MURRAY, Ky. (Interstat) — Murray State used a balanced scoring effort and a strong third quarter to defeat Valparaiso 27-18 in an NCAA Football Championship Division game Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, at Roy Stewart Stadium. The Racers improved to 1-2. The Beacons, the visiting team, fell to 1-1. Valparaiso entered after a 59-13 win over Lawrence Tech on Aug. 29. Murray State had lost to Eastern Illinois and Middle Tennessee earlier in the season. The Racers protected their home field with timely offensive plays and a defense that kept Valparaiso from completing a comeback.

Valparaiso scored seven points in the first quarter, three in the second and eight in the third. Murray State scored seven in the first, seven in the second and thirteen in the third. The Racers’ third-quarter production provided the decisive margin. Valparaiso moved the ball at times but could not match Murray State’s finishing stretch. The Beacons’ final total came on a combination of a rushing touchdown, a field goal and a touchdown pass with a two-point conversion.

The game’s key plays included an early 2-yard touchdown run by Jawaun Northington for Murray State, followed by a successful R. Devita extra point. Valparaiso later saw a Rowan Keefe pass intercepted by A. McGill, whose 100-yard return for a touchdown was nullified by a Murray State holding penalty. Keefe answered with a 4-yard touchdown run, and Luke Scoma made the extra point. Mykel Allen gave Murray State another touchdown on a 12-yard run, and Devita’s kick was good.

Special teams and penalties shaped several important moments. Dylan Embry had a 2-yard touchdown run for Murray State nullified by a holding penalty. Devita’s 39-yard field-goal attempt was blocked by Valparaiso’s Antony Morris. Scoma missed a 28-yard field goal but later made a 37-yard attempt. Baxter Wright scored on a 1-yard run for Murray State, and Devita added the extra point. Keefe connected with Isaac Tran for a 23-yard touchdown pass, then completed a two-point conversion to Colin Hayes. Mykel Allen had a 6-yard touchdown run for Murray State nullified by a holding penalty. Those swings kept Valparaiso within reach but not close enough to overtake the Racers.

Valparaiso’s offense was led by Keefe, who produced a rushing touchdown and a passing touchdown. Hayes caught the two-point conversion after Tran’s touchdown reception. Scoma handled the kicking duties. The Beacons also relied on Feltrinelli and a defense that produced a blocked field goal. Murray State’s offense featured Northington, Mykel Allen and Wright in the running game, while Devita handled extra points and field-goal attempts. The Racers also used Shannon and Ogle at quarterback, with Campbell, Northington and Embry listed among the running backs.

Valparaiso’s key performers included quarterback Rowan Keefe, a 6-foot-3, 185-pound player from Park Ridge, Ill. The Beacons also listed linebacker Anthony Feltrinelli, a 6-1, 220-pound defender from Westfield, Ind.; tight end Colin Hayes, a 6-6, 235-pound target from Bloomington, Ill.; receiver Micah Mackay from Zionsville, Ind.; receiver Devin Yeats, a 6-2, 210-pound target from Hampshire, Ill.; running back Michael Rumoro, a 5-9, 190-pound back from Geneva, Ill.; defensive back Mark Johnson from Nashville, Tenn.; defensive back O.C. Nurse, a 5-10, 155-pound defender from Dumfries, Va.; linebacker Max Samuel from Edina, Minn.; defensive back Nic Lendino, a 6-1, 200-pound defender from Naperville, Ill.; defensive back Jason Salman, a 5-9, 170-pound defender from Pittsburgh; defensive lineman Antony Morris, a 6-3, 265-pound defender from Cincinnati; defensive lineman Alex Goworowski, a 6-3, 225-pound defender from Chicago; defensive back Wyatt Little, a 6-1, 200-pound defender from Fort Wayne, Ind.; and kicker Luke Scoma, a 5-10, 170-pound specialist from Bellevue, Wash. Other listed Valparaiso key performers were Kam Fouty-Koonce, Daniel White, Isaac Tran, Ashton Allen, Cedric Benning III, Chris Gundy, Russell Tye, Will Orlando, Gabriel Batres, Caleb Baczek, Connor Cervantes, Nick Beidl, Kaiser Wilhelm and Blake Thorp. No statistical lines were provided for those players.

Murray State’s key performers included quarterback Collin Shannon, a 6-1, 200-pound player from Gatlinburg, Tenn.; quarterback Jim Ogle, a 6-2, 220-pound player from Jacksonville, Ala.; and quarterback Baxter Wright, a 6-2, 170-pound player from Gainesville, Ga. The Racers also listed running back Tyrell Campbell, a 5-10, 200-pound back from London, Ontario; running back Jawaun Northington, a 5-11, 185-pound back from Louisville, Ky.; running back Dylan Embry, a 5-11, 225-pound back from Locust Fork, Ala.; receiver Dimitri Howard, a 5-10, 175-pound target from Birmingham, Ala.; receiver LJ Green, a 6-0, 160-pound target from Franklin, Ga.; tight end Ty Brown, a 6-4, 235-pound tight end from Woodway, Texas; linebacker Klayton Ingram, a 6-0, 230-pound linebacker from Carthage, Texas; defensive lineman Jayden Walker, a 6-2, 260-pound lineman from Aberdeen, Miss.; and linebacker Rett Hemphill, a 6-0, 200-pound linebacker from Jefferson, Ga. Other listed Murray State key performers were Cedric Henderson, Victor Kyatt, Mykel Allen, Trey Firestone, Trenton Walker, Ryan McCall, Philip Williams, Terry Lewis II and Joshua Murphy. No individual stat lines were available for those performers.

Valparaiso will visit Indiana State on Saturday, Sept. 19. The Beacons then host Butler on Sept. 26, visit Morehead State on Oct. 3, host Drake on Oct. 10, visit San Diego on Oct. 17, host Presbyterian on Oct. 24, visit Dayton on Nov. 7, visit Stetson on Nov. 14 and host Saint Thomas (Minn.) on Nov. 21. Murray State will visit Oklahoma State on Sept. 19, host Southern Illinois on Sept. 26, visit North Dakota on Oct. 3, host South Dakota on Oct. 17, visit South Dakota State on Oct. 24, visit Illinois State on Oct. 31, host Youngstown State on Nov. 7, visit Indiana State on Nov. 14 and host Northern Iowa on Nov. 21.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Valparaiso 42, Murray State 37. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Murray State with an 85.9 percent probability to win.