Last week the Blue Raiders steered the ship back in the winning direction, defeating Kennesaw State 14-5 in a defensive battle.
Next up on the docket is the Gamecocks of Jacksonville State, a squad that is 3-3 overall and 2-0 in league play. They are currently 21 point favorites over MTSU. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN2.
Let's rock and roll with the staff picks!
Matt Dossett: Publisher of GoMiddle. 5-2 overall
Last week the Blue Raiders found their footing, stifling Kennesaw State, holding them to a total of five points. Next up are the Gamecocks of JSU, and MT is going to have to ratchet up the level of play in order to compete on the road. The Gamecocks are 21 point favorites for a reason. After dropping three consecutive out of conference games, they have rattled off three victories in a row, throttling Southern Miss, Kennesaw State and New Mexico State.
The Gamecocks bring a balanced offensive attack to the table. Their rushing yards and passing yards are in the same neighborhood. They have accumulated 1,330 passing yards and have rushed for 1,356 yards. QB Tyler Hunt is a legit dual threat guy, who leads JSU in rushing yards. He has racked up 503 yards on the ground, to go with seven touchdown passes against four picks.
The go-to duo of wideouts consists of Michael Pettway and Cam Vaughn. Pettway has snared 14 balls for 302 yards and two touchdowns. He has a long reception of 92 yards.
Vaughn has 20 catches for 266 yards and one touchdown. Receiver Brock Rechsteiner has eight snags for 151 yards and two house calls.
So, the game will be on national television, and gives the Blue Raiders the opportunity to make an upset statement. Can this happen? Yes. Will it happen? No, I do not think so.
Look for the Blue Raiders to play inspired and with some moxie, but in the end, they do not have the horses to keep up with the Gamecocks. To have a shot, MT needs the defense to bow up and stand on their head, making plays. Look for JSU to pull away late, but in my opinion, the will not cover -21.
Prediction:
Jacksonville State 31
MTSU 13
Connor Nute: Analyst for GoMiddle. 6-1 on the season
It’s another mid-week contest for the Blue Raiders as they head to Jacksonville State to take on the Gamecocks. To put it lightly, this will be a tough test for MTSU. Jax State QB Tyler Huff has been unstoppable thus far, having 500 yds rushing, which is 1st among QBs in C-USA. The Gamecocks play an up-tempo offense, a Rich Rod staple in his offensive system. But offense isn’t the only thing MTSU needs to worry about. The Gamecock defense has been remarkable as well, totaling 9 interceptions this season. It’s going to take very wise decisions from Nick Vattiato to keep the ball with the Blue Raider offense, and a strong game from the offensive line. Overall, I don’t think there’s much of a chance for an already struggling MTSU squad.
Prediction:
JSU 37
MTSU 10
Everhette Glenn. Recruiting analyst. 5-2 on the season
Rich Rod and Jax St have turned around the season after starting 0-3. They have gone 3-0 in their last three games. The Gamecocks look to be explosive on offense again this season and will give the MTSU defense a long night. -21 is a big number but I think Jax St will cover.
Prediction:
JSU 56
MTSU 14
Rickey Fuquay. Analyst. 6-1 on the season.
Middle Tennessee limited the Kenesaw State Owls' offense to a field goal en route to a 14-5 win over Kennesaw State.The Blue Raiders wrap up midweek play with a trip to Jacksonville, Alabama against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks. Kickoff from AmFirst Stadium is set for 6:30 p.m. and will air nationally on ESPN2.The key for the Blue Raiders will be can they slow down the second ranked offense in Conference USA.I believe the Gamecocks' offense will prove to be too much for the Blue Raiders to handle.
Prediction:
JSU 41
MTSU 17
Conner Smith. Football and baseball staff writer. 6-1 on the season
This will easily be MTSU’s biggest test since the Western Kentucky game. This Jacksonville State squad is loaded from top to bottom with guys like All-American guard clay Webb, quarterback Tyler Huff, running back Tre Stewart and more.They’re an extremely physical team who likes to get after you offensively and run the football to open up the passing game. On defense they’re nothing crazy in the front seven but they rank top 20 nationally for interceptions so Nick Vattiato will have to be careful passing.Considering the Blue Raiders have been terrible against the run all year outside of last week against Kennesaw State. I would expect them to get gashed once again by Stewart and Co.I do think that the Middle offense can find some success but won’t be able to put up enough points to upset a highly favored Gamecocks team.
Prediction:
JSU 35
MTSU 17
Shayne Pickering: Football writer and recruiting analyst. 6-1 on the season
Jacksonville State hosts Middle Tennessee well rested and off a three-game run of playing excellent football. This team is strong in the trenches and they use that to establish the run on offense and cause havoc on defense in hopes of forcing turnovers. That could present a challenging situation for the Blue Raiders on the road.Jax State has found their quarterback finally and that has allowed them to finally play to the level some expected them to in the preseason. They are not unbeatable but MTSU will have to limit turnovers, win their fair share of battles up front, and play mentally strong. I just can't trust this year's team to do that right now and I have the home Jacksonville State team pulling out the win.
Prediction:
JSU 31
MTSU 17
Jake Bolden: Head of Blue Raider Pod. 5-2 on the season
Defense played well last week considering their opponent. Jacksonville State, however, is an entirely different animal. Rich Rodriguez will utilize his patented Zone Read/Run Pass Option Offense on the arms and legs of breakout QB Tyler Huff who has the Gamecocks moving in a positive direction. I’m afraid MT’s defense has showed their inability to contain mobile QBs and there won’t be a more mobile one than Huff on Wednesday night. This gets out of hand early, I’m afraid.
Prediction:
JSU 45
MTSU 13
