Ruston, La. – After a well-deserved bye week, the Blue Raiders will prepare to play two games in six days, starting with the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs on Thursday night. MTSU has yet to beat the Dogs in Louisiana, but they will look to break the 0-4 skid behind MT head coach Derek Mason and a healthier team.
“This group is beginning to get healthier, and we’ve tried to give the guys some downtime to do just that and give a break for this upcoming week,” Mason said. “We’re going to face a team decimated by injuries, but we know they’ll be ready to go.”
Scouting Report
Doing a scouting report on a team like LA Tech isn’t tricky; they have an excellent defense and an offense that leaves much to be desired. The Dogs' defense comes in at No. 2 against the pass and No. 1 against the run within CUSA. They get after opposing quarterbacks, shut down the run, do a good job of tackling, and don’t get beat over the top, a typical Jeremiah Johnson defense.
“They’re talented. They’re bigger linebackers than we’ve played this year, and they play the run extremely well and quickly,” MTSU offensive lineman Ellis Adams says. “We’ve got to have disciplined feet, so we don’t go too far in or too far out, but they’re a really good group.”
Offensively, MT could take advantage of the Bulldogs, as they’ve had a rough start to the year, averaging 18.8 points and 322 total yards a game. Both being bottom three in the conference. This looks to be a much more favorable test for a defense such as MTSU, who has had to face Western Kentucky, Ole Miss, Duke and Memphis. No disrespect to Louisiana Tech, but they haven’t exactly been the offense we’re accustomed to seeing.
The Blue Raiders could see success holding them on offense, and the way to do that is to pin your ears back and get after the quarterback. They average 2.4 yards per carry, so it’s not like you worry about them gashing you with their running backs, and their quarterbacks aren’t mobile either. With no run game to worry about, focus on getting their signal caller out of his game to take their offense out of the ballgame.
Five keys to the game
· Key in on the Louisiana Tech front six
This front wall for the Bulldogs is extremely good. It is one of the best in CUSA, ranking in the top 3 in sacks and TFLs. There’s an extreme amount of talent within this defense, but three of the biggest names to point out are Kolbe Fields, Sifa Leota, and Jessie Evans, who have combined six sacks and 10.5 TFLs. That trio are game-wrecking players who can completely change the dynamic of a ballgame.
It will be essential to do your job across the board, but the MTSU offensive line must lock in and ensure these three don’t find their way into the Blue Raider backfield. If they neutralize the threat, Middle will have a good shot to win, but if they don’t, it will be a long Thursday night.
· Get the ball to Omari Kelly
Omari Kelly is undoubtedly one of the best receivers in the conference but also G5. The Auburn transfer has hauled in 24 passes for 471 yards (conference-best) and three touchdowns in his first five games as a Blue Raider. As the go-to receiver for Vattiato, Kelly must have a significant impact as Middle will face this stout LA Tech passing defense. He went for 174 against Memphis last week, but I don’t think it would take that many yards to get the win in Ruston, although it would help.
My magic number for Kelly is 90 yards. If he can get around that number, then that probably means guys like Holden Willis, Myles Butler, and Gamarion Carter are also contributing, which would be a massive help.
· Get after the quarterback
The Louisiana Tech offensive line has struggled mightily this year, allowing 11 sacks and just 2.4 YPC on the ground, and that’s where you attack. The Bulldogs have several good weapons, but if you get after whichever quarterback they trot out, it will take those receivers out of the picture.
Even though MTSU has struggled to get after the quarterback, I could see them having multiple sacks, with some players returning from injuries. Parker Hughes came back a few weeks ago, and we could potentially see Drew Francis and Ammarien Bailey back as well.
With those three anchoring down that front line, MTSU should find success.
· Force a turnover
Both defenses have been atrocious with forcing turnovers, but whoever wins must get at least one. Considering you have two offenses that struggle to put up points, they need help from the other side.
If MTSU can force a turnover, especially if it puts them in good field position, they’ll have a good chance to win on Thursday.
· Get off the field on third down
Third-down defense was the Achilles heel for Mason’s squad throughout the first three games, but against Duke and Memphis, they held both offenses to 9-for-30 (30%), which would rank No.1 in CUSA.
LA Tech struggles in that department offensively, converting just 36.7% of third downs. If you can make it even harder on them by playing clean football on those big downs, MTSU will be put in a fantastic spot.
