Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
“It’s About You” — Blue Raiders never gave up in comeback in Boca Raton
11/28/2021 8:58:00 AM | Football
Rick Stockstill’s 100th win was a “hell of a damn win”, said the veteran coach post game
BOCA RATON, Fla. — To hear the head coach tell it, Jordan Ferguson's 71-yard fumble recovery for the touchdown that essentially iced the game late in the fourth quarter against Florida Atlantic was a near religious experience to go through on the sideline, complete with falling to your knees, prayer, and the most essential ingredient: joy.
"I was watching it and went down to my knees because I thought we had the interception," Rick Stockstill said, hinting he thought N'Kosi Perry's fumble had a shot at being ruled a forward pass. "When I saw the ball hit the ground, I lost it for a second, then I see Ferg running, now you're just sitting on pins and needles, waiting on the review, just praying that the call stands."
It was a play that Blue Raider fans have to come to expect from Ferguson, who's been on the key cogs to a MT defense that's kept the team in nearly every game during this 6-6 campaign, including Saturday night's 27-17 triumph in the Sunshine State. But on this night, the fact "Ferg" was available at all was a minor miracle in and of itself, as he was one of a dozen or so players that battled the flu all this week, feeling terrible body aches, headaches and a sore throat as recently as Friday.
The defensive end powered through, however, like so many of the captain's teammates on this roster that had so much to overcome this season, from four different quarterbacks earning meaningful minutes under center to the countless injuries that tested the team's depth at nearly every position on the field.
"It felt like 110 yards, man," Ferguson said of his fumble recovery. "I didn't know what to do (when I got to the sideline), I just had to lay on the ground and tell my teammates 'just leave me alone for a second, pour some water on me. Man, let me catch my breath, I'm about to pass out.'"
Pass out, Ferg did not, as the Blue Raider sideline erupted into shouts of joy, displaying emotion seldom seen on a football sideline throughout the game after Ferguson's touchdown was allowed to stand following video review. Zeke Rankin gave MT a ten point lead with under two minutes to go, the last gasp drive by FAU a mere formality ended by Gregory Grate securing the Blue Raiders' 31st takeaway of the season with an interception in the endzone.
The Blue Raiders were bowl eligible for the 11th time under Stockstill, and for the first time since the team won the C-USA East division title in 2018.
Middle Tennessee had scored 24 unanswered points after falling down 17-3 early in the third quarter, 17 of those points being scored in the fourth quarter for MT. There's much that can be said for the strategic adjustments made by the Blue Raider players and coaching staff. The offense, using a lateral to find space for an explosive play, and scoring two touchdowns out of the "Heavy D" package in the red zone. The defense, shifting their focus to take away the screen game, and therefore giving their blitzes more time to get home, resulting in an FAU offense that completely stalled in the second half.
But talking to the team? It's hard to not to emphasize how much a win like this means to the program, and to the plethora of journeys its players have taken to get to this point: bowl eligible on the last day of the regular season.
"I'm almost speechless right now," said Mike DiLiello, who threw for 127 yards, ran for 43 yards, and scored two touchdowns in relief of Nicholas Vattiato on Saturday. The Pembroke Pines, Fla. native said he was from about 25 minutes away from FAU Stadium, and his family being able to see the game was just a cherry on top.
"Transferring, being a Division II kid, not even knowing what a bowl game was," DiLiello relayed with a smile. "Coming in here, getting the opportunity to win a football game for these guys, and sending these seniors out right, getting Stock his 100th win, everything is just," he paused. "It couldn't have been drawn up any more perfect."
Stockstill didn't talk much about the personal milestone, except to turn the number 100 back towards his players, former and current, as a credit to their play over his 16 seasons at the helm in Murfreesboro. But the elation and smile the veteran coach had in the post game presser, and as he was carried off the field by his players, is going to be hard to knock off in the week's to come.
"To battle back and fight and compete like this team did was pretty special to watch," Stockstill said. "I told them afterwards that it's not about your circumstances, it's not about what people say about you, it's not what people think about you, it's about you. It's about what's inside of you. This team displayed that tonight. Their fight, their toughness, their competitiveness inside of them was special.
"It's just a hell of a damn win, hell of a win."
"I was watching it and went down to my knees because I thought we had the interception," Rick Stockstill said, hinting he thought N'Kosi Perry's fumble had a shot at being ruled a forward pass. "When I saw the ball hit the ground, I lost it for a second, then I see Ferg running, now you're just sitting on pins and needles, waiting on the review, just praying that the call stands."
🥶❄️🥶❄️@JoFerg__ | #EATT pic.twitter.com/zT4ezLX3fN
— Middle Tennessee FB (@MT_FB) November 28, 2021
It was a play that Blue Raider fans have to come to expect from Ferguson, who's been on the key cogs to a MT defense that's kept the team in nearly every game during this 6-6 campaign, including Saturday night's 27-17 triumph in the Sunshine State. But on this night, the fact "Ferg" was available at all was a minor miracle in and of itself, as he was one of a dozen or so players that battled the flu all this week, feeling terrible body aches, headaches and a sore throat as recently as Friday.
The defensive end powered through, however, like so many of the captain's teammates on this roster that had so much to overcome this season, from four different quarterbacks earning meaningful minutes under center to the countless injuries that tested the team's depth at nearly every position on the field.
"It felt like 110 yards, man," Ferguson said of his fumble recovery. "I didn't know what to do (when I got to the sideline), I just had to lay on the ground and tell my teammates 'just leave me alone for a second, pour some water on me. Man, let me catch my breath, I'm about to pass out.'"
Pass out, Ferg did not, as the Blue Raider sideline erupted into shouts of joy, displaying emotion seldom seen on a football sideline throughout the game after Ferguson's touchdown was allowed to stand following video review. Zeke Rankin gave MT a ten point lead with under two minutes to go, the last gasp drive by FAU a mere formality ended by Gregory Grate securing the Blue Raiders' 31st takeaway of the season with an interception in the endzone.
The Blue Raiders were bowl eligible for the 11th time under Stockstill, and for the first time since the team won the C-USA East division title in 2018.
Make that 6️⃣ dubs and bowl eligibility for the 11th time under @CoachStock. 😏 pic.twitter.com/NnNy5Yg8M2
— Middle Tennessee FB (@MT_FB) November 28, 2021
Middle Tennessee had scored 24 unanswered points after falling down 17-3 early in the third quarter, 17 of those points being scored in the fourth quarter for MT. There's much that can be said for the strategic adjustments made by the Blue Raider players and coaching staff. The offense, using a lateral to find space for an explosive play, and scoring two touchdowns out of the "Heavy D" package in the red zone. The defense, shifting their focus to take away the screen game, and therefore giving their blitzes more time to get home, resulting in an FAU offense that completely stalled in the second half.
But talking to the team? It's hard to not to emphasize how much a win like this means to the program, and to the plethora of journeys its players have taken to get to this point: bowl eligible on the last day of the regular season.
"I'm almost speechless right now," said Mike DiLiello, who threw for 127 yards, ran for 43 yards, and scored two touchdowns in relief of Nicholas Vattiato on Saturday. The Pembroke Pines, Fla. native said he was from about 25 minutes away from FAU Stadium, and his family being able to see the game was just a cherry on top.
"Transferring, being a Division II kid, not even knowing what a bowl game was," DiLiello relayed with a smile. "Coming in here, getting the opportunity to win a football game for these guys, and sending these seniors out right, getting Stock his 100th win, everything is just," he paused. "It couldn't have been drawn up any more perfect."
Stockstill didn't talk much about the personal milestone, except to turn the number 100 back towards his players, former and current, as a credit to their play over his 16 seasons at the helm in Murfreesboro. But the elation and smile the veteran coach had in the post game presser, and as he was carried off the field by his players, is going to be hard to knock off in the week's to come.
"To battle back and fight and compete like this team did was pretty special to watch," Stockstill said. "I told them afterwards that it's not about your circumstances, it's not about what people say about you, it's not what people think about you, it's about you. It's about what's inside of you. This team displayed that tonight. Their fight, their toughness, their competitiveness inside of them was special.
"It's just a hell of a damn win, hell of a win."
That one was for @CoachStock. 💯 pic.twitter.com/Al17ItrA0x
— Middle Tennessee FB (@MT_FB) November 28, 2021
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