EKU rout of Tennessee State Tigers lights fire for coach

Photo: TSU Head Football Coach James Webster

By MIKE ORGAN, Tennessean

Webster uses lopsided loss to spur his team

Tennessee State Coach James Webster won't say he's bitter.

He won't say he's out for revenge.

But he won't deny that he vividly remembers Eastern Kentucky continuing to try to pile on points late in the game during Webster's first season at TSU.

The Tigers (3-3, 2-0 OVC) play at Eastern Kentucky (5-2, 4-0) Saturday in a match-up that pits the only Ohio Valley Conference teams with unbeaten conference records.

"I remember when it was 49 to nothing and they were still trying to score at the end of the game,'' Webster said Tuesday. "I remember it. There's no bitterness. I just remember it."

In 2005, Eastern Kentucky, comfortably ahead 35-0 after three quarters, tacked on two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. The last was an 11-yard pass from the starting quarterback to a starting wide receiver with 6:23 left to play.

The 49-0 loss stands as TSU's worst under Webster.

Not only does Webster remember the rout, but he's also making sure his players do as well. He's reminded them not only of the lopsided loss in 2005, but also of last year's 20-3 loss in Richmond, a game that TSU went into still clinging to hopes of sharing the OVC championship.

"The last two times we lost to them are a factor in my mind,'' Webster said. "Those are games our players need to think about and realize that this football team needs to take a step. Eastern Kentucky obviously has been, and is one of the top teams in the OVC. That's the level we're trying to get to."

Webster is not surprised that EKU stands between his team and the primary goal it set at the start of the season, to win the OVC title.

"Obviously, in order to get into the position to win the OVC we've got to beat Eastern Kentucky,'' Webster said. "This is a very important game for us. And I would like to think that we've learned something from the first two games when we played them since I've been here."

Injury updates: Starting defensive nose tackle Lamar Divens likely will miss Saturday's game with a sprained foot and high ankle sprain, which limited his action last week against Tennessee Tech.

Starting wide receiver Troy Smith (quadriceps muscle), who didn't play against Tech, also is doubtful along with defensive back Brandon Blackmon (knee), and defensive tackle Harold Ayodele (ankle).

Webster also said the chances of tight end Antonio Graham (broken hand) returning this season are not good.

Tennessee State University Aristocrat of Bands (@ SU 2007)