BOX SCORE
MOREHEAD, Ky. -- Wide receiver
Ryan Upp had a breakout game with career highs of 10 catches for 130 yards and a touchdown Saturday against Drake, but unfortunately for the Morehead State football team, it was the lone TD of the day on offense as the Eagles dropped a defensive battle to Drake, 16-9, in a PFL contest at Jayne Stadium.
The Eagles slipped to 1-3 overall and 0-2 in the league. Drake won its first game of 2023, moving to 1-3 as well and 1-0 in the PFL. It was the first meeting of the teams since 2019.
Trailing 13-0 late in the first half, MSU attempted a field goal with the last play of the half, but kicker
Nathan Hazlett was knocked down, and the ensuing penalty gave the Eagles the ball at the Bulldog four-yard line. Quarterback
Carter Cravens zipped a quick pass to Upp, who motored into the end zone on an untimed down.
"It was pretty equal both ways except for time of possession, and that was really the stat that described the game. They held the ball for 36 minutes. Our defense played well enough to keep us in the game, but we just couldn't get anything going on offense," said Head Coach
Rob Tenyer. "We were 3-of-12 on third downs. We've just got to be able to make some plays and relieve the pressure on our quarterback. It's not the end of the world though. Drake dictated a lot today. We are OK, we just need to figure out some things before next week."
Drake, meanwhile was 6-of-15 on third downs and totaled 400 yards to the Eagles' 314. The Bulldogs went on top 7-0 with less than a minute off the clock as Dorian Boyland raced 64 yards for a score. Drake made it 13-0 with 10:31 left in the half on a 15-yard TD pass that was tipped and caught on a second-chance by Trey Rodacha. However, MSU defensive linemen
Noah Benza blocked the PAT chance. He also recorded a sack later on.
The Eagles trimmed the margin to 13-9 with 5:06 left in the third period when
Thomas Schwartz V banged through his first career Eagle field goal from 27 yards out.
MSU had its chances in the fourth quarter, but Drake sealed the game with an 80-yard rush that set up the final score of the game - a 25-yard field goal. The was just after Drake intercepted Cravens deep in Bulldog territory. MSU had a final drive to the Drake 42-yard line with less than a minute remaining, but a fourth down pass attempt went awry.
Cravens finished 18-of-39 for 221 yards and also led the rushing game with 64 yards on a team-high 11 attempts.
Cooper Krezek led the defense with 10 tackles, while
Jahleel Holmes and
Keenan Wolf Had nine stops.
Morehead State is home again Saturday, hosting Dayton at 1 p.m. ET.
