GAME NOTES (PDF) | SCHEDULE PAGE (LIVE STATS, LIVE VIDEO, AUDIO)
MOREHEAD, Ky. -- Boasting one of the nation's best shutdown defenses, and with deceptive offensive weapons too, Morehead State football will put its men to the test Saturday when they travel to face PFL foe Davidson. Kick-off is at 1 p.m. ET on the turf at Davidson's brand new stadium.
The game can be heard on the Eagle Sports Radio Network with WIVY-96.3 FM serving as flagship station. Chuck Mraz and Jason Blanton are scheduled to provide the radio call. Fans can also hear it on MSUEagles.com, WGOH-100.9 FM/1370 AM and WMST-106.9 FM/1150 AM. The game will stream live on ESPN+.
Morehead State heads to Davidson looking to stay in contention for a PFL title. At 4-1, this is Morehead State's best PFL status after five games since 2021 (also started 4-1 in 2015). The series has wavered back and forth over the years. MSU won seven straight from 2012-18, then Davidson turned the tides and won the next four. However, MSU effectively ended the Wildcats' PFL title hopes last year, winning 47-17 in Morehead.
THE SERIES
Record vs. Davidson: 15-10
First Meeting: 9/2/99 MSU won 40-0 at MSU
Last Meeting: 11/11/23 MSU won 47-17 at MSU
Eagles' Record in Morehead: 10-4
Eagles' Record in Davidson, N.C.: 5-6
Neutral Record: 0-0
GAME NOTES
• Morehead State's previous two games at Davidson both came down to field goals in the final seconds. In 2022, MSU missed a potential game-tying field goal as time finished to fall 28-26, and in the spring of 2021, another late missed field goal by MSU allowed the Wildcats to march down and make a winning FG as time expired.
• Morehead State has guaranteed itself of at least a .500 record in 2024. Since 2008 (and not counting the CoVID year of spring 2021), MSU has only had two seasons at .500 or better.
• Morehead State won its first five home games in head coach
Jason Woodman's first season. No other MSU football coach had ever won their first four games at home leading the Eagle program.
• Morehead State's defense has allowed 7 or fewer points to five different opponents this fall. That occurrence has not happened for a MSU team since 1949. In MSU's six wins this season, opponents average just 7.1 points per game.
• In fact, in the last three games alone, MSU has only surrendered two touchdowns and just 20 total points. If you take away the two games against full scholarship programs (EKU and Montana), MSU's average scoring defense is at 11.7.
•
Carter Cravens' 196-yard, 3-TD effort against St Thomas earned him PFL Offensive Player of the Week. It's the third weekly honor for the program this year. Cravens enters this week with 3,675 career passing yards.
• Morehead State is among the best teams in the FCS division at takeaways. In fact, the Eagles trail only perennial powerhouse North Dakota State in the rankings for turnover margin. MSU enters this week with an amazing +13 margin.
• Morehead State's defense has 30 interceptions in the last two seasons. This fall, MSU now ranks fifth in the nation in the FCS in interceptions with 13.
• MSU ranks FIRST in the nation (FCS) in passing efficiency defense at just 100.2.
• Wide receiver
Nate Garnett's 212 yard effort in the win at Dayton was the third highest single-game receiving total in program history, trailing only Ralph Del Sardo (230 in 2022) and B.J. Byrd (223 in 2021). Garnett ranks FIRST in the nation (FCS) in yards per reception at 22.3.
•
Nate Garnett and
Ryan Upp make up the best one-two wide receiver combination in the PFL. The two have combined for 1,086 yards, with no other PFL duo combining for more than 1,000 yards. Garnett ranks second in the conference with 669 yards, while Upp is 9th with 417. The Eagle pair account for 71 percent of the total yards through the air this fall.
• The three-headed defensive monster of linebacker
Luke Bauer and defensive linemen
Kylyn Macklin and
Noah Benza have combined to record 23.5 tackles for loss.
• The Eagles rank SECOND nationally in passing defense (only behind fellow PFL foe Dayton) in passing defense. Opponents only average 134.7 yards in the air against Morehead State this season.
