Racers Begin 100th Season Thursday at Missouri

Thursday, August 29

Columbia, MO.

7 p.m.

Murray State

(11) Missouri

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Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics

8/26/2024 9:12:00 AM | Football

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GAME 1
MURRAY STATE AT MISSOURI
MEMORIAL STADIUM/FAUROT FIELD (71,168)
COLUMBIA, MO.
7 P.M.

Murray State Racers 0-0
Head Coach: Jody Wright Alma Mater: Jacksonville State (2005)
Murray State Record: 0-0 (1st season) MVFC Record: 0-0
Career Record: Same
Record vs. Missouri: 0-0

Missouri Tigers (11/11) 0-0
Head Coach: Eliah Drinkwitz Alma Mater: Arkansas Tech (2004)
Missouri Record: 28-21 (5th season) SEC Record: 17-17
Career Record: 40-22 (6th season)
Record vs. Murray State: 0-0

Racer Radio - WFGE Froggy 103.7FM
Online: GoRacers.com
Play-by-Play: Neal Bradley Analyst: Chip Adams

SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Matt Barrie Analyst: Dan Mullen Sideline: Harry Lyles, Jr.

Game Storylines

The Murray State Racers travel to Columbia to take on the Missouri Tigers (Aug. 29) as the 100th season in MSU history gets underway with the Racers and Tigers meeting for the first time since 2013.
Kick off time for the Racers and Tigers at Memorial Stadium-Faurot Field is set for 7 p.m. CT.
Mizzou is having a unique halftime light show that features 300 drones and pyrotechnics.
Murray State had two players named MVFC Preseason Honorable Mention, Kanyon Walker, a safety from Leesburg, Fla., and offensive lineman Ashton Flinn of Jackson, Mo.
MSU's KaVan Reed (DB) and CJ Barnes (DL) have recently been named to the Reese's Senior Bowl Watch List.
New MSU Head Coach Jody Wright was hired in January as the 20th head coach in MSU history.
Wright joins the Racers after a stellar career that saw him work with some of the biggest names in collegiate football including Nick Saban, Shane Beamer and Billy Napier.
The Racers have a re-built roster with 65 players who were playing someplace else a season ago.
MSU has 46 transfer players in 2024. 26 of which are from FBS or FCS programs.
MSU's new quarterback is Jayden Johannsen, is a former signee at North Dakota State.
The Racers have a true freshman at tailback in Jordan Washington of Helena, Ala.
If he starts against Missouri, it will mark the first time Murray State has started a freshman in the backfield since DJ Penick started 11 games in 2017.
The Racers have played nine games previously against the current SEC lineup of teams and are 0-9.
The Racers are playing the Tigers for a third time after meeting Mizzou in Columbia in 2006 and 2013.
MSU has another game against an FBS team (Nov. 16) when they travel to Lexington to play the Kentucky Wildcats.
There is a connection the two teams share with famous coaches Don Faurot (Coached at Missouri (1935-42, 1946-56) and brother Fred Faurot (Coached at Murray State 1948-55).
Both are in their school's Hall of Fame: Don Faurot included into the Missouri HOF in 1990 and Fred Faurot into the Murray State HOF in 1974.
The Racers have seven players on their roster from the Show Me State.
MSU's (71) Ashton Flinn and Tigers (55) Connor Tollison were teammates at Jackson, Mo. high school.
MSU is looking for their first 1000-yard rusher since Mike Harris became the 10th to do it in 2011.
The Racers are headed into their second season in the best FCS league in the country in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
The MVFC has five teams in the top-10 preseason poll including defending national champion South Dakota State (1), North Dakota State (2) and South Dakota (5).
In all the MVFC has seven teams in the STATS Perform Preseason Top-25.