Jamarcus Allen is not hard to miss on campus.
At 5 feet, 11 inches tall, 286 pounds with dreads that dangle below his shoulders, it’s no wonder one of Western Kentucky’s senior defensive linemen can be intimidating at first glance.
“A lot people might not think I’m friendly, but I’m probably the most friendly person you’ll ever meet,” Allen said, laughing. “I’m a funny guy. I like to make people laugh. I just like having a good time. If somebody’s down, I like to cheer them up – and I love to pull pranks.”
Like Tuesday at practice – Allen unscrewed the cap to a water bottle, carefully placed it back on top and waited for sophomore linebacker T.J. Smith to take a swig.
“It sprayed all over his face,” Allen said with a chuckle.
Allen is at a place in his life where he can sit back and laugh at the small things, having come a long way since joining the program in 2008 as a highly rated, yet highly doubted, prospect.
Now the father of a 2-year-old and graduate of WKU with a degree in sociology, the Orlando, Fla., native is winding down his career as a Hilltopper and looking toward the future.
Louisiana-Monroe:
MONROE, La. – ULM will put its three-game win streak on the line when it battles Western Kentucky Saturday afternoon at Houchens-Smith Stadium. The Hilltoppers are riding a four-game win streak and the squad has won its last nine conference games.
The contest, set to begin at 3 p.m. (CT), will air on ESPN3.com and can also be heard on the Warhawk Radio Network. Frank Hoffmann, Bruce Hanks and Phil Shaw will call the action and can be heard on 104.1 FM in Monroe, 710 AM in Shreveport or via the live stream at www.ulmwarhawks.com.
First and Ten…
• ULM scored the first points of the game against Florida Atlantic... Brent Leonard’s three-yard reception from Kolton Browning gave ULM a 7-0 advantage with 9:06 to play in the first quarter... It marked the fifth time (in six games) that ULM scored first this season.... All five scores have been touchdowns and the only time ULM didn’t score first was at Middle Tennessee (Oct. 6).
• The 26 plays run by ULM in the first half against Florida Atlantic were the fewest of the season for the Warhawks.
Louisiana-Lafayette:
DENTON, Texas – The Ragin’ Cajuns went into their ESPN2-televised visit to North Texas on Tuesday night averaging 38 points per game, with a pair of 40-plus-point performances in their last two outings.
Anyone looking for a scorefest might have scrolled away with the remote had they tuned in during the opening half, and it didn’t get much better for UL in the second half.
Those who stuck with it, however, were rewarded with a thriller.
Trailing early in the fourth quarter after a 22-yard Zach Olen field goal that helped send North Texas from down 14 to up three, UL – despite several impressive defensive stands, and a 47-yard field by Brett Baer that tied the game with three minutes and one second remaining – ultimately fell 30-23 to the Mean Green.
Middle Tennessee:
STARKVILLE -- The Middle Tennessee State University football team will arrive in Starkville without the Sun Belt Conference's current leading rusher and the nation's No. 3 scorer.
An MRI scan revealed MTSU senior tailback Benny Cunningham suffered a season-ending torn patellar tendon in his left knee Saturday in a 34-40 victory at Florida International University.
MTSU coach Rick Stockstill said his team will try to regroup this week as it prepares to face No. 15 Mississippi State at 6 p.m. Saturday (ESPN2) at Davis Wade Stadium.
"I hate this from a personal level because I feel like he got cheated," Stockstill said. "He was really starting to hit a groove, and for him to not play his full senior year is devastating. I've been fortunate in this profession to coach some really, really good players, and Benny is one of those guys."
Cunningham injured his knee in the fourth quarter. He rushed for a career-high 230 yards on 36 carries and two touchdowns. His performance earned him his second Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Week honor this season.
Arkansas State:
Despite a bumpy start Saturday, the Red Wolves took its annual homecoming game with a 36-29 victory over the South Alabama Jaguars.
“We are happy with the victory, but disappointed that we didn’t protect the football, but the bottom line is we won a conference game for the second time in a row,” head coach Gus Malzahn said.
After allowing 10 points in the first eight minutes of the game, both the defense and offense of ASU played very uncharacteristically, especially when the first offensive play by ASU resulted in a fumble.
The Jaguars’ scored on a 26-yard field goal from kicker MichelChapuseaux on its next drive to put South Alabama up 10-0.
It would not take long for the Red Wolves to respond with a scoring drive of its own, fueled by junior running back David Oku’s rushing and Ryan Aplin picking up a few yards to get ASU’s first momentum building touchdown.
North Texas:
Dan McCarney and his players talked all week about making a statement when they had a rare opportunity on national television late Tuesday night in a game against Louisiana-Lafayette.
That is exactly what they felt like they did in a dramatic 30-23 victory at Apogee Stadium in front of a crowd of 17,055.
Redshirt freshman running back Antoinne Jimmerson caught a short pass from Derek Thompson with time winding down in the fourth quarter and raced 78 yards for what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown.
The fact that the win came in a national appearance on ESPN2 made the victory even sweeter — not to mention more important — for the Mean Green, which now has won back-to-back Sun Belt Conference games.
Troy:
TROY — Troy quarterback Corey Robinson faces a daunting road if he is to play Saturday when the Trojans host Florida International.
Robinson suffered a concussion in Thursday’s loss to Western Kentucky, spent a night at Troy Regional Medical Center and didn’t practice Sunday.
He won’t be cleared to practice until all symptoms have subsided and he runs through a gauntlet of computerized tests to ensure he’s not in danger of further brain injury.
“There’s sort of checks and balances to keep them from coming in and saying, ‘Hey, I feel great. I’m ready to practice,’” longtime Troy athletic trainer Chuck Ash said.
South Alabama:
MOBILE, Alabama -- Backup quarterback Trey Fetner, the odd man out in South Alabama's quarterback race when the Jaguars used a two-quarterback system, has apparently found a spot in the Jag's offensive plans. Fetner, a redshirt freshman from Woodland, had three carries for 17 yards in last weekend's loss at Arkansas State from the Wildcat formation.
South Alabama quarterback Trey Fetner (16 ) scores a touchdown in the first quarter Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in the Jags' game against Troy in Mobile, Ala. Fetner is set to get more playing time for the Jags in the Wildcat formation and in third-down situations. (Press-Register/Mike Kittrell)Mike Kittrell | mkittrell@al.com
Head coach Joey Jones said Fetner's role in the offense will likely increase as the Jags go forward.
Florida Atlantic:
What more is there to say?
How else can it be framed?
It’s hard to not be a realist about FAU football — not when the reality of the situation is as pronounced as it was Saturday night at Malone Stadium.
It was plain to see that FAU was not going to win Saturday. Perhaps if FAU had played a perfect game, the Owls would have been victorious — but when was the last time FAU played a perfect game?
There are going to be a lot more games like Saturday’s. The Owls are a broken record, playing track 2011 on repeat. That’s not Carl Pelini’s fault, but the blame will fall on him, because it has to go somewhere.
He’s aware of that, and Pelini deserves credit for his blunt and honest assessment of his team.
Florida International:
Pain seems to be surrounding FIU football these days. And not just the pain of a 1-6 record.
Once again, the status of junior running back Kedrick Rhodes and his right ankle defines “undefined.”
Or, in the exact words of FIU coach Mario Cristobal, “We don’t know.”
Looking forward, FIU’s next opponent, Troy, might be without junior quarterback Corey Robinson, a three-year starter who sustained a concussion in the first half of a 31-26 loss to Western Kentucky on Thursday.
“He’s day-to-day,” Troy coach Larry Blakeney said. “The blow was from both sides, not simultaneous — one blow was from behind, the other from the front. We will go with Deon Anthony if Corey’s not available. Certainly, Corey won’t be available until he’s back to normal levels on protocol testing.”
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