Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Saturday's game a sort of homecoming for some Raiders
10/7/2020 6:00:00 PM | Football
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee may have celebrated its homecoming last week against WKU, but Saturday will serve as a real homecoming for several of the Blue Raiders when they take on FIU in Miami.
Head coach Rick Stockstill and his staff have done a terrific job the last few years of recruiting heavily in the state of Florida, so much so that 17 scholarship players will play in their home state Saturday. That includes seven from within 160 square miles of Miami.
"There's no question Florida produces a lot of athletes and a lot of good players," Stockstill said. "There are good players and coaches there. … It's a very fertile state to recruit, and we've had a lot of good players from the state of Florida."
Saturday's contest will be the second time junior safety Gregory Grate Jr. will get to play in his hometown.
He grew up on Miami's north side, attending Miami Carol City Senior High School. He helped the Chiefs win a Class 6A state title in 2016 before committing to MT.
Grate bounced around the defensive backfield for the Blue Raiders the last two years, making eight combined starts as a freshman and sophomore at safety, both outside corner spots and nickel corner.
He seems to have found a home as a junior starting at safety opposite senior Reed Blankenship. They're currently tied for the team lead with 28 tackles this season, and Grate's added an interception and two forced fumbles. He also had a pick-six called off due to an offsides penalty against Troy.
"At safety, I can kind of utilize my skillset," Grate said. "I can see more of the field and observe the offense, read the quarterback and make a play on the ball."
Grate is just one Florida native making big contributions to the MT defense.
Redshirt sophomore Decorian Patterson, an Ocala, Florida, native, has also bounced around the defensive backfield, playing both outside corner positions and nickel corner this season. He's been good wherever he's played, racking up 15 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery in three games.
Fellow Florida native Cody Smith, a redshirt junior linebacker from Stuart, has also had a good start to his season, setting single-game career highs against Troy with nine tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. His set his previous career high in tackles with six at FIU in 2018.
Smith is one of several Blue Raiders hoping to see a lot of family in the stands Saturday.
"Cody already asked for my tickets," senior linebacker DQ Thomas said. "It's going to be a big week for them … and I enjoy that for them. I'm happy for them that they get to go play at home."
While there is the obvious at stake — a Conference USA victory for a team desperately needing it — several of Middle Tennessee's players are excited for Saturday's contest for a different reason. They're getting to have a little homecoming of their own.
"You want to do the best you can for your team and to rep where you're from," Grate said. "Every game, you try to play your all and give your best … but you try to do a little more in a game like this."
Head coach Rick Stockstill and his staff have done a terrific job the last few years of recruiting heavily in the state of Florida, so much so that 17 scholarship players will play in their home state Saturday. That includes seven from within 160 square miles of Miami.
"There's no question Florida produces a lot of athletes and a lot of good players," Stockstill said. "There are good players and coaches there. … It's a very fertile state to recruit, and we've had a lot of good players from the state of Florida."
Saturday's contest will be the second time junior safety Gregory Grate Jr. will get to play in his hometown.
He grew up on Miami's north side, attending Miami Carol City Senior High School. He helped the Chiefs win a Class 6A state title in 2016 before committing to MT.
Grate bounced around the defensive backfield for the Blue Raiders the last two years, making eight combined starts as a freshman and sophomore at safety, both outside corner spots and nickel corner.
He seems to have found a home as a junior starting at safety opposite senior Reed Blankenship. They're currently tied for the team lead with 28 tackles this season, and Grate's added an interception and two forced fumbles. He also had a pick-six called off due to an offsides penalty against Troy.
"At safety, I can kind of utilize my skillset," Grate said. "I can see more of the field and observe the offense, read the quarterback and make a play on the ball."
Grate is just one Florida native making big contributions to the MT defense.
Redshirt sophomore Decorian Patterson, an Ocala, Florida, native, has also bounced around the defensive backfield, playing both outside corner positions and nickel corner this season. He's been good wherever he's played, racking up 15 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery in three games.
Fellow Florida native Cody Smith, a redshirt junior linebacker from Stuart, has also had a good start to his season, setting single-game career highs against Troy with nine tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. His set his previous career high in tackles with six at FIU in 2018.
Smith is one of several Blue Raiders hoping to see a lot of family in the stands Saturday.
"Cody already asked for my tickets," senior linebacker DQ Thomas said. "It's going to be a big week for them … and I enjoy that for them. I'm happy for them that they get to go play at home."
While there is the obvious at stake — a Conference USA victory for a team desperately needing it — several of Middle Tennessee's players are excited for Saturday's contest for a different reason. They're getting to have a little homecoming of their own.
"You want to do the best you can for your team and to rep where you're from," Grate said. "Every game, you try to play your all and give your best … but you try to do a little more in a game like this."
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