MOREHEAD, Ky. -- For the second straight week, Morehead State Football made a furious comeback bid, but Stetson had stopped the Eagles too many times earlier in the game and eventually held on to defeat MSU 21-14 at Spec Martin Stadium Saturday.
MSU (2-5/0-3 PFL) trailed 14-0 after three quarters and went behind 21-0 early in the final period, but the Eagles put together two scoring drives to make it interesting. MSU scored with 10 minutes remaining and with six left to make 21-14, but the Hatters (3-4/2-1 PFL) converted a third-and-13 play with just more than two minutes remaining to ice the victory.
Bith teams' offenses were held in check. Stetson managed 335 yards to the Eagles' 282, but the Hatter ground assault ultimately sunk the visitors. Stetson rushed for 242 yards, including 106 by quarterback Chris Stephenson.
Trailing 21-0, MSU engineered an eight-play, 65-yard march before running back
Isaac Stopke crashed in from a yard away.
Jordan Price's PAT made it 21-7. After another defensive stop, the Eagles went 60 yards in just 2:02 as running back
Jackson Lanier rambled to paydirt from the six-yard line. Price made it 19-for-19 on extra-point kicks this season, and the game was within one score.
The defense backed up the Hatters on third-and-13 from their own 33-yard line, but Stephenson broke free on a 22-yard run that effectively sealed the Eagles' fate.
Quarterback
Bryce Patterson finished 11-of-22 for 167 yards, while Stopke led the rushing with 41 yards. MSU concluded with nearly 100 yards on the ground (99).Â
Defensively,
Dylan Cook's career-best 10 stops led the way.
Luke Popovich and
Chris Johnson each totaled two tackles for losses.
Ryan Upp again led the receivers with five catches for 81 yards.
The Eagles return for the Homecoming game next Saturday at 2 p.m. ET versus Marist.
