Murray State University Athletics
Former Racers To Meet On NFL Gridiron Saturday Night In Nashville
8/7/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
A pair of important pieces to Murray State's 2002 Ohio Valley Conference title run, running back Billy Blanchard and defensive tackle Cedric Harden, will face one another on the National Football League gridiron on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Coliseum in Nashville, Tenn.
Blanchard, who signed with the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent, and Harden, a member of the Tennessee Titans after signing as an undrafted free agent as well, were key contributors last season as MSU earned its eighth OVC title and made its sixth NCAA I-AA Playoff appearance.
The Browns and Titans will open their preseason schedules in the Music City on Saturday night. The game can be seen on WPSD Channel 6 in Paducah, Ky., and WKRN Channel 2 in Nashville, Tenn.
Blanchard, a First Team All-OVC selection in 2002, led the Racers with 1,081 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns to rank second in the league in both categories. He also led the OVC with a 6.04 yards per carry average in '02.
The Aberdeen, Miss., native played two seasons at MSU after transferring from Itawamba Junior College, finishing his career with 1,796 yards on 294 carries and 19 touchdowns. His best career performance at MSU came in last year's important 38-31 win over Southeast Missouri as he gained 183 yards on 19 carries and scored four touchdowns, including three in the fourth quarter.
A native of Humble, Texas, Harden played one season at MSU after transferring from the University of Missouri. The 6-3, 309 pound defensive tackle played a key role in the middle of the Racer defensive line during last season's march to the playoffs.
Harden finished '02 with 37 tackles, including eight for loss, three sacks, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick as the Racers finished second in the league in pass defense and third in total defense.
