Flying To Fargo - Racers Meet NDSU Saturday - Murray State University Athletics

Game-8
Murray State at North Dakota State
Oct. 28, 2023 - 2:30 p.m. CT
Fargo, N.D. - Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome (18,700)

Murray State Record: 2-5 (2-1 H, 0-4 A) Missouri Valley: 1-3
Next Away: Illinois State (Nov.11) Next Home: North Dakota (Nov. 4)
Head Coach: Dean Hood (Ohio Wesleyan, 1986) Record: 70-59 (12th season) at MUR: 15-21 (4th season)
vs NDSU: 0-0

North Dakota State Record: 5-2 (3-1, 1-1 A) Missouri Valley: 2-2
Next Home: Southern Illinois (Nov. 11) Next Away: South Dakota State (Nov. 4)
Head Coach: Matt Entz (Wartburg, 1995) Record: 54-9 (1st season) at NDSU: Same
vs MUR: 0-0

Game Day Storylines

The Racers (2-5) are 1-3 in their first season in the MVFC.
The Racers and Bison are meeting for the first time.
MSU defeated Indiana State (30-28) in their first league game, but have followed with losses at South Dakota, home to Southern Illinois and at Missouri State last weekend.
First place South Dakota, South Dakota State lead the MVFC at 4-0. They meet Saturday in Vermillion at the DakotaDome.
Seven different MVFC teams are ranked in Top 25 this week as South Dakota State, South Dakota, North Dakota, Southern Illinois, and North Dakota State represent the MVFC in both top-25 polls. Youngstown State is No. 25 in the Stats Perform poll; Illinois State is No. 25 in the FCS Coaches Poll. UNI is receiving votes in both polls.
The Racers are trying to snap a 10-game road losing skid.
MSU's last road win was at Eastern Illinois in the final game of the 2021 season by a 20-13 score in Charleston.
At MOST,
Last week at MOST, the Racers only had five TD passes all season, but DJ Williams threw three in the first half.
Taylor Shields caught two TDs in the first half at MOST, also caught two TDs in the season opener vs Presbyterian (Sept. 2).
Q'Darryius Jennings' 39-yard Kickoff Return in the third quarter was the longest of the season for the Racers, ahead of his 33-yard effort against Presbyterian.
The Racers held MOST to 68 yards rushing last week - snapped a streak of five games of an opponent 100-yard rusher.
The Racers forced three turnovers on the Bears - marking the Racers' season-high.
Orion Phillips popped a career-long 71-yard with 10:25 in the fourth quarter. It marked his 13th punt inside the 20-yard line and his ninth this season of 50 yards or more.

First MVFC vs North Dakota State
In a season of firsts almost every week it seems, the Murray State Racers hit the road for Fargo and a Saturday game with North Dakota State, the fourth team in 2023 that the Racers are facing off with for the first time. The others were Presbyterian, South Dakota and still to come, NDSU and North Dakota.

Racers Dome History
Murray State's appearance at the Fargodome marks the fourth time in their 99 seasons of playing indoors.The first occurred in in 2001 in the wake of 9/11. The week of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, the Racers were scheduled to host North Alabama. That game was cancelled and the Racers ended up playing at Minnesota at the Metro Dome in Minneapolis (10-27-01) in a 66-10 loss to the Gophers. The next domed game was in 2010 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta (10-08-11) in a 48-24 win over Georgia State. In 2023, the Racers played South Dakota in a 38-7 defeat (10-07-23).

MVFC - FCS Sagarin Rankings
Seven different MVFC teams are ranked in Top 25 this week as South Dakota State, South Dakota, Southern Illinois, North Dakota State, North Dakota, UNI, and Youngstown State represent the MVFC in the Stats Perform rankings.

43   South Dakota State   7-0
82   North Dakota State   5-2
105   Southern Illinois   5-2
113   North Dakota   4-3
116   Northern Iowa   4-3
118   Youngstown State   4-3
129   South Dakota   6-1
138   Illinois State   4-3
154   Missouri State   3-4
202   Murray State   2-5
203   Indiana State   0-7
239   Western Illinois   0-7

Flying To Fargo - Racers Meet NDSU Saturday

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Players Mentioned

Orion Phillips

Taylor Shields

DJ Williams

Murray State University