Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
COLUMN: On this Halloween, appreciate how terrifying the 2021 Blue Raider defense is
10/31/2021 6:00:00 PM | Football
Leading all of the FBS with 25 takeaways, Middle Tennessee is giving nightmares to opposing offensive coordinators
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Let me let you in on a little secret about me, dear readers: Halloween has never been a holiday I get particularly excited for.
Even when I was trick or treating age, I never felt a huge bit of anticipation for All Hallow's Eve. I'm not quite sure why, because there was a lot surrounding the holiday I liked, from spooky movies like Hocus Pocus, to my favorite season of fall, to the bag of Reese's Cups sitting next to my desk at this very moment.
I suspect it was a combination of a) not having an inkling of enjoying horror films, and therefore not getting the fun out of haunted houses, mazes, woods etc that pop up this time of year. And b) not being super invested into planning out a costume for social events. Most years, particularly once I got to college, I'd throw something together the day of more often than not.
But, if I were into the more frightening aspects of Halloween, and I had time to plan a costume for tonight, I could think of nothing scarier to go as than literally anyone on the Blue Raider defense. Because after five takeaways against Southern Miss? I'm not sure how opposing offensive coordinators can sleep at night during Middle Tennessee game week.
"I thought our defense and our special teams were dominating," head coach Rick Stockstill said after his team's 35-10 victory. "I thought we imposed our will defensively. It was a physical, get after it game. We were relentless in our effort. Great pressure on the quarterback, made him uncomfortable. I thought we were really really elite defensively. We tackled well, there were a lot of physical tackles in the kicking game. Those two phases I thought were outstanding."
I don't think anyone could argue with him. The Blue Raiders dialed up seven sacks, all in the first half, forced and recovered two fumbles, one of which was returned for a touchdown, and picked off Southern Miss three different times on Saturday, including a pick-six.
"It really starts off from the beginning of the game, first and second downs, putting them in long passing range situations," linebacker DQ Thomas said. "That's what we were focusing on. We knew they were 1-6 coming in, but we also knew they were a good football team, so we just prepared like we were supposed to."
In total this season, they have 25 takeaways as a unit, the number one mark in the nation by FIVE takeaways. Their turnover margin of +14 is tied for first in all of the FBS. At times this season, the defense has kept this team in games with its knack for getting the ball out of the other team's hands and into theirs.
And when you do that five times in a game, and block a punt? It's hard to not find success as a team.
"We're going in thinking we're going to get pinned back and we're going to have to start a long drive and go and score again," quarterback Mike DiLiello said of Ralph Mency's punt block late in the first quarter. "But when you've got those guys on the other side of the ball, it makes this game a hell of a lot easier."
Defensive coordinator Scott Shafer gets a lot of praise from opposing coaches for his proclivity to dial up a plethora of blitzes as the game goes on, and that was no different this week. Ferguson's forced fumble came on a blindside hit on a play where Shafer brought in extra defenders to attack the quarterback, with Ferguson even rushing the quarterback while standing up, not in a three point stance.
"The running back, he peeled out early, and I wasn't supposed to take it," Ferguson said. "And I think the tackle saw I was about to go out, so he chipped down on the D-tackle, so I just kind of came free. I looked at the coach, I was kind of confused, but it ended up going well."
The second forced fumble also came on a blitz, with Deidrick Stanley II hitting Jake Lange after sprinting through the protection untouched. Southern Miss head coach Will Hall said that at least one of the fumbles was on Lange, who had to read the defense and know he was "hot" on his blindside, the term a lot of offensive coaches use for knowing which side the blitz is coming from. Hall said Lange had to make sure the ball came out of his hands quickly to the other side of the field.
But for my money as an outside observer? I don't think he had enough time with the speed of the Blue Raider defense on the blitz. And that only became more apparent as Middle Tennessee pulled away more and more in the second half.
This week, the defense will face perhaps it's toughest test of the season, taking on a Western Kentucky offense on pace to set multiple program records through the air and in points, entering Saturday averaging an eye popping 40.5 points a game and are third in the nation in total offense (534.5 yards a game). And they do a decent job of taking care of the football too, only turning the ball over nine times thus far this season.
But after the momentum Middle Tennessee has on defense? I think Western Kentucky offensive coordinator Zach Kittley will be spending some time up at night this week ironing out his air raid offense. Because if he doesn't, the turnover monster that is this year's Blue Raider defense might make a late Halloween appearance.
Even when I was trick or treating age, I never felt a huge bit of anticipation for All Hallow's Eve. I'm not quite sure why, because there was a lot surrounding the holiday I liked, from spooky movies like Hocus Pocus, to my favorite season of fall, to the bag of Reese's Cups sitting next to my desk at this very moment.
I suspect it was a combination of a) not having an inkling of enjoying horror films, and therefore not getting the fun out of haunted houses, mazes, woods etc that pop up this time of year. And b) not being super invested into planning out a costume for social events. Most years, particularly once I got to college, I'd throw something together the day of more often than not.
But, if I were into the more frightening aspects of Halloween, and I had time to plan a costume for tonight, I could think of nothing scarier to go as than literally anyone on the Blue Raider defense. Because after five takeaways against Southern Miss? I'm not sure how opposing offensive coordinators can sleep at night during Middle Tennessee game week.
"I thought our defense and our special teams were dominating," head coach Rick Stockstill said after his team's 35-10 victory. "I thought we imposed our will defensively. It was a physical, get after it game. We were relentless in our effort. Great pressure on the quarterback, made him uncomfortable. I thought we were really really elite defensively. We tackled well, there were a lot of physical tackles in the kicking game. Those two phases I thought were outstanding."
I don't think anyone could argue with him. The Blue Raiders dialed up seven sacks, all in the first half, forced and recovered two fumbles, one of which was returned for a touchdown, and picked off Southern Miss three different times on Saturday, including a pick-six.
"It really starts off from the beginning of the game, first and second downs, putting them in long passing range situations," linebacker DQ Thomas said. "That's what we were focusing on. We knew they were 1-6 coming in, but we also knew they were a good football team, so we just prepared like we were supposed to."
In total this season, they have 25 takeaways as a unit, the number one mark in the nation by FIVE takeaways. Their turnover margin of +14 is tied for first in all of the FBS. At times this season, the defense has kept this team in games with its knack for getting the ball out of the other team's hands and into theirs.
And when you do that five times in a game, and block a punt? It's hard to not find success as a team.
"We're going in thinking we're going to get pinned back and we're going to have to start a long drive and go and score again," quarterback Mike DiLiello said of Ralph Mency's punt block late in the first quarter. "But when you've got those guys on the other side of the ball, it makes this game a hell of a lot easier."
Defensive coordinator Scott Shafer gets a lot of praise from opposing coaches for his proclivity to dial up a plethora of blitzes as the game goes on, and that was no different this week. Ferguson's forced fumble came on a blindside hit on a play where Shafer brought in extra defenders to attack the quarterback, with Ferguson even rushing the quarterback while standing up, not in a three point stance.
"The running back, he peeled out early, and I wasn't supposed to take it," Ferguson said. "And I think the tackle saw I was about to go out, so he chipped down on the D-tackle, so I just kind of came free. I looked at the coach, I was kind of confused, but it ended up going well."
The second forced fumble also came on a blitz, with Deidrick Stanley II hitting Jake Lange after sprinting through the protection untouched. Southern Miss head coach Will Hall said that at least one of the fumbles was on Lange, who had to read the defense and know he was "hot" on his blindside, the term a lot of offensive coaches use for knowing which side the blitz is coming from. Hall said Lange had to make sure the ball came out of his hands quickly to the other side of the field.
But for my money as an outside observer? I don't think he had enough time with the speed of the Blue Raider defense on the blitz. And that only became more apparent as Middle Tennessee pulled away more and more in the second half.
This week, the defense will face perhaps it's toughest test of the season, taking on a Western Kentucky offense on pace to set multiple program records through the air and in points, entering Saturday averaging an eye popping 40.5 points a game and are third in the nation in total offense (534.5 yards a game). And they do a decent job of taking care of the football too, only turning the ball over nine times thus far this season.
But after the momentum Middle Tennessee has on defense? I think Western Kentucky offensive coordinator Zach Kittley will be spending some time up at night this week ironing out his air raid offense. Because if he doesn't, the turnover monster that is this year's Blue Raider defense might make a late Halloween appearance.
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