Jacksonville, Ala. – MTSU was 2-5 heading into their final midweek game of the season, but the team that stood before them was potentially their biggest test of the season in Jax State. The Blue Raiders came out hot but lost momentum out of halftime, and what was a close game for most of the night turned into a 42-20 blowout on the road against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks. Bringing Middle’s record to 2-6 with no error left if they had any aspirations of playing in a bowl game.
“Hats off to this Jax State football team. We knew what they would do, practiced everything, saw every look, but we didn’t execute well,” says MTSU head coach Derek Mason. “The reality is you have to come here knowing it will be a physical game. We just didn’t make plays, and a team like this will make you pay if you slip up.”
CONSISTENCY ISSUES CONTINUE
Consistency is the name of the game in football. It would be best if you were consistent in extending drives, which leads to touchdowns, tackling well, which leads to defensive stops, and blocking, which leads to protecting your quarterback. MTSU has none of those things, and consistency is what kills their momentum in games and makes the final score look far worse than it is.
That was the issue tonight as, at one point, the Blue Raiders led the game, and even though they lost that lead in the first half, they went into halftime down 14-10. However, missed tackles on third down, dropped touchdowns and linemen not blocking consistently led to a 28-10 run by the Gamecocks, burying MTSU as a one-score game turned into a 22-point trouncing on the road.
“They’ve only got six plays, and they run them consistently. There was nothing out there that we didn’t see, but we’ve got to make plays,” Mason said. “We’ve got to get back to it [consistency]. To me, it’s getting guys more reps and being in the right position so we can take advantage of the opportunities.”
RUSH DEFENSE STRUGGLES MIGHTILY
Everybody in the world knew what was coming tonight from the Jax State offense, running the ball down MTSU’s throat, or at least trying. They would have success after the first drive, in which they drove 75 yards mainly on the ground. Overall, they finished with nearly 450 rushing yards with five touchdowns on 55 carries and outphysicaled the MTSU defense.
Gamecock QB Tyler Huff ran for 151 yards but was nothing special through the air, completing 55% of his passes for 137 yards.
“He hit one pass and then a few short passes, but nothing was scary; the run was the issue. We loaded the box at the end of the game and still couldn’t stop it; calls won’t get it down; players have to get it down; that’s where we’ve got to be better,” says Mason.
NUMBERS TO LOOK AT
438 – The number of rushing yards the Blue Raiders gave up against Jacksonville State.
8 – How many yards per carry that the Gamecocks averaged against MTSU.
16 – How many yards per catch Omari Kelly averaged. The receiver had a great day once again, with seven receptions for 121 yards.
13 – The number of tackles that converted safety Xavier Williams made tonight. Williams has 32 total tackles on the season and has led the team in that same stat four times this season.
48 – The amount of yards that star punter Grant Chadwick averaged on his kicks tonight. He had four punts for 192 yards.
62% - The percentage of third downs that the Gamecock defense converted tonight.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Blue Raiders will get a week and a half of preparation before they fly to El Paso to take on the UTEP Miners in the Sun Bowl. The Miners have struggled even worse than MTSU and will still be looking for their first win next Saturday when Mason and Co. roll into town.
The UTEP offense could be better on both sides of the ball, averaging 3.4 YPC and just under 200 passing yards a game. QBs Cade McConnell and Skyler Locklear have swapped in and out while tossing for 1,183 yards, ten touchdowns and eight interceptions. On the opposite side of the ball, they allow 30 points and 400 total yards a game.
Both squads are on the brink of finally showing their full potential. Will they finally figure it out when they play next week?
