Let’s face the facts. It’s hard to get overly excited about this Saturday’s game between the Kentucky Wildcats and the Murray State Racers. The ‘Cats are sitting at an ugly record of 3-6, coming off a bye week and the Kentucky Basketball team just defeated Duke in the Champions Classic. Many within Big Blue Nation have turned the page from a disappointing football season to what promises to be an exciting basketball season. However, that doesn’t mean the game won’t be played. This game should provide a good spot for the Wildcats as they cling to their last hope of bowl eligibility. A trip to Austin, Texas, followed by the season finale against Louisville, looms after what should be an easy win against Murray State.

For all of Kentucky’s troubles this season, Murray State has had it worse. The Racers are 1-9 on the season and have been largely uncompetitive. They may play a brutal schedule, but it hasn’t been a fun season for the FCS program. Kentucky should be able to do whatever they want on both sides of the ball on Saturday afternoon.

As always, we have all your pregame needs right here at Kentucky Sports Radio dot com before kickoff at 1:30 PM (Eastern Time) on ESPN+ between the Kentucky Wildcats (3-6, 1-6) and the Murray State Racers (1-9, 0-7). If you haven’t already, you should dive into Adam Luckett’s scouting report. That’s your in-depth, football nerd preview. For those looking for a more superficial look at what to expect on a Saturday afternoon, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s dive deeper into five things you need to know about the Murray State Racers.

Offensive attack that struggles to find a strength

This is a Murray State Racers offense that doesn’t perform very well among FCS programs in any offensive category. They average just over 21 points per game, which is 90th in the FCS. The Racers rank 92nd in yards per play at five and 66th in yards per rush at 4.2. The inability to move the ball consistently led to issues on third down and ball security issues. Murray State has converted just 36.2% of third downs and ranks 105th in the FCS with 18 turnovers in their 10 games.

You wouldn’t expect much from a 1-9 team, but the stats are dismal for the Racers. Kentucky’s defense should be able to flex their muscles and possibly score a shutout, just like they did way back in week one at Kroger Field.

Running Game led by Quarterback and Two Tailbacks

It was a circuitous journey for Jayden Johannsen to end up as the Murray State Racers quarterback. The South Dakota native began his career at traditional FCS powerhouse North Dakota State before moving up to the Division II level to play at South Dakota School of Mines. Johannsen was a three-year starter there and racked up 8,199 passing yards, 1,635 rushing yards and 98 total touchdowns. Now he’s back at the FCS level and things aren’t going so well. The super senior has thrown for 1,405 yards on a 56.3% completion percentage and ball security has been a major concern. Johannsen has thrown 10 interceptions and coughed up four fumbles. However, his 328 rushing yards without a sack gives the Racers a different dynamic in the run game.

Junior running back Jawaun Northington was the Racers’ top rusher leading the way with 371 yards on 90 attempts and six touchdowns. The Louisville native, who graduated from DuPont Manual High School, is slick in the backfield and forced 31 missed tackles this season. Meanwhile, Q’Daryius Jennings is another running back to consider in Murray State’s backfield. The redshirt junior has added 329 rushing yards this season. This team will certainly try to make the run happen on Saturday afternoon.

Murray State Hooper helps on the Gridiron

In 2022, Justice Hill recorded 13.4 points and 5.1 assists per game at Murray State, earning him First Team All-OVC honors. That wasn’t just any Murray State Racers team either. That group won 31 matches and reached the NCAA Round of 32 before losing to Saint Peter’s. Hill followed coach Matt McMahon to LSU the following season, but the jump to the highest level didn’t go great for him. He then found his footing at Loyola Marymount last season, averaging 11.2 points and 4.2 assists per game. Why are we talking about a basketball? Well, Justice Hill is now back at Murray State and getting ready to face the Racers on the playing field.

The 6’0″ 170 pound receiver has hauled in 22 catches for 319 yards and two touchdowns. Despite not playing football since high school, Hill is one of Murray State’s top targets. On October 12 against Indiana State, Hill broke out with seven catches for 103 yards and a score. He will now be on the short list of players to make both a Kentucky Football and Kentucky Basketball scouting report.

Racers have the worst defense in the FCS

Teams average 45.0 points per game against the Murray State Racers. That includes their 59-8 win over Mississippi Valley State. When you remove that game, the 45.0 jumps to early 50 points per game. The Racers have allowed more than 50 points in three consecutive games and have done so six times this season. If there was ever a time for a struggling Kentucky Wildcats offense to find some success, it would be Saturday afternoon at Kroger Field. The stats are just flat out back for the Racers.

• Points per game: 45.0 (#123 in FCS)
• Yards per game: 6.9 (#118 in FCS)
• Yards per rush: 5.3 (#110 in FCS)
• Yards per attempt: 8.9 (#118 in FCS)
• Third down conversion rate: 49.6% (#114 in FCS)
• Turnovers: 7 (#113 in FCS)

Whether on the ground or through the air, there should be plenty of opportunities to move the ball and create chunk play against the Racers. They allow almost seven yards per play, don’t get off the field on third down and struggle to force turnovers. Missing 128 tackles in 10 games is a statistic that really stood out. That’s a tough recipe for success on the defensive side of the football.

Standout punter on special teams

It’s never a good sign when the 5 things you need to know include a point about special teams. Only under desperate circumstances do we go this far. However, there isn’t much to discuss with this Murray State Racers team. True freshman Tom O’Hara may be the best player on Murray State’s team this season. He boots the ball with an average of 45.1 yards per kick, while the Racers rank 12th in net putting average among all FCS teams. As far as this team being strong, it would definitely be their point game.