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Missouri State

Game 10 Graphic

Murray State Up Next for No. 15 Football Bears

November 05, 2024

Game 10 - #15 Missouri State Bears (7-2, 5-0 MVFC) at Murray State Racers (1-8, 0-6 MVFC)
Date and Time Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024 | 1:02 p.m. (Central)
Location Roy Stewart Stadium (16,800) | Murray, Kentucky
Tickets GoRacers.com | (270) 809-3000
Radio KWTO (101.3 FM) (Corey Riggs, Bill Donnegan) | Bears Radio Network | Listen Live |  The Varsity Network App/Listen Live
Television ESPN+ (Jeff Bidwell, Drayton Charlton-Perrin) | Watch
Series Murray State leads 8-4 | Last Meeting: MSU 28, MUR 24 (10/21/23) | Final Stats
Live Stats Live Stats
Game Notes Missouri State | Murray State | MVFC | MSU Media Guide
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Coach Beard Weekly Presser | #MSUBears | #GoBears | #OutHitOut Hustle | @MoStateFootball

NOTES 
  • Missouri State returns to the road this week as the No. 15-ranked Bears continue MVFC play at Murray State. It will be the Bears' first trip to Roy Stewart Stadium since 2016 and the first-ever matchup between the squads in Kentucky as league foes. The Bears have won 7 straight games, the squad's longest win streak since 1990. 
  • Missouri State (5-0) is one of two unbeaten teams in MVFC play, along with North Dakota State (6-0). MSU's 7-game win streak is its longest since Sept. 15  to Oct. 27, 1990 and matches the 4th-longest active streak in the FCS headed into this week's competition. 
  • A Missouri State win against Murray State would give the Bears a:  
            - 6-0 start in conference play for the first time since 1978 (coach Rich Johanningmeier)
            - 6 conference wins for just the third time in program history (1978 and 2021)
            - 8-2 overall start for the first time since 1990 (coach Jesse Branch)
            - 8 overall wins (or more) for just the ninth time in program history and first since 2021 (coach Bobby Petrino)
            - 8-game winning streak for the first time since Oct. 28, 1988 to Oct. 7, 1989 (coach Jesse Branch)
            - 4-game road winning streak for the first time since Oct. 26, 1996 to Oct. 4, 1997 (coach Del Miller)
  • All-America candidate Jacob Clark (QB, Rockwall, Texas) is 170 yards away from becoming the 8th MSU passer to throw for 4,000 career yards. He is also 20 completions away from becoming the 10th Bear to complete 300 career passes. Likewise, Clark is 608 yards away from surpassing MSU's single-season passing standard (3,347) set by Jason Shelley in 2021.  See p. 6 for Clark's national rankings.
  • The Bears have scored points in 17 straight quarters and have posted 30 or more points in 6 straight games for the first time since 2006. MSU is 9-3 under coach Ryan Beard when scoring 30+ points.  
  • Jayden Becks (So., Waxahachie, Texas) was named MVFC Offensive Player of the Week after carrying 11 times for 101 yards and two touchdowns in last week's win over Southern Illinois. He finished the game with 9.2 yards per carry with a 29-yard touchdown in the second quarter that made it a 17-0 game and a one-yard TD carry in the fourth quarter to put the game on ice. He shared game-high honors with 109 all-purpose yards and is the only Valley rusher to post back-to-back 100-yard games the past two weeks.
  • Jacardia Wright (Sr., Decatur, Ill.) has 451 carries for 2,073 yards and 27 touchdowns in 29 games as a Bear. He recently became the 11th Missouri State player to rack up 2,000 career rushing yards, while his 27 rushing scores is 5th on MSU's career list. He ranks 7th nationally in rushing touchdowns (12); 12th in total touchdowns; 26th in scoring per game (8.0); and 46th in all-purpose yards (105.3).
  • MoState's defense ranks in the top 25 nationally in the following: 6th in sacks (2.89); 15th in defensive touchdowns (2); 16th in turnover margin (0.78); 17th in interceptions (10); 18th in takeaways (16) and 26th in tackles for loss (6.4). The Bears are 1st in the MVFC in sacks, interceptions and tackles for loss.
  • With the club's 38-point output against Southern Illinois last week, the Bears (329 points) have surpassed their scoring total from last season (328) and have posted the 8th-best season point total in club history. The Bears are also on pace to average more points (36.3) than any MSU team since 1922.
  • Missouri State's next victory will mark the program's 500th all-time win. Since 1908, the Bears have compiled a 499-534-39 record in 113 seasons of college football. According to the NCAA, MVFC foes Murray State and Youngstown State both reached the 500-win plateau last season. 
  • MoState's offense ranks in the FCS top 20 in the following categories: 3rd in completion percentage (.720); 4th in pass efficiency (173.68); 6th in passing offense (306.1.); 9th in scoring offense (36.6); 13th in third-down efficiency (.469); 14th in total offense (435.1); 17th in first downs (203); 18th in yards per completion (13.37). MSU leads The Valley in passing offense and total offense.
Coach Ryan Beard
  • Missouri State University officially presented Ryan Beard as its new head football coach on Dec. 19, 2022. At the time of his hire, Beard was the program's youngest coach on record and was the 22nd person to hold the football Bears' top coaching position. 
  • Beard is 11-9 overall in his second season as MSU head coach (1-0 vs. Murray).
  • His elevation to head coach came on the heels of three seasons as defensive coordinator (2020-22) at Missouri State under former head coach Bobby Petrino.
  • In his inaugural head coaching season, Beard guided the Bears to a 4-7 overall record and a 3-5 ledger in the MVFC. The team's strong November surge included and a 35-16 home win over No. 18-ranked Northern Iowa.
  • The 2023 Bears finished No. 5 in the nation in passing offense (300.3), No. 7 in pass efficiency (158.77), 26th in total offense (400.8) and 31st in scoring (29.8).  
    Missouri State was rewarded with seven All-MVFC selections in Beard's first campaign as head coach, including first-teamers Grant Burkett (P) and Raylen Sharpe (WR). Sharpe finished fourth in the MVFC Offensive Player of the Year voting. Likewise, Burkett (second team) and Sharpe (third team) were named to the Associated Press FCS All-America Team, while the Bears also boasted three Phil Steele Freshman All-America honorees, including first-teamers Cash Hudson (OL) and Avery Powell (CB).
  • At season's end, Beard was named to the American Football Coaches Association's exclusive 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute. 
  • During his three seasons as MSU's defensive coordinator, Beard played a significant role in the team's resurgence, managing a defensive unit that boasted 18 all-conference selections, four All-Americans and three professional players in his tenure at MoState.
  • 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 DB coach at WKU (2016), Beard was part of a CUSA championship Boca Raton Bowl win. 
  • He 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. A native of Bowling Green, Ky., Beard was a four-year letterman 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, 35, 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
  • Murray State leads the all-time series, 8-4, in a series that dates back to 1942 and includes six games between the clubs since 2009. Missouri State has won the last three meetings and is 3-2 all-time at Plaster Stadium against the Racers. 
  • In the last meeting in Murray (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.
  • Last season in Springfield (10/21/23), Missouri State rode the shoulders of its defensive unit in the final 30 minutes to secure a 28-24 homecoming win over visiting Murray State. The Bears' defense allowed just a 27-yard field goal in the second half, forcing the Racers to three three-and-out punts, two interceptions, a missed field goal and a turnover on downs on its eight possessions in the third and fourth quarters. Meanwhile, a four-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Pachot to Raylen Sharpe with 3:28 remaining in the third quarter gave MoState its first lead of the game. The six-play, 75-yard scoring drive gave the home side a 28-24 advantage on a possession that started with a 25-yard rush and a 16-yard reception by Jacardia Wright. Pachot finished his third start of the season 19-for-29 through the air for 287 yards and career-high four touchdown passes. Wright (80 yards), Owens (79) and Sharpe (68) each accounted for 4 receptions apiece with Wright racking up a game-high 144 all-purpose yards. Final Stats
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