Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
MT ready for ODU with bowl eligibility on the line
11/20/2017 5:00:00 PM | Football
Kickoff set for 2:05 PM Saturday
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – With one game remaining in the regular season, Middle Tennessee has one last chance to reach bowl eligibility against Old Dominion on Saturday.
It will be the first time the Blue Raiders (5-6, 3-4) will welcome the Monarchs (5-6, 3-4) to Murfreesboro and just their second meeting overall. MT won the only other contest, 41-28, during the 2014 season.
"We've got to be ready to roll," Middle Tennessee head coach Rick Stockstill said. "I think our team's got a good attitude, they understand what's at stake. We've got to rebound emotionally, mentally and physically from last week and get ready to play this game. There's a lot on the line, and I'm looking forward to playing it."
The Blue Raiders would have reached bowl eligibility for the sixth year in a row and ninth time in 12 seasons with a rivalry game win Friday night at WKU. But, for the second straight year, were defeated in overtime.
They're hoping the emotional, 41-38 loss doesn't linger into senior day Saturday. A total of 14 Middle Tennessee seniors will be honored before the game.
"It was a very emotional game … we left everything out on that field," Stockstill said. "But, I don't have any doubts that this team will be ready to play Saturday afternoon.
"There's a lot of good players in that senior class, guys that've played a lot of games. I'm really proud of them and I appreciate everything they've given to this program, to this university."
Old Dominion will go into Saturday on a roll. After starting the season 2-0, the Monarchs suffered six straight defeats before rattling off close wins in their last three games.
Squaring off with a hot team with one opportunity left at bowl eligibility will cause MT's focus to be extra intense. Ensuring the chance at one more game for their seniors will also be a motivating factor.
"Seeing those guys leave will be a big moment for the locker room," junior safety Jovante Moffatt said. "We just hope to get them another game."
ODU's three-game winning streak has come in large part on the strength of its rushing attack behind its all-time leading runner.
Senior Ray Lawry (645 rushing yards and seven TDs), who leads the program with 3,983 career rushing yards, has taken over sole possession of the backfield due to an injury to Jeremy Cox (621 rushing yards and four TDs this season). He's run for an average of 125 yards per game with three TDs the last three weeks.
Not only will the Blue Raiders have to slow down Lawry, but they'll also have to keep an eye on true freshman quarterback Steven Williams. His passing stats won't jump off the page (1,445 yards, six TDs and 11 interceptions), but he does a lot of damage on the ground. He's third on the team with 250 rushing yards and three TDs.
Middle Tennessee's Conference USA third-ranked rushing defense (132.2 rushing yards allowed per game) will have its work cut out, but Moffatt thinks they're up to the challenge.
"They have an athletic quarterback in the backfield who wants to move around and make plays with his feet," he said. "He'll pass every now and then, but the triple option and stuff like that gets him going and helps out his team."
Offensively, the Blue Raiders will try to stay hot against an up-and-down defense.
In the last three games, MT has racked up at least 400 total yards of offense, the second time it's had such a stretch this season. Old Dominion, on the other hand, gives up 30.8 points and 334.8 total yards per game to rank 10th and 12th in C-USA, respectively.
"They've got a really, really good defensive line; might be one of the best defensive lines we've seen in this conference this year," Stockstill said. "They're really good up front and they're doing a really nice job."
With a chance to go to a bowl game in the balance and seniors playing at home for the last time, there's plenty for the Blue Raiders to get hyped about ahead of Saturday.
No matter the outcome, Coach Stockstill knows his guys will come out and compete. That's what they've done all season, and what his seniors have done for four and five years.
"I can't ask anything more from this team or those seniors who have given it everything they have every game," he said. "This team has fought through a bunch, and they continue to do that."
It will be the first time the Blue Raiders (5-6, 3-4) will welcome the Monarchs (5-6, 3-4) to Murfreesboro and just their second meeting overall. MT won the only other contest, 41-28, during the 2014 season.
"We've got to be ready to roll," Middle Tennessee head coach Rick Stockstill said. "I think our team's got a good attitude, they understand what's at stake. We've got to rebound emotionally, mentally and physically from last week and get ready to play this game. There's a lot on the line, and I'm looking forward to playing it."
The Blue Raiders would have reached bowl eligibility for the sixth year in a row and ninth time in 12 seasons with a rivalry game win Friday night at WKU. But, for the second straight year, were defeated in overtime.
They're hoping the emotional, 41-38 loss doesn't linger into senior day Saturday. A total of 14 Middle Tennessee seniors will be honored before the game.
"It was a very emotional game … we left everything out on that field," Stockstill said. "But, I don't have any doubts that this team will be ready to play Saturday afternoon.
"There's a lot of good players in that senior class, guys that've played a lot of games. I'm really proud of them and I appreciate everything they've given to this program, to this university."
Old Dominion will go into Saturday on a roll. After starting the season 2-0, the Monarchs suffered six straight defeats before rattling off close wins in their last three games.
Squaring off with a hot team with one opportunity left at bowl eligibility will cause MT's focus to be extra intense. Ensuring the chance at one more game for their seniors will also be a motivating factor.
"Seeing those guys leave will be a big moment for the locker room," junior safety Jovante Moffatt said. "We just hope to get them another game."
ODU's three-game winning streak has come in large part on the strength of its rushing attack behind its all-time leading runner.
Senior Ray Lawry (645 rushing yards and seven TDs), who leads the program with 3,983 career rushing yards, has taken over sole possession of the backfield due to an injury to Jeremy Cox (621 rushing yards and four TDs this season). He's run for an average of 125 yards per game with three TDs the last three weeks.
Not only will the Blue Raiders have to slow down Lawry, but they'll also have to keep an eye on true freshman quarterback Steven Williams. His passing stats won't jump off the page (1,445 yards, six TDs and 11 interceptions), but he does a lot of damage on the ground. He's third on the team with 250 rushing yards and three TDs.
Middle Tennessee's Conference USA third-ranked rushing defense (132.2 rushing yards allowed per game) will have its work cut out, but Moffatt thinks they're up to the challenge.
"They have an athletic quarterback in the backfield who wants to move around and make plays with his feet," he said. "He'll pass every now and then, but the triple option and stuff like that gets him going and helps out his team."
Offensively, the Blue Raiders will try to stay hot against an up-and-down defense.
In the last three games, MT has racked up at least 400 total yards of offense, the second time it's had such a stretch this season. Old Dominion, on the other hand, gives up 30.8 points and 334.8 total yards per game to rank 10th and 12th in C-USA, respectively.
"They've got a really, really good defensive line; might be one of the best defensive lines we've seen in this conference this year," Stockstill said. "They're really good up front and they're doing a really nice job."
With a chance to go to a bowl game in the balance and seniors playing at home for the last time, there's plenty for the Blue Raiders to get hyped about ahead of Saturday.
No matter the outcome, Coach Stockstill knows his guys will come out and compete. That's what they've done all season, and what his seniors have done for four and five years.
"I can't ask anything more from this team or those seniors who have given it everything they have every game," he said. "This team has fought through a bunch, and they continue to do that."
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