MTSU - North Texas Rundown
Just when you thought Middle Tennesse had turned the corner and found some fire after competing for four quarters vs. UTSA and WKU, and then beating FIU in Miami, a loss to perennial bottom-dweller North Texas feels an awful lot like one step forward, two steps back.
For the first time this year, it felt like the defense was underprepared. For the most part, I had felt like any defensive issues could be pegged to the offense turning the ball over and not being able to sustain drives, resulting in a tired defense.
But this week felt like the opposite. Once North Texas changed QBs (after the starter threw two bad interceptions), the defense had no answers and the offense couldn't tread water long enough for them to figure it out.
Mean Green Jason Bean
After starting QB Austin Aune threw two interceptions, North Texas HC Seth Littrell had no choice but to give his backup QB a chance. In comes the Mean Green Bean (trademark symbol entered here) to save the day. Jason Bean carried the North Texas offense to their best day in school history.
Bean went 12/17 for 181 yards and two TDs through the air, but his real game-breaking ability showed itself on the ground. He amassed 169 yards on 10 carries and added another three TDs.
The Middle Tennessee defense showed no ability to stop Bean from escaping the pocket - and when a QB can run it like that, and throw the ball over your head to one of the best wide receivers in the country, there's not much you can do. You just have to hope the QB is having an off day - and, well, Mean Jason Bean sure wasn't.
The MT offense has figured some things out.
Chaton Mobley has to get more touches. It's that simple. No one else in the runningback room has shown an ability to consistently tote the rock like the Knoxville native has this season. Mobley finished with 156 yards on 14 carries with a long 63 yard run that ended just outside the endzone, and one 30 yard TD late in the 4th quarter. He was targeted one time in the passing game and made an incredible adjustment mid-air to a poor pass by O'Hara for 6 points.
Speaking of O'Hara, he and WR Jarrin Pierce have proven to be quite the passing tandem. Although Pierce only caught four passes this weekend, he caught an absolute dime from O'Hara in the back corner of the end zone for a TD in the first half.
The MT offense has to do a better job of creating a scheme that gets the ball into the hands of Mobley and Pierce. Ride what works for the rest of the season.
CUSA East is likely out of reach.
Losing this game to a poor North Texas side meant a third loss in conference. And while it was unlikely to expect this Middle Tennessee team to run the table the rest of the year, two losses would have possibly put them in the conversation for the division crown, but any talk would also have been dependent on a couple of teams (Marshall and FAU) dropping a couple of games to end the year.
Still, Middle Tennessee had something to play and prepare for before the game on Saturday. With the conference title game out of the picture, it will be interesting to see how the team responds.
We know the NCAA waived the minimum win requirement to gain bowl eligibility, but at 1-5, it would require MT to win out to even be considered for a bowl. Before the season, when it looked like more than half of the FBS teams weren't going to play this fall, it felt like MT had a good chance to be invited somewhere for postseason play. That's a pipedream at this point, too, with most of the major conferences now playing (or starting in the next two weeks.)
Fans want to hear from Athletic Director Chris Massaro
Very simply put, the way this season has gone has not lived up to the expectations of anyone in the football program or the fans who so passionately follow this team each weekend. After the disappointing end to last season, Massaro made a public statement to quell the fire smoldering in the fan base. He said in that statement that 4-8 was not acceptable at Middle Tennessee and changes would be made. Changes were not made. In fact, as we reported here at GoMiddle last week, Defensive Coordinator Scott Shafer was given a contract extension before the end of last season. (He signed the extension on 10/23, a couple of days after last year's North Texas contest. MT was 2-5 at that point.)
Fans are expecting a more forceful tone from Massaro if, and when, he decides to speak publicly regarding the performance this season. Right or wrong, and I make no judgment on this either way, the Blue Raider faithful want heads to roll. I take no pleasure in reporting it, but right now that ire is focused on Head Coach Rick Stockstill.
If Massaro doesn't give them what they want, their focus may shift up the Organizational Chart.