HERO Sports welcomes you to "Three-a-Days", where we will preview every single one of the 126 FCS programs, with three teams being released each day from June 17 to July 28. Then, we'll preview all 13 conferences from August 1-4. Today, we present … Morehead State.
We'll leave no stone left unturned when it comes to giving the FCS diehards all they could ask for this offseason. Learn about every program in the country, with HERO Sports.
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- FCS Home
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Morehead State (3-8 IN 2018)
Pioneer Football League (MSU finished T7th in 2018)
COACH: Rob Tenyer – At School: 7th year (25-43) Overall: Same
LAST FCS POSTSEASON: None
2018 OFFENSE: 27.5 ppg (61st in FCS)
2018 DEFENSE: 43.2 ppg (119th in FCS)
KEY GAME: Nov. 16 @ San Diego: The Toreros remain the team to beat in the PFL and is a program that teams in the conference are trying to emulate. It's a chance for the Eagles to see how close or far away they are.
SUM IT UP: The Eagles took a step back in 2018 in the wins column. They will need to replace a lot of production this season to get rolling the other way.
Replacing quarterback Lawson Page will be no easy task. He led MSU with 920 yards rushing and eight touchdowns last year while also throwing for 2,240 yards and 16 scores. But the Eagles can still have a strong rushing attack with their top running back Jovan Smith returning. He ran for 521 yards and seven touchdowns last year as a freshman and the offensive line should be experienced with veteran seniors leading the way.
MSU loses three of its top four pass catchers from 2018 with Ian Holder returning after being third on the team with 296 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
The defense is where improvements are needed the most. The unit allowed 43.2 points per game last year, which was toward the bottom of the FCS. Tony Brinson steps in as the new defensive coordinator. He previously led Wagner's defense that held Top 25 FCS rankings consistently since 2011.
Brinson has talent to work with, as three of the top four tacklers return from last year: Kordell Brown, Eldee Edwards III and Beau Griego.
OUR TAKE: After going 7-4 in 2015, the Eagles have hovered around the 3-4 win range these last few years. With the amount of production lost on offense and the struggles on defense, look for this to be a rebuilding year for MSU. Watch for the Eagles to get a couple of wins in the nonconference and get more competitive in PFL play with hopes of getting 2-3 more wins there.
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COUNTDOWN: The Best Player in FCS Who Wears Each Number, 1-99
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TOP RETURNEE: So./RB Jovan Smith (521 yards rushing and 7 TDs)
THE FOUNDATION: So./WR Ian Holder (296 rec. yards and 2 TDs); Sr./LB Beau Griego (54 tackles, 5 TFLs); Jr./DB Eldee Edwards III (55 tackles 3 PBUs); Sr./LB Kordell Brown (58 tackles); Jr./P Andrew Foster (All-Conference honorable mention)
TOP NEWCOMER: Jr./LB DJ Niculescu (JuCo transfer, 45 tackles last season at Santa Ana College)
THE QUOTE: "It's been 16 weeks out here, even starting back in January, with these guys, and we had great energy out here today. We did some really nice things today on both sides of the football. For the most part we stayed healthy this spring and that's important. I could hear the energy today." — Head Coach Rob Tenyer said after the spring game
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WERE WE RIGHT?: Last Year's Morehead State Preview
FCS 2020 NFL PROSPECTS: The List
BEST FCS TRADITIONS: The List
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PREVIEWS: The Rest Of The PFL
Butler | Davidson | Dayton | Drake
Jacksonville | Marist | Morehead State
San Diego | Stetson | Valparaiso
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