GAME NOTES (PDF) | SCHEDULE PAGE (LIVE STATS, LIVE VIDEO, AUDIO)
MOREHEAD, Ky. -- Morehead State Football is back on the road this coming weekend when the Eagles head to the Volunteer State to face Austin Peay. Kick-off Saturday at Fortera Stadium is at 7 p.m. ET.
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+.
An old rivalry is renewed as Morehead State heads to Austin Peay this weekend. The teams were long-time rivals in the Ohio Valley Conference, continued to play after the Eagle program vacated the OVC after 1995, then also continued the series as Pioneer League co-members for six seasons. The Eagles lead the all-time series 27-19 and have played three times since APSU departed the PFL back to the OVC. Now in the United Athletic (football only) Conference, the Governors have won the last three battles, including 2017 and 2019 in Clarksville and 2018 in Morehead.
THE SERIES
Record vs. Austin Peay: 27-19
First Meeting: 10/13/62 MSU won 36-7 at MSU
Last Meeting: 9/18/21 AP won 59-35 at AP
Eagles' Record in Morehead: 17-8
Eagles' Record in Clarksville, Tenn.: 10-11
Neutral Record: 0-0
GAME NOTES
• The game at No. 7 Illinois State marked the 13th consecutive season the Eagle program has faced an FCS top-25 ranked program (at the time of the game).
• Morehead State's defense was a force to be reckoned with last fall, under now second-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.
• Morehead State's defense claimed its first two takeaways at Illinois State, a fumble recovery and an interception by defensive back
Mateo Reyes. Last fall, the program ended in the top 20 in the nation with a +13 turnover margin.
• Redshirt freshman defensive back
Sidney Webb leads the FCS in combined kick returns with 253 total kick-off return yards in two games. Webb returned a kick 83 yards for a touchdown against Allen and also had a 56-yard return earlier in the game, marking his first two college returns. It was the first Eagle kickoff return for a score since B.J. Byrd's return score versus Butler in the 2020 season (which was played in the spring due to COVID pandemic, so on April 17, 2021).
•
Ryan Upp now has 114 career receptions for 1,576 career yards. He ranks sixth in career receptions at MSU. Upp needs just two more catches to pass Jarin Higginbotham (115) in fifth and just eight more to pass the great BJ Byrd (121) into the top four all-time. He needs 108 more yards to move to ninth place past Toby Moeves (1998-01). He has had seven career games with 90+ yards receiving and three over the 100-yard plateau.
• Quarterback
Carter Cravens has 4,366 career passing yards and 26 touchdowns. He's reached the end zone eight more times on the ground, including twice in the season opener. He is only 556 yards shy of Lawson Page's 4,922 career yards for ninth place in program history.
• Junior transfer running back
Craig Cunningham led the Eagles in game one versus Allen (S.C.) with 94 yards, and redshirt sophomore
Isaac Stopke led the Eagles in game two at Illinois State with 86 yards on the ground.
• Morehead State's 195 rushing yards in the season opener was the most in head coach
Jason Woodman's tenure at MSU and the most for the program since a 226-yard effort at Dayton (in the snow) on Nov. 12, 2022.
• Morehead State generated more first downs (12-10) in the first half at Illinois State and ended with just one less (21-20) than the highly-rated Redbirds.
• The Eagles are 5-for-5 in red-zone opportunities so far in 2025, scoring four touchdowns and a field goal. MSU is one of just 35 FCS teams to have a perfect red zone efficiency early in the season.
• Morehead State ranks second in the FCS in punt return defense, allowing a negative-2.50 yards per return. Punter
Kip Warren only had to punt four times at Illinois State, of which only one was returned for one yard.
• Transfer linebacker
John Purdy, who was also a state champion wrestler in high school in Indiana, leads the defense so far with 17 total tackles. He had 63 total stops at Kentucky Wesleyan last fall.
• The 2025 roster features nearly 75 new players to the program, including close to 50 true freshmen.
• 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.
• Head Coach
Jason Woodman is in 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.
