Story by Keith Jaco
Staff Writer
Murray State football is off to its first 2-0 start in conference play since the 2013 season and will look to add another victory to its record when Tennessee State visits Roy Stewart Stadium Saturday, Oct. 13.
Following yet another big Racer win, Head Coach Mitch Stewart’s mindset is the same as it has been all season going into this week.
“We’re just focused on the work,” Stewart said. “I know that sounds cliche and every coach would say that, but that’s what you have to do: focus on the work. We’re going to keep it day-by-day and focus on the work and preparation and the things we have to do to keep believing and keep getting better.”
Murray State will have a chance to post its first 3-0 start in conference play since 1997 against a tough Tennessee State team who has also experienced success against Eastern Illinois this season.
The Racers will look to keep their momentum going in the right direction as they hand sophomore running back D.J. Penick and senior quarterback Drew Anderson the keys to the offense on Saturday.
Penick and Anderson are each coming off stellar performances in Charleston, Illinois, over the weekend. Penick ran for 183 yards on 22 carries, while Anderson was 21-36 for 209 yards in the air with one touchdown and one interception.
The Racers’ offensive line was also a bright spot in the win over EIU, paving the way for Penick and ensuring time was on Anderson’s side in the pocket. The senior quarterback didn’t take a single sack in the conference win.
Tennessee State is coming off a loss to Austin Peay last weekend, dropping the game 49-34 and falling to 1-1 in OVC play. Turnovers were the main issue for the Tigers on Saturday, as they recorded four fumbles and threw one interception. Their opponent, APSU, surrendered zero turnovers on its end.
Although the Tigers left Clarksville with a loss, the offense showed signs of hope as junior quarterback Demry Croft connected with junior wide receiver Chris Rowland for three touchdowns.
The Racers will need strong play in all aspects of their game this weekend if they wish to hand TSU their second consecutive loss.
Sophomore cornerback Cortez Roberts knows the Racers can’t be complacent with their previous success.
“We just gotta take care of business and move forward,” Roberts said. “Don’t get too satisfied with where we’re at; its good to be 2-0, but we want to keep the process in our tank. We have a lot of errors to clean up and we haven’t played the best Murray State football yet. We know what we’re capable of.”
Stewart’s main objective in preparation for TSU is making sure his team doesn’t get lost in recent success.
“I’m letting the offensive coaches worry about third downs, the red zone and the goal line,” Stewart said. “My main focus is to think about ways to shield these guys from that. I want them to understand from a mental standpoint that it’s always going to come back to the work. If we can continue to do that then good things will continue to happen.”
Murray State will host Tennessee State at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 13 at Roy Stewart Stadium.
