GoMiddle Picks MT vs. Troy (Round 2)
Middle will be hoping for a better showing when it faces Troy for the second time this season on Saturday. The Blue Raiders were beat 47-14 when these teams played earlier this year. Troy had last week’s game against Coastal Carolina cancelled due to COVID-19 issues in the Trojans program.
MT had started to play a little better, winning two in a row before having the Charlotte game postponed due to COVID issues (within the Charlotte program) as well. Rick Stockstill's squad lost all momentum, getting boat raced by a Top 25 Marshall team last Saturday.
The Blue Raiders are looking for revenge, but face a tough task against this Troy team.
Tyler Pellom (5-3 on the season)
After MT fought admirably for the first quarter and a half in the first contest, Troy scored 33 unanswered points in its dominant win against MTSU in early September. The Trojans rushed for 240 yards in that game and had six players contribute to the rushing attack.
After the first game, Stockstill was as dejected and confused as we've seen him this year.
"You can't really say that we did anything good offensively and we're just not a very good offensive football team right now," Rick Stockstill said after the game.
"We haven't been able to score these last two games and in this day in age, you have to score and if you don't you're not going to win games. We just need to play better in all phases."
The Blue Raiders have fixed the scoring issues in the past couple of weeks, and Asher O'Hara has started to find his groove and a rapport with his wide receivers. Howe,er, just plainly put, Troy is on a different level than this current Middle Tennessee squad.
Troy: 40
MT: 23
Matt Dossett (5-3 on the season)
Middle Tennessee State received another body blow last week as they got shellacked against Marshall. Eight games into the season, the Blue Raiders have been bloodied and bludgeoned.
Do they have enough in the tank to climb out of a deep hole and win a game before the end of the season? Saturday's game at Troy presents a very steep challenge. MT lost to Troy at home by a whopping 33 points.
For what is worth, I do not see Troy winning this second matchup by that many points. Troy's ballgame against nationally ranked Coastal Carolin was postponed last week. The last time Troy took the field they lost to Georgia Southern. You better believe there is some sour taste left in the mouth of the men of Troy.
I will branch out and say that it will be a ballgame at half, but look for the Trojans to flex their muscles and pull away a bit in the second half.
Troy: 30
MT: 14
Rickey Fuquay Jr. (6-2 on the season)
Middle Tennessee Redshirt Junior Asher O'Hara recorded a combined two touchdowns on 280 total yards along with 11 carries as well as 29-of-44 passing; however (16) Marshall was too much for the Blue Raiders to handle despite the extra BYE week.The Battle for the Palladium returns for the second time this year.
Troy demolished MT by 33 points the last time these two Sun Belt Conference rivals met on Saturday, September 19, 2020. The Trojans come into this matchup ranked fifth in the Sun Belt with 405.9 YPG on offense and fifth in the SBC with 393.3 YPG allowed on defense.
The Blue Raiders comes into this matchup ranked seventh in the Conference USA with 362.1 YPG on offense and 11th in C-USA with 452.8 YPG allowed on defense. If the defense doesn't perform better than they did in the second half against the Thundering Herd, then it's going to be a long game.
Troy 38
MT: 23