Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Saturday, September 9
Syracuse, NY
2:30 PM
Middle Tennessee
at
Syracuse University
What to watch for against Syracuse
9/8/2017 10:00:00 AM | Football
Kickoff set for 2:35 PM CT
GAME NOTES
BROADCAST INFO: On-line only at WatchESPN
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Middle Tennessee hits the road Saturday searching for its first win of the season against the Syracuse Orange.
The Blue Raiders (0-1) fell to Vanderbilt on Sept. 2 in a 28-6 fashion, while the Orange (1-0) took down Central Connecticut State easily, 50-7.
Saturday's matchup will be the first time the two teams will meet on the gridiron, though there are already some connections between the programs.
First-year Middle Tennessee defensive coordinator Scott Shafer spent seven seasons at the upstate New York school, first as DC from 2009-12 then head coach from 2013-15.
While the Orange coordinator, Shafer also coached new MT linebackers coach Siriki Diabate, who then was a graduate assistant on Shafer's staff after he graduated prior to the 2013 season.
It's clear Shafer's players have in the back of their minds how special a win would be for their defensive coordinator.
"He said we would all be best friends for life if we beat Syracuse," senior linebacker D.J. Sanders said. "So, that's extra motivation for us. It's maybe kind of personal for him, but for us it's just another game and that's how we're going to approach it."
A win would be Middle Tennessee's fourth over an Atlantic Coast Conference team (3-10) and first since beating Georgia Tech 49-28 in 2012.
Here are some keys to focus on as the game unfolds:
Two potent passing attacks
Syracuse and MT feature two of the best passing offenses in the country, finishing 11th and eighth in passing yards per game last season, respectively. They also sport two of last season's worst passing defenses, finishing 108th and 101st in the nation in that category.
The Orange may have lost the best receiver in school history in Amba Etta-Tawo (Third Team All-American, First Team All-ACC in 2016), but quarterback Eric Dungey didn't appear to miss the big wideout against Central Connecticut State. The junior threw for 328 yards and three touchdowns and completed 77.78 percent of his passes (28-36).
Though FCS Central Connecticut may not be at the same level defensively as Middle Tennessee, the Blue Raiders will have to come with a different game plan against Syracuse than it did in Week 1.
Vanderbilt quarterback Kyle Shurmur was rarely under duress, and threw for 296 yards and three touchdowns against MT last week, completing 20-of-28 passes.
If Middle Tennessee wants to slow down the Orange passing game, it will have to get more pressure to Dungey than it did against Shurmur. The Raiders came up with just one sack in Week 1.
"I think they'll try to throw it 50 or 60 times," head coach Rick Stockstill said. "I think they'll try to spread us out because that's what they do. I don't anticipate anything different."
Can Brent Stockstill have a bounce back game?
If MT can't slow down Syracuse through the air, redshirt junior quarterback Brent Stockstill will have to get the offense moving better than it did against Vanderbilt's tough defense.
The left-hander wasn't his normal self against the Commodores. He averages 297.8 passing yards per game (fourth in NCAA), but finished with just 166 in Week 1 as the Blue Raiders struggled to find consistency when they had the ball.
It was just the second time in Brent Stockstill's career he's been held under 200 yards passing. The first such game came in 2015 at Alabama, and in the contest the following week, he proved a chip was on his shoulder.
Against Charlotte, the Murfreesboro native had a career day, throwing for 369 yards and setting a career high with five touchdown passes. He also had a personal-best 85.2 percent completion percentage (23-27).
He may have to show a similar ability to bounce back if the Blue Raiders are going to keep pace with Syracuse, and the Orange may have the defense for him to do it. They gave up a school record 463 total points in 2016.
Can MT's O-line be better?
Along with Brent Stockstill looking more like the quarterback he's proven to be at Middle Tennessee, his offensive line will also have to rebound in Week 2.
Vanderbilt proved the question marks surrounding the new-look Blue Raider line were warranted, sacking Brent Stockstill five times. Last season, MT gave up just 14 total sacks and eight in the 10 games Brent Stockstill played. However, with four key members of the offensive line graduated from last year's team, new guys have been asked to step in and contribute in bigger roles.
So far, that transition hasn't been smooth. The linemen will have to show more consistency protecting their quarterback against the Orange, who registered one team sack in Week 1.
"Those guys will work and continue to get better," Rick Stockstill said. "I've got 100 percent confidence in them that they'll continue to improve."
Can someone step up in the backfield?
One of the keys to Middle Tennessee's record-setting offense in 2016 was running back I'Tavius Mathers, who set school records in single-season rushing and all-purpose yards.
With him gone, a new back has to step up for the Blue Raiders. In Week 1, that didn't happen.
Junior Navarro College transfer Maurice Gordon led the way with just 26 total yards against Vanderbilt, while Brent Stockstill had a team-high 10 carries.
Getting the passing game going may be the main focus offensively Saturday for MT, but establishing a running game could help by providing another wrinkle Syracuse has to worry about.
"We have to get others involved … and establish more of a run game," Brent Stockstill said. "You're never going to win with just one guy having production, you've got to have production across the board."
Will Brent Stockstill's and Richie James's streaks continue?
The Week 1 loss may not have provided Middle Tennessee with a lot of positives to build on, but its two best offensive players continued incredible streaks.
Redshirt junior wide receiver Richie James caught 10 passes for 112 yards and a touchdown, giving him the all-time MT career record for receiving yards (currently 3,083). He enters the Syracuse matchup on a streak of three straight 100-yard receiving games and nine out of the last 10. He's also tied for ninth in the nation with 27 consecutive games with a catch, and needs just 16 receptions to break the Blue Raider all-time record (238).
The man throwing James the ball also continued a streak of his own against the Dores. Brent Stockstill's 22-yard TD strike to James in the fourth quarter gave the quarterback his 17th straight game with a TD pass. It's the second-longest active streak in the country behind Marshall's Chase Litton (22).
Raiders in domes
Saturday's contest will be the first time the Blue Raiders will play in Syracuse's Carrier Dome, but they have experienced some success indoors in the past. They own a 4-5 all-time record playing in a dome.
BROADCAST INFO: On-line only at WatchESPN
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Middle Tennessee hits the road Saturday searching for its first win of the season against the Syracuse Orange.
The Blue Raiders (0-1) fell to Vanderbilt on Sept. 2 in a 28-6 fashion, while the Orange (1-0) took down Central Connecticut State easily, 50-7.
Saturday's matchup will be the first time the two teams will meet on the gridiron, though there are already some connections between the programs.
First-year Middle Tennessee defensive coordinator Scott Shafer spent seven seasons at the upstate New York school, first as DC from 2009-12 then head coach from 2013-15.
While the Orange coordinator, Shafer also coached new MT linebackers coach Siriki Diabate, who then was a graduate assistant on Shafer's staff after he graduated prior to the 2013 season.
It's clear Shafer's players have in the back of their minds how special a win would be for their defensive coordinator.
"He said we would all be best friends for life if we beat Syracuse," senior linebacker D.J. Sanders said. "So, that's extra motivation for us. It's maybe kind of personal for him, but for us it's just another game and that's how we're going to approach it."
A win would be Middle Tennessee's fourth over an Atlantic Coast Conference team (3-10) and first since beating Georgia Tech 49-28 in 2012.
Here are some keys to focus on as the game unfolds:
Two potent passing attacks
Syracuse and MT feature two of the best passing offenses in the country, finishing 11th and eighth in passing yards per game last season, respectively. They also sport two of last season's worst passing defenses, finishing 108th and 101st in the nation in that category.
The Orange may have lost the best receiver in school history in Amba Etta-Tawo (Third Team All-American, First Team All-ACC in 2016), but quarterback Eric Dungey didn't appear to miss the big wideout against Central Connecticut State. The junior threw for 328 yards and three touchdowns and completed 77.78 percent of his passes (28-36).
Though FCS Central Connecticut may not be at the same level defensively as Middle Tennessee, the Blue Raiders will have to come with a different game plan against Syracuse than it did in Week 1.
Vanderbilt quarterback Kyle Shurmur was rarely under duress, and threw for 296 yards and three touchdowns against MT last week, completing 20-of-28 passes.
If Middle Tennessee wants to slow down the Orange passing game, it will have to get more pressure to Dungey than it did against Shurmur. The Raiders came up with just one sack in Week 1.
"I think they'll try to throw it 50 or 60 times," head coach Rick Stockstill said. "I think they'll try to spread us out because that's what they do. I don't anticipate anything different."
Can Brent Stockstill have a bounce back game?
If MT can't slow down Syracuse through the air, redshirt junior quarterback Brent Stockstill will have to get the offense moving better than it did against Vanderbilt's tough defense.
The left-hander wasn't his normal self against the Commodores. He averages 297.8 passing yards per game (fourth in NCAA), but finished with just 166 in Week 1 as the Blue Raiders struggled to find consistency when they had the ball.
It was just the second time in Brent Stockstill's career he's been held under 200 yards passing. The first such game came in 2015 at Alabama, and in the contest the following week, he proved a chip was on his shoulder.
Against Charlotte, the Murfreesboro native had a career day, throwing for 369 yards and setting a career high with five touchdown passes. He also had a personal-best 85.2 percent completion percentage (23-27).
He may have to show a similar ability to bounce back if the Blue Raiders are going to keep pace with Syracuse, and the Orange may have the defense for him to do it. They gave up a school record 463 total points in 2016.
Can MT's O-line be better?
Along with Brent Stockstill looking more like the quarterback he's proven to be at Middle Tennessee, his offensive line will also have to rebound in Week 2.
Vanderbilt proved the question marks surrounding the new-look Blue Raider line were warranted, sacking Brent Stockstill five times. Last season, MT gave up just 14 total sacks and eight in the 10 games Brent Stockstill played. However, with four key members of the offensive line graduated from last year's team, new guys have been asked to step in and contribute in bigger roles.
So far, that transition hasn't been smooth. The linemen will have to show more consistency protecting their quarterback against the Orange, who registered one team sack in Week 1.
"Those guys will work and continue to get better," Rick Stockstill said. "I've got 100 percent confidence in them that they'll continue to improve."
Can someone step up in the backfield?
One of the keys to Middle Tennessee's record-setting offense in 2016 was running back I'Tavius Mathers, who set school records in single-season rushing and all-purpose yards.
With him gone, a new back has to step up for the Blue Raiders. In Week 1, that didn't happen.
Junior Navarro College transfer Maurice Gordon led the way with just 26 total yards against Vanderbilt, while Brent Stockstill had a team-high 10 carries.
Getting the passing game going may be the main focus offensively Saturday for MT, but establishing a running game could help by providing another wrinkle Syracuse has to worry about.
"We have to get others involved … and establish more of a run game," Brent Stockstill said. "You're never going to win with just one guy having production, you've got to have production across the board."
Will Brent Stockstill's and Richie James's streaks continue?
The Week 1 loss may not have provided Middle Tennessee with a lot of positives to build on, but its two best offensive players continued incredible streaks.
Redshirt junior wide receiver Richie James caught 10 passes for 112 yards and a touchdown, giving him the all-time MT career record for receiving yards (currently 3,083). He enters the Syracuse matchup on a streak of three straight 100-yard receiving games and nine out of the last 10. He's also tied for ninth in the nation with 27 consecutive games with a catch, and needs just 16 receptions to break the Blue Raider all-time record (238).
The man throwing James the ball also continued a streak of his own against the Dores. Brent Stockstill's 22-yard TD strike to James in the fourth quarter gave the quarterback his 17th straight game with a TD pass. It's the second-longest active streak in the country behind Marshall's Chase Litton (22).
Raiders in domes
Saturday's contest will be the first time the Blue Raiders will play in Syracuse's Carrier Dome, but they have experienced some success indoors in the past. They own a 4-5 all-time record playing in a dome.
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