Racers Rally To Top EIU, Move to 5-0

Sunday, March 28

Murray, Ky.

2 p.m.

Murray State

5-0 , 5-0

Eastern Illinois

1-4 , 1-4

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Eastern Ill.

Murray St.

Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics

Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics

Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics

Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics

Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics

Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics

Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics

Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics

Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics

3/28/2021 9:31:00 PM | Football

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Murray State scores 28 unanswered to stay undefeated

The 17^th-ranked Murray State football team fought back from a 14-point, third quarter deficit to score 28 unanswered points in Sunday's 42-27 win over Eastern Illinois at Roy Stewart Stadium in Murray, Kentucky. The win moves Murray State to 5-0 on the season and in sole possession of first place in the OVC with two games remaining.

The first half of the game was fairly even, as the two teams traded touchdowns in the first part of the half and field goals in the latter. Both teams had big defensive stops in the early going with Murray State denying the Panthers twice on fourth down, while Eastern Illinois forced Murray State to punt twice including a three-and-out for zero yards in the second quarter. After Stone Galloway tied the game for EIU on a field goal with 58 seconds to play in the half, the Racers could not complete a drive before the half ended leaving the game knotted at 10.

The third quarter did not start well for Murray State, as the Racers gave up 17 points in the first 5:31 seconds of the stanza. The Racers' troubles began when Mark Williams picked off Preston Rice's opening pass of the half and took it 38 yards for the score.

Murray State was able to respond to the pick-six on the next drive in the form of a 58-yard field goal from Aaron Baum that cut the lead to 17-13. After kicking the third-longest field goal in program history at 55 yards earlier this season, Baum is now tied for the second-longest with Stan Watts, who also hit a 58-yarder in 1971.

Any momentum gained by Baum's kick, however, was quickly lost, as Jordan Smith took the first play of the ensuing Panther drive 80 yards to push the Eastern Illinois lead to 24-13. From there, things went from bad to worse for Murray State as they dropped the kickoff, allowing EIU to recover the ball and tack on a field goal on the following drive, making it 27-13 with almost 10 minutes to play in the third quarter.

After coming up empty on the following drive, Marcis Floyd got the offense a redo by forcing a fumble on EIU's next offensive play. Three plays later, Rice found DeQuan Dallas from 15-yards out to pull MSU within a touchdown. On the next Panther drive, the defense came up big again, forcing a three-and-out that resulted in another MSU touchdown, a two-yard punch in from Rice after throwing a 38-yard strike to Malik Honeycutt only seconds before.

Murray State ended the quarter with a third fourth-down stop by the defense on the day and began the fourth with two more field goals from Baum of 26 and 37 yard, respectively. Later in the quarter, Malik Honeycutt returned an Eastern Illinois punt 48-yards to set up a four-yard touchdown run by Witherspoon to push the lead out to 12 with under just over three minutes to play. On the ensuing try, the Racers used some razzle-dazzle to pick up the two-points when Baum lobbed the ball in the air and into the waiting hands of his long snapper Chandler Mood for the conversion.

After the touchdown, a Jarad McCray interception and a fourth stop on fourth-down would be all that was needed from the Racers in the final minutes to complete the comeback and move to 5-0 on the season.

Offensively, Preston Rice was 10-for-23 for 192 yards and a touchdown, while Witherspoon rushed the ball 19 times for 72 yards and two scores. LaMartez Brooks was Rice's main target Sunday, catching the ball four times for 88 yards, while Honeycutt finished with 86 all-purpose yards from his 48-yard punt return and his 38-yards catch in the fourth.

Defensively, Alec Long and Eric Samuta led the team in tackles with eight each, while Long added a solo sack for a loss of 11 yards and a pass breakup. Floyd also had a big game for MSU, finishing with six stops, four of which were solo, and interception with a 33-yard return, a forced fumble and two pass breakups.

The Racers have a short-week of practice ahead of them as they return to action Saturday, rather than Sunday, due to the Easter holiday. On Saturday, Murray State will make the 67-mile trip to Austin Peay for a Battle of the Border clash with the Govs at Fortera Stadium at 2 p.m.