Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
UT Martin
Players Mentioned
Racers Open OVC Play at UTM
9/25/2019 2:51:00 PM | Football
Date (Time): Sept. 28 (6 p.m.)
Opponent: UT Martin
Site (Venue): Murray, Ky. (Hardy M. Graham 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): 2-2 (Won 1)
UTM Record (Streak): 1-2 (Lost 2)
All-Time Series vs. UTM (Streak): Racers lead 37-20-1 (Won 2)
All-Time Series in Martin (Streak): Racers lead 17-12-1 (Won 1)
First Meeting: W 3-0 (Oct. 17, 1924; Murray, Ky.)
Last Meeting: W 45-38 (Sept. 29, 2018, Murray, Ky.)
Last Five vs. UTM: 2-3 (WWLLL)
MUR Next Game: Oct. 5 vs. Eastern Illinois
MUR Next Home Game: Oct. 5 vs. Eastern Illinois
The Game
The Murray State football team will open its 71st season of OVC football Saturday when it travels to Martin, Tennessee to take on the UT Martin Skyhawks at 6 p.m. at Hardy M. Graham Stadium.
Saturday's Weather
Saturday night's weather should be warm, but no too warm with daytime highs expected in the mid-80s. There will be little chance of rain, but winds will be moderate at 8-10 mph. Â
Last Time Out
Playing to the largest crowd Roy Stewart Stadium has seen in 21 years, the Murray State football team put on a show Saturday night, defeating Morehead State, 59-7.
Murray State accounted for over 500 yards of offense in the game led by incredible performance by quarterback Preston Rice. The redshirt sophomore from Waynesboro, Tennessee was 17-for-24 in the game with no interceptions and four touchdowns on 214 yards. In addition, he rushed for 86 yards on nine carries and caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Jacob Bell in the third quarter. LaMartez Brooks led the MSU receivers with five catches for 130 yards and two touchdowns, while Ty Terrell led the special teams with a 67-yard punt return for a touchdown.
Defensively, the Racers had five takeaways on the day with four fumble recoveries and an interception and held the Eagles to less than 250 yards of total offense and less than 100 yards rushing. Anthony Koclanakis led the attack for Murray State with eight tackles and an interception, while Scott Humpich had six tackles, 2.0 sacks and a forced fumble.
The UT Martin Series
After having won each of the last two contests, the Racers enter Saturday's meeting with UT Martin leading the all-time series, 37-20. The two-game streak in the series comes after the Skyhawks had won 11 of the previous 12 contests. After winning there in 2017, Murray State also leads the all-time series in Martin, 17-12.
Scouting The Skyhawks
After a week four bye, the Skyhawks enter Saturday at 1-2 with a win over Northwestern State and losses to Florida and Southern Illinois. Freshman John Bachus III has led the UTM offense at quarterback so far this season. He has completed 56.7 percent of his passes for 443 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions in three career starts. On the ground, junior Peyton Logan leads the way with 28 carries for 216 yards and three touchdowns, while senior Jaylon Moore has five receptions for 122 yards and a touchdown with an average of 24.7 yards per reception. Defensively, junior JaQuez Akins leads Martin with 31 tackles, with 20 of those going down as solo stops. Senior TJ Jefferson follows Akins with 29 tackles and one tackle for loss, while senior Austin Pickett has a team-high 3.0 tackles-for-loss, including 2.0 sacks.
What To Know For Those That Go
Due to issues with the stands on the visitor's side of Hardy M. Graham Stadium, all visiting fans have been relocated to the home side of the stadium in the northern two sections. Visiting fans will also be allowed to sit or stand on the "the hill", as this will give them closer access to their team.
On Target
Preston Rice is currently third in the nation in completion percentage among quarterbacks with at least 25 pass attempts. His 71.6-percent (83-116) ranks only behind James Madison's Ben DeNucci (66-89, 74.2) and North Dakota State's Trey Lance (52-72, 72.2).
The Best Offense Is...
Murray State is currently third in the nation in defensive touchdowns with two in four games. Only Villanova and Central Connecticut State have more with three.
Recovery Operation
The Racers currently lead the nation in fumble recoveries with eight after four last week against Morehead State. Murray State is currently tied with McNeese for the top spot, while UC Davis follows with seven.
One Big Family
Last Saturday's Family Weekend attendance of 11,921 was the largest single-game crowd since 1998 and the fifth largest crowd in the modern era.
The Second Season
Murray State is 30-41 all-time in OVC openers and 13-22 when the opener takes place on the road. The Racers and Skyhawks have met twice in an OVC opener, with UTM winning, 63-38, in 2008 in Murray and the Racers winning, 45-38, also in Murray.
OK, What's Next?
The Racers return to the friendly confines next Saturday to host Eastern Illinois at 1 p.m.
