DOUGHTON: Three things to watch for after Friday night’s big win

10/24/2021 6:00:00 PM | Football

The Blue Raiders were dominant in East Hartford. How well they carry over in these three areas will determine how they’ll fare in C-USA

By: Sam Doughton

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Well, Friday night was certainly fun, wasn't it Blue Raider fans?

I still haven't wiped the smile off of my face after watching the Blue Raiders dispatch UConn 44-13 on the road this weekend (though the Atlanta Braves winning the National League Pennant also has something to do with that I'm sure). No one would mistake UConn as a team having the season they wanted, but after the Huskies got their first win against Yale a week ago, the way Middle Tennessee played, out gaining UConn by over 170 yards and posting a +3 turnover margin, certainly is something to be proud of.

Just about everyone played well for the Blue Raiders in the win, but watching the game, and taking the team's overall season performance up to this point into account, these three areas stuck out to me as the key to why Middle Tennessee dominated, and how they can continue the good vibes from Friday all the way until the end of the regular season.

1) Simplified Playbook leads to much better results on the Offensive Line

Probably the most interesting takeaway from the post-game press conference on MT's side was Rick Stockstill pointing out that the 155 yards of rushing the Blue Raiders compiled were done almost entirely out of four base running plays: inside zone, outside zone, counter and QB draw.

Now there was variation within that, as there always is. You can run those concepts out of different formations, some of the runs are really RPOs, etc. But, on the whole, the simplified gameplan clearly paid dividends, particularly given the fact MT was down to just two of the team's top five backs from preseason. Martell Pettaway led all rushers with 63 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries, while Chaton Mobley also added 48 yards of his own.

"We came into it with the idea that we wanted to play fast and just put body on body and run," Stockstill said. "Our offensive line had confidence, I thought our receivers did a fantastic job of blocking on the perimeter."

Much of the Blue Raiders' struggles offensively this season can be traced back to the offensive line, which has struggled to generate much of a rushing threat outside of the quarterback position in five of the team's seven games so far, while also not being consistent in pass protection. Part of the reason Chase Cunningham has been so effective since taking over at quarterback is his ability to both rollout of pressure and his quick release, both of which can mitigate problems with the pocket breaking down quickly.

The confidence the line has in those base plays should pay dividends moving forward. And while pass blocking needs to improve (you'd like to see opposing teams not get seven QB hurries in a blowout if you can), the added threat from a running game will help that as well down the stretch.

2) Keep the Defensive Line Disruptive

To me, the unsung group of the Blue Raider defense this year is the defensive line.

It makes some sense why. Middle Tennessee currently leads the nation in takeaways, with 20 through seven games. With 10 fumble recoveries and 10 interceptions, those stats will tend to skew heavily towards linebackers and defensive backs. Combine that with a defensive scheme that often features a lot of blitzes called by Scott Shafer, and even the TFLs that are recorded are more likely to come from the back seven.

But while their tackle numbers might not always be at the top of the stat sheet, the defensive line is a unit that is often a handful for opposing offensive coordinators. Jordan Ferguson and Richard Kinley have both been highlighted in pregame press this season as challenging assignments for offensive tackles, and the interior linemen, primarily a rotation Ja'Kerrius Wyatt, Zaylin Wood, Marley Cook and Jordan Branch, play their role well when blitzing, opening up gaps for linebackers to push through.

On Friday night, however, it was their time to shine. Sacks from Kinley and Wyatt, two TFLs and three QB Hurries from Ferguson. Branch and Cook each getting a half TFL, Branch with a QBH. It was a complete performance from the defensive line, where they never allowed the UConn QB to get comfortable.

"On Monday Coach (Tommy) West incorporated teamwork," Kinley said post game. "The whole D-Line has got to be on the same page. So to go out there and practice it and show it in a game, is really a blessing."

Keeping that teamwork going up front will be crucial for the defense continuing to do what they do well: turnover opposing offenses by putting pressure on them, both through circumstance and literally on the field.

3) Keep special teams at a high level

Friday night wasn't the special team unit's best night. Kickoff specialist Scott Payne booted two kickoffs out of bounds, and Zeke Rankin missed a field goal for the first time this season.

But things are a bit more nuanced than that. The wind was rapid up in East Hartford on Friday, which Stockstill said affected the kickoffs the most. And while Rankin missed a 42-yarder on his first try of the evening, he drilled his next three to improve to 4-for-5 on field goals this season. Meanwhile, Kyle Ulbrich continued his excellent season, punting twice for a 49.5 average, including a long punt of 55 yards. And don't forget long snapper Brody Butler, who continues to snap pearls on all units.

Football coaches like to talk about the importance of special teams, but even among football coaches, I think Rick Stockstill has talked about his special teams group more publicly than any coach I've followed closely. It's clear he and his staff put a lot of emphasis on the unit, and the results show. Even with some coverage lapses at Virginia Tech, the rest of the coverage units have responded well, particularly on kickoffs.

The fact Rankin only attempted one field goal prior to Friday suggests they could trust him a little more down the stretch, though it has resulted in more touchdowns in the red zone than many of Middle Tennessee's peers. But in crucial games down the stretch, a well-placed punt or a converted field goal could make the difference in some evenly matched C-USA contests.

I have confidence that the high level of play will continue, and it will be a subtle challenge the Blue Raiders five remaining conference opponents will have to overcome.