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Football On The Road Again as Eagles Battle Butler Bulldogs Saturday

https://msueagles.com/

After a pair of tough defeats, Morehead State football will look to get back in the win column this week when the Eagles travel to face the Butler Bulldogs in Indiana's capital city Saturday. The teams will kick off at Noon ET.

The game will air live on FloSports. It can be heard on the Eagle Sports Radio Network with WIVY-96.3 FM serving as flagship station. Chuck Mraz and Jason Blanton provide the radio call. Fans can also hear it on MSUEagles.com, WGOH-110.9 FM/1370 AM and WMST-106.9 FM/1150 AM.

Morehead State enters the matchup with Butler having won four straight in the series. When the Eagles defeated the Bulldogs last fall, it marked the first opponent ever the Eagles had defeated three times in one calendar year (teams played home-away during the spring 2021 season). MSU won the last time the teams met in the Sellick Bowl, winning 35-14 during the spring 2021 season.

THE SERIES

Record vs. Butler: MSU leads 18-8

First Meeting: 9/14/63 MSU won 31-13 at Ashland, Ky.

Last Meeting: 10/16/21 MSU won 31-8 at MSU

Eagles' Record vs. Butler in Morehead: 10-3

Eagles' Record vs. Butler in Indianapolis, Ind.: 7-5

Streak: MSU, 4 wins

GAME NOTES

• Morehead State blocked another punt last Saturday vs. Valparaiso (and picked it up for a TD too), allowing the Eagles to stay ranked first in the FCS division in total blocked kicks (8) and blocked punts (6). The eight blocked kicks equals the most for the program in a season since 2002.

Jihad McCall is tied atop the entire FCS division in blocked punts with four. McCall is just one short of the FCS and MSU record for block punts in a season, held by Dominic Jones (The Citadel in 2011) and Tevin Richard (South Carolina State in 2015). The MSU record for most total kicks blocked in a season is also 5 - by Paul Ousley in 1954 (pre FCS or Division I-AA era).

• Morehead State ranks first in the nation in the FCS level in fumbles recovered with 10. The Eagle defense also ranks seventh in FCS in total turnovers created with 16. Cooper Krezek leads the nation with three fumble recoveries.

• This weekend's matchup could be decided when the teams reach the red zone. Morehead State only allows opponents to score points 63 percent of the time in the red zone, good for fifth in the nation. Butler leads the nation in red zone scoring efficiency at 96 percent.

• Starting offensive center Cam Marriott has appeared in 48 career games and has started 43 career games, including a string of 42 consecutive starts.

• Quarterback Grady Cramer passed for 630 yards (315/game) in his last two outings. Cramer has also thrown at least one touchdown in six of his seven games and has exactly two passing TDs each time in his past three games. His 73-yard TD connection to Christian Graves versus Valparaiso last week was the longest pass for an Eagle QB since Mark Pappas' 83-yarder in 2019 against Valpo.

• Return man Gunnison Bloodgood ranks second in the PFL with 29.7 yards per kickoff return. He had a 95-yard return at Stetson.

Cooper Krezek leads MSU and ranks fifth in the PFL in total tackles with 60. Krezek has pretty much been a jack-of-all trades for the Eagle defense, leading MSU in tackles, tackles for loss (6.5), pass breakups (4), passes defended (5), fumbles recovered (3). He also returned an interception 23 yards (his jersey number too) for a TD against Valparaiso.

• 15 different receivers have caught passes from quarterback Grady Cramer. Mikey Armour leads the way with 18 catches, while Christian Graves recorded the Eagles' first 100-yard receiving game of the year versus Valparaiso.

• Punter Kip Warren, a transfer from Louisiana-Monroe, has booted at least one punt of 50+ yards in his last two games. Overall, he averages 37.5 yards per kick. He has landed 15 inside the opponent 20-yard line and forced 14 fair catches.

• Eight Eagles were tabbed Preseason All-PFL by Phil Steele. Those included First-Teamers Cam Marriott, Devon Connors, Cooper Krezek and Brady McKnight. Second-Team picks were offensive linemen Jaxsen Spears and Jacob Ungruhe. Third-Teamers were Sese Aumavae and Khiyree Keith.

Cam Marriott, Wade Acey, Matt Guilfoil and Khiyree Keith were chosen to the All-Commonwealth Team by the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame.

By Matt Schabert, Morehead State Athletic Media Relations