Murray State University Athletics
MSU Ready For First Game On New Stewart Stadium Turf
9/14/2007 5:00:00 AM | Football
After opening the 2007 season with games at Louisville and Illinois State, the Murray State Racers are ready to play their home opener against the Lambuth Eagles.
Click here to watch the game on OVCsports.tv
Click here to listen to the game on the Racer Radio Network.
Tonight's game will mark a special moment in MSU Football when the game is played on the brand new FieldTurf that was installed at Roy Stewart Stadium last summer. The new turf is a deep green and plays like real grass thanks to cutting edge technology. The last time the Racers opened a season with a new surface was against Western Kentucky in 1996. The former 18 percent crown in the center of the field was cut down to three percent. Additional benefits are found in improved player safety and reduced maintenance costs.
MSU and Lambuth have played 11 times but not since 1935. The Racers have won every game in the series that began in 1924 with a 7-0 win in Murray.
Murray State enters the contest looking for their first win of 2007 after playing two very tough opponents. MSU opened the season at Louisville Aug. 30 and lost 73-10. At the time, the Cardinals were the 5th ranked team in the Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly 1-A). Last week the Racers met the 17th ranked team in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly 1-AA), Illinois State and came out on the short end of a 43-17 score.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Jeff Ehrhardt makes his third collegiate start. In two games, he is 33-56 in the passing department for 325 yards and two touchdowns. He has avoided an interception in each of the first eight quarters of the season. Ehrhardt has also shown he is a threat to run as he has rushed for 77 yards on 29 carries.
The 2007 Racers are still a very young team and are learning on the job in many instances. The Racers have 72 underclassmen and only 14 juniors and seniors on the roster. MSU has eight returning starters on the offensive side of the ball and nine starters returning to the defense.
The Racers have won nine of their last 10 home openers after snapping a nine game streak with a loss to sixth ranked Illinois State last season. From 1997 to 2005, Murray State won every home opener with three coming against Southern Illinois. The most exciting home opener in recent memory came on the aforementioned new turf in 1996 when the Racers battled Western Kentucky in double overtime before losing 44-41.
After today's game with Lambuth, the Racers will have to get quickly into preparation for a Thursday night game at Tennessee Tech. MSU's Ohio Valley Conference opener is set for 7 p.m. at Tucker Stadium in Cookeville, Tenn. The home team has won this rivalry game in five of the last six meetings. MSU's last win at TTU came in 1999.
