SPRING GAME HIGHLIGHTS
MOREHEAD, Ky. -- The Morehead State football team closed out spring practice with an exhibition game on Saturday afternoon at Jayne Stadium. More than 2,000 fans turned out for the contest, which showcased approximately 70 student-athletes.
"I am excited about the progress we’ve made throughout the spring,” Head Coach Rob Tenyer said. “Offensively we had a slow start today, but we eventually settled in and sustained some drives. I was happy how we finished in the red zone, but we need to play faster overall.”
The format called for four 15-minute quarters, with the clock only stopping on kicking plays, penalties and timeouts. The tilt was played under sunny skies and temperatures in the high 50s.
"The phase of the game I am most excited about right now is our defense,” Tenyer said. “Our players have digested the new system well so far. Our guys have been showing tremendous effort, and it’s obvious they want to improve on defense this year.”
The white team was always on offense, while the blue team was always on defense. Quarterback Boone Goldsmith, who will be a redshirt junior in the fall, led the first string. Quarterback Logan Johnson, who will be a redshirt freshman, led the second and third strings.
"We need to work more on communication,” Tenyer said. “We have several players who redshirted last season and others who didn't see too many reps. We need to get everyone into a rhythm and make sure we are communicating on every down."
Nearly 50 former football players were recognized at halftime, along with guest coaches Dan Gooch, Nick Nighswander and Bill Baldridge. Tailgating, which included more than 500 Eagle fans, began at 10 a.m. The game lasted approximately two hours.
“Today was a terrific day for Morehead State football,” Tenyer added. “From the tailgate area to fans in the stands and players on the field, I could tell there was more energy than we have had in recent seasons. We’re all excited about this program moving forward.”
A statistical summary of the contest is below:
Final score -- "Team Goldsmith” 17, “Team Johnson” 7
Scoring
Team Goldsmith -- 6:49 of 1st -- Rees Macshara 3-yard TD run (Luke Boyd kick) -- 7-0
Team Goldsmith -- 3:09 of 1st -- Boone Goldsmith 1-yard TD run (Boyd kick) -- 14-0
Team Goldsmith -- 2:30 of 3rd -- Boyd 30-yard field goal -- 17-0
Team Johnson -- 12:02 of 4th -- Logan Johnson to Jake Raymond on 7-yard TD pass (Boyd kick) -- 17-7
Offensive leaders
QB -- Goldsmith -- 11-of-24, 140 yards, 0 passing TD, 0 INT, 1 rushing TD
QB -- Johnson -- 10-of-16, 98 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
RB -- Macshara -- 10 rushes, 32 yards, 1 TD
RB -- Brandon Reeves -- 5 rushes, 22 yards
WR -- Nico Sidari -- 3 catches, 56 yards
WR -- Kitaro Lewis -- 3 catches, 50 yards
SLOT -- Raymond -- 4 catches, 28 yards, 1 TD
Defensive leaders
LB -- Nick Wrightsel -- 7 tackles, 2.5 sacks
DL -- Ronald Cooper -- 6 tackles, 0.5 sacks
LB -- Brandon Louder -- 5 tackles, 2 INT
LB -- Corey McSweeney -- 4 tackles, 2 sacks
DB -- Zachary Senvisky -- 4 tackles
DB -- Trey Watkins -- 4 tackles
DL -- Rob Lewis -- 2 tackles, 1.5 sacks
DL -- Aaron Meadows -- 2 tackles, 1.5 sacks
Morehead State will open its regular-season slate on Aug. 29 at home against Pikeville (Ky.). Log on to MSUEagles.com for a full schedule and Eagle football updates throughout the summer.
