Valpo Falls in Competitive Contest Against MVFC Foe Murray State

by | Sep 13, 2026 | Football Blogs

Valpo Falls in Competitive Contest Against MVFC Foe Murray State

The Valparaiso University football team was within three in the closing seconds before Murray State scored the game-clinching touchdown to beat the Beacons 27-18 on Saturday night in Murray, Ky. Valpo had one of its most competitive performances ever against the Missouri Valley Football Conference, a top-tier FCS league that offers athletic scholarships. Redshirt junior Max Samuel (Edina, Minn. / Edina) had an interception and career-high 12 tackles to pace a stout Valpo defense, while redshirt senior Rowan Keefe (Park Ridge, Ill. / Maine South) had a career day on the offensive side of the ball as the Beacons put themselves in position to pull off what would have been one the program’s all-time signature victories. However, the Racers escaped in a game filled with twists and turns that was tightly-played throughout.

 

How It Happened

  • On Murray State’s first possession, Valpo redshirt junior Gabriel Batres (Fairfield, Calif. / Angelo Rodriguez) had a tackle for a six-yard loss on 3rd-and-3 to force a punt.
  • Later in the opening quarter, the Racers struck first with a 13-play, 59-yard drive that finished with a 2-yard touchdown run by Jawaun Northington that made it 7-0 with 3:44 left in the first.
  • The two teams exchanged punts late in the first quarter, then Valpo started a long scoring drive that spanned the end of the first quarter and start of the second. A pick six the other way was called back by a Murray State penalty, and the Beacons took full advantage as Keefe ran it in from four yards out to tie the game at seven with 11:34 left in the second quarter. That finished off an eight-play, 72-yard drive.
  • The first snap of the following Murray State drive went for a 47-yard gain to the Valpo 15. The Racers finished the drive with a 12-yard TD run by Mykel Allen to go ahead 14-7 with 9:23 left in the second.
  • After the teams exchanged punts, Valpo had the ball with hopes of scoring the game-tying TD before halftime. Keefe found Chris Gundy (Smithfield, Va. / Smithfield) for a 32-yard reception to the Murray State 25, and later Keefe ran for 22 yards to set up first-and-goal at the 6-yard line. The Beacons had third-and-goal and fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line, but couldn’t punch it in in the closing seconds of the half, coming a yard shy of tying the game and instead turning it over on downs as Murray State escaped the opening half in front 14-7.
  • In the third quarter, the Racers tried a 39-yard field goal, but it was blocked by Antony Morris (Cincinnati, Ohio / St. Xavier) and recovered by senior O.C. Nurse (Dumfries, Va. / Forest Park [Marietta]), who nearly broke free but was brought down. Valpo also missed a field goal try on the ensuing possession from 28 yards out.
  • A tackle for loss by Samuel set the tone on the next Murray State drive, which resulted in a punt. On the first play of the next Valpo drive, Keefe connected with Gundy for 41 yards to the Murray State 32. That drive resulted in a 37-yard field goal that boomed through the uprights by Luke Scoma (Bellevue, Wash. / Bellevue) to make it 14-10 with 2:27 left in the third.
  • Samuel came up with another big play as he intercepted a pass to set Valpo up at the Murray 34 with 2:01 left in the third. Valpo went “four-and-out” on that drive, going for it on fourth-and-6 from the 30 and throwing an interception.
  • In the fourth quarter, Murray State put together a nine-play, 56-yard touchdown drive to go up 21-10 with 8:01 to play. The Racers converted a key 3rd-and-10 on that drive.
  • Valpo was in a hole after a sack on the following possession at 2nd-and-11 from midfield, but Daniel White (Country Club Hills, Ill. / Brother Rice [Carroll]) snagged an 11-yard catch to make it a more manageable 3rd-and-10. After a one-yard gain on third down, Valpo went for it on fourth-and-9 from the Murray 38, essentially needing to convert to stay in the game. The pass was broken up, a flag was thrown, and the penalty gave Valpo a fresh set of downs. The Beacons took full advantage when Isaac Tran (Bothell, Wsh. / Bothell [University of Puget Sound]) caught a 23-yard TD pass from Keefe, then Colin Hayes (Bloomington, Ill. / Bloomington Central Catholic) hauled in the 2-point conversion to make it 21-18 with 4:57 to play.
  • On 3rd-and-4 from the Valpo 28, Murray State’s quarterback faked a handoff right and then ran left, but made a forward pass right at the line of scrimmage. The play went for 22 yards and a key first down. It was reviewed to see if the QB threw the ball past the line of scrimmage, but there was not enough evidence to overturn the call.
  • The Racers ran off most of the remaining time. Valpo had a chance for one last gasp, but Murray State scored on fourth-and-goal from the five to enlarge the lead to nine at 27-18. Caleb Baczek (Libertyville, Ill. / Libertyville) blocked the PAT, but it was still a two-possession game and nine remained the final margin.

 

Inside the Game

  • The Beacons put together a strong effort against a team from the Missouri Valley Football Conference, which offers athletic scholarships and is considered to be the top league in Division-I FCS. Valpo has not won any of its 14 games against MVFC competition since 2010, and this was one of the closest matchups.  
  • By margin of defeat, this was the second-closest Valpo has ever come to beating an MVFC team, behind only the 28-21 loss at Illinois State in 2022.
  • As a whole, the Pioneer Football League entered this week at 4-66 since 2000 in games against the MVFC, so Valpo nearly pulled off what would have been a very substantial upset.
  • The Beacons have already blocked four kicks on the season as Morris and Baczek both got in on the act on Saturday. Only two games into the season, the Beacons are already two blocks away from moving into a tie for the fourth most in program history.
  • Entering Saturday, Weber State led the nation in blocked kicks with three and Valpo was one of 10 teams with two. Weber State did not block a kick on Saturday, so Valpo (four) will most likely lead the nation in blocked kicks when the FCS national leaderboard is updated on Sunday morning.
  • Prior to Saturday, Valpo’s last blocked PAT was De’Andre Wilborn on Nov. 1, 2025 at No. 25/22 Presbyterian and the team’s last blocked field goal was Onye Nwosisi on Nov. 8, 2024 vs. Butler.
  • Redshirt sophomore Anthony Feltrinelli (Westfield, Ind. / Westfield) was the team’s leading tackler with 12, while Mark Johnson (Nashville, Tenn. / Lipscomb Academy) joined him in double figures with 10. Feltrinelli has racked up nine tackles or more in five of his last six games dating back to last season. This was the third time in his Valpo career that he had at least a dozen. Johnson’s 10 stops tied a career high and represented his third career 10-tackle game, one in each of the last three seasons.
  • Feltrinelli and Johnson were closely followed by Nurse and Samuel on the Valpo tackle chart as they had nine apiece. Nurse surpassed his 2025 best of eight against St. Thomas for his Valpo career high in the tackle department.
  • Samuel registered a career high in tackles as well and is tied with Feltrinelli for the team lead with 16 apiece through two games. Samuel’s interception was the first of his collegiate career. He had a sack and 1.5 TFL on Saturday, lifting his season total to a team-high 4.5 TFL. He has recorded 13 tackles for loss in his Valpo career.
  • Gundy was Valpo’s leading receiver with five catches for 107 yards. This was the second 100-yard receiving game of his career, and he was a single yard shy of his career-best 108 on Oct. 25, 2025 vs. Morehead State.
  • Keefe led the team with 29 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown on six attempts while going 20-of-35 through the air for a career-high 249 yards and one touchdown. He has completed 17 passes or more in five of his last six games dating back to last season. The Valpo QB surpassed his previous personal best for passing yards of 234 on Nov. 8, 2025 vs. San Diego.
  • The 20 completions were also a career best for Keefe, outdoing his previous best of 19 in the Nov. 8, 2025 game vs. San Diego.
  • Valpo’s 249 passing yards were the team’s highest total since Oct. 29, 2022 at Dayton (323).
  • Nine different Beacons caught passes, including Tran, who had his first TD in a Valpo uniform.
  • Keefe’s rushing score was the fourth of his career.
  • Hayes has been on the receiving end for each of Valpo’s last three successful 2-point conversions, two on Nov. 15, 2025 vs. Stetson and one on Saturday.
  • Murray State held a slight 388-327 edge in total offense. The Beacons outgained the Racers through the air 249-194.
  • Valpo lost the coin flip. This may not seem notable, but amazingly Valpo has lost 13 consecutive game-opening coin flips dating back to the 2025 season opener vs. Virginia Lynchburg. Valpo did win the coin flip to begin overtime last season against Stetson.

 

Up Next

Valpo (1-1) will have another opportunity against an MVFC team next week as the Beacons play at Indiana State in a game that kicks off at noon CT / 1 p.m. ET in Terre Haute. The game will air on ESPN+.