Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Domination in all three phases gives MTSU a sense of “déjà vu”
9/18/2022 8:27:00 AM | Football
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Zaylin Wood was talking to someone on the sideline late in the first quarter. Not too unusual for the redshirt-sophomore defensive tackle, whose Middle Tennessee defense had just forced Tennessee State off the field fourth time in as many drives to start Saturday's game.
But then he heard the thud of a ball hitting a gloved hand, then the cheers from the Blue Raider sideline. When he looked up, Jalen Montgomery, the walk-on running back, wearing a No. 29 jersey despite being No. 23 on your roster card so he could be on the same special teams unit as Jalen Jackson (CB No. 23), was in the endzone, thanks to Taharin Sudderth's blocked punt.
MTSU has a 21-0 lead before the end of the first quarter. The Blue Raiders (2-1) would go on to lead by as much as 49 points over the outmatched Tigers (0-3), scoring touchdowns on six straight drives between the first, second and third quarters in their 49-6 victory. But the blocked punt stuck with Wood after the game for one reason.
"We had one just like that last year with Tra (Fluellen)," Wood said. "It was just like déjà vu really."
Déjà vu is right. Saturday's victory reminded the Blue Raiders of all of their best traits from a season ago, like the complete wins the team put together against outmatched foes Monmouth, UConn and Southern Miss in 2021. Efficient passing from Chase Cunningham (20-for-24), an opportunistic defense taking advantage of their opportunities (two interceptions) and a special teams touchdown on top of everything else.
A team win in all three phases of the game. Exactly the type of win Rick Stockstill wants his team to have.
"Obviously, it was a big win, great win for us," Stockstill said. "Really proud of our mental intensity and focus that we had throughout the course of the week and throughout this game. 42-0 at halftime, that's hard to maintain that in the second half. I thought our guys did a really nice job of doing that."
Maybe the most encouraging part of the win was the part that didn't feel like déjà vu from 2021, where Frank Peasant went over 100 yards on the ground, scoring three times, none of them bigger than his 85-yard scamper to open the second half.
"Before we went out there, I was just telling myself to play loose," Peasant said. "Stay calm, don't overwhelm yourself when you see the hole. I really want to give all the thanks to my O-line, because that's who really opened it up for me. All I did was run."
It's been a long while since MTSU has had a lead back that they can trust, a role that Peasant has taken to early on after being part of a running back committee the past two seasons. Rick Stockstill has said that Peasant's carry numbers reflect some injuries in the RB room, but acknowledged the Pensacola, Fla. product has produced when called upon, turning two-yard gains into six, eight, even 25 yard ones. That makes him a hard option to go away from.
Speaking of running, and déjà vu, the return of the "Heavy D" package, where the MTSU offense employs its defensive line to clear the way for its rushing attack. It showed its head on the goaline ahead of the Beer Garden, with Wood, Jordan Ferguson, Marley Cook and Ja'Kerrius Wyatt clearing the way for Peasant to burst his way across the line.
"You see those four guys run on the field, I think everybody in the stadium knows what's about to happen," said quarterback Chase Cunningham, who ran for a touchdown of his own on the QB draw and tossed two more through the air.
After getting humbled to open the 2022 season, the Blue Raiders have responded with back-to-back dominant performances, particularly in the first half, where MTSU has outscored Colorado State and TSU by a combined score of 69-0 in the first half these past two weekends.
"(Strength) Coach (Matt) Hickman, he always says that you only have one chance to start the game off right," said Jaylin Lane, who led all MTSU wideouts with four catches for 55 yards and a touchdown. "So that's our mindset coming into the game, start it off right, start it off fast, and that just makes the rest of the night easy."
The built-up confidence is exciting to see for any Blue Raider fan. When all three phases work together like they did Saturday night, it's an exciting time to be in Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium.
Now, the key will be taking that confidence into games against some of the best on the Blue Raiders' schedule. Traveling to nationally ranked Miami next weekend, returning home to face the reigning C-USA champs, UTSA. An always threatening, at least in the last five years, UAB in Birmingham, then trying to break the 35-35-1 all-time tie against WKU.
Time will tell what déjà vu will appear for MTSU in the month to come, the dominance of the past two weeks or the struggles that this team has faced against tough competition. But they did what they needed to do after week one.
And if they can carry what they did the past two weeks forward, there's so much more to be confident about in Murfreesboro in 2022.
But then he heard the thud of a ball hitting a gloved hand, then the cheers from the Blue Raider sideline. When he looked up, Jalen Montgomery, the walk-on running back, wearing a No. 29 jersey despite being No. 23 on your roster card so he could be on the same special teams unit as Jalen Jackson (CB No. 23), was in the endzone, thanks to Taharin Sudderth's blocked punt.
MTSU has a 21-0 lead before the end of the first quarter. The Blue Raiders (2-1) would go on to lead by as much as 49 points over the outmatched Tigers (0-3), scoring touchdowns on six straight drives between the first, second and third quarters in their 49-6 victory. But the blocked punt stuck with Wood after the game for one reason.
"We had one just like that last year with Tra (Fluellen)," Wood said. "It was just like déjà vu really."
Déjà vu is right. Saturday's victory reminded the Blue Raiders of all of their best traits from a season ago, like the complete wins the team put together against outmatched foes Monmouth, UConn and Southern Miss in 2021. Efficient passing from Chase Cunningham (20-for-24), an opportunistic defense taking advantage of their opportunities (two interceptions) and a special teams touchdown on top of everything else.
A team win in all three phases of the game. Exactly the type of win Rick Stockstill wants his team to have.
"Obviously, it was a big win, great win for us," Stockstill said. "Really proud of our mental intensity and focus that we had throughout the course of the week and throughout this game. 42-0 at halftime, that's hard to maintain that in the second half. I thought our guys did a really nice job of doing that."
Maybe the most encouraging part of the win was the part that didn't feel like déjà vu from 2021, where Frank Peasant went over 100 yards on the ground, scoring three times, none of them bigger than his 85-yard scamper to open the second half.
85 YARDS TO THE HOUSE!
— Middle Tennessee FB (@MT_FB) September 18, 2022
Peasant's 3rd touchdown of the day is the 6th-longest TD run in school history! #BLUEnited | #EATT pic.twitter.com/GMzXr6rd9j
"Before we went out there, I was just telling myself to play loose," Peasant said. "Stay calm, don't overwhelm yourself when you see the hole. I really want to give all the thanks to my O-line, because that's who really opened it up for me. All I did was run."
It's been a long while since MTSU has had a lead back that they can trust, a role that Peasant has taken to early on after being part of a running back committee the past two seasons. Rick Stockstill has said that Peasant's carry numbers reflect some injuries in the RB room, but acknowledged the Pensacola, Fla. product has produced when called upon, turning two-yard gains into six, eight, even 25 yard ones. That makes him a hard option to go away from.
Speaking of running, and déjà vu, the return of the "Heavy D" package, where the MTSU offense employs its defensive line to clear the way for its rushing attack. It showed its head on the goaline ahead of the Beer Garden, with Wood, Jordan Ferguson, Marley Cook and Ja'Kerrius Wyatt clearing the way for Peasant to burst his way across the line.
"You see those four guys run on the field, I think everybody in the stadium knows what's about to happen," said quarterback Chase Cunningham, who ran for a touchdown of his own on the QB draw and tossed two more through the air.
After getting humbled to open the 2022 season, the Blue Raiders have responded with back-to-back dominant performances, particularly in the first half, where MTSU has outscored Colorado State and TSU by a combined score of 69-0 in the first half these past two weekends.
"(Strength) Coach (Matt) Hickman, he always says that you only have one chance to start the game off right," said Jaylin Lane, who led all MTSU wideouts with four catches for 55 yards and a touchdown. "So that's our mindset coming into the game, start it off right, start it off fast, and that just makes the rest of the night easy."
The built-up confidence is exciting to see for any Blue Raider fan. When all three phases work together like they did Saturday night, it's an exciting time to be in Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium.
Now, the key will be taking that confidence into games against some of the best on the Blue Raiders' schedule. Traveling to nationally ranked Miami next weekend, returning home to face the reigning C-USA champs, UTSA. An always threatening, at least in the last five years, UAB in Birmingham, then trying to break the 35-35-1 all-time tie against WKU.
Time will tell what déjà vu will appear for MTSU in the month to come, the dominance of the past two weeks or the struggles that this team has faced against tough competition. But they did what they needed to do after week one.
And if they can carry what they did the past two weeks forward, there's so much more to be confident about in Murfreesboro in 2022.
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