Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Missouri State

FB - Week 7

Grid Bears Set for Homecoming Scuffle with Murray State

October 17, 2023

Missouri State Bears (2-4, 1-2 MVFC) vs. Murray State Racers (2-4, 1-2 MVFC)
Date and Time Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023 | 2:02 p.m. (Central)
Location Robert W. Plaster Stadium (17,500) | Springfield, Mo.
Promotions Homecoming | White Out |  Rally Towel Giveaway (first 5,000 fans)
Tickets MissouriStateBears.com/tickets | (417) 836-7678 | Stadium Box Office Opens at 10 a.m  
Radio KWTO (101.3 FM) (Art Hains, Corey Riggs) | Bears Radio Network | Varsity App
Television MC-22 / ESPN+ (Don West, Tom Mast) | Watch
Tailgating / Pregame Tailgating & BearFest Village (Opens at 11:00 a.m.) 
Game Information Shop BearWear | Weather | FCS Top 25 Polls
Program Digital Program
Series Murray State leads 8-3  | Last Meeting: MSU 28, MUR 21 (9/16/17) | FInal Stats
Live Stats Live Stats
Game Notes Missouri State | Murray State | MVFC | MSU Media Guide
Follow Athletics Facebook | Athletics Twitter | Football Facebook | Football Twitter | Instagram |
Beard Weekly Presser | #MSUBears | #BearsUnite | #OutHitOut Hustle | @MoStateFootball

First and Ten
  • Missouri State returns to Robert W. Plaster Stadium this week for a homecoming showdown against Valley newcomer Murray State on Saturday at 2 p.m. (ESPN+). It will be the first time since 1985 the Bears have entertained the Racers on homecoming.
  • The Bears have won two straight homecoming games, including a convincing 64-14 win over Western Illinois last season (10/29/22). Missouri State owns a 21-20 record on homecoming in its Division I era (since 1982) in a campus tradition that dates back to 1921. 
  • After just two starts, MSU quarterback Jordan Pachot (Jr., Highland, Calif.) ranks 27th nationally in completion percentage (.800), 29th in passing yards per attempt (7.80) and 33rd in pass efficiency (139.0). He is coming off his first three-touchdown passing game in MSU's win at Western Illinois. He is 220 passing yards from 1,000, which would make this the first time in school history the Bears could boast two 1,000-yard passers in the same season.
  • Missouri State leads the MVFC and ranks 7th nationally in passing offense, racking up 299.7 yards per game through the air. MSU's passing game also ranks 14th in the FCS in pass efficiency (155.87) and 17th in yards per completion (13.73), the latter of which leads the MVFC.
  • Making a strong push for All-America honors, Raylen Sharpe (Jr., Allen, Texas) ranks 6th nationally in receptions per game (7.0) and 7th in receiving yards per game (92.6), both second in the MVFC. He has racked up 100+ receiving yards in 3 of 5 games this fall and had a 13-reception game (153 yards) in his last home outing two weeks ago. He also ranks 14th nationally in punt return average (12.8).
  • Bears safety Todric McGee (So., Wichita Kan.) now ranks 2nd in the MVFC in total tackles per game (9.5), which is 23rd nationally among all FCS defenders. McGee is also 18th nationally in solo stops per contest (5.7), which is also 2nd in The Valley. He is coming off 4 solo stops and an interception last week at Western Illinois.
  • Missouri State jumped back into the Top 25 of the MasseyRatings.com FCS performance list this week at No. 25. The Bears also rank No. 5 among all FCS teams in the Massey Strength of Schedule rankings.
  • Wide receiver Terique Owens (Sr., Pleasanton, Calif.) ranks 17th nationally in yards per reception (19.17), which ranks just behind NDSU's Eli Green (19.50) for the top position in the Missouri Valley. 
  • Behind All-America punter Grant Burkett (Jr., Joplin, Mo.), the Bears rank 7th nationally in net punting (41.61), which leads the MVFC, and 5th in punt return defense (1.0). Burkett is the FCS active career leader in punting average (43.9). His 42.24 punting average this season ranks 4th in the MVFC.  
  • Steven Ward (RSo., Nixa, Mo.) notched a 69-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown at WIU last week, Missouri State's first fumble return touchdown since Darius Joseph (27 yards) vs. Lincoln on 9/6/18.
  • Owen Rozanc (Sr., Sheffield Lake, Ohio) ranks 31st among all NCAA players in career field goals (41), converting 71% of his career three-point attempts (41-58) with a streak of 5 consecutive makes heading into this week's game. He ranks 18th nationally and 2nd in the MVFC in field goals per game (1.33) and has converted 37 consecutive PATs. He is the MVFC Newcomer of the Week after scoring 12 points in last week's win at WIU.
  • Missouri State's evolving defensive unit is coming off a tremendous effort at Western Illinois in which it registered 4 takeaways, 5.0 sacks and 11.0 tackles for loss. MSU ranks 3rd nationally in defensive touchdowns (2); 29th in interceptions (6); and 36th in tackles for loss per game (6.2).
  • MSU has posted balanced quarter scoring this season, registering 48 points in the first quarter, 47 in the second, 45 in the third and 45 in the fourth. MSU has outscored its foes by a 45-20 margin in the third quarter.
  • Jacardia Wright (Jr., Decatur, Ill.) is coming off a career-best 163 rushing yards at WIU on just 22 carries (7.4 ypc) with 2 touchdowns. He is MSU's first 150+ yard rusher since Kevon Latulas (162) at Dixie State, 11/20/21.
  • MoState ranks 32nd among all FCS clubs in home attendance average this season (9,865).
       
Coach Ryan Beard
  • Missouri State University officially presented Ryan Beard as its new head football coach on Dec. 19, 2022 during a news conference in Great Southern Bank Arena on the Springfield campus.
  • At 34, Beard is the program's youngest head coach on record and is the 22nd person to hold the football Bears' top coaching position. His elevation to head coach came on the heels of three seasons as MSU's defensive coordinator (2020-22) under former head coach Bobby Petrino.
  • Beard has played a significant role in Missouri State's resurgence on the gridiron, managing a defensive unit that has boasted 18 all-conference selections, four All-Americans and three professional players in his tenure at MoState.
  • In his first campaign in Springfield in 2020-21, Beard and his defensive unit broke the program record for sacks with 27, created 15 turnovers, and held every Missouri Valley Football Conference foe under 30 points for the first time since 1989. His inaugural season at MSU culminated in five all-conference selections, while the Bears captured a share of the MVFC championship and earned an NCAA playoff berth.
  • As an encore effort in 2021, Beard's second year with the program saw the Bears top the club sack record again (30) while racking up 25 takeaways and securing 15 interceptions. In addition to making a second straight NCAA playoff appearance in 2021, MSU finished in sole possession of second place in the rugged Missouri Valley Football Conference, ranked ninth nationally in turnovers gained and finished 14th in interceptions per game. The 2021 Bears also boasted five all-conference players on the defensive side of the ball while Bears' defensive lineman Eric Johnson was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
  • The 2022 Bears defense gave up just 15.8 points per game over their last four games with defensive end Kevin Ellis leading the nation in fumble recoveries, and four MSU defenders earning all-conference laurels. Five-time All-MVFC pick Montrae Braswell signed a free agent deal with the Seattle Seahawks.
  • Before coming to Missouri State, Beard spent the 2019 season at Central Michigan as the special teams and safeties coach for head coach Jim McElwain. He joined the Central Michigan staff in February of 2019 and helped lead the Chippewas to an 8-6 campaign on a defensive secondary that created 13 interceptions.
  • Beard served as an assistant at Louisville during the 2017 and 2018 seasons, starting as the defensive backs coach and in quality control before moving on to become the Cardinals' linebackers coach and their co-special teams coordinator. As the defensive backs coach at Western Kentucky in 2016, Beard helped lead the Hilltoppers to the Conference USA championship and a win in the Boca Raton Bowl.
  • Beard was a standout defensive back at Western Kentucky himself from 2007-11. He was a two-time All-Sun Belt Conference selection and was named to the league's All-Freshman squad and its All-Academic team. In 2011, he earned the Western Kentucky Iron Man Award.
  • A native of Bowling Green, Ky., Beard was a four-year letterwinner at Bowling Green High for coach Kevin Wallace, where his efforts helped the Purples advance to the state 3A championship contest each of his last two years.
  • Beard holds two degrees from Western Kentucky: a bachelor of science in Business Management (2012), and a master of science in Recreation and Sport Administration (2014).
  • He is married to the former Katie Petrino. The couple have four children with son Beau and daughter Lainey, in addition to twins Jacob and Kailey born in the spring of 2022.

Series History
  • Murray State leads the all-time series, 8-3, in a series that dates back to 1942 and includes six games between the clubs since 2009. Missouri State has won the last two meetings and is 2-2 all-time at Plaster Stadium against the Racers. 
  • Two meetings ago (9/10/16), Missouri State built an 11-point first-half lead behind three Breck Ruddick touchdown passes, then used a stingy defensive effort to hold off Murray State for a 28-22 win at Roy Stewart Stadium. Ruddick turned in 21 completions and 295 total passing yards. After the Racers turned up their own defensive pressure in the second half and used a KD Humphries TD toss to pull to within two points, the Bears turned the lights out on their first road win in nearly two years with a pair of takeaways, as well as a 16-yard Calan Crowder scoring run that sealed the deal with just over six minutes to play. Dylan Cole registered a game-high 14 tackles and forced two turnovers to highlight MoState's defensive gem.
  • In the most-recent meeting (9/16/17), Crowder's two-yard touchdown run with 1:53 left in regulation and a strong defensive effort helped deliver a 28-21 Missouri State victory at Plaster Stadium. Crowder rushed for 104 yards on 15 carries in the Bears' first win of 2017, capped the decisive 44-yard scoring drive with a short plunge into the end zone after Deion Holliman's 29-yard punt return put the Bears inside Murray State territory with 5:16 to play. Holliman finished the day with 149 all-purpose yards. MoState's defense forced a punt or turnover on nine of Murray's last 11 offensive possessions. MSU's go-ahead scoring drive was set up by Huslig, who found Earl two times for a total of 21 yards, and Crowder whose runs of six, seven and 29 yards set up the go-ahead score. FINAL STATS
     
Print Friendly Version

Sponsors