All four Tennessee schools in the Ohio Valley Conference have something more to play for this year when they face each other.

The Sergeant York Trophy, created July 24 by the OVC in honor of Tennessee native and World War I hero Alvin C. York, will go to the team with the best quadrangular record among Austin Peay, Tennessee State, Tennessee-Martin and Tennessee Tech.

The first game in the series is this Saturday, when Peay hosts TSU.

The trophy is only the second of its kind in the nation. The three service academy schools (Air Force, Army and Navy) compete for the Commander-in-Chief trophy.

“There’s no doubt the Sergeant York trophy means a lot to us, especially up in Clarksville because we’re so close to Fort Campbell,” Austin Peay head coach Rick Christophel said about the nearby military base.

Tennessee Tech head coach Watson Brown, who used to coach against Army when he was head coach at Alabama-Birmingham, said he thinks the York Trophy will become something special to the Tennessee schools like the Commander-in-Chief Trophy is to the service academies.

“I think it will grow every year and I think it will help the rivalries of the state schools grow even more,” he said.

Tennessee State head coach James Webster said his team set two goals prior to the season: win the conference championship and win the York Trophy.

“In order to win the OVC, we have to win the Sergeant York Trophy,” he said. “We will prepare properly for Austin Peay. We will not overlook Austin Peay. We do not see them as not equal to us. I’m not going to carry a flat football team to Austin Peay.”

The next game in the York Trophy series is next Saturday when Austin Peay hosts UTM.

Offense produces, defense falters for UTM

Defending league champion UTM has already matched the number of regular season losses it suffered in 2006 in the first two games of 2007.

The Skyhawks lost 51-44 to Missouri State last Thursday night after losing their season opener to Southern Mississippi.

UTM’s offense had 542 yards of total offense, while its defense gave up 435 yards of total offense.

The play of UTM’s defense, the strength of last year’s team, has not pleased head coach Jason Simpson.

“It was a game where I felt if we could have gotten a couple stops defensively, we could have won the football game,” Simpson said. “We didn’t tackle very well, we didn’t get off blocks. We looked very lethargic on defense.”

The Skyhawks led the conference last year in total defense, only giving up an average of 255.5 yards per game. However, UTM lost seven starters on defense, and the replacements haven’t caught on yet, Simpson said.

“All the goals and accomplishments are still out there ahead of us and since we have not started conference play, we’re not panicking,” he said. “But we better have a sense of urgency this week.”

UTM plays at Central Arkansas on Saturday.

Chapman continues push up rushing list

UTM senior running back Donald Chapman had 111 yards on 23 carries in the Skyhawks 51-44 loss against Missouri State last Thursday.

Chapman, with 4,033 career rushing yards, now is only 10 yards away from breaking the school’s all-time rushing record, held for nearly 50 years.

He is also now 1,127 yards away from breaking the all-time conference rushing record by Markus Thomas of Eastern Kentucky (5,149 yards from 1989-92).

Holland takes reigns

Eastern Kentucky junior Allan Holland has supplanted two-year starter Josh Greco as the Colonels’ starting quarterback this year.

Greco, a senior who had started every game the last two seasons, and is EKU’s career leader in passing yards, attempts and completions, is coming off the bench this year.

Holland, who is 24-of-37 for 173 yards and two touchdowns in EKU’s first two games, probably won’t be replaced anytime soon, head coach Danny Hope said, although he would like the passing game to improve.

“I like the way Allan Holland is throwing the ball. He has a strong arm, he anticipates his throws,” Hope said. “We have the potential to do better in the pass than we have in the past in that phase of the game.”

Greco has played in the first two games, but is only 1-of-12 for seven yards and an interception. He started the opener against Kentucky, but was replaced after EKU’s second offensive possession, and did not start in last week’s 45-21 win against Western Carolina.

-To see the OVC football standings, click here.

-To see league leaders for the OVC, click here.