Wesleyan suffers 66-10 setback at FCS Murray State - Kentucky Wesleyan College Athletics

Kentucky Wesleyan College Athletics

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MURRAY -- As if traveling south to face a larger opponent in Football Championship Subdivision team Murray State wasn't challenge enough, Kentucky Wesleyan met up with a defense intent on keeping points off the board and putting a few up of its own.

The Racers beat the Panthers 66-10 Thursday night in the Racers' home opener. In the first half alone, the Racers' defense held the Panthers to just 59 offensive yards, and negative passing yards. In fact, the Racer defense scored the team's first touchdown of the night on Harry McCall's 50-yard fumble recovery.

Panthers coach Brent Holsclaw noticed the strength in the Racers' defensive interior.

"We didn't feel like we were able to throw the ball much and we are a passing team," Holsclaw said.

The Panthers first scored midway through the second quarter on Thomas Gordon's 11 yard run, cutting the deficit to 15-7. But the Racers piled on two touchdowns and another safety to conclude the first half.

When the Panthers managed to string along some offense in the third quarter, they were facing the Racers' second-string defense.

With a 1st-and-10 on the Racers' 24 yard line, Murray State's first team had to come back in. The Panthers still managed another first down, but a sack of Travis Walker pushed them back to 3rd-and-20 and the Panthers settled for a field goal with 3:01 to go in the third quarter.

"I think our kids played real hard in that first half," Holsclaw said. "We had a couple breakouts and had it close for a while. Unfortunately, the scoreboard doesn't show our efforts."

While the Panthers go home with a muted score, they also go home with bandages, splints and bruises.

"We had a lot of injuries tonight," Holsclaw said. "Our starting quarterback (Chris Owen) went out on the third play of the game. We have 19-20 days until our next game, so I'm real concerned about our health."

Holsclaw said Owen turned on his foot wrong, and could have broken it.

Travis Walker and Vincent Lalonde shared time in the pocket, combining for 8-for-20 and 12 yards. The Panthers made the greatest push on the ground, rushing for 152 yards, led by Walker's 72 yards.

Once the Panthers switched to Walker and a pistol offense, Murray State coach Matt Griffin said it took a few snaps to adjust to that, especially since they hadn't prepared much for it.

"They really came ready to play, I thought defensively, early," Griffin said. "We had a great punt return, we got great field position, but we got inside the 20 or 25 and only came away with a field goal."

Defensively, David James led with nine tackles.

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