Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
Pikeville
Players Mentioned
Racers Begin 95th Season Thursday at Home
8/28/2019 5:01:00 PM | Football
Date (Time): Aug. 29 (6 p.m.)
Opponent: Pikeville
Site (Venue): Murray, Ky. (Roy Stewart Stadium)
Audio: Froggy 103.7 FM (PxP: Neal Bradley; Color: Josh McKeel)
TV: ESPN+
Live Stats: GoRacers.com
Twitter In Game: @RacersFootball
MUR Record (Streak): 0-0 (---)
UPIKE Record (Streak): 0-0 (---)
All-Time Series vs. UPIKE (Streak): First Meeting
All-Time Series in Murray (Streak): First Meeting
First Meeting: ---
Last Meeting: ---
Last Five vs. UPIKE: ---
MUR Next Game: Sep. 7 at Georgia
MUR Next Home Game: Sep. 21 vs. Morehead St.
The Game
Murray State opens its 95th season of football by welcoming Pikeville to Roy Stewart Stadium for both teams' season opener.
Thursday's Weather
Thursday evening should feature chamber of commerce weather with a high of 85 and a low in the evening of 61 with little to no change of rain and very calm winds out of the SSW at 4-6 mph. Exact temp at kickoff is expected to be 81 with 0-percent chance of rain.
Last Time Out
The Racers finished the 2018 season at 5-6 overall and 5-3 in the OVC, for a fourth-place league finish. Both the conference record and the overall finish are the best by a Racer team since 2011. The Racers began league play at 4-0 last season and picked up win number five in dramatic fashion in the form by rallying from a 31-0 deficit to clinch the win with a Malik Honeycutt kickoff return for a touchdown and a 40-38 win. Following the season Honeycutt, linebacker Quincy Williams, defensive lineman Kenney Wooten, punter Steve Dawson and kicker Gabriel Vicente were named to the All-OVC first team, while quarterback Drew Anderson was named to the second team. In April, Williams became the highest MSU pick by round in the NFL draft when he was taken in the third round by Jacksonville. In addition, Anderson and defensive back Marquez Sanford signed free agent deals after the draft with Arizona and Jacksonville, respectively.
The Pikeville Series
Thursday will be the first meeting between the two teams
Scouting The Bears
The Bears return a majority of their starters from 2018's 6-5 squad, including 2018 MSC All-Conference quarterback Bowen Smith and running back Xondre Willis. Smith was 116-for-235 for 1,726 yards and 17 touchdowns with just four interceptions a year ago, while Willis rushed for 1,074 yards with eight scores. Defensively, sophomore Johran Broadnax led the way for the Bears in his freshman campaign by tallying the second-most tackles on the team at 59 and the most for loss at 10.0 for a total of 54 yards.
Welcome Home
Thursday will be the 95th home opener for Murray State. The Racers are currently 64-26-4 all-time in those games.
Clear The Track
One of the greatest traditions in college football returns this season, as Racer 1 will once again make its way around the track after every Murray State touchdown. This year the horse, whose real name is Vegas, will be mounted by Bailey Coffman, an equine science business major from Jackson, Tenn.
Racers In The Pros
Murray State currently has three players on active NFL rosters heading into the 2019 season. Quincy Williams (Jaguars), Drew Anderson (Cardinals) and D'Montre Wade (Chiefs) are all currently on active rosters with Williams and Anderson entering their rookie seasons and Wade entering his second.
Out Of The Gates
As it begins its 95th season of football, Murray State is currently 51-39-4 all-time in season openers.
OVC Accolades
Murray State placed three on the preseason All-OVC list with kicker Gabriel Vicente, punter steve Dawson and return specialist Malik Honeycutt earning the honor.
Punter From Down Under
Redshirt senior punter Steve Dawson will begin the season on the FCS Punter of the Year Watch List. Dawson average 42.1 yards per punt last season with a long of 66, including 10 of 50-yards or more and 16 being placed inside the 20-yard line.
Number Changes
As the year changes, so do the numbers. Several Racers will be wearing new numbers for the 2019 season.
Name                        Old #  New #
Jacob Bellah              19       35
Brendan Bognar         21       12
Kameron Petty           93       99
Eric Samuta               53       49
Chris Stahl                 52       54
A New Home
Seven of the new faces on the roster this came to MSU by way of transfer including five FBS schools, a Division II school and a junior college. This year's transfers are:
Name                       Last School
Tyrese Allen              West Virginia
Tay Carothers            Itawamba CC
Terrance Corbett       Troy
DaQuon Green           Florida
Sam Forden               St. Cloud St.
Alec Long                   Memphis
Ty Terrell                  Marshall
OK, What's Next?
The Racers will face a tall test next week when they travel to Athens, Georgia to take on third-ranked FBS Georgia. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN2.
