Photo - Zinobia Winbush, MSU Athletics
A familiar foe making its first visit to The Track in nearly two decades and a trip to the Big Blue nations are a couple of the highlights the 2018 Murray State football schedule announced by head coach Mitch Stewart Tuesday.
“I am very excited about the test this football team will get to open up the 2018 season,” said head coach Mitch Stewart. “Obviously everybody likes seeing SIU back on our schedule because of the tradition that rivalry used to have, plus playing them on opening night on a Thursday only adds to that excitement. Then being able to go on the road and play what will probably be a top-five program the next week in a top-five environment will be a great challenge only to be followed up by an SEC program the next week in the Kentucky. We are really excited for that one. It’s always fun for our guys to play in a big time environment against a big time program and obviously it doesn’t get much bigger than playing an SEC opponent. Needless to say our first three weeks should give us a good idea of where we are at as a football team before starting conference play. It’s a tough schedule but it’s one that we are looking forward to playing.”
Year four of the Stewart era will begin on Thursday, August 30 when Southern Illinois makes its first trip to Roy Stewart Stadium since 2002. On September 8, the Racers will hit the road and travel to the Natural State to take on Central Arkansas. A week later, the Racers will make the trip to Lexington to take on Kentucky for just the second time in program history.
After a week four bye, the Racers return home on September 29 to take UT Martin for family weekend, followed by a trip to Eastern Illinois on October 6. After not playing the Tigers last season, Tennessee State visits Murray on October 13, with the Racers heading back to the eastern portion of the Commonwealth the following week for a tussle with Eastern Kentucky on October 20.
Homecoming 2018 will bring the second of two teams on the schedule that finished in the top 10 nationally last season, with the other being Central Arkansas, in Jacksonville State on October 27. On November 3, Murray State travels to Cookeville to meet Tennessee Tech, followed by the final home game of the season on November 10 against Southeast Missouri. The Racers will close out the 2018 season with a Heritage Bank Battle of the Border contest against OVC upstart Austin Peay on November 17.
(Courtesy MSU Athletics)
