Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
The Blue Raiders left it all on the field against UTSA. It wasn’t quite enough.
10/1/2022 10:36:00 AM | Football
Early defensive mistakes put MTSU behind the eight-ball too much, too early
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Jaylin Lane's belief never wavered.
Late in the second half, about to take the field down just one possession with 7:03 to play thanks to Decorian Patterson winning a 50-50 ball and bringing it down for his second interception of the night, Lane had no doubt his Middle Tennessee team could tie the game against the defending Conference USA champs, UTSA. He walked down the sideline just before the offense retook the field, preaching his message to his teammates: "Believe! Believe!"
Post-game, relaying this story, the young wideout was wiser than his years, following the Blue Raiders' 45-30 loss to the Roadrunners to open both teams' 2022 C-USA campaign.
"Sometimes the odds don't work out," Lane said.
There was so much to love about how the Blue Raiders played late on Friday night, from the guts of quarterback Chase Cunningham popping up hit after hit, continuing to deliver up the sidelines and through the seams to his wideouts.
To the ballhawking ability of Patterson, powering through a bum shoulder that kept him out much of the first half to make two big takeaways happen to get his team back in the game.
To Jordan Branch, reading the cut block and blowing up yet another Roadrunner RPO, catching a pass at the line of scrimmage from Frank Harris and returning it 37 yards to the house for a Blue Raider touchdown.
But the way MTSU played early? With poor technique in the defensive backfield leading to easy passes, to an offense that went three-and-out a bit too often to keep up with the lightning pace of the game, to the penalties that too often extended drives and gave UTSA more opportunities for points.
It was valiant how the Blue Raiders had a shot to tie the game late. It was a shame the final drive that mattered fell short with a PBU along the press box sideline was only going for the tie, rather than the win, thanks to the slow start for MTSU.
"We didn't play real well in the first half defensively," head coach Rick Stockstill said. "We gave up too many explosive plays. We knew coming in how talented that quarterback and those receivers were and they lived up to the billing. Really good football team, very athletic, they can run."
No question, tip your hat to the Roadrunners, who proved once again why they were the preseason favorites to retain their conference title behind the play of the conference's best player, quarterback Frank Harris, who lit up the night with three tremendous wide receivers and evaded plenty of trouble with his legs, as well as a Roadrunner defense that pushed the Blue Raider offensive line around most of the evening. A lot of what went wrong for MTSU early was because of the excellent play of UTSA.
But the Blue Raiders certainly helped them out, getting penalized six times for 65 yards in the first half, none bigger than a running into the kicker penalty on 4th and 11 in MTSU territory, giving just enough space for UTSA to dial up a 4th and 6 play call they liked and converted their only fourth down of the night, eventually leading to a Roadrunner touchdown.
Trailing 31-20 at the half, MTSU gave up a touchdown on the first drive out of the locker room to start the game's final 30 minutes, then nearly put up a shutout the rest of the way, but for a touchdown on a play where MTSU had to sell out left or right to try to get the ball back with enough time on the clock and guessed the wrong way on the run.
"We hung in there with them, we kept fighting," the veteran coach added. "Just couldn't get one more stop."
A gutsy, scrappy ending to the night for MTSU, perhaps making the game appear closer than it should've been (after all, it's hard to win a lot of games if the opposing offense is 10-for-14 on third down). So many performances to be proud of, like Lane's career-high 179 yards through the air, alongside the return of the preseason All-American's return game. There was Darius Bracy, in his first extended run at running back, breaking through a hole so wide open that the graduate transfer said he didn't even remember bursting through, just running through the open field 53-yards for a touchdown. Zaylin Wood, being able to get home twice and sack the shifty Harris, a challenge for any defense.
All of it, however, not enough to overcome the correctable mistakes that put MTSU behind.
"Just better technique," Patterson said of what the cornerbacks needed to do in the future to slow down the RPOs that gashed them early against UTSA. "Eyes, just little stuff that we've got to fix."
That being said, the Blue Raiders left the field Friday night confident that cleaning up the mistakes was possible. And as Bracy closed his comments, MTSU has already responded well to adversity already in 2022.
"That's what's going to make us a team," Bracy said of the need to respond. "First week, we didn't play well against JMU. Next week, you've seen what our team did. Don't be surprised when we go out and show improvement next week."
Late in the second half, about to take the field down just one possession with 7:03 to play thanks to Decorian Patterson winning a 50-50 ball and bringing it down for his second interception of the night, Lane had no doubt his Middle Tennessee team could tie the game against the defending Conference USA champs, UTSA. He walked down the sideline just before the offense retook the field, preaching his message to his teammates: "Believe! Believe!"
Post-game, relaying this story, the young wideout was wiser than his years, following the Blue Raiders' 45-30 loss to the Roadrunners to open both teams' 2022 C-USA campaign.
"Sometimes the odds don't work out," Lane said.
There was so much to love about how the Blue Raiders played late on Friday night, from the guts of quarterback Chase Cunningham popping up hit after hit, continuing to deliver up the sidelines and through the seams to his wideouts.
To the ballhawking ability of Patterson, powering through a bum shoulder that kept him out much of the first half to make two big takeaways happen to get his team back in the game.
To Jordan Branch, reading the cut block and blowing up yet another Roadrunner RPO, catching a pass at the line of scrimmage from Frank Harris and returning it 37 yards to the house for a Blue Raider touchdown.
But the way MTSU played early? With poor technique in the defensive backfield leading to easy passes, to an offense that went three-and-out a bit too often to keep up with the lightning pace of the game, to the penalties that too often extended drives and gave UTSA more opportunities for points.
It was valiant how the Blue Raiders had a shot to tie the game late. It was a shame the final drive that mattered fell short with a PBU along the press box sideline was only going for the tie, rather than the win, thanks to the slow start for MTSU.
"We didn't play real well in the first half defensively," head coach Rick Stockstill said. "We gave up too many explosive plays. We knew coming in how talented that quarterback and those receivers were and they lived up to the billing. Really good football team, very athletic, they can run."
No question, tip your hat to the Roadrunners, who proved once again why they were the preseason favorites to retain their conference title behind the play of the conference's best player, quarterback Frank Harris, who lit up the night with three tremendous wide receivers and evaded plenty of trouble with his legs, as well as a Roadrunner defense that pushed the Blue Raider offensive line around most of the evening. A lot of what went wrong for MTSU early was because of the excellent play of UTSA.
But the Blue Raiders certainly helped them out, getting penalized six times for 65 yards in the first half, none bigger than a running into the kicker penalty on 4th and 11 in MTSU territory, giving just enough space for UTSA to dial up a 4th and 6 play call they liked and converted their only fourth down of the night, eventually leading to a Roadrunner touchdown.
Trailing 31-20 at the half, MTSU gave up a touchdown on the first drive out of the locker room to start the game's final 30 minutes, then nearly put up a shutout the rest of the way, but for a touchdown on a play where MTSU had to sell out left or right to try to get the ball back with enough time on the clock and guessed the wrong way on the run.
"We hung in there with them, we kept fighting," the veteran coach added. "Just couldn't get one more stop."
A gutsy, scrappy ending to the night for MTSU, perhaps making the game appear closer than it should've been (after all, it's hard to win a lot of games if the opposing offense is 10-for-14 on third down). So many performances to be proud of, like Lane's career-high 179 yards through the air, alongside the return of the preseason All-American's return game. There was Darius Bracy, in his first extended run at running back, breaking through a hole so wide open that the graduate transfer said he didn't even remember bursting through, just running through the open field 53-yards for a touchdown. Zaylin Wood, being able to get home twice and sack the shifty Harris, a challenge for any defense.
All of it, however, not enough to overcome the correctable mistakes that put MTSU behind.
"Just better technique," Patterson said of what the cornerbacks needed to do in the future to slow down the RPOs that gashed them early against UTSA. "Eyes, just little stuff that we've got to fix."
That being said, the Blue Raiders left the field Friday night confident that cleaning up the mistakes was possible. And as Bracy closed his comments, MTSU has already responded well to adversity already in 2022.
"That's what's going to make us a team," Bracy said of the need to respond. "First week, we didn't play well against JMU. Next week, you've seen what our team did. Don't be surprised when we go out and show improvement next week."
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