Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
Lambuth University
Interception Return Sparks Racers to 41-17 Victory
8/28/2008 5:00:00 AM | Football
The Murray State football team got off to a slow start in its season opener on Thursday until senior strong safety Will Werner intercepted a pass early in the second quarter and returned it 76 yards for a touchdown and ignited the Racer football team to a 41-17 victory over Lambuth at Stewart Stadium.
"For whatever reason we looked nervous on both sides of the ball," said head coach Matt Griffin. "About 90 minutes before kickoff I looked into the locker room and I thought our demeanor was very good, but as we got out there the guys were just standing around waiting for somebody else to make a play. We lost focus at the task at hand.
"Quite honestly the interception was the spark we needed and were lucky to get, it was a heck of a return by Will."
That interception return with just over 11 minutes to play in the second quarter helped erase a 7-0 deficit after the Eagles took advantage of a short field to score the first touchdown of the game. Werner picked off the pass on the left hash and quickly got to the outside and used his speed to outrun the LU players down the left sideline for his first career interception return for a touchdown.
The Eagles bounced back to take the lead again on a 44-yard TD reception by Edward Robinson. The MSU offense got into the act just 25 seconds later as the Racers needed only two plays to go 63 yards as Jeff Ehrhardt hit Marcus Harris for a 48-yard score. MSU would take a 17-14 lead into the half as freshman Kienan Cullen booted a 22-yard field goal with 51 seconds left in the opening half.
The offense was able to find its way in the third quarter as backup quarterback Nico Yantko helped engineer three scoring drives that saw the Racers outside LU 17-3.
After a 49-yard field goal by Ryan Nanney tied the game 3:04 into the second half, the Racers put together a seven-play 71-yard drive that ended with Yantko hitting Daniel Ard down the right sideline for a 42-yard touchdown. The touchdown marked the first collegiate touchdown for both players. The two were not done as they later connected on a five-yard fade route into the back right corner of the endzone. In between those two touchdown drives, Cullen hit his second field goal of the game, this time from 28 yards out.
The duo of Yantko to Ard was not done just yet as the tandem connected on a 47-yard strike on the last play of the third quarter to set the Racers up with a first-and-goal. Charlie Jordan took advantage of the situation as raced in from five yards out on the first play of the fourth quarter.
Yantko would finish the game by going 10-for-15 for 156 yards and two touchdowns. Ard was his primary target as he caught four passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns.
The rest of the fourth quarter belonged to the defense as the Eagles took the ensuing kickoff on drove all the way down to the Racers one-yard line. LU's first attempt at a quarterback sneak was stopped by Nathan Williams and Will Roach spoiled the fourth-down attempt as the Racers held the Eagles out of the endzone.
On the next three LU possessions, the MSU defense forced the Eagles to turn the ball over on downs twice and punt on their other possession. The last of the three possessions was the Racers second goalline stand of the quarter.
The catalyst of the defensive effort was led by Williams as he tied his career-high by recording 17 tackles, 10 solo. Fellow linebacker Zach Kutch recorded eight stops, while cornerback Harry McCall registered seven tackles, an interception and two pass break-ups.
The Racers return to the field on Sept. 6 as they travel to take on Indiana. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. CST and can be seen live on the Big Ten Network.
