OVC champ Jacksonville State, Austin Peay split top awards

By AP
Published

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. (AP) League champ Jacksonville State has both the Ohio Valley Conference's Offensive Player of the Year in running back Roc Thomas and Defensive Player of the Year in end Darius Jackson, while runner-up Austin Peay took the other two top honors.

The OVC announced its awards Tuesday as voted on by the league's coaches and sports information directors.

Quarterback Jeremiah Oatsvall is the OVC Freshman of the Year, while coach Will Healy won coach of the year for an 8-4 season at a program that had lost 29 straight games.

Jackson is the fifth OVC player to repeat as defensive player of the year and first since 1980-80 when George Floyd of Eastern Kentucky doubled up. Jacksonville State placed 16 Gamecocks on the All-OVC teams, while Austin Peay had nine.

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