Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
10/10/2016 3:55:00 PM | Football
Game will kickoff Saturday at 1:30 PM
MURFREESBORO - Coaches don't like to point to one football game as more important than another. But this week's homecoming matchup for Middle Tennessee might fit that bill.
The Blue Raiders (4-1, 2-0) welcome rival WKU (3-3, 1-1) to Murfreesboro in a clash of two teams who at the beginning of the season were predicted to compete for a Conference USA East division title.
"WKU is a really, really good football team, evident by the success they've had the last several years," MT head coach Rick Stockstill said. "I think it's a very talented group … we have to do a great job in preparation this week and get ready to play a very good football team."
WKU, last year's Conference USA champion, enters Saturday fresh off a close 55-52 loss to Louisiana Tech in Week 6. The Blue Raiders, on the other hand, get the advantage of going into Saturday off a bye week.
Stockstill said the bye came at a great time for his players, who needed a week to rest their bodies and their minds.
"Everybody talks about injuries and getting guys back after an injury and that's part of it, obviously," he said. "But I think the bigger part is guys who aren't injured, guys who have been playing a lot of football since we reported Aug. 3, you go eight weeks there at the intensity we've had to go through and I think mentally getting away from football is just as critical as having a bump or a bruise heal."
Hopefully the week off also gave Middle Tennessee a chance to dive into a game plan for the Hilltopper defense. Currently they rank second in Conference USA in total defense (360 yards per game allowed) and first in scoring defense at 22 points per game allowed.
To help provide balance to a Middle Tennessee offense that features the conference's best passing attack (352.6 yards per game), redshirt senior running back I'Tavius Mathers will need to be effective.
Mathers ranks first in the conference in all-purpose yards per game (169.8) and third in rushing yards per game (116.4), but WKU's defense is giving up a C-USA-best 102 yards per game on the ground.
"It's extremely important in every game to be balanced," MT redshirt sophomore quarterback Brent Stockstill, who ranks second in C-USA with 331.4 passing yards per game, said. "I think the o-line will do a great job, of course our running backs will do a great job as well, and it's my job to get the ball to the playmakers in space and let them make plays."
On the other side of the ball, Middle Tennessee will square off against a WKU offense that has at times been very one-dimensional, though that one dimension has been stellar so far. The Hilltoppers are only rushing at a 142.6-yard-per-game clip, but their passing offense ranks third in C-USA at 322 yards per game.
Redshirt junior quarterback Mike White (65 percent completion percentage, 1,707 yards, 14 TDs, three INTs) and senior receivers Taywan Taylor (112 receiving yards per game, four TDs) and Nicholas Norris (93 receiving yards per game, eight TDs) make up a three-headed monster for WKU. Taylor and Norris also rank first and second, respectively, all-time at WKU in receiving yards, while Taylor also leads in receptions and receiving touchdowns.
"They get a lot of explosive plays from deep passes down the field," MT junior linebacker DJ Sanders said. "We just have to eliminate the explosive plays and read our keys. Last year that was the problem – we didn't read our keys and guys were out of place."
The Blue Raiders will also have to key in on limiting big plays on special teams. WKU averages a C-USA best 32.5 yards per kick return and 12.8 yards per punt return, good for second in the conference.
"They're really explosive," Rick Stockstill said. "That's going to be a critical part of the game. It always is, but when you're playing someone as explosive and dynamic as they are in the kicking game it's going to be even that much more critical in this game Saturday."
With all of the extra activities and outside talk that always come with homecoming, Middle Tennessee will have to put a heavy emphasis on focusing on what they can control during the game. Stockstill said he has been preaching to the team that Saturday's game doesn't mean anything more than any other this season.
"I talked to them yesterday – we don't emphasize one game over the other," he said. "Within this conference there are nine steps and we've taken two steps. This is the third step, the next step in the process of this season."
Saturday's game, which is the 66th in the historic rivalry – Conference USA's oldest – is scheduled to begin at 1:34 p.m. on ESPN3 with homecoming festivities beginning on Wednesday and running all the way until the opening kick.
The Blue Raiders (4-1, 2-0) welcome rival WKU (3-3, 1-1) to Murfreesboro in a clash of two teams who at the beginning of the season were predicted to compete for a Conference USA East division title.
"WKU is a really, really good football team, evident by the success they've had the last several years," MT head coach Rick Stockstill said. "I think it's a very talented group … we have to do a great job in preparation this week and get ready to play a very good football team."
WKU, last year's Conference USA champion, enters Saturday fresh off a close 55-52 loss to Louisiana Tech in Week 6. The Blue Raiders, on the other hand, get the advantage of going into Saturday off a bye week.
Stockstill said the bye came at a great time for his players, who needed a week to rest their bodies and their minds.
"Everybody talks about injuries and getting guys back after an injury and that's part of it, obviously," he said. "But I think the bigger part is guys who aren't injured, guys who have been playing a lot of football since we reported Aug. 3, you go eight weeks there at the intensity we've had to go through and I think mentally getting away from football is just as critical as having a bump or a bruise heal."
Hopefully the week off also gave Middle Tennessee a chance to dive into a game plan for the Hilltopper defense. Currently they rank second in Conference USA in total defense (360 yards per game allowed) and first in scoring defense at 22 points per game allowed.
To help provide balance to a Middle Tennessee offense that features the conference's best passing attack (352.6 yards per game), redshirt senior running back I'Tavius Mathers will need to be effective.
Mathers ranks first in the conference in all-purpose yards per game (169.8) and third in rushing yards per game (116.4), but WKU's defense is giving up a C-USA-best 102 yards per game on the ground.
"It's extremely important in every game to be balanced," MT redshirt sophomore quarterback Brent Stockstill, who ranks second in C-USA with 331.4 passing yards per game, said. "I think the o-line will do a great job, of course our running backs will do a great job as well, and it's my job to get the ball to the playmakers in space and let them make plays."
On the other side of the ball, Middle Tennessee will square off against a WKU offense that has at times been very one-dimensional, though that one dimension has been stellar so far. The Hilltoppers are only rushing at a 142.6-yard-per-game clip, but their passing offense ranks third in C-USA at 322 yards per game.
Redshirt junior quarterback Mike White (65 percent completion percentage, 1,707 yards, 14 TDs, three INTs) and senior receivers Taywan Taylor (112 receiving yards per game, four TDs) and Nicholas Norris (93 receiving yards per game, eight TDs) make up a three-headed monster for WKU. Taylor and Norris also rank first and second, respectively, all-time at WKU in receiving yards, while Taylor also leads in receptions and receiving touchdowns.
"They get a lot of explosive plays from deep passes down the field," MT junior linebacker DJ Sanders said. "We just have to eliminate the explosive plays and read our keys. Last year that was the problem – we didn't read our keys and guys were out of place."
The Blue Raiders will also have to key in on limiting big plays on special teams. WKU averages a C-USA best 32.5 yards per kick return and 12.8 yards per punt return, good for second in the conference.
"They're really explosive," Rick Stockstill said. "That's going to be a critical part of the game. It always is, but when you're playing someone as explosive and dynamic as they are in the kicking game it's going to be even that much more critical in this game Saturday."
With all of the extra activities and outside talk that always come with homecoming, Middle Tennessee will have to put a heavy emphasis on focusing on what they can control during the game. Stockstill said he has been preaching to the team that Saturday's game doesn't mean anything more than any other this season.
"I talked to them yesterday – we don't emphasize one game over the other," he said. "Within this conference there are nine steps and we've taken two steps. This is the third step, the next step in the process of this season."
Saturday's game, which is the 66th in the historic rivalry – Conference USA's oldest – is scheduled to begin at 1:34 p.m. on ESPN3 with homecoming festivities beginning on Wednesday and running all the way until the opening kick.
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