Ex-Cat Josh Clemons named OVC’s offensive player of the week

Jacksonville State running back Josh Clemons was named the Ohio Valley Conference’s offensive player of the week.

The former University of Kentucky standout, a 23-year-old senior from Fayetteville, Ga., carried the ball 19 times for 143 yards and two touchdowns as Jacksonville State (5-1) won its 19th consecutive OVC game 34-14 against Austin Peay on Saturday.

“He played great,” Gamecocks quarterback Eli Jenkins said after Saturday’s game. “For him, it’s all about preparation. During the week, I saw him running hard and finishing runs. He’s back to how he was when he was younger. He’s an old man now. You can tell he’s trying to make something happen on every play. He’s running with a purpose.”

It was the second straight game that Clemons topped 100 yards rushing. He had 110, plus three TDs, in a 40-21 win against Tennessee Tech on Oct. 8.

“The last two weeks, I think everyone is seeing who he is,” Coach John Grass said. “He was kind of having this kind of year for us last year before he got hurt. He got 500 or 600 yards last year before he went down. He’s continuing to play at a high level right now, and I just love the way he runs the ball.”

This weekend, Clemons will be back in the Bluegrass State when Jacksonville State plays at Eastern Kentucky in Richmond at 2 p.m. Saturday.

This story was originally published October 17, 2016 at 6:29 PM with the headline "Ex-Cat Josh Clemons named OVC’s offensive player of the week."