Murray State University linebacker Nathan Williams was selected to the 2007 Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference Football Team and the Racers have been picked to finish seventh in the Ohio Valley Conference in 2007, the league announced today from its annual media day event at LP Field in Nashville, Tenn. Eastern Illinois University was picked to win its third straight OVC title.
Murray State opens the season on Aug. 30 with a road game at the University of Louisville. Kickoff at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium in Louisville, Ky., is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT. The Racers report for preseason camp on Aug. 4.
“Nathan is one of our spark plugs,” MSU Head Coach Matt Griffin said. “He's one of the guys we count on every week, every day, every game and every snap to give everything he's got, and that is exactly what he does. As good of a player as he is, he's an even better person. Nate embodies everything it means to be a Racer, and he's going to have a great senior season.”
Williams led the OVC, and finished seventh in the nation, with an average of 11.1 tackles per game in 2006. The Murray, Ky., native had five games with double digit tackle performances. He totaled a season-high 17 tackles against Indiana State (Sept. 16), which tied for the second most tackles in one game by an OVC player during the 2006 season.
“Ultimately, preseason polls don't mean much,” said Griffin. “The only thing that counts is where you finish. I know our team won't be satisfied if we finish seventh. Everyone on this team knows there is a lot more work to be done to get where we want to be.”
The 2007 Murray State football team will include 31 returning letterwinners. The Racers return eight starters on offense, and nine starters on defense
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Griffin is set to begin his second season at the helm of the Racer football program. The Racer coach is building the program block-by-block, recruit-by-recruit, practice-by-practice and game-by-game.
In 2006 Griffin utilized 19 true freshmen and an additional three more redshirt freshmen throughout the season. Of the 19 true freshmen, 12 started at least one game. There were 21 true freshmen listed on MSU's 44-player two deep depth chart in the final week of the season, including nine freshmen listed No. 1 on the depth chart.
Griffin's second Murray State team will be young as well, with 75 freshmen and sophomores and only 13 juniors and seniors.
Griffin will have the services of his top passer, rusher and receiver returning from the 2006 team. On defense, five of the top six tacklers return.
Eastern Illinois earned eight of a possible 18 first place votes and totaled 150 points. The Panthers have won or shared the last two OVC Championships. Jacksonville State was picked second with 139 points and received six first place votes. Tennessee-Martin, last season's co-champion along with EIU, was picked first on four ballots and earned a total of 126 points to place third.
Eastern Kentucky was picked fourth with 119 points. Tennessee State was picked fifth with 103 points. The Colonels and Tigers each received one first place vote.
With 79 points, voters predict Tennessee Tech to place sixth. Murray State (60) in the seventh spot received three more points than Southeast Missouri State (57) which was predicted to finish eighth.
Samford (46) and Austin Peay (21) were picked to place ninth and 10th respectively.
Three schools will have new head coaches in 2007, and all three join the OVC after serving as coaches at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Watson Brown is the new head coach at Tennessee Tech, Pat Sullivan takes over the reigns of the Samford program and Rick Christophel is the new head coach at Austin Peay.
The Austin Peay football team will compete in the OVC for the first time since 1996.
Eastern Illinois led the league with six players on the preseason all-conference team. Tennessee-Martin is represented by five players on the all-conference squad. Of the 26-member preseason all-conference team, 13 players earned a spot automatically as a result of being first team All-OVC selections following the 2006 season.
The Racers' home opener is on Sept. 15 against Lambuth University. Kickoff on the brand new playing surface at Roy Stewart Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Voting in the preseason poll and for the all-conference team was conducted by the OVC's head coaches and sports information directors. For the preseason poll, each team received nine points for a first place vote, eight for a second place vote and so on. Coaches and sports information directors could not vote for their own team or their own players. 
