Murray State University Athletics
11/14/2026 5:50:00 PM | Football
Murray State defeats Indiana State 44-14
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — Jaxon Potter caught 11 passes for 228 yards and scored 2 touchdowns in a dominant 44-14 Murray State win over Missouri Valley Football Conference opponent Indiana State on Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium.
Potter's 228 yards are the second-most in a single game in Murray State history and helped the Racers (2-9, 1-6 MVFC) capture their first MVFC win of the season over the Sycamores (2-9, 0-7 MVFC).
After both teams failed to score on the opening possessions of the game, Potter set the tone for the afternoon, scoring on the longest passing play in Murray State history, a 96-yard touchdown that saw the sophomore go 90 yards after the catch for an early lead. Later in the first quarter, the Sycamores struck back with a long touchdown of their own as Zechariah Prince tied the game 7-7 with a 73-yard touchdown run.
The Racers took the lead in the second quarter with an 11-play, 75-yard drive that was capped off with the second touchdown from Collin Shannon to Potter, this time from 15 yards out. Later in the quarter, Dimitri Howard capped off a 6-play, 47-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown run on a reverse to extend the lead to 21-7. The Sycamores struck back late in the quarter, returning a missed 53-yard field goal attempt 100 yards to end the half with a score of 21-14.
Murray State retook the momentum in the third quarter with another pair of touchdowns. The first one came after the Racers took possession on the Indiana State 2-yard line courtesy of a punt blocked by Joshua Crawford. One play later, Jawaun Northington punched it in from 2 yards out to push the lead back to 2 touchdowns. Another Indiana State miscue gave Murray State the ball in Sycamore territory when Dominic Girard picked off Brock Riddle at the MSU 39-yard line. Six plays later, Collin Shannon hit Trey Firestone from 5 yards out to give the Racers a 34-14 lead entering the final quarter.
On the opening drive of the fourth quarter, Rocco Devita hit his first career field goal from 25 yards out to increase the lead to 37-14. The Racers took the ball back on their own 1-yard line with 10:27 on the clock. They embarked on a 14-play, 99-yard drive that took 6:48 off the clock before Baxter Wright ran it in from 21 yards out for 1 more touchdown that made it 44-14. After an Indiana State drive came up short late in the fourth quarter, the Racers knelt out the clock to claim their first MVFC win of the 2026 season.
The Racers' 577 yards of total offense were the most of the Jody Wright era, while the defense held the Sycamores to just 140 yards of total offense, 7 first downs, 1 third down conversion, and 0 red-zone appearances.. The Murray State attack was balanced, with 215 yards on the ground and 362 yards through the air. Jawaun Northington led the way on the ground, with 103 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries, while Baxter Wright added 39 yards and a touchdown. Dylan Embry had 25 yards, and Dimitri Howard had 21 yards and a touchdown on 2 carries.
Collin Shannon went 25-of-33 for 355 yards and 3 touchdowns, while Baxter Wright had 7 yards on 2 completions. Jaxon Potter ended his historic day with the second-most receiving yards in Racer history, with 228 yards and 2 touchdowns. Trey Firestone added 86 yards and a touchdown on 7 catches.
Ryan McCall continued his strong stretch over the last two games, putting up 9 tackles with 4 solo tackles and a career-high 3 sacks. Duke Condie had a career-high 5 tackles, while Tay Cline had 4 tackles with 2 tackles for loss, and Jayden Walker and Rett Hemphill each had 0.5 sacks. Freshman Dominic Girard had the first interception of his career.
Up Next
The Racers will wrap up the 2026 season at home against the Northern Iowa Panthers on Saturday, Nov. 21, at 1 p.m. CST with Senior Day festivities preceding kickoff.
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).
Players Mentioned
Team Stats

MUR 7, INS 0
MUR - Potter,Jaxon 96 yd pass from Shannon,Collin (Dorn,Tyler kick) 1 plays, 96 yards, TOP 00:14

MUR 7, INS 7
INS - Prince,Zechariah 73 yd run (Lopez,Sebastian kick), 1 plays, 73 yards, TOP 00:11

MUR 14, INS 7
MUR - Potter,Jaxon 15 yd pass from Shannon,Collin (Dorn,Tyler kick) 11 plays, 75 yards, TOP 05:35

MUR 21, INS 7
MUR - Howard,Dimitri 10 yd run (Dorn,Tyler kick), 6 plays, 47 yards, TOP 02:31

MUR 21, INS 14
INS - Wuest,BJ 100 yd blocked field goal return (Lopez,Sebastian kick)

MUR 28, INS 14
MUR - Northington,Jawaun 2 yd run (Dorn,Tyler kick), 1 plays, 2 yards, TOP 00:04

MUR 34, INS 14
MUR - Firestone,Trey 5 yd pass from Shannon,Collin () 6 plays, 39 yards, TOP 02:19

MUR 37, INS 14
MUR - Devita,Rocco 25 yd field goal 8 plays, 33 yards, TOP 02:44

MUR 44, INS 14
MUR - Wright,Baxter 21 yd run (Devita,Rocco kick), 14 plays, 99 yards, TOP 06:48























