Football goes head to head with Jacksonville at Jayne Saturday

Game Notes (MSU | JU) | Live Stats | Live Audio | Live Video | Phil Simms Bobbleheads

MOREHEAD, Ky. -- Seeking to improve on its 2-5 mark, the Morehead State football team entertains visiting Jacksonville at 1 p.m. ET Saturday. 

The Eagles (1-3 PFL) face a Dolphin (2-3/1-1 PFL) team they have not been able to defeat since 2005, but last year's contest proved to be the closest in that time period with MSU falling just 30-26 in Jacksonville, Fla.

Saturday's game can be seen live on the OVC Digital Network, as well as heard live on the Eagle Sports Radio Network. Limited-edition Phil Simms bobbleheads will be on sale at the game for just $35.

"We have four games left so we have a lot of football left to play, and its starts this week," said head coach Rob Tenyer. "Three of our games we've lost by a total of nine points, so there is no one more disappointed than we are. We've had some unfortunate breaks, but a lot of that can be corrected. It's just stemmed from some inconsistent play. Our morale is good, and we have been a great team in practice."

Jacksonville is led by former Army offensive coordinator Ian Shields in his first year as head coach. The Dolphins run the spread option offense, rushing nearly three times more than they pass. Running back Ulysses Bryant averages a team-best 71 yards per game. JU had its game with Campbell canceled due to Hurricane Matthew, so it has only played one game since Oct. 1.

"We have to be more disciplined on defense this week," said Tenyer. "Assignments will be key. They run the spread option, but they also run out of other sets too, so it will be a challenging game."

Offensively, the Eagles are averaging 416 yards and 28.7 points per game. Senior quarterback Austin Gahafer leads the PFL with 287.7 yards per game and 16 touchdowns. He needs just 703 more passing yards to set the PFL career yardage record. Senior slot receiver Jake Raymond needs just 11 more catches to set the PFL all-time receptions mark.

Defensively, the Eagles have been led by junior lineman Colt Briggs and senior linebacker Ryan Bennett. Bennett has a team-best 56 tackles, while Briggs ranks second in the PFL with 12 tackles for loss. In the secondary, cornerbacks Brandyn Duncan and Braylyn Cook are making good cases for all-conference honors. Duncan leads the PFL with 11 passes defended, and Cook has three interceptions.

"We have had a lot of great individual play with guys like Ryan Bennett and Colt Briggs, and I really believe Brandyn and Braylyn are first or second-team all-PFL players," Tenyer added.

Morehead State continues to lead the conference in home attendance, averaging more than 6,200 fans in its first four games. Saturday's weather forecast calls for sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 50s. Following the contest, the Eagles get a weekend off before returning to PFL action at Butler on Nov. 5.