State, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Central Arkansas at #23/22 UT Martin, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN+)

Saturday, August 29
Southeast Missouri at Indiana State, 5:00 p.m.
Jackson State at Tennessee State, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+) (Played at FirstBank Stadium)

Charleston Southern Buccaneers (0-0) at Lindenwood Lions (0-0)
Thursday, August 27 • 6:00 p.m. CT
Hunter Stadium (6,000) • St. Charles, Mo.
Video (ESPN+): https://bit.ly/4cUIdFE
Live Stats: https://bit.ly/3BtZfYV
Series Record: Lindenwood leads 2-1
Last Meeting: Lindenwood won 35-28 (9/13/25)

Noteworthy: For the first time since 2011, a Conference game will open the OVC season when Charleston Southern travels to Lindenwood ... The two teams have played three times, with Charleston Southern winning in 2023 and Lindenwood coming away win victories each of the past two seasons ... This marks the first of three road games to begin the season for the Buccaneers. Lindenwood plays its next three games away from Hunter Stadium, including a pair of matchups with FBS opponents ... Lindenwood won three of its final four Conference games a season ago to finish 5-3 in League play ... Charleston Southern finished the 2025 season by winning four of its final five league games, with the lone loss coming by three points.

Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs (0-0) at #17/18 Austin Peay Governors (0-0)
Thursday, August 27 • 6:00 p.m. CT
Fortera Stadium (10,100) • Clarksville, Tenn.
Video (ESPN+): https://bit.ly/4x7MihP
Live Stats: https://bit.ly/4xZ6iU9
Series Record: Gardner-Webb leads 2-1
Last Meeting: Austin Peay won 41-14 (10/14/23)

Noteworthy: Gardner-Webb begins its first season under head coach Kris McCullough. In his four years as a head coach at other stops he has compiled a 37-13 overall record ... GWU quarterback Cole Pennington tossed six touchdowns over his final five starts a year ago. He threw for 356 yards in last year's season finale against Western Illinois ... A year ago the Runnin' Bulldogs opened the season with a victory over then No. 18/19 Western Carolina ... Gardner-Webb and Austin Peay were each in the FCS Playoffs in the 2023 season ... Austin Peay was 6-0 at home last season and has its highest preseason ranking since the 2020 season.

Northwestern College Red Raiders (0-0) at Western Illinois Leathernecks (0-0)
Thursday, August 27 • 6:00 p.m. CT
Hanson Field (16,368) • Macomb, Ill.
Video (ESPN+): https://bit.ly/4zq1vfL
Live Stats: https://bit.ly/3Pyfr2i
Series Record: First meeting

Noteworthy: Western Illinois begins the third year of the Joe Davis Era with a first time opponent in Northwestern College ... Cason Carswell, the 2025 OVC Offensive Freshman of the Year, returns at quarterback for the Leathernecks. In 10 games (seven starts) he passed for 2,054 yards and 16 touchdowns with only three interceptions ... Each of WIU's last six games a season ago were decided by one goal or less. Western won three of its final four games to finish the season 4-8 overall for the second-straight season ... Northwestern College, located in Orange City, Iowa, is a member of the NAIA and plays in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) The team was predicted third in the GPAC preseason poll after finishing 6-4 a season ago.

Eastern Illinois Panthers (0-0) at Murray State Racers (0-0)
Thursday, August 27 • 6:00 p.m. CT
Roy Stewart Stadium (16,800) • Murray, Ky.
Video (ESPN+): https://bit.ly/4xiVOib
Live Stats: https://bit.ly/3UMgwZm
Series Record: Eastern Illinois leads 20-19
Last Meeting: Eastern Illinois won 35-21 (9/24/22)

Noteworthy: Eastern Illinois renews an old rivalry when it travels to former OVC foe Murray State. The two teams have played 39 previous times, lastly in the 2022 season ... Eastern Illinois has won two-straight season openers against FCS-level opponents. The August 27 date is the earliest opener in school history ... The team is 13-10 all-time in season openers that are played on a Thursday. That includes playing Murray State twice (splitting the games). EIU will also play on Thursday next week when they head to Big Ten foe Minnesota ... Last season EIU led the OVC in turnovers gained (18), a mark that ranked 34th nationally ... Murray State is coming off a 1-11 season a year ago, picking up a win over Indiana State in the season finale. The team is coached by Jody Wright, who is in his third season with the Racers.

Central Arkansas Bears (0-0) at #22/23 UT Martin Skyhawks (0-0)
Thursday, August 27 • 6:30 p.m. CT
Hardy M. Graham Stadium (7,500) • Martin, Tenn.
Video (ESPN+): https://bit.ly/46cxL8L
Live Stats: https://bit.ly/4xShykX
Series Record: Central Arkansas leads 9-5
Last Meeting: Central Arkansas won 26-24 (9/6/14)

Noteworthy: UT Martin opens the 2026 season with two-straight home games against FCS opponents. The Skyhawks are 17-3 in home openers under the direction of head coach Jason Simpson ... UTM and UCA first played in 1958 and Thursday will mark the 15th all-time meeting. The Bears won by two points in the last meeting in 2024 ... UT Martin begins the season ranked No. 22/23, only the third time in program history the Skyhawks have been ranked in both polls to start the year. The program has been ranked at least one week in four of the past five years (they were not ranked a year ago) ... The Skyhawks were picked the OVC preseason favorites. The program has claimed four of the last five Conference championships ... Central Arkansas returns 11 starters from a season ago. This year is the ninth under head coach Nathan Brown.

Southeast Missouri State Redhawks (0-0) at Indiana State Sycamores (0-0)
Saturday, August 29 • 5:00 p.m. CT
Memorial Stadium (12,764) • Terre Haute, Ind.
Video (ESPN+): https://bit.ly/4xXqlSL
Live Stats: https://bit.ly/3SmeT40
Series Record: Indiana State leads 5-4
Last Meeting: Indiana State won 27-24 (9/19/15)

Noteworthy: Southeast Missouri begins its 122nd season of college football with a game at Indiana State ... It marks the 10th all-time meeting between the two teams, who first played in 1935. Indiana State has won the last two in the series, with SEMO's last win coming in Terre Haute in 2008 ... Southeast Missouri was picked second in the OVC preseason poll and is receiving votes in both Top 25 polls to begin the 2026 season ... This year is the 13th at the helm of the SEMO program for head coach Tom Matukewicz. He is the third-longest tenured coach in program history and has won 67 overall and 50 Conference games ... Indiana State is in the 10th year under head coach Curt Mallory. A season ago the team knocked off No. 4 ranked South Dakota State in Brookings.

Jackson State Tigers (0-0) at Tennessee State Tigers (0-0)
Saturday, August 29 • 7:30 p.m. CT
FirstBank Stadium (40,350) • Nashville, Tenn.
Video (ESPN+): https://bit.ly/4ilOv4K
Live Stats: https://bit.ly/3b4F8CT
Series Record: Tennessee State leads 30-23-2
Last Meeting: Jackson State won 16-3 (9/10/22)

Noteworthy: Tennessee State will host Jackson State in the 27th annual John Merritt Classic. It marks the first-ever meetings between the two teams in the JMC; TSU is 17-9 all-time in the event (including the last three games) ... Due to a Titans game at Nissan Stadium, the game will be played at FirstBank Stadium on the campus of Vanderbilt University. That venue is the site of the 2027 FCS National Championship game (January 11) for the second year in a row ... It marks the 56th overall meeting between the two schools and first since 2022. The programs first played in 1949 and played 27 times as part of the Southern Heritage Classic in Memphis. JSU has won three in a row in the series (TSU won the previous six before that streak started) ... The last meeting featured a coaching matchup of Deion Sanders (now at Colorado) and Eddie George (now at Bowling Green). The two teams are scheduled to play next season in Jackson ... Jackson State was predicted to finish second in the SWAC East Division this season. The team was 9-3 overall and 7-1 in SWAC play a year ago.

OVC Football Previews - Week 0

Related News

Related Videos