Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Saturday, September 18
San Antonio, TX
5:00 PM
Middle Tennessee
1-2 , 0-1
13
at
27
UTSA
3-0 , 1-0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
Middle Tenn.
0
0
0
13
13
UTSA
7
3
7
10
27
Team Stats
MTS
UTS
Total Yards
199
452
Pass Yards
191
277
Rushing Yards
8
175
Penalty Yards
47
62
1st Downs
11
23
3rd Downs
2
10
4th Downs
0
1
TOP
23:01
36:59
1st Quarter
MTS 0, UTS 7
UTS - Franklin,Zakhari 33 yd pass from Harris,Frank (Duplessis,Hunter kick) 7 plays, 86 yards, TOP 02:48
2nd Quarter
MTS 0, UTS 10
UTS - Duplessis,Hunter 30 yd field goal 16 plays, 72 yards, TOP 06:39
3rd Quarter
MTS 0, UTS 17
UTS - Cephus,Joshua 12 yd pass from Harris,Frank (Duplessis,Hunter kick) 15 plays, 76 yards, TOP 04:45
4th Quarter
MTS 0, UTS 24
UTS - Dantzler,Lorenzo 3 yd fumble recovery (Duplessis,Hunter kick)
MTS 0, UTS 27
UTS - Duplessis,Hunter 38 yd field goal 7 plays, 21 yards, TOP 03:12
MTS 6, UTS 27
MTS - Marshall,Jimmy 23 yd pass from Cunningham,Chase () 4 plays, 54 yards, TOP 01:50
MTS 13, UTS 27
MTS - Pierce,Jarrin 16 yd pass from Cunningham,Chase (Rankin,Zeke kick) 4 plays, 69 yards, TOP 01:23
Game Leaders
Passing Leaders
CMP
9
TD
2
YDS
150
INT
0
CMP
5
TD
0
YDS
41
INT
1
Players Mentioned
S
/ FootballQB
/ Football
DE
/ Football
S
/ Football
LB
/ Football
CB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
CB
/ Football
S
/ Football
LB
/ Football
P
/ Football
WR
/ Football
DT
/ Football
Blue Raiders drop C-USA opener at UTSA
9/18/2021 8:42:00 PM | Football
SAN ANTONIO – Middle Tennessee suffered a tough 27-13 setback against UTSA in the C-USA opener for both teams here Saturday.
The Blue Raiders (1-2, 0-1) struggled offensively until late in the contest, managing 199 yards of total offense. UTSA (3-0, 1-0) built a 27-0 lead before Middle Tennessee posted a pair of fourth-quarter scores.
Midde Tennessee got on the board when Chase Cunningham hit Jimmy Martin for a 23-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter. Cunningham connected with Jarrin Pierce for a 16-yard score on the team's next offensive possession.
The Blue Raider defense, led by Gregory Grate and Reed Blankenship, recorded three turnovers with Quincy Riley hauling in two interceptions. Grate had a game-high 14 tackles, 10 solo, and Blankenship was close behind with 13.
Middle Tennessee will look be back in league action when it travels to Charlotte Friday.
MT POSTGAME NOTES:
CAPTAINS: Today's game captains were Reed Blankenship, Jordan Ferguson, Jarrin Pierce and CJ Windham.
BLANKENSHIP SECOND ON CAREER LIST: Senior Reed Blankenship vaulted from fifth to second on Middle Tennessee's all-time tackles list with 13 stops against UTSA to give him 335 for his career. Blankenship entered the game fifth on the all-time tackles list with 322 and moved past T.T Barber (fourth with 323) and Stan Wright (1976-79) and Robbie Ridings (1979-82), who each had 331. Blankenship needs 10 tackles to break the record of 344, held by Roosevelt Colvard (1983-86).
WELCOME BACK: Quincy Riley made a statement in his return to the gridiron after missing the first two games of the season due to medical reasons. The Blue Raider corner hauled in two interceptions, marking his second career game with two INTs. The other was against North Texas last season. Riley's first interception came in the second quarter and thwarted a Roadrunner drive in Blue Raider territory. He returned the pick 56 yards to the UTSA 19. Riley's second interception occurred in the Blue Raider end zone and also curtailed a UTSA TD. Riley has four career picks.
TURNOVER FRENZY: MT's defense forced three turnovers against UTSA, giving the unit seven for the season. The first came when Gregory Grate forced a fumble that was recovered by Teldrick Ross in the first quarter. The turnover halted a Roadrunner drive at the Blue Raider 31. Ross has two of the seven early-season turnovers with an interception against Monmouth and the fumble recovery vs. UTSA. Quincy Riley hauled in two interceptions to give the Blue Raiders three in the contest.
GRATE PERFORMANCE: Safety Gregory Grate turned in a stellar effort against UTSA tying his career high with 14 tackles, equaling the 14 he had against Rice in 2020. Grate also established a new career high for solo tackles with 10. His previous high was eight, also set against Rice. Grate also had a forced fumble against the Roadrunners.
ULBRICH STAYS BUSY: Punter Kyle Ulbrich had a busy game against UTSA with 10 punts for a 44.1 yard average.Ulbrich's 10 punts is a new career high, besting his previous high of nine vs. Michigan in 2019. He also established a new career high for punts inside the 20 with five, surpassing the four he had against Marshall in 2019. His 441 yards are also a new career high for punting yards, surpassing his previous high of 355 against Marshall in 2020. The Ray Guy Award candidate had four punts that traveled 50-plus yards, including a 64-yarder. Ulbrich has placed nine punts inside the 20 and delivered seven of 50-plus yards this season. For his career, Ulbrich has had 27 punts of 50-plus yards and he has pinned the opponent inside their 20 a total of 30 times.
STREAK ALIVE: WR Jarrin Pierce had two catches against UTSA to extend his streak of consecutive games with at least one reception to 24 games, which is the 18th longest such streak nationally and ninth all time at Middle Tennessee.. Pierce has caught at least one pass in every game of his Blue Raider career.
QUICK HITTERS: The Blue Raiders welcomed back cornerbacks Quincy Riley and Jalen Jackson tonight who both missed the first two games due to medical reasons … LB Cody Smith made his first start of the season tonight and fifth of his career … Raquon Hartley made his first career start tonight at linebacker … DE Jordan Ferguson picked up his second sack of the season and the sixth of his career in the second quarter … Zaylin Wood recorded a blocked field goal in the fourth quarter.
The Blue Raiders (1-2, 0-1) struggled offensively until late in the contest, managing 199 yards of total offense. UTSA (3-0, 1-0) built a 27-0 lead before Middle Tennessee posted a pair of fourth-quarter scores.
Midde Tennessee got on the board when Chase Cunningham hit Jimmy Martin for a 23-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter. Cunningham connected with Jarrin Pierce for a 16-yard score on the team's next offensive possession.
The Blue Raider defense, led by Gregory Grate and Reed Blankenship, recorded three turnovers with Quincy Riley hauling in two interceptions. Grate had a game-high 14 tackles, 10 solo, and Blankenship was close behind with 13.
Middle Tennessee will look be back in league action when it travels to Charlotte Friday.
MT POSTGAME NOTES:
CAPTAINS: Today's game captains were Reed Blankenship, Jordan Ferguson, Jarrin Pierce and CJ Windham.
BLANKENSHIP SECOND ON CAREER LIST: Senior Reed Blankenship vaulted from fifth to second on Middle Tennessee's all-time tackles list with 13 stops against UTSA to give him 335 for his career. Blankenship entered the game fifth on the all-time tackles list with 322 and moved past T.T Barber (fourth with 323) and Stan Wright (1976-79) and Robbie Ridings (1979-82), who each had 331. Blankenship needs 10 tackles to break the record of 344, held by Roosevelt Colvard (1983-86).
WELCOME BACK: Quincy Riley made a statement in his return to the gridiron after missing the first two games of the season due to medical reasons. The Blue Raider corner hauled in two interceptions, marking his second career game with two INTs. The other was against North Texas last season. Riley's first interception came in the second quarter and thwarted a Roadrunner drive in Blue Raider territory. He returned the pick 56 yards to the UTSA 19. Riley's second interception occurred in the Blue Raider end zone and also curtailed a UTSA TD. Riley has four career picks.
TURNOVER FRENZY: MT's defense forced three turnovers against UTSA, giving the unit seven for the season. The first came when Gregory Grate forced a fumble that was recovered by Teldrick Ross in the first quarter. The turnover halted a Roadrunner drive at the Blue Raider 31. Ross has two of the seven early-season turnovers with an interception against Monmouth and the fumble recovery vs. UTSA. Quincy Riley hauled in two interceptions to give the Blue Raiders three in the contest.
GRATE PERFORMANCE: Safety Gregory Grate turned in a stellar effort against UTSA tying his career high with 14 tackles, equaling the 14 he had against Rice in 2020. Grate also established a new career high for solo tackles with 10. His previous high was eight, also set against Rice. Grate also had a forced fumble against the Roadrunners.
ULBRICH STAYS BUSY: Punter Kyle Ulbrich had a busy game against UTSA with 10 punts for a 44.1 yard average.Ulbrich's 10 punts is a new career high, besting his previous high of nine vs. Michigan in 2019. He also established a new career high for punts inside the 20 with five, surpassing the four he had against Marshall in 2019. His 441 yards are also a new career high for punting yards, surpassing his previous high of 355 against Marshall in 2020. The Ray Guy Award candidate had four punts that traveled 50-plus yards, including a 64-yarder. Ulbrich has placed nine punts inside the 20 and delivered seven of 50-plus yards this season. For his career, Ulbrich has had 27 punts of 50-plus yards and he has pinned the opponent inside their 20 a total of 30 times.
STREAK ALIVE: WR Jarrin Pierce had two catches against UTSA to extend his streak of consecutive games with at least one reception to 24 games, which is the 18th longest such streak nationally and ninth all time at Middle Tennessee.. Pierce has caught at least one pass in every game of his Blue Raider career.
QUICK HITTERS: The Blue Raiders welcomed back cornerbacks Quincy Riley and Jalen Jackson tonight who both missed the first two games due to medical reasons … LB Cody Smith made his first start of the season tonight and fifth of his career … Raquon Hartley made his first career start tonight at linebacker … DE Jordan Ferguson picked up his second sack of the season and the sixth of his career in the second quarter … Zaylin Wood recorded a blocked field goal in the fourth quarter.
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