Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
Jacksonville State
Racers at JSU Saturday - Coach Jody Wright Returns to Alma Mater
9/17/2025 2:31:00 PM | Football
The Racers take on the Jacksonville State Gamecocks in Alabama Saturday
The Murray State Racers meet the Jacksonville State Gamecocks for the 20th time Saturday when these two former conference rivals from the Ohio Valley Conference clash in Jacksonville, Alabama.
Murray State Head Coach Jody Wright takes his Racers to his Alma Mater for a 6 p.n. Central Time kick off at Amfirst Stadium.
The fourth game of the season finds the Racers looking for their first win after a 47-31 defeat at Georgia State.
JSU is 1-2 after a 41-34 loss last week at Georgia Southern.
GAME 4
MURRAY STATE AT JACKSONVILLEÂ STATE
Venue: Amfirst Stadium
Site:Â Jacksonville, Ala
Game Time:Â 6Â P.M. CT
Murray State Racers: 0-3
Head Coach: Jody Wright (Alma Mater: Jacksonville State, 2005)
Murray State Record:Â 1-14Â (2nd season) MVFC Record: 0-0
Career Record: Same
Record vs JSU:Â First Meeting
Jacksonville State Gamecocks 1-2
Head Coach:Â Charles Kelly (Alma Mater: Auburn, 1990)
JSU Record: 1-2 (1st season) CUSA Record: 0-0
Career Record:Â Same
Record vs Murray State:Â First Meeting
Series:Â 2-17Â Home:Â 1-9Â Away:Â 1-8
Last Meeting:Â 2022 in Murray, Ky. Lost, 34-3
Racer Radio: WFGE Froggy 103.7FMÂ Online:Â Froggy103.com, GoRacers.com
Television: ESPN+Â Live Stats: StatBroadcast.com, GoRacers.com
MSU Next:Â at South Dakota, Oct. 4 JSUÂ Next:Â at Southern, Miss., Sept. 27
Game Story Lines
- The 2025 season is made up of 12 games in Murray State's 101st season in program history.
- Head Coach Jody Wright has a roster of 109 players which are made up of over 80 newcomers, including 54 freshmen and only two starters from the 2024 season.
- The week four matchup is filled with homecoming for MSU with eight Murray State coaches having JSU ties and 25 Murray State players returning to their home state for the matchup.
- Safety Dylan Rowsey ranks amongst the nation's best tacklers, racking up 45 tackles through the Racers first three games of the season. Rowsey ranks second in the FCS in total tackles and first in solo tackles (35)
- Darius Cannon leads the offense with 27 receptions through three games, the most by a Racer through three contests since at least 1993. Cannon ranks second in the FCS in receptions this season and 37th nationally with 213 receiving yards.
- The Murray State defense has been among the nation's best at generating turnovers, with four interceptions and three fumble recoveries in three games, MSU ranks tied for sixth nationally in turnovers gains
- The Racers had four returners on the Missouri Valley Football Conference Watch List.
- The MSU quartet includes, (QB) Jim Ogle, (WR) JK Carter, (RB) Jawaun Northington, (P) Tom O'Hara.
- Northington begins his senior season with the Racers having played in 27 games at running back with 1,195 yards
- rushing on 272 carries, with a 4.4 yards per carry and he has scored nine touchdowns.
- Northington is MSU's leading returning back with 518 yards rushing in 2024 on 111 carries and an average of 4.7 yards
- per carry.
- The Racers are looking for their 11th 1000-Yard rusher in 101 seasons and the first since Mike Harris ran for 1,018 yards
- in the 2011 season.
- Jacksonville native Ogle enters the 2025 season as the Racers starter at quarterback.
- Ogle threw for the most yards (480) through the first two games of a season since 2016.
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