Racers Surge Early in Loss to Salukis

Saturday, September 26

Murray, Ky.

6 p.m.

Murray State

1-4 , 0-1

Southern Illinois

3-2 , 1-0

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Southern Ill.	6	23	7	10	46
Murray St.	6	0	0	0	6

Box Score (PDF)

Photo by: David Eaton-Murray State Athletics

9/26/2026 10:56:00 PM | Football

Box Score

Murray State drops MVFC opener.

By: Charlie Williams

The Murray State Racers (1-4, 0-1 MVFC) fell to the Southern Illinois Salukis (3-2, 1-0 MVFC) 46-6 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference opener for both teams at Rudolph Family Field at Roy Stewart Stadium in Murray, Ky.

Murray State opened the game with a bang as Jim Ogle completed an 11-yard pass to Trey Firestone on the opening play of the game, kicking off an 11-play, 75-yard drive that culminated in a touchdown from Ogle to Jaxon Potter. Southern Illinois scored on a pair of field goals, tying the game 6-6 at the close of the first quarter.

The Southern Illinois offense came to life in the following quarter, putting up 3 touchdowns and a field goal to take a 29-6 lead into the half.

It was all Salukis in the second half as they scored on the opening drive on a 75-yard connection from DJ Williams to Markell Quick. They added another touchdown and a field goal in the fourth quarter to secure a 46-6 win.

The Racers were outgained 459-190 as the Salukis had 229 rushing yards and 230 passing yards, while the Racers had 103 yards on the ground and 87 through the air.

Jim Ogle went 8-of-16 for 77 yards with a touchdown and 2 interceptions, and freshman Blaze Berry went 2-of-5 for 10 yards in his first action for the Racers. Mykel Allen led the way on the ground with 12 carries for 48 yards, while Jawaun Northington had 42 yards on 5 carries with a long of 28. Trey Firestone had 3 catches for 39 yards, and Jaxon Potter had 4 catches for 26 yards and the lone touchdown of the day.

Conlee Crossno led the Racers on defense with 9 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, a forced fumble, and a pass breakup. Rett Hemphill had 8 tackles, while Tay Cline had 7 tackles and a pass breakup, and Dylan Rowsey had 7 of his own in addition to a 20-yard return on a fumble recovery. Jayden Walker added 2 tackles for loss, including the Racers' only sack of the night.

Up Next
The Racers return to action on the road at No. 7 North Dakota for a 1 p.m. CDT game in Grand Forks, N.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).