GAME NOTES (PDF) | ROSTER | SCHEDULE PAGE (LIVE STATS, LIVE VIDEO, AUDIO)
MOREHEAD, Ky. -- The 2026 Morehead State football Eagles take to the road for the first time this week as the squad travels to face 15th-ranked Austin Peay at 5 p.m. ET at Fortera Stadium Saturday.
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 provide the radio call. Fans can also hear it on MSUEagles.com, WGOH-100.9 FM/1370 AM, WMST-106.9 FM/1150 AM, WPKE 98.1 FM and WPRT 104.5 FM. The game will stream live on ESPN+.
Saturday marks the 48th all-time meeting between the two former Ohio Valley Conference and Pioneer Football League foes MSU and APSU. The now-United Athletic Conference Govs have won five straight in the series, including 56-7 last year in Clarksville. While APSU was a PFL member from 2001-06, MSU had a 5-1 record against the Govs. MSU was 18-20 against the Govs during the OVC seasons 1962 (first meeting) through 1995 and was 4-0 during MSU's independent years (1996-00). This also marks the 14th straight season MSU has faced an FCS top-25 ranked team (at time of competition).
The Govs are 1-1, with a 35-17 win over Gardner-Webb and a 28-9 loss at Vanderbilt.
THE SERIES
Record vs. APSU: 27-20
First Meeting: 10/13/62 MSU won 36-7 at MSU
Last Meeting: 9/13/25 AP won 56-7 at AP
Eagles' Record in Morehead: 17-8
Eagles' Record in Clarksville, Tenn.: 10-12
Neutral Record: 0-0
Streak: AP, W5
LAST 10 GAMES VS. AUSTIN PEAY
10/27/01 MOREHEAD, KY. W, 29-24
10/26/02 Clarksville, Tenn. W, 45-25
10/11/03 MOREHEAD, KY. W, 49-0
10/9/04 Clarksville, Tenn. W, 28-14
10/15/05 MOREHEAD, KY. W, 44-12
11/11/06 MOREHEAD, KY. L, 23-21
9/16/17 Clarksville, Tenn. L, 69-13
9/15/18 MOREHEAD, KY. L, 78-40
9/18/21 Clarksville, Tenn. L, 59-35
9/13/25 Clarksville, Tenn. L, 56-7
GAME NOTES
• Morehead State's 115 points in the first two games are the second most in the opening two games in program history, and the most in the modern era (1970-), trailing only the 1938 team which opened with 76-0 and 58-0 (134) victories.
• Head coach
Jason Woodman's 13 wins were the most by any MSU head coach in his first two seasons coaching the program.
• Defensive lineman
KJ Hardesty was named to the official preseason All-Pioneer League team. Hardesty paced the defense with 7.5 tackles for loss and six QB hurries last fall.
• Nine Eagles were selected preseason All-PFL by Phil Steele's publication. The first-team pick is defensive lineman
KJ Hardesty. Second-teamers are defensive lineman
Jake Rhodes, linebacker
Chris Johnson, kick returner
Sidney Webb and long snapper
Colton Carmichael. Third-team choices are running back
Craig Cunningham, linebacker
Luke Popovich, defensive back
Luciano Corpora-Ellis and kicker
Jordan Price.
• Morehead State ranks No. 1 in the FCS in total offense (596.1) and passing yards per game (434.5).
• The MSU offense boasts the FCS's top QB.
David Parsons ranks first in the FCS in points responsible for (60), passing TDs (9), yards per completion (19.8), total offense (423.0) and second in total yards (767) and yards per game (383.5). He is this week's PFL Offensive Player of the Week.
• David Parson's 463 passing yards versus Ohio Dominican was the third highest single-game total in program history and the most ever yards by a QB in his Eagle starting debut.
• WR
Anthony Ice is the subdivision's No. 1 receiver in yards (319) and yards per game (159.5). His yards per game average is 27 higher than the no. 2-ranked FCS receiver after two weeks.
• Newcomer wideout
Cross Watson earned PFL Freshman of the Week (just the second-ever official FOTW award) and is the Stats Perform FCS National Freshman of the Week. He is the first Eagle since current QB
Bryce Patterson to earn a national honor. Patterson was the FedEx Ground National Freshman of the Week on Nov. 13, 2023. Watson had just four catches against KCU but three went for TDs (all 25+ yards). His first career catch was a 60-yard TD, and his second career catch went for a 25-yard TD.
•
Cross Watson ranks No. 1 in the FCS in yards per catch (33.0).
• MSU has started the season with two consecutive games with two receivers above the 100-yard plateau.
Anthony Ice and
Cannon Dinger combined for 290 yards against Ohio Dominican, while Ice and
Cross Watson teamed up for 295 versus KCU. Prior to the ODU occurrence, the last time two Eagle receivers had 100+ in same game was Nov. 13, 2019.
• MSU's 68-point first half outburst against KCU was the program and PFL record for points in a half and came within five of tying the all-time FCS (I-AA) record of 73 set by Montana State in 1985. MSU also scored 75 points, which ranks third in program history for points in a game (104, 76 [twice], 75). The last time MSU scored 40+ points in consecutive games was 2018 (48 vs. Mt. St. Joseph and 40 vs. No. 23 Austin Peay). The 41 points in the second quarter also set a program standard for points in a quarter.
• Sophomore kicker
Jordan Price still carries a perfect PAT sheet into his second year. He was a perfect 30-of-30 on PAT kicks in his first college season and drilled his first in week zero against ODU. He connected on all nine tries against KCU and is now 41-of-41 in his career.
• Transfer punter
Bryson Patten made an immediate impact. The South Dakota School of Mines transfer dug deep and blasted a 70-yard punt in his first attempt as an Eagle against ODU. In two games, he ranks third in the PFL with a 44.2-yard average.
• Morehead State's 11 touchdowns scored against KCU tied the program's modern-era record of 11 set in 2012 against Valparaiso. MSU's seven passing TDs also tied the all-time MSU record for TDs through the air in a game.
• When
Isaiah Watts and
Sidney Webb both returned interceptions for TDs last week vs. KCU, it marked the first time in program history the Eagle defense recorded two "pick 6s" in the same game.
