GAME NOTES (PDF) | SCHEDULE PAGE (LINKS TO LIVE STATS, ESPN AND AUDIO)
MOREHEAD, Ky. -- The quest for a Pioneer Football League title begins this week for the Morehead State Eagles. MSU takes to the skies again, flying to Deland, Fla., to take on the Stetson Hatters.
Game time at Spec Martin Stadium, filming site of the Adam Sandler football movie The Waterboy, is at 1 p.m. ET.
The game will air live on ESPN3. It can be heard on the Eagle Sports Radio Network with WIVY-96.3 FM serving as flagship station. Chuck Mraz and Jason Blanton provide the radio call. Fans can also hear it on MSUEagles.com, WGOH-110.9 FM/1370 AM and WMST-106.9 FM/1150 AM.
This game marks just the eighth all-time meetings between the Eagles and Hatters. Due to a scheduling quirk, it also marks just the third time the Eagle program has played at Stetson and just the second since 2013 when Stetson revived its program and joined the PFL. Morehead State is 4-1 at home against Stetson but is still searching for its first win in
Deland in this, its third game.
THE SERIES
Record vs. Stetson: 4-3
First Meeting: 11/7/53 Stetson won 41-0 at Stetson
Last Meeting: 11/13/21 MSU won 36-35 at MSU
Eagles' Record in Morehead: 4-1
Eagles' Record in Deland: 0-2
GAME NOTES
• MSU is 5-4 in PFL openers under head coach
Rob Tenyer and has won the last three PFL openers.
• Putting more of an emphasis on establishing a rushing game, Morehead State has rushed for more than 100 yards as a team in all three games in 2022. It's the first time since the final four games of the 2019 season that MSU has had a string of 3+ games in a row rushing for 100+.
• Running back
James Louis had a breakout game against Kentucky Christian. The Hillside, N.J. product rushed for a career-best 125 yards on just eight carries, an astonishing 15.6 yards per carry. Louis scored back-to-back touchdowns in the first quarter, including a career-long run of 65 yards.
• Morehead State's four running backs used so far -
Chance Harris,
James Louis,
Nate Adebayo and
Zavier Lomax, have combined for 92 carries and only lost a total of 10 net yards between the quartet.
• Kicker
Nathan Hazlett is the PFL Special Teams Player of the Week. He was a perfect 7-of-7 on PATs against KCU and averaged 61 yards on kickoffs with two touchbacks. In his first full year as the primary placekicker, Hazlett is perfect on PATs (9-of-9) and field goals (4-of-4).
• Strong safety
Cooper Krezek, center
Cam Marriott and long snapper
Brady McKnight were tabbed to the official Preseason All-PFL Team.
• Eight Eagles were tabbed Preseason All-PFL by Phil Steele. Those included First-Teamers
Cam Marriott,
Devon Connors,
Cooper Krezek and
Brady McKnight. Second-Team picks were offensive linemen
Jaxsen Spears and
Jacob Ungruhe. Third-Teamers were
Sese Aumavae and
Khiyree Keith.
•
Cam Marriott,
Wade Acey,
Matt Guilfoil and
Khiyree Keith were chosen to the All-Commonwealth Team by the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame.
• Morehead State's defense forced three turnovers at Montana State and last week versus KC. The Montana State game featured the first career interception by
Dylan Leonardis and
Enzo Fantau-Barker and a fumble return for a TD by
Javian Browder. For Browder it marked his second career fumble recovery.
Kaleb Lyons and
Jah'Dell Lee Quay grabbed their first career pickoffs versus KCU and
Keenan Wolf had his first career fumble recovery.
• Strong safety
Cooper Krezek was everywhere in the KCU game. On top of his eight total stops, 2.5 were in the backfield and he also blocked a field goal and had a TFL on a fourth down play. His 134 tackles are the most career stops for any active player.
• Starting offensive center
Cam Marriott has appeared now in 43 games in his career, including starts in the last 21 games.
•
Grady Cramer threw for a career-high 290 yards and four touchdowns against KCU. He ranks fifth in the PFL in passing yards in 2022.
• With its 7-4 scorecard last fall, Morehead State secured its first back-to-back above .500 seasons since 2002 and 2003. The seven victories marked most since a 7-4 finish in 2015. The Eagles finished in a tie for second place in the Pioneer League with newcomer St. Thomas - the second consecutive second place finish.
