The Murray State Racer Football season kicks off tonight at 6 with a home game versus Kentucky Wesleyan College. On Sounds Good, Tracy Ross speaks with "Voice of the Racers" Neal Bradley about lessons learned from last season, changing head coaches, new players and the league at large.
Last year, the record regressed from 2013. The record was 3-9 last year and 1-7 in conference. One of the main lessons, Bradley says, is that you can't give up about 40 points per game and expect to win many of them. Racers did that in six of their FCS games. Despite that, the offense was very good, he says, averaging about 37 points per game and 450 yards of contest. But something had to change in defense.
The team has a new Defensive Coordinator, Chris Boone, and a new head coach, Mitch Stewart, formerly the Offensive Coordinator. Stewart knows the teams defense needs to get better, Bradley says. Offensively there won't be much difference this year, but you should see the defense get more aggressive, he says.
As for the team, Quarterback KD Humphries comes back after a great season last year, bringing more experience to the field. Number two QB is Houston Hartz, a freshmen from Owensboro. Others getting 'red shirted' are two freshmen Jake O'Mara and Matthew Christian. Receivers Janawski Davis and Jeremy Harness are two players to watch, another is senior Dominique Rhymes. For Running Backs, they have at least one issue, being Mark Dodson from Ole Miss and transferring to Memphis, and though a Racer now may not be eligible to play and can be a difference maker if he can play. Another difference maker is Elijah Daniel who played 27 games for Auburn before joining the Racers.
In the league at large, Jacksonville State is at the top, with Eastern Kentucky bouncing between Eastern Illinois for numbers two and three. UT Martin is probably fourth. The Racers want to get in that mix, Bradley says, and the first big step is to get into the playoffs. We'll know more after the Racers get about four games into the season. If they stay healthy, they have a shot at making it, he says.
Tonight's game versus Kentucky Wesleyan should be an easy win. The Racers beat them handily last year and are heavily favored to win. Bradley says they'd have to make many mistakes to lose this game. On September 12, they face off at Northern Illinois. This team has had some great seasons and is expected to be good this season and will be a formidable opponent.
