GAME NOTES (PDF) | SCHEDULE PAGE (LIVE STATS, LIVE VIDEO, AUDIO)
MOREHEAD, Ky. -- Following its thrilling, last-second Homecoming win last weekend, Morehead State football is hoping the momentum will continue this weekend when the Eagles head to northern Indiana to face PFL foe Valparaiso. The Beacons' Homecoming game will kick off at 1 p.m. ET.
Morehead State has controlled its long-running series with Valparaiso. The Eagles lead 25-5 since the first meeting in 1996. MSU has also won 16 of the previous 18 meetings with Valparaiso, including a 17-5 win last year at home. The last meeting in Valparaiso literally came down to the final play. In 2023, Nathan Hazlett kicked a game-winning 28-yard field goal on an untimed down on the final play as MSU won 24-21. The program has traditionally had success in games at Valparaiso's Brown Field too, leading 14-2.
The game can be heard on the Eagle Sports Radio Network with WIVY-96.3 FM serving as flagship station. Chuck Mraz, Jason Blanton and Tom Lewis 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+ with Todd Ickow and Tom Byrne.
The Beacons are having a tough time after a season-opening 67-10 win over Virginia-Lynchburg. Valparaiso is 1-6 overall and 0-3 in the PFL and is allowing 45.6 points to league foes.
THE SERIES
Record vs. Valparaiso: 25-5
First Meeting: 9/21/96 MSU won 24-0 at VAL
Last Meeting: 9/28/24 MSU won 17-5 at MSU
Streak: MSU, W2
Eagles' Record in Morehead: 11-3
Eagles' Record in Valparaiso, Ind.: 14-2
Neutral Record: 0-0
GAME NOTES
• Morehead State's facility was dedicated in honor of star alum Phil Simms during a ceremony on Homecoming weekend last Saturday. Simms played at Morehead State from 1974-78 before going on to a Super Bowl MVP career with the New York Giants (Super Bowl MVP in 1987). He has also continues to have a long career in broadcasting and in-studio work for the NFL.
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Thomas Schwartz V kicked his first two successful field goals against Marist, from 40 and 41 yards. The latter was the game-winner with three seconds left, and he was crowned PFL Special Teams Player of the Week. The FG was his second career game winner after accomplishing that feat at Drake last year, when he also named PFL STPOTW.
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Dillon Schobourgh was named PFL Defensive Player of the Week this week, after recording three sacks and a team-best 11 total tackles in the Marist win. His three sacks ties for the PFL single-game high this season.
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Ryan Upp eclipsed the 2,000 yard mark in receiving yards for his career with 109 versus Marist. He is currently fourth in program history with 2,033 career yards. Only three other players in program history have ever eclipsed 2,000 career yards receiving (Jake Raymond - 2,907; Donte Sawyer - 2,555; Jarin Higginbotham - 2,107).
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Ryan Upp leads all active PFL players and ranks sixth nationally with 17 career receiving touchdowns. Upp ranks 13th among active FCS players in career receiving yards with 2,033.
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Ryan Upp leads the PFL in total receptions (47), receptions per game (5.8) and total yards (616) and ranks second in yards per game (77.0).
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Ryan Upp ranks 11th in the nation (FCS) in total receiving yards this year with 616.
• Quarterback
Carter Cravens has 4,969 career passing yards and 31 touchdowns. He's reached the end zone nine more times on the ground, including twice in the season opener. He currently ranks ninth in career passing yards at MSU, with the next player to catch being the aforementioned Phil Simms (5,545 from 1974-78).
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Carter Cravens ranks 29th nationally in FCS in yards per pass attempt at 7.97.
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Sidney Webb ranks FIRST in all of FCS in combined kick returns. He has 548 kickoff return yards, averaging 27.4 per return with one touchdown (vs. Allen). With four more games to go, Webb has the most kickoff return yards for an Eagle since Ian Holder's 570 (in 12 games) in 2019. The last player to eclipse 1,000 kickoff return yards in a season was Juanyea Tarver (1,059) in 2017.
• Freshman kicker
Jordan Price is a perfect 21-of-21 on PAT kicks in his first college season.
• The Eagles' offensive line starters -
Jacob Ziegler,
Adrian Lopez,
Gabe Kays,
Drue Duncan and
Kelton Sparks - have started all seven games together as the same unit.
• Morehead State ranks 19th nationally in FCS football and third in the PFL in fewest penalties enforced against it per game. MSU is whistled for just 4.7 penalties per game.
• The 2025 roster features nearly 75 new players to the program, including close to 50 true freshmen.
• Head coach
Jason Woodman's seven wins in his first season in 2024 marked the most ever by a first-year Eagle head coach for the football program.
