Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
Valparaiso
Racers to Host Beacons for Family Weekend, Salute to Service
9/11/2026 11:18:00 AM | Football
Murray State looks for its first win of the season against PFL opponent Valparaiso
Date (Time): Saturday, Sept. 12 (6 p.m. CDT)
Opponent: Valparaiso Beacons
Location (Venue): Murray, Ky. (Rudolph Family Field at Roy Stewart Stadium)
Streaming: ESPN+
Live Stats: GoRacers.com
The Murray State Racers (0-2) host the Valparaiso Beacons (1-0) for the first time since 2003 on Saturday night at Rudolph Family Field at Roy Stewart Stadium in Murray, Kentucky.
The Racers are coming off a 38-14 loss to Middle Tennessee in a rain-shortened contest that featured four hours and 15 minutes of delays. Murray State scored on a pair of rushing touchdowns by Tyrell Campbell and Jawaun Northington. Campbell got the Racers on the board after the defense forced a turnover on downs with 11:03 to go in the second quarter, capping a 9-play, 84-yard drive with a 46-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to 14-7. Northington added a 1-yard touchdown dive out of the wildcat formation in the third quarter to bring the score to 24-14.
Jayden Walker led the defense, as the Aberdeen, Mississippi, native recorded eight tackles and a tackle for loss. Dylan Rowsey added seven tackles, Rett Hemphill logged six tackles and one tackle for loss, and Ryan McCall recorded a pass breakup. Quarterback Jim Ogle finished 11 of 16 for 118 yards in relief of Collin Shannon. Campbell paced the rushing attack with 75 yards on eight carries, while Dimitri Howard led all receivers with 49 yards on three catches.
For the game, Murray State generated 275 total yards of offense, compiling 144 passing yards and 131 rushing yards. Middle Tennessee finished with 362 total yards, posting 218 passing yards and 144 on the ground. The Racers committed two turnovers on the night, while the defense forced one turnover on downs.
Matchup History
Murray State and Valparaiso have met once before, a 34-0 shutout win for the Racers in 2003 under head coach Joe Pannunzio in which Valparaiso managed just 45 yards of total offense. The shutout was the Racers' first since a 53-0 win over Kentucky Wesleyan on Nov. 20, 1999. Murray State's most recent shutout victory came on Sept. 2, 2021, in a 35-0 win over Mississippi Valley State.
Scouting the Beacons
Valparaiso head coach Andy Waddle is in his second season leading the program in Northwest Indiana after the Beacons went 2-10 in his debut season. Waddle arrived at Valparaiso after spending 12 seasons as head coach of the Marietta College Pioneers in the Division III Ohio Athletic Conference, where he compiled a 55-61 record with seven winning seasons over his final eight years.
Following a Week 1 bye, the Beacons enter Saturday's contest after opening their season with a 59-13 victory over NAIA opponent Lawrence Tech in Week 0. Quarterback Rowan Keefe completed 10 of 16 passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns in the win. Special teams provided the primary highlight for the Beacons, who returned three punts for touchdowns to tie an FCS single-game record. Following their matchup against the Racers, Valparaiso will face another Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) opponent, the Indiana State Sycamores.
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