Murray State is winless in Ohio Valley Conference play under second-year head coach Matt Griffin.

In fact, Murray hasn’t won a league game since the 2004 season, when it finished 6-2 in the league.

The Racers have a strong football tradition, with some prominent names in the coaching business coming from the school.

Ron Zook and Ralph Friedgen were assistants there, and Mike Gottfried, Denver Johnson, Houston Nutt and Frank Beamer all were head coaches at one point.

The latest in that line is Griffin.

The 39-year-old left Tennessee-Martin in good hands to come to Murray after the 2005 season. One can look back at last year’s UTM team, comprising mostly players Griffin recruited, and point to Griffin’s hand in the Skyhawks 2006 league title.

The talent is there at Murray, as 72 of the players on his roster are freshmen and sophomores.

If Griffin can recruit players to a town like Martin, Tenn., a school not known for football, he can most certainly do it at Murray.

And with good players comes wins, which will be more common in the next few years.

SEMO’s struggles continue

News of Southeast Missouri running back Timmy Holloman’s suspension for unspecified NCAA rules violations, as first reported last week in the Southeast Missourian, is another sour note to a disappointing season in Cape Girardeau, Mo.

Head coach Tony Samuel’s run-first approach isn’t working well in today’s college football landscape of the spread offense. The Redhawks rushed for 230 yards without Holloman against Eastern Kentucky, but the lack of a passing game has left SEMO winless in league play.

QB makes SportsCenter

It’s no surprise Jacksonville State quarterback’s Cedric Johnson’s 69-yard touchdown run against Austin Peay was the No. 5 play on ESPN’s SportsCenter Top 10 Plays for Thursday.

The junior turned a broken play into a breathtaking display of speed and elusiveness. Surrounded by three Austin Peay defenders after running left and looking to make an option pitch, Johnson cut back to the middle of the field around his own 25-yard line.

He then went untouched the rest of the way, using his blockers to clear his path and then his speed to outrun the defense.

It was a great play by one of the league’s emerging players.

What Others are Saying

“Titans scout Blake Eddingfield was among eight NFL scouts and one from the Canadian Football League who attended Thursday night’s game between Tennessee State and Tennessee Tech.

They were there mainly to see TSU seniors Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, a highly rated cornerback, and defensive end Shaun Richardson. Richardson caused a fumble, which was recovered by TSU linebacker Reno Thompson at the Tech 18 in the first quarter. That set up TSU’s third touchdown in the first quarter.”

-Staff Writer Mike Organ of The Tennessean in his Oct. 12 notebook following Tennessee State’s 45-28 win against Tennessee Tech.