Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
South Dakota State
10/23/2026 8:49:00 AM | Football
Murray State taking on Jackrabbits a week after facing Coyotes
Date (Time): Saturday, Oct. 24 (2 p.m. CDT)
Opponent: South Dakota State Jackrabbits
Location (Venue): Brookings, S.D. (Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium)
Live Stats: GoRacers.com
MURRAY, Ky. — The Murray State Racers (1-6, 0-3 MVFC) are taking to the road to face off against the No. 5 South Dakota State Jackrabbits (5-2, 2-1 MVFC) in a Missouri Valley Football Conference game on Saturday at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings, S.D.
With both teams coming off conference losses, the Jackrabbits are fourth in the MVFC standings after falling to North Dakota. Meanwhile, the Racers are at the bottom of the MVFC standings, still seeking their first conference win of the 2026 season.
In last week's Homecoming loss to South Dakota, the Racers struck first, benefiting from an early first-quarter interception by preseason All-American selection Dylan Rowsey. The senior picked off Coyotes quarterback Austyn Modrzewski on the opening drive of the game, and the Murray State offense rewarded his efforts with an 8-play, 80-yard drive that ended with an 11-yard pass from Baxter Wright to Dimitri Howard for an early 7-0 lead. After South Dakota took a 14-7 lead, the Racers tied the game with another long drive with just 2:14 left in the first half. The Racers went on an 8-play, 75-yard drive, highlighted by a 45-yard carry by Dimitri Howard. Baxter Wright capped off the drive with his second touchdown pass of the first half, hitting Malachi Williams for the first touchdown of the fifth-year player's career and tying the game 14-14. The Racer offense did not put points on the board again until Collin Shannon drove the Racers 71 yards in 10 plays before hitting Trey Firestone from 20 yards out to cut the deficit to 41-20 before the Racers ultimately fell 48-20.
The Racers ended the game with 351 total yards, including 206 yards through the air and 145 on the ground. Rett Hemphill led the Racers on defense with a career-high 18 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss, while Dylan Rowsey stuffed the stat sheet with 8 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and an interception.
Sophomore Dimitri Howard has proven himself to be a versatile weapon, leading the team in several statistical categories. The Birmingham, Ala., native is fourth in the MVFC with 685 all-purpose yards, and leads the team with 325 kick return yards and 240 receiving yards, while adding 93 rushing yards and 2 receiving touchdowns. The Murray State ground game features several contributors, with Tyrell Campbell leading in yards with 286 and Mykel Allen leading the team with 3 touchdowns. Fifth-year Jawaun Northington adds 2 rushing touchdowns, and quarterback Baxter Wright has 1. The passing game has also featured several contributors, as 3 different quarterbacks have multiple passing touchdowns this season. Collin Shannon leads the team with 555 yards through the air, while he and Jim Ogle have 3 touchdowns each, and Baxter Wright adds 141 yards and 2 touchdowns. Jaxon Potter leads the team with 25 receptions and joins Dimitri Howard and Trey Firestone with 2 touchdown catches.
On the opposite side of the ball, Dylan Rowsey and Rett Hemphill are tied for third in the MVFC with 54 tackles to lead the team, while Jayden Walker has been the most consistent backfield threat, featuring 9 tackles for loss and 3 sacks. Rowsey joins Brooks Esplin as one of the only Racer defenders with an interception this year, and joins Walker, Cedric Henderson, and Conlee Crossno with a forced fumble.
Scouting the Jackrabbits
Second-year head coach Dan Jackson features a 14-7 record as the head man at his alma mater, after taking the Jackrabbits to the second round of the FCS playoffs in his first season. The 2026 Jackrabbits are anchored by the No. 1 scoring defense in the MVFC, allowing just 16.71 points per game. The SDSU offense leads the MVFC with an average of 478.29 yards per game and features the top rushing offense in the conference, with 1,908 rushing yards on the season.
Josiah Johnson leads the MVFC with 734 rushing yards on the season and is second in the conference with 7 rushing touchdowns. Much like the Racers, the Jacks have seen several quarterbacks contribute this season, as Chase Mason and Josh Holst both have 4 passing touchdowns this season. Jes Krcil leads the defense with 48 tackles and adds 3.5 tackles for loss, while Cullen McShane leads the team with 4 tackles for loss and 2 sacks. The Jacks' defense has 3 interceptions by 3 different players throughout the season.
Up Next
The Racers stay on the road next weekend for a Halloween matchup at Illinois State at 1 p.m. CDT on Saturday, Oct. 31.
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