With a record of 0-4, the Racers open conference play on Saturday, Oct. 4, on the road against South Dakota. Week five was Murray State’s bye week, which head coach Jody Wright expressed has been an opportunity to challenge the players.
“We basically started back during the bye week, tried to do a lot of fundamentals and challenged the guys to show us what can you show us to help us,” Wright said at the press conference held on Monday, Sept. 29. “So we got a lot of reps with the young guys, just, who can block, who can tackle, who can do something with the ball in their hand and who can keep people from doing something with the ball in their hand.”
The South Dakota Coyotes defeated the Racers 59-0 at the Roy Stewart Stadium on Oct. 5, 2024. In this game, the Coyotes didn’t allow the Racers to score, and on the other hand, they scored eight touchdowns and a field goal.
“Last year I thought they dominated us as bad as I’ve ever been dominated in a football game in all three phases,” Wright said. “So, we’ve got a great challenge.”
South Dakota went on to win their first-ever Missouri Valley Conference Football championship title last season, and finished with a record of 11-3. This season, the Coyotes have a record of 2-3 heading into the conference match up with Murray State.
The Murray State Racers have averaged 18.0 points per game in the four games they have played. South Dakota has averaged 19.8 points in their five games played.
For the Racers, graduate student quarterback Jim Ogle is leading the team in passing yards, with 748, and senior running back Jawuan Northington leads in rushing yards with 200. Northington is also leading in touchdowns this season, with three rushing touchdowns scored. Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Darius Cannon leads the team in receiving yards with 219 yards on 30 receptions. Ogle, Northington and Cannon are all healthy and will be playing in Saturday’s game against South Dakota.
Northington is a player that Wright and the entire football program relies on, and Wright spoke on the type of player he is in Monday’s press conference.
“Jawuan, I can’t say enough about him, as a person,” Wright said. “(He) comes to work everyday (with) a great attitude. He’s a guy that ever since I was hired from day one he’s kind of been the standard bell cow, I would say, for work ethic, attitude.”
Although the upperclassmen have shown their skill and determination this season, Wright sang his praises for the Racer freshman.
“Of course you’ve got freshman just showing up, a lot of guys that are in our two deep are true freshman,” Wright said. “I can’t say enough about these young men. They come to work every day fighting, they’re proud to put on the Murray State uniform.”
Redshirt freshman linebacker Conlee Crossno has been a key part of the Racers defense this season. Crossno scored the first and only touchdown in Murray State’s last game against Jacksonville State. Along with this impressive touchdown, Crossno has one sack and eight tackles in the Racers four games played.
“A guy who was literally a scout team quarterback this time last year is now our starting linebacker,” Wright said about Crossno. “Just a gutsy guy that gives you everything he’s got every play. He’ll cover a kick, play out (in) space, to blitz, whatever you ask him to do, he’s going to do it wide open.”
In the post game press conference on Sept. 6, Crossno talked about how he does whatever he needs to do for the team.
“There’s a lot of popping on that field,” Crossno said. “I try to bring myself into every situation I can.”
Wright expressed lots of gratitude for his team’s moral strength and drive to succeed, but he also explained how at some point the physical determination to win has to match the emotional drive.
“We’ve got to get some wins,” Wright said. “I tell them all week there’s a reason there’s a scoreboard at the other end of the field and they keep points and we got to find a way to have more points when that last horn sounds than the other team. I tell them every week, nobody’s gonna feel sorry for us in this conference, nobody’s gonna care how young we are, nobody’s gonna care (about) the injuries we have, it’s a black and blue conference and they’re looking to black and blue you every week.”
