By Matt Schabert, Morehead State Athletic Media Relations
MOREHEAD, Ky. – Putting together back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2002 and 2003 and finishing in the top two of the PFL for the second consecutive season, it was a season of bright moments and accolades for Morehead State football.
MSU concluded the campaign at 7-4, the most wins since 2015, and tied for second in the PFL with a 6-2 record, also the best conference win total since 2015.
The season solidified an upward rise for the program under ninth-year head coach Rob Tenyer. Below are the many awards, standouts and top stat rankings for the program in the fall of 2021 and in Tenyer’s career.
2021 Awards
– BJ Byrd (PFL Offensive Player of the Year)
– Vaughn Taylor, Jr. (PFL Defensive Player of the Year)
– BJ Byrd (Stats Perform Walter Payton Award Finalist)
– Vaughn Taylor, Jr. (Stats Perform Buck Buchanan Award Finalist)
– Cameron Barrett (First-Team CoSIDA Academic All-District II)
– Will Kirkendall III (Finalist for AFCA FCS Assistant Coach of the Year)
– 16 All-PFL Awards (6 on the First-Team for second consecutive season)
– Program-record 10 Academic All-PFL (Program-record 7 First-Team)
– Led PFL in home attendance for 8thconsecutive season
– 6 PFL Offensive, Defensive or Special Teams Player of the Week awards
2021 NCAA FCS Top 30 Team Stat Rankings (Ranked in 15 categories)
4th in Defensive Touchdowns (4)
5th in Red Zone Defense (.660)
6th in Passing Offense (335.5)
7th in least Fumbles Lost (3)
9th in Net Punting (40.8)
11th in Tackles For Loss (7.5/game)
12th in First Downs (259)
14th in 4th Down Conversion Defense (.343)
16th in 3rd Down Conversion Pct. (.440)
16th in Passes Intercepted (14)
19th in Total Offense (434.5)
22nd in Scoring Offense (32.7)
24th in Kickoff Return Defense (17.0)
27th in Sacks Allowed
30th in Turnovers Gained (20)
2021 NCAA FCS Top 30 Individual Stat Rankings (Ranked in 17 categories)
1st in Receptions Per Game – BJ Byrd(8.2) – Morehead State Single-Season Record
2nd in Receiving Yards (1,313) – Morehead State Single-Season Record
2nd in Receiving Yards Per Game (119.4) – Morehead State Single-Season Record
2nd in Tackles For Loss – Vaughn Taylor Jr. (23)
3rd in Receiving TDs – BJ Byrd (13) – Morehead State Single-Season Record
5th in Punting – Andrew Foster (45.7) – Morehead State Single-Season Record
6th in Passing Yards – Mark Pappas(3,446)
6th in Passing Yards Per Game – Mark Pappas (313.7)
8th in Passing TDs – Mark Pappas (28)
9th in Completions Per game – Mark Pappas (25.3)
9th in Total Offense – Mark Pappas (315.9)
15th in All-Purpose – BJ Byrd (127.6)
17th in Sacks – Vaughn Taylor Jr. (0.86)
18th in Points Responsible For – Mark Pappas (168)
18th in Total Tackles – Vincent Winey(106)
18th in Total Touchdowns – BJ Byrd (13)
19th in Points Responsible For Per Game – Mark Pappas (15.3)
22nd in Interceptions Per Game – Khiyree Keith (0.4)
2021 PFL Top 2 Team Stat Rankings (Ranked in 12 categories)
1st in Net Punting
1st in Passes Intercepted
1st in Tackles For Loss
1st in Turnovers Created
1st in 4th Down Conversion Defense
2nd in 3rd Down Conversion Pct.
2nd in 4th Down Conversion Pct.
2nd in First Downs
2nd in Least Fumbles Lost
2nd in Passing Offense
2nd in Red Zone Defense
2nd in Winning Pct.
2021 PFL Top 2 Individual Stat Rankings (Ranked in 14 categories)
1st in Receiving TDs – BJ Byrd
1st in Receiving Yards – BJ Byrd
1st in Receiving Yards Per Game – BJ Byrd
1st in Receptions Per Game – BJ Byrd
2nd in All-Purpose Yards – BJ Byrd
2nd in Completions Per Game – Mark Pappas
2nd in Passing TDs – Mark Pappas
2nd in Passing Yards – Mark Pappas
2nd in Passing Yards Per Game – Mark Pappas
2nd in Passing Yards Per Completion – Mark Pappas
2nd in Points Responsible For – Mark Pappas
2nd in Points Responsible For Per Game – Mark Pappas
2nd in Sacks – Vaughn Taylor Jr.
2nd in Total Offense – Mark Pappas
Accomplishments Under Rob Tenyer(2013-21)
41 – Wins (third most for head coach in program history)
372 – Total PFL Honor Roll Members (3.0 GPA or better for season)
74 – Program-record players with a 3.0 or better GPA (Spring 2021)
104 – Total All-PFL Awards
20 – Total First-Team All-PFL (6 is program record set in Spring 2021, Fall 2021)
17 – Total Second-Team All-PFL
67 – Total Honorable Mention All-PFL
31 – Total PFL Player of the Week Awards
35 – Total Academic All-PFL
15 – First-Team Academic All-PFL (7 is program record set in Fall 2021)
20 – Second-Team Academic All-PFL
10 – Program-Record 10 Academic All-PFL (Fall 2021)
2 – NACDA Most Improved Academic Progress Rate Awards (2014-15, 2017-18)
2 – CoSIDA Academic All-America Awards (Colt Briggs, 2016, 2017)
2 – CoSIDA Academic All-District Awards (Cameron Barrett, 2019, 2021)
2 – PFL Offensive Players of the Year (Austin Gahafer, 2015; BJ Byrd, Fall 2021)
1 – PFL Defensive Player of the Year (Vaughn Taylor Jr., Fall 2021)
2 – All-Americans (Brandon Barbee, Justin Grier)
Milo Austin – AFCA FCS Assistant Coach of the Year (2018)
Will Kirkendall III – AFCA FCS Assistant Coach of the Year Top 3 Finalist (Fall 2021)
20+ Records Set Since 2013
Highlighted Records
PFL Career Passing Yardage (at time of graduation) – Austin Gahafer
PFL Career Receptions – Jake Raymond
PFL Single-Season Punting Average – Andrew Foster
MSU Career Passing Yardage – Austin Gahafer
MSU Career Passes Completed – Austin Gahafer
MSU Career Passes Attempted – Austin Gahafer (Ranked Second in FCS History)
MSU Career TD Passes – Austin Gahafer
MSU Career Total Offense – Austin Gahafer
MSU Career Total Offensive Plays – Austin Gahafer
MSU Career Receptions – Jake Raymond
MSU Career Receiving Yards – Jake Raymond
MSU Career Most Consecutive PAT Kicks Made – Andrew Foster
MSU Career Tackles For Loss – Vaughn Taylor Jr.
MSU Single-Season Receptions – BJ Byrd
MSU Single-Season Receiving Yards – BJ Byrd
MSU Single-Season Receiving TDs – BJ Byrd
MSU Single-Season Receiving Yards Per Game – BJ Byrd
MSU Single-Season Punting Average – Andrew Foster
MSU Single-Game Passing Yardage – Austin Gahafer
MSU Single-Game Receiving TDs – BJ Byrd
MSU Single-Game Rushing Yardage – Trevor Jones
MSU Single-Game Total Tackles – Vincent Winey (also Ryan Bennett set previously in 2016)
MSU Single-Season Field Goals Made – Shavi Bash