Racers Meet North Dakota For First Time At Stewart Stadium

Saturday, November 4

Murray, Ky.

1 p.m.

Murray State

North Dakota

Tickets

Photo by: David Eaton-Murray State Athletics

Racers Meet North Dakota For First Time At Stewart Stadium

11/3/2023 12:17:00 PM | Football

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For the fourth time this season, Racer Football meets a team for the first time. It's Salute to Service Day when North Dakota visits Saturday in a 1 p.m. kickoff

Game-9
North Dakota at Murray State
Nov. 4, 2023 - 1 p.m. CT
Roy Stewart Stadium - Murray, Ky. (17,600)

Murray State Record: 2-6 (2-1 H, 0-5 A) Missouri Valley: 1-4
Next Away: Illinois State (Nov.11) Next Home: Youngstown State (Nov. 18)
Head Coach: Dean Hood (Ohio Wesleyan, 1986) Record: 70-57 (12th season) at MUR: 15-19 (4th season)
vs NDU: 0-0

North Dakota Record: 5-3 (5-0 H, 0-3 A) Missouri Valley: 3-2
Next Home: Illinois State (Nov. 18) Next Away: South Dakota (Nov. 11)
Head Coach: Bubba Schweigert (Jamestown, 1985) Record: 81-69 (13th season) at NDU: 59-48 (10th season)
vs MUR: 0-0

Game Day Storylines

The Racers (2-6) are 1-4 in their first season in the MVFC.
The Racers and Fighting Hawks are meeting for the first time.
Saturday's game is Salute to Service Day at Stewart Stadium. All veterans and first responders will be honored.
There will also be a swearing in ceremony for some MSU ROTC students who are entering active service.
Soliders from Fort Campbell will also attend and there will be a pregame flyover by Army helicopters.
Seven different MVFC teams are ranked in Top 25 this week as South Dakota State, South Dakota, North Dakota, Southern Illinois, North Dakota State, Northern Iowa and Youngstown represent the MVFC in both top-25 polls.
Illinois State is receiving votes in the STATS Perform Top-25.
Last week at NDSU, got field goals from James London and Matt Maldonado to account for their scoring.
Maldonado is still perfect in his first season kicking for the Racers. He is 5-of-5 in field goals and is 13-of-13 in PATs.
London's 53-yard kick hit the cross bar, but still went through for the longest field goal of 2023 in the MVFC. His kick is tied for sixth all-time at MSU.
MSU never got on a good track on offense as they had an average of only 3.0 yards per play.
MSU only gained 56 yards on the ground against NDSU and threw for 108 yards.
Orion Phillips has an amazing run of eight-straight games this season with a punt of 50 or more yards.
In seven games this season, the freshman from Australia has placed a punt at the 10-yard line or inside of it.
At Missouri State, Phillips' had the seventh-longest and just the eighth of 70 yards or more for the Racers since 1999 with an effort of 71 yards.
MSU's Nick Walker has 53 tackles - is 16th in MVFC with 6.6 per game. WIU's Bradyn Smith is the leader at 9.5.

First MVFC vs North Dakota
In a season of firsts almost every week it seems, the Murray State Racers host the North Dakota Fighting Hawks on Salute to Service Day at Roy Stewart Stadium. The Racers have four opponents they are meeting for the first time. The others are Presbyterian, South Dakota and still to come, NDSU and North Dakota.

London Makes top-10 MSU Field Goal
James London's 53-yd field goal at North Dakota State tied for sixth-longest in Murray State history and is the 24th such kick of 50 yards or more. MSU's top field goals continue to be, Aaron Baum of 58 yards (twice) & 55 yards in 2021. Stan Watts 58-yards in 1971 and Paul Hickert's 62-yard effort in 1986. London's kick is also the longest this season in the Missouri valley football conference. The previous long field goal was Matthew Cook of Northern Iowa with a 50-yarder at Indiana State (10-07-23).

A Murray State Victory:
Gives the Racers their 503rd win in their 1009th game.
Gives MSU a win over NDU in their first meeting.
Gives Coach Dean Hood his 71st win of his 12-year head coaching career and his 16th win in his fourth season at Murray State.