Date (Time): Oct. 27 (3 p.m. ET)
Opponent: Jacksonville St.
Site (Venue): Murray, Ky. (Roy Stewart Stadium)
Audio: Froggy 103.7 FM (PxP: Aaron Clayton; Color: Josh McKeel)
TV: ESPN3/WatchESPN
Live Stats: GoRacers.com
Twitter In Game: @RacersFootball
MUR Record (Streak): 4-3, 4-0 OVC (Won 4)
JSU Record (Streak): 5-2, 4-1 OVC (Lost 1)
All-Time Series vs. JSU (Streak): JSU leads 13-2 (Lost 4)
All-Time Series in Murray (Streak): JSU leads 6-1 (Lost 6)
First Meeting: W 23-17 [OT] (Oct. 4, 2003, Murray, Ky.)
Last Meeting: L 23-59 (Nov. 4, 2017, Murray, Ky.)
Last Five vs. JSU: 1-4 (L, 2017; L, 2016; L, 2015; L, 2014; W, 2013)
MUR Next Game: Nov. 3 at Tennessee Tech
MUR Next Home Game: Nov. 10 vs. Southeast Missouri
The Game
Off to its first 4-0 OVC start in the OVC since 1997, the Murray State football team will look to keep rolling against 12th-ranked Jacksonville State, which is coming off its first conference loss since 2013. The game is being broadcast on ESPN3 with Aaron Clayton and Josh McKeel calling all the action.
Saturday’s Weather
With a high of 58, temps will be cooler than normal. The winds will be low out of the NW at 5-7 mph, with a strong chance for an afternoon shower.
Last Time Out
Tennessee State came out firing on all cylinders in the first quarter, scoring two touchdowns on 144 yards, while limiting the Racers to 81 yards including forcing quarterback Drew Anderson to throw his only interception of the game. However, beginning in the second quarter, it was all Racers for the rest of the game. Starting with a one-yard touchdown pass from Anderson to LaMartez Brooks early in the second stanza, Murray State scored 35 unanswered points and finished the game on 42-7 run. Drew Anderson completed 33 of 51 passes Saturday for 348 yards and a career-high five touchdowns and just one interception. In addition, he led the Racer rushing attack with 63 yards and added another touchdown on a 19-yard keeper. The transfer quarterback completed passes to 11 different receivers in the contest and engineered four touchdown drives of 70 yards or longer.
The Jacksonville State Series
The all-time series with Jacksonville State has not been kind to the Racers, as they have won just two of 15 total meetings. The Racers have won just once in Murray, in the first game between the two teams in 2003, and once in Jacksonville, the last MSU win in the series which was a triple OT thriller in 2013.
Scouting The Gamecocks
The Gamecocks dropped their first OVC game since 2013 last week at SEMO, 48-32, putting an end to a 36-game winning streak in league play. Jax State is currently averaging 43.3 points per game, while allowing just 19.7. The Gamecock offense is nearly balanced this season with 299.0 per game in the air and 234.9 on the ground for 533.9 yards of total offense. Clemson transfer Zerrick Cooper has passed for 1,699 yards this season at 61.0 percent with 16 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. Josh Pearson has been his go-to target with 656 yards on 37 catches and 12 touchdowns. On the ground, over one-fourth of JSU’s 1,644 rushing yards and nine of their 21 touchdowns have come from JSU’s two quarterbacks, Cooper and Zion Webb. Defensively, Jalen Choice has led the Gamecocks with 44 tackles including a team-high 6.5 for loss.
Saturday’s Weather
With a high of 58, temps will be cooler than normal. The winds will be low out of the NW at 5-7 mph, with a strong chance for an afternoon shower.
Hot Streak
The Racers are 4-0 in OVC play for the first time since 1996 and have won each of their last four games. The four-game winning streak is the longest by the Racers since they won the last four games of the 2004 season.
Winning In Richmond
With his win Saturday, Mitch Stewart became the first MSU head coach to win back-to-back games at EKU since Don Shelton accomplished the feat in 1960 and 1962.
Top Five Racers
Currently, three Racers are in the top five nationally of three different statistical categories. Gabriel Vicente is currently one of five kickers that has not missed this season, to lead the nation in field goal percentage. In addition, Kenney Wooten is fourth in the nation in sacks per game at 1.14 per game, while Quincy Williams is third in the nation in solo tackles per game at 6.6.
Ok, What’s Next?
The Racers hit the road for their penultimate away game of the season at Tennessee Tech. Kickoff in Cookeville on ESPN+ is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
Racer Football Alumni Association, LLC 