By Matt Schabert, Morehead State Athletic Media Relations
GAME NOTES (PDF) | ESPN3 | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS | TICKETS | TAILGATE ZONE PASSES (PDF)
MOREHEAD, Ky. — The marquee matchup in the Pioneer Football League takes place at Jayne Stadium Saturday at 2 p.m. ET when unbeaten Davidson and the unblemished Eagles square off for first place.
Morehead State’s 4-0 stature in the PFL is the first time since 2002 and only the second time ever to start 4-0 in the PFL after beginning play in this conference in 2001. MSU’s current four-game winning streak is the first four-game success streak since 2005 and just the third time since joining the PFL that the Eagles have put together at least a four-game streak (longest was 7 in 2003).
Davidson has won two straight in the series, but the Eagles still lead the all-time matchups 14-8 and are 9-3 against Davidson all-time at home.
The game will air live on ESPN3 with Tanner Hesterberg, Ted McCoart and Elle Howard. It can be heard on the Eagle Sports Radio Network with WIVY-96.3 FM serving as flagship station. Chuck Mraz, Jason Blanton and Tom Lewis provide the radio call. Fans can also hear it on MSUEagles.com, WGOH-110.9 FM/1370 AM and WMST-106.9 FM/1150 AM.
THE SERIES
Record vs. Davidson: 14-8
First Meeting: 1999 (MOR won 40-0)
Last Meeting: 3/27/21 (DAV won 24-21 at Davidson)
Record in Morehead: 9-3
Record in Davidson: 5-5
GAME NOTES• Morehead State had generated six consecutive games with 400+ yards of total offense. It’s the first time since reeling off nine straight of 400+ in 2016. MSU ranks 1tth in the FCS in total offense (454.1).
• The Eagles rank 11th in the FCS in scoring offense at 35.4 per game and seventh nationally in third down conversion rate at 48 percent. MSU also is in the top 10 (8th) in first downs (179).
• Defensive end Vaughn Taylor, Jr., ranks second among all FCS players with 16 tackles for loss, only behind the 17 of the leader. Taylor, Jr, holds the program career record with 53 tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
• Graduate student QB Mark Pappas has moved up to sixth place in career passing yards (6,057) in program history, passing former greats Phil Simms and David Dinkins. He is just one of six QBs in program history to eclipse 6,000 yards. Pappas has been named PFL Offensive Player of the Week twice this season. He ranks sixth in the nation in TDs (19) and eighth in total passing (2,160).
• Senior WR BJ Byrd is ranked second in all of FCS football in touchdowns (9) and catches per game (8.6). He also ranks fifth among FCS receivers in yards (764) and yards per game (109.1). His yards per game would set the MSU single-season record if it holds up. In only 14 career MSU games, Byrd has 1,231 yards and 17 touchdowns and has only not scored in three of those contests. He has five 100-yard games just this fall.
• Byrd only needs 261 more yards this season to set the program’s single-season record for receiving yards. The record is 1,024 by Donte Sawyer in 2012.
• Against Butler, running backs Earl Stoudemire (career high 148 yards) and Issiah Aguero (107) became the first two backs since Logan Holbrook and Roberto London in 2017 to both achieve 100-yard rushing totals in the same game.
• Defensive back Khiyree Keith has secured an interception in three consecutive games after earning two pickoffs in the spring season.
• Defensive back Cooper Krezek leads the Eagles with 47 tackles and also leads the team with seven pass breakups.
• Morehead State’s 323 rushing yards versus Butler was the most for the program in a single game since Sept. 8, 2018. It also marked the first game since Oct. 12, 2019 (at Jacksonville) that MSU had more rushing yards than passing yards.