Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Bye week breakdown: Defense showing improvement
10/7/2016 7:27:00 AM | Football
Unit ranks 18th in red zone defense
Middle Tennessee is off to its best start under head coach Rick Stockstill.
The Blue Raiders' 4-1 record is the result of good play in all facets of the game. With five contests in the books, MT ranks 10th in the nation in total offense (528 yards per game) and 47th in total defense (370 yards allowed per game) to go along with other strong statistical categories.
With a bye this week before squaring off with Western Kentucky (3-3, 1-1) on homecoming Oct. 15, we sat down with offensive coordinator Tony Franklin and defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix to discuss how both sides of the ball have performed this year and what they need to do to keep Middle Tennessee's three-game winning streak going.
Breaking down the Blue Raiders defense
Middle Tennessee's defense often gets overlooked because of its record-setting offense. As one of the best units in Conference USA, though, it should get a lot of the credit for the Blue Raiders' hot start.
MT ranks in the top three of C-USA teams in many defensive categories, including scoring defense (23 points per game), rush defense (150 yards per game) and total defense (370 yards per game).
"All in all, we look like we have enough talent to learn how to finish," defensive coordinator Ty Nix said. "We're looking for a little more consistency, but overall we feel like we're in a great position."
Through five games, the defense has showed at times to be formidable against both the run and the pass.
In the Blue Raiders' first three contests this season, they were giving up just 98.6 passing and 209 rushing yards per game. However, in the last two matchups the tides have turned. Opponents have averaged 61.5 yards on the ground over that span, highlighted by North Texas gaining just 5 total yards rushing last week. In its last two games, MT gave up 403.5 yards per game through the air.
While Middle Tennessee's last two opponents – Louisiana Tech and North Texas – had success through the air, redshirt junior cornerback Mike Minter said overall he thinks MT has improved defensively the last few weeks.
"I feel like we're improving every time we step out on the field," he said. "We were playing a little inconsistent, giving up a lot of explosion plays, but in the last two or three games we've been improving. At the same time, we still have a long season and have a lot to improve on."
One area where the Blue Raiders haven't shown inconsistencies is in the red zone. Teams have just a 69.6-percent scoring success rate against MT's defense in the red zone, good for 18th in the NCAA. The defense was fourth nationally in this category last season.
"We've emphasized that, and we've been good the past few years in the red zone," Nix said. "What we try to do is force teams to throw it, and we put a lot of extra emphasis on it from a practice and preparation standpoint. They understand the importance of trying to keep teams out of the end zone."
Opposing teams have only scored 16 times on 23 attempts in the red zone (10 TDs, six FGs) this season against Middle Tennessee's defense. The key here is only 10 TDs in 23 attempts.
Never this season was MT's red zone prowess more evident and necessary than against Louisiana Tech, when on the last drive of the game Minter batted down a pass on fourth-and-goal to seal the comeback win for the Blue Raiders.
"We practice [red zone defense] so much," Minter, who is tied for the C-USA lead with six defended passes, said. "Sundays we go through that during the whole practice. We try to make sure once they get down here we don't let them in, no matter if it's seven points or three points."
Opposing offenses have also had trouble scoring on Middle Tennessee in the second half of games this season. Through five contests the Blue Raiders have only given up 34 points in the second half, just seven of which came in the third quarter.
"All in all, it doesn't matter how you start, but how you finish," Nix said. "The number one objective is coming out victorious on the scoreboard, and we've done that four out of five opportunities."
Moving forward into the thick of Middle Tennessee's C-USA schedule, Nix said he wants to see the defense become more consistent. He also wants them to start taking the football away from opposing offenses. So far this season the Blue Raiders have only forced seven turnovers, giving them a zero turnover margin.
"The number one thing is to get more consistent," Nix said. "We're looking for consistency, and we continue to get better fundamentally. We also want to create more takeaways in the second half of the season."
Other notable team rankings
The Blue Raiders' 4-1 record is the result of good play in all facets of the game. With five contests in the books, MT ranks 10th in the nation in total offense (528 yards per game) and 47th in total defense (370 yards allowed per game) to go along with other strong statistical categories.
With a bye this week before squaring off with Western Kentucky (3-3, 1-1) on homecoming Oct. 15, we sat down with offensive coordinator Tony Franklin and defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix to discuss how both sides of the ball have performed this year and what they need to do to keep Middle Tennessee's three-game winning streak going.
Breaking down the Blue Raiders defense
Middle Tennessee's defense often gets overlooked because of its record-setting offense. As one of the best units in Conference USA, though, it should get a lot of the credit for the Blue Raiders' hot start.
MT ranks in the top three of C-USA teams in many defensive categories, including scoring defense (23 points per game), rush defense (150 yards per game) and total defense (370 yards per game).
"All in all, we look like we have enough talent to learn how to finish," defensive coordinator Ty Nix said. "We're looking for a little more consistency, but overall we feel like we're in a great position."
Through five games, the defense has showed at times to be formidable against both the run and the pass.
In the Blue Raiders' first three contests this season, they were giving up just 98.6 passing and 209 rushing yards per game. However, in the last two matchups the tides have turned. Opponents have averaged 61.5 yards on the ground over that span, highlighted by North Texas gaining just 5 total yards rushing last week. In its last two games, MT gave up 403.5 yards per game through the air.
While Middle Tennessee's last two opponents – Louisiana Tech and North Texas – had success through the air, redshirt junior cornerback Mike Minter said overall he thinks MT has improved defensively the last few weeks.
"I feel like we're improving every time we step out on the field," he said. "We were playing a little inconsistent, giving up a lot of explosion plays, but in the last two or three games we've been improving. At the same time, we still have a long season and have a lot to improve on."
One area where the Blue Raiders haven't shown inconsistencies is in the red zone. Teams have just a 69.6-percent scoring success rate against MT's defense in the red zone, good for 18th in the NCAA. The defense was fourth nationally in this category last season.
"We've emphasized that, and we've been good the past few years in the red zone," Nix said. "What we try to do is force teams to throw it, and we put a lot of extra emphasis on it from a practice and preparation standpoint. They understand the importance of trying to keep teams out of the end zone."
Opposing teams have only scored 16 times on 23 attempts in the red zone (10 TDs, six FGs) this season against Middle Tennessee's defense. The key here is only 10 TDs in 23 attempts.
Never this season was MT's red zone prowess more evident and necessary than against Louisiana Tech, when on the last drive of the game Minter batted down a pass on fourth-and-goal to seal the comeback win for the Blue Raiders.
"We practice [red zone defense] so much," Minter, who is tied for the C-USA lead with six defended passes, said. "Sundays we go through that during the whole practice. We try to make sure once they get down here we don't let them in, no matter if it's seven points or three points."
Opposing offenses have also had trouble scoring on Middle Tennessee in the second half of games this season. Through five contests the Blue Raiders have only given up 34 points in the second half, just seven of which came in the third quarter.
"All in all, it doesn't matter how you start, but how you finish," Nix said. "The number one objective is coming out victorious on the scoreboard, and we've done that four out of five opportunities."
Moving forward into the thick of Middle Tennessee's C-USA schedule, Nix said he wants to see the defense become more consistent. He also wants them to start taking the football away from opposing offenses. So far this season the Blue Raiders have only forced seven turnovers, giving them a zero turnover margin.
"The number one thing is to get more consistent," Nix said. "We're looking for consistency, and we continue to get better fundamentally. We also want to create more takeaways in the second half of the season."
Other notable team rankings
- 34th in the country, third in C-USA in third down conversion percentage against at 32.9 percent.
- 32nd in the country, fourth in C-USA in sacks per game with 2.8.
- Fourth in C-USA in sacks with 14 for 70 yds.
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