BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Eastern Illinois sophomore running back Shepard Little won a pair of Ohio Valley Conference Weekly Awards after helping guide the Panthers to a 52-14 win over Jacksonville State and the 2013 OVC Championship. Little was named the OVC Offensive Player and Newcomer of the Week.

Little rushed for 245 yards on the ground as part of a school record setting 413 yard team rushing day against the Gamecocks. Little's personal total of 245 ranks fifth best on the EIU single game list. The running back from Schaumburg, Ill., was part of the Panthers first four touchdowns as EIU jumped out to a 35-0 first quarter lead, the 35 points are the most in a quarter by an EIU football team in program history. Little scored on a 3-yard run on EIU's first drive. He then caught a touchdown pass from Jimmy Garoppolo, scored on a 37-yard run and threw a ten yard touchdown pass to Garoppolo. He became the first OVC player to run, pass and catch a touchdown pass in a game since Murray State's Casey Brockman in 2011. Little went over the 1,000 yard mark for the season becoming the 11th individual running back in school history to pass the 1,000 yard mark for a season.

Little now leads the OVC in rushing and is 15th in the nation in rushing yards per game. He is seventh nationally in all-purpose yards.

The Panthers, ranked No. 2 in the nation, return to action on Saturday in the final regular season game at UT Martin. EIU is looking to become the first undefeated OVC team since 2007 when Eastern Kentucky was 8-0 in the league action. EIU has been undefeated on two occasions in 2005 (8-0) and 2001 (6-0).