MURRAY STATE AT GEORGIA
Where: Sanford Stadium, Athens
When: 4 p.m., Sept. 7
TV, radio: ESPN2, News 95.5 and AM-750 WSB
Previous game: Vanderbilt | Next game: Arkansas State
The most notable aspect of this game is that the field at Sanford Stadium will become known as Vince Dooley Field during a pregame ceremony. Otherwise, expect the Bulldogs to handily defeat their FCS opponent.
Dooley won 201 games in 25 seasons as Georgia’s coach, and his teams won six SEC championships and one national title (1980).
As for the game, here are some facts about Georgia’s opponent:
Three things to know
» The Racers are coming off a 5-6 season, but were 5-3 in the Ohio Valley Conference. The dominant program recently in the OVC has been Jacksonville State. The Gamecocks have won the past five conference championships, and the Racers lost to them in each of the five seasons, though they did win in 2014.
» Murray State's leading rusher last season, D.J. Penick, transferred to Colorado State-Pueblo after two seasons at Murray State, but the No. 2 rusher, Rodney Castille, returns. He rushed for 471 yards and 5.9 yards per carry. Castille is the only one of the Racers' top four in yards rushing last season who returns.
» Murray State's top two passers from last season were seniors. Preston Rice, the No. 3 guy and heir apparent, had an efficiency rating of 134.7, but he didn't throw many passes. He was 6-for-12 for 121 yards and no touchdowns, with no interceptions, though. Murray State's new quarterback could benefit from the addition of DaQuon Green, a transfer from Florida. Green is a 6-foot-1, 192-pound sophomore from Tampa, though in two seasons with the Gators, he caught one pass for three yards.
Murray State’s Georgians
The Racers list 10 players from Georgia on the roster, including T.J. Warren, a senior linebacker from Rockdale County High School who transferred to Murray State from Missouri. The other Georgians:
Edwin Summerour, a freshman defensive back (Athens/Clarke Central HS), Nigel Walton, a senior defensive back (Atlanta/Carver), Cortez Roberts, a junior defensive back (Atlanta/North Springs), Cole Williamson, a redshirt freshman offensive lineman (Carrollton/Carrollton HS), AJ McCorkle, a freshman defensive back (Conyers/Salem), Larry Corbin, a freshman linebacker (Griffin/Griffin HS), MJ Fuller, a freshman running back (Jesup/Wayne County), Ty Terrell, a redshirt freshman wide receiver (Leesburg/Leesburg HS) and Christopher Georgia, a sophomore offensive lineman (Warner Robins/Warner Robins HS).
Before the Racers face the Bulldogs
The Racers open their season Aug. 29 (a Thursday night) at home against Pikeville, an NAIA school that bears no resemblance to the Georgia Bulldogs. However, our local school Reinhardt likely will scout the Pikeville-Murray State game. Pikeville will travel to Cherokee County for a game against the Eagles that will begin a few hours before Murray State and Georgia kick off in Athens.
The last time against Georgia
The Bulldogs and the Racers have played once against each other — Sept. 22, 1945, 20 days after World War II ended. Georgia opened its season with a 49-0 victory against Murray State in Athens.
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