Live Stats: GoRacers.com
Twitter In Game: @RacersFootball, @PGriffithMSU
MSU Record (Streak): 3-7, 2-4 OVC (Won 1)
SEMO Record (Streak): 2-8, 2-5 OVC (Lost 4)
All-Time Series vs. SEMO (Streak): MSU leads 39-11-1 (Lost 2)
First Meeting: Lost 0-6 (Oct. 25, 1929 in Cape Girardeau, Mo.)
Last Meeting: Lost 16-17 (Sep. 24, 2016 in Murray, Ky.)
MSU Last Game: Won 31-21 vs. Tennessee Tech
SEMO Last Game: Lost 20-23 at Tennessee State
MSU Next Game: 2018 Season
MSU Next Home Game: 2018 Season
The Game
The Murray State football team looks to end the season on a two-game win streak when it travels to Cape Girardeau, Missouri Saturday to take on Southeast Missouri. Kickoff between the Racers and the Redhawks at Houck Stadium is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Saturday’s Weather
Temps Saturday will reach the mid-50s, although it will feel colder with sustained winds of up to 16 mph and gusts of up to 21 mph. It could also be a wet one for the Racers’ season finale as chances for rain are currently 50-percent.
Last Time Out
The Murray State football team put up over 400 yards of total offense Saturday and scored four touchdowns to top Tennessee Tech Saturday in MSU’s final game at Roy Stewart Stadium this season. Down 7-3 at the end of the first quarter, the Racers used a 62-yard pass from Shuler Bentley to Jordon Gandy and a 48-yard run from D.J. Penick to jump out to a 17-7 lead at the break. Penick and Gandy scored again in the third quarter, building a lead that proved insurmountable for Tennessee Tech and giving the Racers their third win of the season.
The Southeast Missouri Series
The Redhawks won their second straight game in the series last year cutting Murray State’s lead to 39-11-1 in the all-time series. Southeast Missouri has won three of the last four games in the series overall and three of the last four at Houck Stadium. In Cape Girardeau, the Racers lead the all-time series there as well with an 18-7-1 advantage.
Scouting The Redhawks
Southeast Missouri will enter the final game of the season with a 2-8 overall record and a 2-5 mark in the OVC, after falling to Tennessee State last week, 23-20. SEMO currently averages 20.4 points per game on 313.5 yards, while allowing 23.0 on 355.8 yards. Despite having a good amount of success running the ball this season, the Redhawk offense leans slightly pass with 177.7 yards passing and 135.8 yards rushing per game. Jesse Hoskett is 170-for-323 on the year for SEMO at quarterback with 15 touchdowns on 1,784 yards with eight interceptions. Kristian Wilkerson has been the leading receiver for the Redhawks this season with 60.7 yards per game for 546 total yards and a team-high five touchdowns. On the ground, Marquis Terry is just 16 short of 1,000 for the season and is averaging 98.4 yards per game with five touchdowns. Defensively, Zach Hall leads SEMO in total tackles, tackles-for-loss and sacks this year with 69, 14.0 for 86 yards and 9.0 for 77 yards, respectively.
All About Punting
Landon Stratton set two records Saturday one for most punts downed inside the 20-yard line with six and the other for punts in a season with 79. With one game left in his third season, Stratton is on-track to break the all-time punts record and the modern era punt yards record. He also currently has MSU’s best career punting average 41.5 and has not had a punt blocked in 206 attempts.
It’s About How You Finish
Murray State is 46-38-8 all-time in regular-season finales, despite losing the last three. This will mark the sixth time in program history that the Racers have closed out the year with SEMO with Murray State having won all five of those contests.
King of the Thieves
After three takeaways against Tennessee Tech, Murray State now not only leads the OVC in turnover gained but also the FCS with 28. James Madison, Campbell and Kennesaw State all follow the Racers in a tie for second with 27.
Cementing His Legacy
Jordon Gandy hauled in eight passes for 160 yards and two touchdowns Saturday propelling him up the Racer all-time receiving charts. He is now third all-time in touchdowns with 23, fifth in 100-plus yard games with seven and eighth in total yards with 1,933.
OK, What’s Next?
Murray State will return to the stables where it will look to rebuild during February’s signing day and replace the 13 seniors on this year’s squad.
From GoRacers.com
Racer Football Alumni Association, LLC 