Story by Keith Jaco
Staff Writer
Murray State failed to spoil Tennessee Tech’s homecoming, dropping their second consecutive OVC matchup by a score of 27-24.
The Racers struggled to play disciplined football on Saturday afternoon, surrendering 12 penalties for 70 yards, with multiple calls halting offensive production.
Senior quarterback Drew Anderson was frustrated with his team’s execution on offense.
“We started too slow,” Anderson said. “Our defense kept us in it. The offense had its chances, but we just made too many mistakes.”
Tennessee Tech took command early, scoring on its first two drives and taking a 14-0 lead midway through the first quarter. The Racers bounced back with a touchdown of their own on a four-yard rush by Anderson.
Heading into the half, the Racers had their work cut out for them, trailing the Golden Eagles 17-7.
Following a 30-yard field goal from senior kicker Gabriel Vicente, the Racers and Golden Eagles traded touchdowns, leaving the Racers behind seven heading into the fourth quarter.
Troubles getting into the endzone continued into the fourth quarter, as Murray State failed to mount a comeback and fell short by a field goal.
Head Coach Mitch Stewart appreciated his team’s fight and took blame for the loss.
“We fought at the end, but ultimately we were our own demise,” Stewart said. “This was my fault. I didn’t prepare them enough to play and we just ended up with too many mistakes.”
Going forward, the Racers will have to lock down and tighten up all aspects of their game if they plan on continuing on an OVC Championship run.
Stewart is ready to go to work on the final two weeks of the season.
“We gotta play our butts off and go get better,” Stewart said. “There’s an awful lot of football ahead of us. We have to regroup, come together and look at what beat us and get an ego check at the door when we come in Monday. We have to put this behind us and come back ready to play next week.”
Murray State will be back at home next weekend as they face off against Southeast Missouri State at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 10, at Roy Stewart Stadium.
