Issue date: 9/29/09 Section: Sports

Eastern junior linebacker Sean Campbell grabs ahold of Austin Peay sophomore running back Ryan White during Saturday's game at Governors Stadium in Clarksville, Tenn. The Panthers defeated the Governors 30-20 to improve to 4-0 on the season.(Eric Hiltner/The Daily Eastern News)

The first-ever meeting between Eastern and Penn State has been set for an 11 a.m. CT kickoff Oct. 10, at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pa.

The game was also picked up to be broadcast nationally on ESPN Classic, which is available in approximately 55 million homes, including channel 29 on Mediacom and channel 24 on Consolidated in the local East-Central Illinois market.

The Nittany Lions were ranked as high as No. 5 in the nation in the Football Bowl Subdivision's Associated Press poll, and currently sit at No. 15 after being upset by Iowa Saturday at home.

The game also features two of the longest tenured coaches at the NCAA Division I level. Penn State head coach Joe Paterno has coached the Nittany Lions since 1966 and is first on the list, and Eastern head coach Bob Spoo, who has coached the Panthers since 1987, is tied for fifth.

Frericks catches on

Trevor Frericks' main job with the Eastern football team is to clog up the middle of the field for opposing teams and get his hands on opposing quarterbacks as quickly as possible.

But right before halftime of Saturday's 30-20 victory against Austin Peay, the senior defensive tackle found himself in an unusual situation - with the football - after picking up his first career interception.

"It was a pretty exhilarating thing," Frericks said. "I kind of wish I were a defensive back so it would happen a little more often."

The interception came with time winding down in the first half when Governors' senior quarterback Gary Orr tried to throw an inside screen pass to junior running back Terrence Holt. Only Frericks read the screen, stepped between the two, scooped up the ball and ran five yards before being dragged down from behind as time expired in the half.

Frericks said this wasn't the first time he had the opportunity to get his hands on the ball.

"Some of the guys still make fun of me because a couple of years ago at Samford, basically the same thing happened," he said. "It was a screen and I got in the way of it, but it ended up going right through my hands and hitting me in the face. So at least this one was a little less embarrassing."

Eastern defensive coordinator Roc Bellantoni said he was thrilled for Frericks because, being a former lineman, he knows the rush it provides.

"That's a lineman's dream," he said. "Being an old lineman, I know that. I had one myself in high school. It was awesome."

Injury update

Eastern junior tight end Danny Vehovic left Saturday's game against Austin Peay with a right knee injury. Vehovic banged his knee against another player's knee in the first half of the 30-20 victory, and spent the half out of pads.

Eastern offensive coordinator Roy Wittke said Vehovic would be re-evaluated early this week before his status is determined.

Junior tight end Cody Bruns and sophomore tight end Alex Jones both saw time at tight end in Vehovic's absence.

Both of Eastern's starting safeties, seniors Seymour Loftman and Adrian Arrington, sat out most of the second half Saturday.

They were replaced by sophomore Carlos Reyna and junior Bobson Mercier.

Bellantoni said Loftman had an Achilles problem that acted up and Arrington injured his shoulder.

However, he said both were taken out only for precautionary reasons and should be ready for Saturday's game against two-time defending Ohio Valley Conference Champion Eastern Kentucky, scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at O'Brien Field.

Collin Whitchurch can be reached at 581-7944 or cfwhitchurch@eiu.edu.

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