“margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 9.8px; line-height: 11.0px; font: 10.0px Adobe Garamond Pro;”>

This weekend there will be a couple players to watch from each

football team. Junior wide receiver Kenny Whittaker and red-shirt

sophomore defensive back Alex McNulty are the players to watch on

the Eastern football team.

“margin: 3.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 11.0px; font: 10.0px Lucida Bright;”>

Kenny Whittaker

“margin: 3.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 11.0px; font: 10.0px Lucida Bright;”>

Wide receiver – #4

“margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 9.8px; line-height: 11.0px; font: 10.0px Adobe Garamond Pro;”>

A player to watch when the Panthers have the ball is junior wide

receiver Kenny Whittaker. With the absence of red-shirt senior

Lorence Ricks, sophomore quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has been

forced to seek other options. 

“margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 9.8px; line-height: 11.0px; font: 10.0px Adobe Garamond Pro;”>

His best option in the short range passing game is the quick and

agile Whittaker. Whittaker has the ability to make defenders miss

in the open field and pick up yardage to move the chains for first

downs.

“margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 9.8px; line-height: 11.0px; font: 10.0px Adobe Garamond Pro;”>

Whittaker doesn’t get a lot of touchdowns, but he racks up the

receptions to move the offense forward. Garoppolo will look for

junior wide receiver Chris Wright for the deep threat, but

Whittaker will get the majority of the short gain passes.

“margin: 3.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 11.0px; font: 10.0px Lucida Bright;”>

Alex McNulty

“margin: 3.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 11.0px; font: 10.0px Lucida Bright;”>

Defensive back – #31

“margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 9.8px; line-height: 11.0px; font: 10.0px Adobe Garamond Pro;”>

Red-shirt sophomore Alex McNulty may play defensive back, but he

hits like a linebacker. McNulty has stepped up on the Panther

defense, with red-shirt senior Nick Martinez partially banged up in

the defensive secondary. 

“margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 9.8px; line-height: 11.0px; font: 10.0px Adobe Garamond Pro;”>

McNulty currently ranks sixth on the team in total tackles with

32.

“margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 9.8px; line-height: 11.0px; font: 10.0px Adobe Garamond Pro;”>

22 of McNulty’s tackles have

“margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 9.8px; line-height: 11.0px; font: 10.0px Adobe Garamond Pro;”>

been solo.

“margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 9.8px; line-height: 11.0px; font: 10.0px Adobe Garamond Pro;”>

He will face a big test this weekend, going against the best

passing offense in the Ohio Valley

“margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 9.8px; line-height: 11.0px; font: 10.0px Adobe Garamond Pro;”>

Conference.

“margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 9.8px; line-height: 11.0px; font: 10.0px Adobe Garamond Pro;”>

For Tennessee-Martin, a quarterback and a linebacker are the two

players to watch.

“margin: 3.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 11.0px; font: 10.0px Lucida Bright;”>

Derek Carr

“margin: 3.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 11.0px; font: 10.0px Lucida Bright;”>

Quarterback – #15

“margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 9.8px; line-height: 11.0px; font: 10.0px Adobe Garamond Pro;”>

Junior quarterback Derek Carr is one of the best in the OVC at his

position. Carr averages 255.7 yards through the air per game,

having completed a total of 14 touchdowns so far this season. 

“margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 9.8px; line-height: 11.0px; font: 10.0px Adobe Garamond Pro;”>

He has completed 58.7 percent

of his passes this season, completing 115 of 196 passes this year.

He ranks second in the OVC for average passing yards per game,

passing efficiency and total offensive yards. 

“margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 9.8px; line-height: 11.0px; font: 10.0px Adobe Garamond Pro;”>

His No. 1 target has been running back Tevin Barksdale, who has

caught six touchdowns so far this season. Last season he passed for

over 200 yards in seven of 11 games, while passing for more than

300 yards in three games last season.

“margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 9.8px; line-height: 11.0px; font: 10.0px Adobe Garamond Pro;”>

In last year’s game against Eastern, Carr completed 21 of 31

passes, totaling 211 yards. He had one interception and no

touchdowns.

“margin: 3.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 11.0px; font: 10.0px Lucida Bright;”>

Ben Johnson

“margin: 3.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 11.0px; font: 10.0px Lucida Bright;”>

Linebacker – #41

“margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 9.8px; line-height: 11.0px; font: 10.0px Adobe Garamond Pro;”>

Sophomore linebacker has emerged as a defensive leader for the

Skyhawks, stepping into the starting role this season. 

“margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 9.8px; line-height: 11.0px; font: 10.0px Adobe Garamond Pro;”>

He ranks among the OVC’s best in tackles, currently averaging 7.2

per game. Johnson has 3.5 sacks so far this season, which also

ranks among the OVC’s best. 

“margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 9.8px; line-height: 11.0px; font: 10.0px Adobe Garamond Pro;”>

He has 43 tackles so far this season, 22 of which have been solo

tackles. Johnson has also forced three fumbles so far this season,

which ranks as the best in the OVC.

“margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 9.8px; line-height: 11.0px; font: 10.0px Adobe Garamond Pro; min-height: 12.0px;”>

“margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right; text-indent: 9.8px; line-height: 11.0px; font: 8.0px Lucida Bright;”>

Dominic Renzetti can be reached at 581-7942 

“margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right; text-indent: 9.8px; line-height: 11.0px; font: 8.0px Lucida Bright;”>

or dcrenzetti@eiu.edu.