GAME NOTES (PDF) | SCHEDULE PAGE (LIVE STATS, LIVE VIDEO, AUDIO) | TICKETS | TAILGATE INFORMATION
MOREHEAD, Ky. -- The 2025 Morehead State football season is here. The Eagles are eager to showcase the squad when they kick off the season at home Saturday night at 6 p.m. ET against Division II Allen (S.C.).
Fans can catch a pregame concert by Lexington, Ky., up-and-coming duo Rags and Riches starting at 3 p.m. ET in the tailgate lot.
The game can be heard on the Eagle Sports Radio Network with WIVY-96.3 FM serving as flagship station. 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 Jared Stacy and Mark Ledford teaming up as the voices this game.
While the Eagles have never played Allen, they did open the 2024 season with a conference counterpart of Allen in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference - Central State. MSU prevailed 17-10. Allen was 2-8 under first-year head coach Cedric Pearl last fall. The program started in 2021, and the Yellow Jackets have never been shut out. Pearl was the head coach at Central State from 2014-19.
Head Coach
Jason Woodman is thrilled to be getitng his troops on the field against the Yellow Jackets. Watch his assessment below.
THE SERIES
Record vs. Allen: First Meeting
First Meeting: 8/30/25
Last Meeting: N/A
Eagles' Record in Morehead: 0-0
Eagles' Record in Columbia, S.C.: 0-0
Neutral Record: 0-0
GAME NOTES
• Head Coach
Jason Woodman embarks on his second year leading the Eagles. Woodman guided MSU to a 7-5 record in 2024, which marked the most wins by a first-year head coach in program history. In 11 years as a head coach (10 at Fairmont [W.Va.]), Woodman has coached seven teams that finished .500 or better.
• The 2025 roster features nearly 75 new players to the program, including close to 50 true freshmen.
• Morehead State finished 6-1 at home in 2024, the second best home record in program history (trailing on the 1949 tram that went 5-0). The mark tied the 2002 team for best home record in the last 25 seasons.
• Morehead State's defense was a force to be reckoned with last fall, under first-year coordinator
Wil Truelove. The Eagles allowed seven or fewer points to five different opponents. That occurrence had not happened for a MSU team since 1949. In MSU's seven wins last season, opponents averaged just 8.8 points per game.
• MSU finished 2024 ranked third in all of the Football Championship Subdivision in passing yards allowed pert game (144.2).
• MSU's defense also ranked among the best in the nation in FCS in forcing turnovers. The Eagles wrapped up the campaign ranked fourth in the nation in turnover margin at +12.
• Morehead State's defense has 31 interceptions in the last two seasons. Last fall, MSU finished ranked 17th in the nation in the FCS in interceptions with 14.
• Quarterback
Carter Cravens is back under center for his third season as the opening-game starter. Cravens is poised to make a nice run n the record book this fall. He enters the season with 4,013 career passing yards and 24 touchdowns. He's reached the end zone six more times on the ground. He is only 909 yards shy of Lawson Page's 4,922 career yards for ninth place in program history.
•
Ryan Upp enters the season with 99 career receptions. He needs just one in this game to move into eighth place in career catches in program history. His 1,417 career receiving yards also ranks 10th in program history. He needs 267 to move to ninth place past Toby Moeves (1998-01).
• Linebacker
Luke Bauer is the returning leader for tackles for loss. Bauer registered a team-best 12 stops behind the line last fall - among his 50 total tackles.
• Returning cornerback
Richard Sweeney III led MSU with eight pass break ups in his first season in the blue and gold in 2024.
• Morehead State will sport a new look offensive line in 2025. Starting left tackle
Jacob Ziegler returns to his spot, but the remaining four spots will be occupied by either totally new Eagles or returners who will be seeing their first significant action. Left guard
Dom Wise and right tackle
Kelton Sparks are newcomers, while center
Gabe Kays saw some time last year but will snapping the majority of the time this season. Right guard
Drue Duncan has been a part of the program but earns his first starting assignment this year.
• The special teams duties are in the hands (or feet that is) of veterans. Punter
Kip Warren is in his third year booming the kicks, averaging 37.6 last fall. He had seven boots of 50+. Kicker
Thomas Schwartz V made seven field goals last year and was 24-of-25 on PAT kicks. Warren is also slated to handle holding duties on kicks again.
• A trio of returning Eagles garnered preseason recognition as part of the Pioneer Football League All-Conference team.
Carter Cravens,
Ryan Upp and
Luke Bauer were honored on the team.
• New defensive lineman
Ricky Spence is familiar with MSU's defensive coordinator. He was with
Wil Truelove at Birmingham Southern in 2023. Spence set school records that season with 18.5 tackles for loss and 11 sack
