Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
Youngstown State
11/6/2026 11:00:00 AM | Football
Murray State returns home after two-game road trip.
Date (Time): Saturday, Nov. 7 (1 p.m. CDT)
Opponent: Youngstown State Penguins
Location (Venue): Murray, Ky. (Rudolph Family Field at Roy Stewart Stadium)
Live Stats: GoRacers.com
MURRAY, Ky. — The Murray State Racers return home following a two-game road trip to face the No. 4 Youngstown State Penguins in a Missouri Valley Football Conference matchup at Rudolph Family Field at Roy Stewart Stadium.
The Racers (1-8, 0-5 MVFC) are seeking to snap a six-game losing streak and are one of two teams in the MVFC searching for their first conference win, alongside 0-5 Indiana State. Meanwhile, the Penguins (7-2, 5-1 MVFC) sit atop the conference standings as winners of five straight.
In last Saturday's game at Illinois State, the Racers managed to stay within striking distance of the No. 9 Redbirds for much of the afternoon before falling 35-14. Jawaun Northington got the Racers on the board early in the second quarter, lining up at fullback on third-and-3 and carrying the ball 42 yards to pay dirt. The Racers found the end zone again in the third quarter with a 9-play, 76-yard drive that was capped off by a 6-yard touchdown pass from Baxter Wright to Trey Firestone that made the score 21-14.
Jaxon Potter became the Racers' first 100-yard receiver of the season with a career-high 131 yards on 7 catches, and Dylan Rowsey led the defense with 11 total tackles and added an interception.
Potter's career day propelled him to the top of the team and seventh in the conference with 37 receptions on the season and a team-high 423 yards. After returning from injury, Collin Shannon leads the team with 724 yards through the air, while Shannon, Baxter Wright, and Jim Ogle each have 3 passing touchdowns this season. Following a season-high 11 tackles against the Redbirds, Dylan Rowsey has 73 total tackles on the season, moving his career total to 212 tackles as a Racer in just 2 seasons with the program. Another second-year transfer from Itawamba Community College, Jayden Walker, continues to be a problem for opposing offenses, sitting second in the MVFC with 11.5 tackles for loss and third in the conference with 5 sacks.
Scouting the Penguins
Since returning to where his coaching career got started in 2020, head coach Doug Phillips has amassed a 38-37 overall record with a winning record in 3 of the previous 4 seasons. Much of his success can be attributed to the development of 2025 Walter Payton Award winner Beau Brungard. The fifth-year quarterback features over 7,800 passing yards and 3,300 rushing yards in his career.
The Penguins are powered by the top-scoring offense in the MVFC, averaging 38.22 points per game while allowing just 23.67 per game. Cam Smith leads the defense with 58 tackles, while Ebony Curry adds 4.5 sacks and Darvens Tunis has 2 interceptions.
Up Next
The Racers are back on the road next week, traveling to Terre Haute, Ind., to face the Indiana State Sycamores on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 1 p.m. EST.
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