Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
Tennessee State
Players Mentioned
Racers Travel To Nashville To Face TSU
10/9/2019 4:41:00 PM | Football
Date (Time): Oct. 12 (2 p.m.)
Opponent: Tennessee State
Site (Venue): Nashville, Tenn. (Hale Stadium)
Audio: Froggy 103.7 FM (PxP: Neal Bradley; Color: Aaron Clayton)
TV: ESPN+
Live Stats: GoRacers.com
Twitter In Game: @RacersFootball
MUR Record (Streak): 3-3 [1-1 OVC] (Won 1)
TSU Record (Streak): 1-5 [0-2 OVC] (Lost 5)
All-Time Series vs. TSU (Streak): Racers lead 16-13 (Won 3)
All-Time Series at Hale Stadium (Streak): Racers lead 3-2 (Won 1)
First Meeting: W 22-7 (Oct 15, 1988; Murray, Ky.)
Last Meeting: W 45-21 (Oct. 13, 2018, Murray, Ky.)
Last Five vs. TSU: 3-2 (WWWLL)
MUR Next Game: Oct. 19 vs. Eastern Kentucky (Homecoming)
MUR Next Home Game: Oct. 19 vs. Eastern Kentucky (Homecoming)
The Game
After a win last week, the Murray State Football team will look to maintain forward progress when it travels to Nashville, Tennessee Saturday to take on Tennessee State at historic Hale Stadium at 2 p.m. on ESPN+.
Saturday's Weather
Early morning showers will bring much cooler temps into the Nashville metro area Saturday with a high of just 61 F. Winds will be moderate out of the northwest at 6-8 mph, while the chance of rain will be low at seven-percent.
Last Time Out
After a sluggish first half, the Murray State football team put the hammer down in the second half of Saturday's game against Eastern Illinois at Roy Stewart Stadium in Murray, Kentucky. The Racers rushed for 95 yards and threw for an additional 123 in the second stanza to grind out 15 points and the eventual 24-17 win.
In a game filled with big moments, none was perhaps bigger than Cortez Roberts stop of DeWayne Cooks, Jr. inside the Racer one-yard line as time expired to seal the win for the Racers. Another game-saving play for Murray State came in the second when Dytarious Johnson returned a fumble 49 yards to the Racer four yard-line where Jacob Bell stripped the ball away, allowing Jared McCray to recover the ball in the end zone to save a defensive touchdown.
Preston Rice completed 19 of 29 passes Saturday for 274 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions, while DaQuon Greeen led all receivers with four catches for 71 yards. The running back tandem of D'Andre McMillian and Jared McCray combined for 91 yards with McMillian racking up 51 yards on six carries and McCray rushing the ball 10 times for 40 yards.
Defensively, Anthony Koclanakis had another monster game for the Racers with 14 tackles including 1.0 for a loss of two yards. Kendrick Catis followed Koclanakis with a big outing of his own with 12 tackles including a game-high eight solo stops, 1.0 tackle-for-loss and a pass breakup.
The Tennessee State Series
Saturday will be the 30th meeting between the two teams with Murray State entering the contest on a three-game win streak in the series and leading the all-time series by the same margin at 16-13. The year's game will mark Murray State's second visit to the Tigers' on-campus facility, Hale Stadium, since 1997 and sixth overall. The Racers are 3-2 all-time at Hale, despite trailing the Tigers 7-5 in all games played in Nashville.
Scouting The Tigers
Despite leading Jacksonville State for nearly three quarters Saturday, Tennessee State ultimately fell to the Gamecocks, 31-23, to fall to 1-5 on the season. The TSU offense this season is highlighted by arguably the best receiver tandem in the FCS with Chris Rowland and Steven Newbold.
Rowland currently leads the FCS in yards and yards per game at 875 and 145.8, respectively, is second in receptions per game at 9.3 and 11th in receiving touchdowns with 5. When his receiving yards combined with his 108 rushing yards, 83 punt return yards and 175 kick return yards, Rowland also leads the nation in all-purpose yards per game at 206.8. Meanwhile, Newbold is currently 16th in yards at 508 and 31st in yards per game with 84.7. Getting the ball to the duo this season has been Cameron Rosendahl who is 122-for-205 for 1,717 yards with eight touchdowns and four interceptions.
Defensively, Terry Straughter leads the way with 44 tackles and a team-high 4.0 tackles for loss, while Rhashaun Epting leads the team in in sacks at 2.0 and Larry Wilhoite has a team-best two interceptions. As a team, the Tigers currently average 27.7 points and 450.0 yards per game, while allowing 37.3 points and 469.5 yards.
All Day TJ
In the win over EIU Saturday, TJ Warren had a monster day as he recorded a safety, five tackles and 2.0 tackles-for-loss for a total of eight yards. Warren recorded the first safety since 2011 for MSU when he dropped a Panther receiver for a loss of seven yards in the end zone to give the Racers a safety and extend their lead to 9-0. In addition, the senior called a fake punt from the field in the fourth quarter on fourth-and-nine from his own 34-yard line and rushed for 30 yards giving the Racers a first down on a drive that resulted in a touchdown. For his efforts, he was named as the OVC Defensive Player of the Week and as STATS FCS National Player of the Week honorable mention.
Third Down = Beast Mode
Through the first half of the season, Murray State currently leads the OVC in third-down conversions at 41.8-percent, which also ranks them 37th nationally. Currently, Dartmouth leads the FCS in third-down conversions at a mind-boggling 65.8 percent.
Opposite Ends Of The Spectrum
Head coach Mitch Stewart is currently 3-0 against Tennessee State in his career, making the Tigers the only OVC team that have not defeated the Racers during his tenure. Conversely, MSU under Stewart is 0-4 against Jacksonville State, making the Gamecocks the only OVC team he has not defeated.
OK, What's Next?
The Racers return to Roy Stewart Stadium for Homecoming 2019 next Saturday against Eastern Kentucky at 2 p.m. on ESPN+.
