Story by Keith Jaco
Staff writer
In a season full of ups and downs, the Murray State Racer football team strung together a winning streak, an improbable comeback and came within two games of a share of the conference championship.
The Racers finished the season 5-6 overall with a 5-3 record in OVC play, earning them fourth-place honors following an eighth-place OVC preseason prediction.
Following a shaky start in non-conference play, Murray State engineered an impressive four-game winning streak, knocking off OVC foes UT Martin, Eastern Illinois, Tennessee State and Eastern Kentucky.
Heading into homecoming weekend on a 4-0 OVC start, the Racers were tasked with a season-defining matchup with the Jacksonville State Gamecocks. After going to battle for three quarters, mistakes and missed opportunities overtook the Racers, leading to a 42-15 defeat and their first conference loss.
The Racers entered week 9 with a chance at an OVC co-championship still in sight as they headed to Cookeville, Tennessee for a matchup with Tennessee Tech. Faulty offensive line play paired with costly interceptions from senior quarterback, Drew Anderson gave way to another OVC loss for the Racers, as they fell late 27-24.
Murray State did the impossible as it returned home in week 10 to face off against Southeast Missouri State. The Racers overcame a 31-0 deficit, climbing back to take the lead with only 1:42 left in the fourth. The Redhawks responded by taking back command of the lead on a quick seven play, 64-yard drive, leaving just 20 seconds for the Racers to work with.
Malik Honeycutt returned the ensuing Redhawk kickoff 79 yards to secure the Murray State victory and send SEMO home empty handed.
The Racers hit the road in the final week of the season for a chance at knocking off Austin Peay in the annual “Battle at the Border.” Another close contest slipped through Murray State’s hands as the Racers lost a tight battle 48-23, after being outscored by the Governors 20-0 in the fourth quarter.
Head Coach Mitch Stewart was extremely pleased with how this season turned out for the Racers.
“Overall, this season was a big step in the right direction,” Stewart said. “I’m very proud of the work all of those seniors did. It meant a great deal to not only this program, but me and my family personally. I’m also really proud for those guys to get the feeling that they cemented the first block in our process. They’ve left quite the roadmap for the guys coming through here.”
The Racers finished with six individuals being named to one of two All-OVC teams, five of which landed on the first team. Senior linebacker Quincy Williams, senior defensive lineman Kenney Wooten, senior kicker Gabriel Vicente, freshman punter Steve Dawson and junior return specialist Malik Honeycutt all received first team honors. Anderson followed closely behind, being named to the second team.
Williams led the Racer defense with 111 total tackles and tied for the lead in interceptions and forced fumbles, collecting two of each.
Following a season of exciting play and improvement, Williams was reminiscent of the opportunity Murray State offered him.
“When I came out of high school, I was a big factor but my grades weren’t good enough,” Williams said. “Murray State gave me a chance and my goal was to leave a big impact on this team. The family aspect along with Murray being a really friendly city helped me decide to come here.”
Heading into the offseason, Stewart and his staff will be right back at work as they look to bolster their roster through recruitment, as well as work with returning players.
“2019 starts right now,” Stewart said. “I’m super excited to get started on this next season with these new guys and the guys we have coming back. We won’t lose a ton, so we aren’t going to go reaching. If we don’t feel like they’re a good fit or that they won’t play right now then we won’t reach.”
The Racers open the 2019 season on Saturday, Sept. 7, as they travel to Athens, Georgia for a matchup with the University of Georgia Bulldogs.
