Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Looking ahead to MT and Duke
9/13/2019 5:00:00 PM | Football
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — An Atlantic Coast Conference team will travel to Middle Tennessee Saturday for the first time since 2011.
The Duke Blue Devils (1-1) will make the trip from Durham, North Carolina to Floyd Stadium for their first matchup ever with the Blue Raiders (1-1). It'll be the home team's annual Blackout game.
Both teams go in even through two games, both having lost to top-10 ranked teams in the season opener before scoring 45 points in wins over FCS opponents last week.
"They've got a lot of good players, and that's a great team coming in," MT head coach Rick Stockstill said at Monday's weekly press conference. "We've got to be ready. We've got to correct some of the mistakes we've made in the first two weeks and continue to get better and get ready for this game."
Where can you watch or listen?
TV: Stadium on Facebook (also available on the MT Athletics facebook page)
Radio: The Game 102.5/97.5 FM, WGNS 100.5 FM/1450 AM/101.9 FM, WDUC 93.9 FM
Search 'Middle Tennessee' on the TuneIn app.
Coaches tale of the tape
Rick Stockstill
Record, in conference (C-USA, Sun Belt): 88-79 (14th year), 65-36
Bowl appearances, record: 8 (2018 New Orleans Bowl), 2-6
Accolades: 6-time coach of the year, 2018 C-USA COY, sixth-longest tenured coach in the country, 3rd all-time at MT in wins
David Cutcliffe
Record, at Duke: 112-102 (19th year), 68-73 (12th year)
Bowl appearances as head coach (last), record: 11 (2018 Independence Bowl), 7-4
Accolades: Ended Duke's 18-year bowl drought in 2012, SEC Coach of the Year at Ole Miss (2003), two-time ACC Coach of the Year (2012, 2013), Walter Camp Coach of the Year (2013), ACC Championship Game appearance in 2013, led Duke to first 10-win season in 2013
Stockstill on Cutcliffe: "[He's] one of the best coaches in this profession. He does things the right way. He's been a winner all his life. What he's done at Duke is really tremendous: the consistency they've had since he's been there and how he's turned that program around. We have all the respect in the world for Duke and their program, and it starts with him."
MT vs. the ACC
Middle Tennessee has had some success against the ACC, beating Syracuse in its last matchup with the conference in 2017. In fact, four of the program's five wins over Power 5 conference teams have been against the ACC.
The Blue Raiders are 4-10 all-time against the ACC, including the Syracuse victory and two wins in 2008 and 2009 against Maryland before the Terrapins moved to the Big Ten. They also beat Georgia Tech in Atlanta in 2012, the same year the Yellow Jackets won the ACC Coastal Division.
Offense explodes
After showing flashes of what they could do against Michigan in the season opener, scoring 21 points on a team that in 2018 finished second nationally in total defense, the Blue Raiders' training wheels came off in Week 2 against Tennessee State.
Quarterback Asher O'Hara, making the first home start of his career, led the way with an all-time performance. The redshirt sophomore was the first player in program history with 300 yards passing and 100 yards rushing in the same game, finishing with 367 through the air and 103 on the ground with four passing touchdowns.
Through two games, O'Hara has completed 70.97% of his passes, averaging 292 yards per game with six TDs against two interceptions. His passer efficiency rating of 175.6 is currently 23rd in the country, and he also leads the team in rushing with 135 total yards.
Late in Saturday's game, redshirt sophomore running back Chaton Mobley took over. He rushed for all but 1 of his 104 yards in the fourth quarter, including two TDs.
Mobley and O'Hara were the first MT duo since Sept. 23, 2017 to eclipse 100 rushing yards in the same game. They'll have to come with that same hard-nosed rushing mentality against Duke's defense, which has been good this season against the run.
Blue Devil defensive ends Tre Hornbuckle and Victor Dimukeje, two of the best defensive linemen Middle Tennessee will face this season, have 17.5 and 17 career tackles for loss, respectively. They anchor a defense that gave up only 145 rushing yards on 42 attempts (3.4-yard average) in the season opener to Alabama, then limited North Carolina A&T to 138 yards — 66 came on one play — last week.
"They're really disciplined up front," MT redshirt junior offensive lineman Will Gilchrist said. "They're really well coached … it will be a great challenge for us, and we'll be ready."
Blankenship a bad man
When Middle Tennessee needed a few plays to get jumpstarted against TSU last week, all-conference safety Reed Blankenship delivered.
He was named Conference USA's Defensive Player of the Week after amassing a team-high nine tackles, two INTs and a blocked PAT. Both of his interceptions came in the end zone as the Tigers were threatening to widen their lead in the first half.
"He should have had three [INTs], but he had one that didn't count," Blankenship's safety mate Jovante Moffatt said. "I went to [defensive coordinator Scott Shafer] the other day and asked, 'Why do they keep throwing it to his side? He's the one that has all the interceptions.' I would think they would try me a lot more, honestly."
Blankenship may be needed for more big plays against Duke.
Quarterback Quentin Harris, a redshirt senior, has filled in admirably for the Blue Devils, which lost Daniel Jones to the NFL Draft during the offseason despite having a year of eligibility remaining.
Harris has thrown for 442 yards and four TDs against two INTs this season, adding 96 yards and another score on the ground. Containing his athletic ability will be a key for the Blue Raiders' defense.
"[Harris] is a great athlete," Stockstill said. "He's a really good quarterback, and Coach Cutcliffe has done a really good job developing him."
Big crowd needed
Last week, Middle Tennessee played in front of the biggest crowd (20,912) at Floyd Stadium since 26,717 packed the house against Vandy in the 2017 season opener.
The raucous fan base didn't go unnoticed by the coaches and players, and they're asking for a similar turnout against the Blue Devils.
"It was really a great turnout, and it made the atmosphere really fun," Stockstill said. "It was fun for those guys to play in. It was loud, it was exciting. To everyone that was involved and had a role in that, I really appreciate you and thank you for it. We're going to need you again this week as we play Duke."
Blue Raiders in Blackout games
Saturday's contest will be the 12th Blackout game in the Blue Raiders' history. They've had plenty of success in the first 11.
With last season's 25-24 last-second victory over Florida Atlantic, their record in Blackout games improved to 8-3.
"The players loved the atmosphere we had [last week] … we hope it's like that this coming week as well," Moffatt said.
The Duke Blue Devils (1-1) will make the trip from Durham, North Carolina to Floyd Stadium for their first matchup ever with the Blue Raiders (1-1). It'll be the home team's annual Blackout game.
Both teams go in even through two games, both having lost to top-10 ranked teams in the season opener before scoring 45 points in wins over FCS opponents last week.
"They've got a lot of good players, and that's a great team coming in," MT head coach Rick Stockstill said at Monday's weekly press conference. "We've got to be ready. We've got to correct some of the mistakes we've made in the first two weeks and continue to get better and get ready for this game."
Where can you watch or listen?
TV: Stadium on Facebook (also available on the MT Athletics facebook page)
Radio: The Game 102.5/97.5 FM, WGNS 100.5 FM/1450 AM/101.9 FM, WDUC 93.9 FM
Search 'Middle Tennessee' on the TuneIn app.
Coaches tale of the tape
Rick Stockstill
Record, in conference (C-USA, Sun Belt): 88-79 (14th year), 65-36
Bowl appearances, record: 8 (2018 New Orleans Bowl), 2-6
Accolades: 6-time coach of the year, 2018 C-USA COY, sixth-longest tenured coach in the country, 3rd all-time at MT in wins
David Cutcliffe
Record, at Duke: 112-102 (19th year), 68-73 (12th year)
Bowl appearances as head coach (last), record: 11 (2018 Independence Bowl), 7-4
Accolades: Ended Duke's 18-year bowl drought in 2012, SEC Coach of the Year at Ole Miss (2003), two-time ACC Coach of the Year (2012, 2013), Walter Camp Coach of the Year (2013), ACC Championship Game appearance in 2013, led Duke to first 10-win season in 2013
Stockstill on Cutcliffe: "[He's] one of the best coaches in this profession. He does things the right way. He's been a winner all his life. What he's done at Duke is really tremendous: the consistency they've had since he's been there and how he's turned that program around. We have all the respect in the world for Duke and their program, and it starts with him."
MT vs. the ACC
Middle Tennessee has had some success against the ACC, beating Syracuse in its last matchup with the conference in 2017. In fact, four of the program's five wins over Power 5 conference teams have been against the ACC.
The Blue Raiders are 4-10 all-time against the ACC, including the Syracuse victory and two wins in 2008 and 2009 against Maryland before the Terrapins moved to the Big Ten. They also beat Georgia Tech in Atlanta in 2012, the same year the Yellow Jackets won the ACC Coastal Division.
Offense explodes
After showing flashes of what they could do against Michigan in the season opener, scoring 21 points on a team that in 2018 finished second nationally in total defense, the Blue Raiders' training wheels came off in Week 2 against Tennessee State.
Quarterback Asher O'Hara, making the first home start of his career, led the way with an all-time performance. The redshirt sophomore was the first player in program history with 300 yards passing and 100 yards rushing in the same game, finishing with 367 through the air and 103 on the ground with four passing touchdowns.
Through two games, O'Hara has completed 70.97% of his passes, averaging 292 yards per game with six TDs against two interceptions. His passer efficiency rating of 175.6 is currently 23rd in the country, and he also leads the team in rushing with 135 total yards.
Late in Saturday's game, redshirt sophomore running back Chaton Mobley took over. He rushed for all but 1 of his 104 yards in the fourth quarter, including two TDs.
Mobley and O'Hara were the first MT duo since Sept. 23, 2017 to eclipse 100 rushing yards in the same game. They'll have to come with that same hard-nosed rushing mentality against Duke's defense, which has been good this season against the run.
Blue Devil defensive ends Tre Hornbuckle and Victor Dimukeje, two of the best defensive linemen Middle Tennessee will face this season, have 17.5 and 17 career tackles for loss, respectively. They anchor a defense that gave up only 145 rushing yards on 42 attempts (3.4-yard average) in the season opener to Alabama, then limited North Carolina A&T to 138 yards — 66 came on one play — last week.
"They're really disciplined up front," MT redshirt junior offensive lineman Will Gilchrist said. "They're really well coached … it will be a great challenge for us, and we'll be ready."
Blankenship a bad man
When Middle Tennessee needed a few plays to get jumpstarted against TSU last week, all-conference safety Reed Blankenship delivered.
He was named Conference USA's Defensive Player of the Week after amassing a team-high nine tackles, two INTs and a blocked PAT. Both of his interceptions came in the end zone as the Tigers were threatening to widen their lead in the first half.
"He should have had three [INTs], but he had one that didn't count," Blankenship's safety mate Jovante Moffatt said. "I went to [defensive coordinator Scott Shafer] the other day and asked, 'Why do they keep throwing it to his side? He's the one that has all the interceptions.' I would think they would try me a lot more, honestly."
Blankenship may be needed for more big plays against Duke.
Quarterback Quentin Harris, a redshirt senior, has filled in admirably for the Blue Devils, which lost Daniel Jones to the NFL Draft during the offseason despite having a year of eligibility remaining.
Harris has thrown for 442 yards and four TDs against two INTs this season, adding 96 yards and another score on the ground. Containing his athletic ability will be a key for the Blue Raiders' defense.
"[Harris] is a great athlete," Stockstill said. "He's a really good quarterback, and Coach Cutcliffe has done a really good job developing him."
Big crowd needed
Last week, Middle Tennessee played in front of the biggest crowd (20,912) at Floyd Stadium since 26,717 packed the house against Vandy in the 2017 season opener.
The raucous fan base didn't go unnoticed by the coaches and players, and they're asking for a similar turnout against the Blue Devils.
"It was really a great turnout, and it made the atmosphere really fun," Stockstill said. "It was fun for those guys to play in. It was loud, it was exciting. To everyone that was involved and had a role in that, I really appreciate you and thank you for it. We're going to need you again this week as we play Duke."
Blue Raiders in Blackout games
Saturday's contest will be the 12th Blackout game in the Blue Raiders' history. They've had plenty of success in the first 11.
With last season's 25-24 last-second victory over Florida Atlantic, their record in Blackout games improved to 8-3.
"The players loved the atmosphere we had [last week] … we hope it's like that this coming week as well," Moffatt said.
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