Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Blue Raiders move on to Vanderbilt
9/5/2016 4:00:00 PM | Football
Kickoff set for 3 PM Saturday
MURFREESBORO - Middle Tennessee (1-0) cruised to a 55-0 season-opening win over Alabama A&M in Week 1, but on Saturday the Blue Raiders will face a different challenge on the road at Vanderbilt (0-1).
"I'm pleased with how we played last week," MT head coach Rick Stockstill said. "We did a lot of good things, but we did enough things in that game that you cannot do against a better opponent. We have to get some things corrected, and we started that yesterday. We're expecting a tough, hard-nosed, physical football game."
INSIDE THE GAME
Kickoff: 3:01 PM
TV: SEC Alternate
Announcers: Mike Morgan, Jordan Rogers and Tiffany Greene
Live Stats
The 0-1 Commodores blew a 10-0 lead against South Carolina in their opener and lost 13-10. Last season, they made the short trip from Nashville to Murfreesboro for the first time since 1920.
In last year's matchup, the Blue Raiders played well enough to beat Vandy for 3.5 quarters. The problem for MT was the last six minutes of the game, when the Commodores got into the end zone twice to turn a 13-3 deficit into a 17-13 win.
Getting a chance to play Vanderbilt a year ago may help the Raiders with some aspects in the contest, but Stockstill said ultimately being a new season creates a lot of differences in what they will see.
"It might help a little bit, but every team is different," he said. "We competed well last year and didn't finish it out … I don't know how much playing against them last year is going to help schematically."
One thing Stockstill and the Blue Raiders know they are going to see from Vandy is a stout defense that was one of the nation's best last season. The Commodores ranked 28th nationally and fifth in the Southeastern Conference in total defense in 2015.
"In your pre-snap read it's hard to pick up some things that they're going to do," Stockstill said. "They do a good job of disguising their coverages and they move people around late. They play to their strengths and do a lot of things right before the snap of the ball to try and confuse you."
An offensive key Saturday for Middle Tennessee will be finding a rushing attack behind I'Tavius Mathers. The redshirt senior rushed for 62 yards on just seven carries with a touchdown in Week 1, his first contest at MT.
In last year's game against Vanderbilt, the Blue Raiders ran for just 34 yards on 23 carries.
"Last year was a tough challenge and it's going to be even more of a challenge this year, so we're looking forward to it," Middle Tennessee redshirt sophomore quarterback Brent Stockstill said. "I think we can run it a little better with I'Tavius … and hopefully we can move the ball and put some more points on the board."
On the other side of the ball, the rushing game is again the focus for the Blue Raiders. Behind junior Ralph Webb (25 carries for 155 yards), the Commodores torched MT for 237 yards on 41 carries last season.
"Anytime you face a good back or a back as strong as Webb you have to do a good job in your fundamentals, you have to tackle well and you have to get extra hats to the ball," Rick Stockstill said. "He's going to break arm tackles, so you can't do that … you have to do a good job fundamentally being in a good football position."
Junior linebacker DJ Sanders, who had three tackles against Alabama A&M, said stopping the Vanderbilt attack starts above the neck with your eyes and mind.
"We have to put our eyes in the right place," he said. "Vanderbilt will try to shift and confuse you before the play starts. We have to play with our eyes first and then read our keys and go from there."
Even with their dominating 55-0 win in Week 1, the Blue Raiders know they have a lot to prove still and one win doesn't make a season. Now they are on to Vanderbilt to try and keep their momentum rolling into a 2-0 start.
"We haven't done anything yet," Rick Stockstill said. "We had a good game and the guys played well and played hard, but we have a long way to go.
"It's a coach's cliché, we say it every week and you get bored hearing it, but that's what it is, it's a one-week season. You don't get too big for your britches … we went to work yesterday and buried Alabama A&M and our focus this week is on Vandy."
"I'm pleased with how we played last week," MT head coach Rick Stockstill said. "We did a lot of good things, but we did enough things in that game that you cannot do against a better opponent. We have to get some things corrected, and we started that yesterday. We're expecting a tough, hard-nosed, physical football game."
INSIDE THE GAME
Kickoff: 3:01 PM
TV: SEC Alternate
Announcers: Mike Morgan, Jordan Rogers and Tiffany Greene
Live Stats
The 0-1 Commodores blew a 10-0 lead against South Carolina in their opener and lost 13-10. Last season, they made the short trip from Nashville to Murfreesboro for the first time since 1920.
In last year's matchup, the Blue Raiders played well enough to beat Vandy for 3.5 quarters. The problem for MT was the last six minutes of the game, when the Commodores got into the end zone twice to turn a 13-3 deficit into a 17-13 win.
Getting a chance to play Vanderbilt a year ago may help the Raiders with some aspects in the contest, but Stockstill said ultimately being a new season creates a lot of differences in what they will see.
"It might help a little bit, but every team is different," he said. "We competed well last year and didn't finish it out … I don't know how much playing against them last year is going to help schematically."
One thing Stockstill and the Blue Raiders know they are going to see from Vandy is a stout defense that was one of the nation's best last season. The Commodores ranked 28th nationally and fifth in the Southeastern Conference in total defense in 2015.
"In your pre-snap read it's hard to pick up some things that they're going to do," Stockstill said. "They do a good job of disguising their coverages and they move people around late. They play to their strengths and do a lot of things right before the snap of the ball to try and confuse you."
An offensive key Saturday for Middle Tennessee will be finding a rushing attack behind I'Tavius Mathers. The redshirt senior rushed for 62 yards on just seven carries with a touchdown in Week 1, his first contest at MT.
In last year's game against Vanderbilt, the Blue Raiders ran for just 34 yards on 23 carries.
"Last year was a tough challenge and it's going to be even more of a challenge this year, so we're looking forward to it," Middle Tennessee redshirt sophomore quarterback Brent Stockstill said. "I think we can run it a little better with I'Tavius … and hopefully we can move the ball and put some more points on the board."
On the other side of the ball, the rushing game is again the focus for the Blue Raiders. Behind junior Ralph Webb (25 carries for 155 yards), the Commodores torched MT for 237 yards on 41 carries last season.
"Anytime you face a good back or a back as strong as Webb you have to do a good job in your fundamentals, you have to tackle well and you have to get extra hats to the ball," Rick Stockstill said. "He's going to break arm tackles, so you can't do that … you have to do a good job fundamentally being in a good football position."
Junior linebacker DJ Sanders, who had three tackles against Alabama A&M, said stopping the Vanderbilt attack starts above the neck with your eyes and mind.
"We have to put our eyes in the right place," he said. "Vanderbilt will try to shift and confuse you before the play starts. We have to play with our eyes first and then read our keys and go from there."
Even with their dominating 55-0 win in Week 1, the Blue Raiders know they have a lot to prove still and one win doesn't make a season. Now they are on to Vanderbilt to try and keep their momentum rolling into a 2-0 start.
"We haven't done anything yet," Rick Stockstill said. "We had a good game and the guys played well and played hard, but we have a long way to go.
"It's a coach's cliché, we say it every week and you get bored hearing it, but that's what it is, it's a one-week season. You don't get too big for your britches … we went to work yesterday and buried Alabama A&M and our focus this week is on Vandy."
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