Murray State University Athletics
.jpg&height=300&type=webp)
Griffin's Rebuilding Job Getting Noticed In The OVC
7/26/2007 5:00:00 AM | Football
The following article appeared in the July 25, 2007 edition of the Murray Ledger & Times
By Scott Nanney
Sports Editor
www.murrayledger.com
Matt Griffin never thought that resurrecting the
The Racers went just 1-10 during their first season under the former Tennessee-Martin coach. And they have lost 15 straight Ohio Valley Conference games, spanning the 2005 and 2006 seasons, including losing 19 of their last 22 games overall.
But there appears to be some light at the end of a long, dark tunnel for both
In a preseason poll of the league's coaches and sports information directors - officially released during Tuesday's OVC Media Day activities at LP Field -
Granted, the Racers were picked ahead of perennial doormat
“I think it's scary, really,” said Eastern Illinois head coach Bob Spoo of the Racers' potential under
“He's proceeding the same way at
Jack Crowe, the head coach at two-time OVC champion
“I watched what he did at Martin,” Crowe noted. “We beat him up pretty bad one time, but scores don't always indicate what you really leave the field feeling. Every time I saw one of his teams, they were always better (than the time before). I see the same thing happening at
“(Rebuilding a program) is a slow process, but that
Spoo and Crowe won't likely have to worry about the youthful Racers being a threat this season, as the two-time defending champion Panthers and the Gamecocks were selected to finish first and second, respectively, in the poll. But
“You've got kids who have been through the program for a whole cycle now,”
“The kids know what to expect everywhere they go. They've seen me in spring practice. I'll say one word, and they know where they're going. (Rebuilding) has happened faster here, I think, than it did before - maybe a year sooner than at the last place (Martin). Good things are happening, and the program is moving in the right direction.”
Only 14 upperclassmen are listed on the MSU roster, with preseason All-OVC senior linebacker Nathan Williams, a
“It is a process. I think the thing I learned the first time I did this (at Martin) is patience. You're always demanding as a head coach, but the tough thing is not getting (the results) sometimes,” the
“I think we have better personnel now. We've changed every element of the program. We've done everything we can to make this a first-class operation for our kids. When they see that, they understand that a new standard has been set.”
In looking for their first OVC win in nearly three years, the Racers will have to navigate a treacherous league schedule that appears to be more challenging than ever.
While Eastern Illinois and Jacksonville State continue to be strong contenders for the conference crown, perennial powerhouse Eastern Kentucky - which has finished second in two of the last four seasons under legendary head coach Roy Kidd's successor, Danny Hope - appears to be a darkhorse candidate for the title.
Then there's UT-Martin, which emerged from the shadows to post its first winning season (6-5) in years in 2005 before sharing last year's championship with the Panthers.
“(The league) is better,”
Spoo took
“We need to be gaining more respect nationally as a football conference,” said Spoo, who has won four OVC championships in his two decades at the
“I think you can take the preseason selections and mix them up pretty much any way you want to,” Hope said. “When you set down and try to vote on No. 1, 2 and 3, it's hard to do."
