Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
South Dakota
Racers Welcome Coyotes to Murray for Homecoming
10/16/2026 9:30:00 AM | Football
Murray State to host No. 9 South Dakota
Date (Time): Saturday, Oct. 17 (4 p.m. CDT)
Opponent: South Dakota Coyotes
Location (Venue): Murray, Ky. (Rudolph Family Field at Roy Stewart Stadium)
Streaming: ESPN+
Live Stats: GoRacers.com
MURRAY, Ky. — The Murray State Racers (1-5, 0-2 MVFC) are set to host the No. 9 South Dakota Coyotes (5-2, 2-1 MVFC) for a homecoming matchup at Rudolph Family Field at Roy Stewart Stadium on Saturday.
Featuring wins over Indiana State and Southern Illinois, and a loss to Youngstown State, the Coyotes are fifth in the Missouri Valley Football Conference standings. Meanwhile, the Racers are at the bottom of the conference standings, still seeking their first MVFC win of the season.
While the Racers are coming off a bye week, in their most recent matchup the navy & gold stormed out to a 21-0 lead on No. 5 North Dakota before ultimately coming up short on the road. The Racers finished the game with 266 total yards of offense, and a season-high 28 points with 121 on the ground and 145 through the air. Tyrell Campbell led the team in rushing yards with 51, while Mykel Allen added 41 yards and 2 touchdowns. Quarterback Baxter Wright had 14 yards on 10 carries and went 8-of-11 for 80 yards through the air. Jim Ogle went 3-of-5 for 65 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in relief. Dylan Rowsey highlighted the Racers' defensive effort with 11 total tackles and a forced fumble, while Ryan McCall had 7 tackles, and Tay Cline had 6. Jayden Walker had 5 total tackles, including 3 for loss.
The Murray State offense has been led by three different starting quarterbacks through the season, with Collin Shannon, Jim Ogle, and Baxter Wright each taking snaps. Ogle leads the team with 412 yards through the air and 3 touchdowns, while Shannon has 405 passing yards and 2 touchdowns, and Wright has 85 passing yards. Tyrell Campbell leads the team with 279 yards on the ground and adds 2 rushing touchdowns and 91 receiving yards. Mykel Allen and Jawaun Northington add to a deep running back room, as Allen has 234 yards on the ground and 3 touchdowns, and Northington adds 2 rushing scores as well. Sophomore Jaxon Potter leads the team with 19 receptions and features 160 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns, while his fellow sophomore Dimitri Howard leads the team in several categories with 574 all-purpose yards, 320 kick return yards, and 215 receiving yards.
On the defensive side of the ball, preseason All-American Dylan Rowsey leads the team with 46 tackles and 24 solo tackles, while adding a broken-up pass, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. Jayden Walker has been the most consistent pass rusher for the Racer defense, leading the team and the MVFC with 9 tackles for loss and 3 sacks on 26 total tackles. Brooks Esplin has the Racers' lone interception of the season, while Conlee Crossno, Cedric Henderson, Walker, and Rowsey each have a forced fumble.
Return of the Champs
During Saturday's homecoming festivities, Murray State will honor the 1986 and 1996 Murray State football teams. Both squads finished their seasons as Ohio Valley Conference champions and appeared in the NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs. The 1986 team was led by head coach Frank Beamer in his sixth and final season with the Racers and finished the season with a 7-4-1 record that included a 5-game winning streak to end the regular season. The 1996 season was Houston Nutt's fourth leading the Racers as the Racers finished 11-2 with a perfect 8-0 record in the OVC before reaching the NCAA Division I-AA quarterfinals.
Scouting the Coyotes
In his first season at the helm at South Dakota, head coach Matt Vitzthum has led the Coyotes to a 5-2 record. Prior to taking the head coaching position, Vitzthum spent two seasons as an assistant in Vermillion after spending 11 years at Division II Grand Valley State as an assistant coach.
The Coyotes are coming off a ranked win against Southern Illinois that saw the offense put up 486 yards, with Charles Pierre Jr. putting up over 130 yards on the ground and Austyn Modrzewski going 16-of-20 for 268 yards through the air. Pierre Jr. is second in the MVFC with 585 yards on the ground and 7 touchdowns, while Modrzewski has 1,581 passing yards and 19 touchdowns with 5 interceptions on the season. On the other side of the ball, Wade Abrams leads the team and the conference with 61 total tackles and 36 solo tackles.
Up Next
Following their matchup with the Coyotes, the Racers hit the road to face the No. 1 South Dakota State Jackrabbits on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 2 p.m. CDT in Brookings, S.D.
Follow the Racers on X (@MSURacers), Instagram (@RacersAthletics), and Facebook to stay up-to-date on Murray State Athletics. Follow Murray State football on X and Instagram (@Racersfootball).
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