Preview: Q&A with Miami Beat Writer Luke Chaney

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Momentum is all on the side of Middle Tennessee Football after the past weeks, where dominant first halves have led to cruising victories to the Blue Raiders in the Rocky Mountains and back in the mid-state.

But the schedule gets even tougher this week, as MTSU hits the road for the third time in four games to face the No. 25 Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:30 ET/2:30 CT on the ACC Network and the Blue Raider Radio Network.

Under first-year head coach Mario Cristobal, Miami has gone 2-1 to start the year and is coming off a loss to a Texas A&M team that contained the Hurricanes' offense very well in College Station, holding Miami to just nine points last Saturday.

"Texas A&M did a very good job of tackling in space when Miami's receivers and running backs got out there," MTSU head coach Rick Stockstill said. "And they kept the ball in front of them, they didn't give up a lot of explosive plays. That's going to be critical for us. We've got to tackle well and keep the ball in front of us, make teams go the long way."

Perhaps the biggest threat to the Blue Raiders this week will come from the Miami defense, allowing just over 13 points a game through the team's first three contests this season, including allowing just 17 points to the Aggies a week prior. Loaded with speed at all three levels, MTSU will need both its quick passing game and running game to be present to move the ball up the field.

And probably a decent bit more too. As Jordan Ferguson pointed out, special teams success and turnovers can often keep teams in games they're not favored in.

"Practice, scouts are going to have to give us some real looks and not take those plays for granted," Ferguson said. "We've got to ignore the noise. It's going to be a loud environment; it's going to be fun."

Of note for MTSU, 14 Blue Raiders on the 2022 roster (at least at the time the media guide was printed) are from the state of the Florida, with three (Deidrick Stanley II, Nicholas Vattiato and Jamari Williams) from the Miami area itself. Typically, MTSU families in Florida will have at least one chance to see their sons in state, either at FAU or at FIU, who alternate away games year-to-year on the Blue Raiders' schedule. But now, all of those Florida families will have two shots to see them play in their home state.

"I know our Florida guys will know a bunch of guys on the Miami roster, so it'll be neat for them," Stockstill said.

To get a closer look at the Hurricanes ahead of this week's game, GoBlueRaiders.com staff writer Sam Doughton chatted with Luke Chaney, Sports Editor for the Miami Hurricane (UM's student paper). Chaney also covers Miami for AllHurricanes.com, Sports Illustrated's FanNation site for the Hurricanes.

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1) Miami reloaded the coaching staff this offseason not only with hiring Power 5 head coach for their own head job (Oregon's Mario Cristobal), but also two highly regarded coordinators (Josh Gattis and Kevin Steele). What has the fan base's reaction been to the changes at the top of the program, admittedly early on in their tenure?

The overall vibe surrounding the fanbase has been overwhelmingly positive up to this point. In general, fans loved the Mario Cristobal addition. He was a former Hurricanes player and assistant coach and grew up in the Miami area. Some fans were a little upset with offensive coordinator Josh Gattis after Miami's nine-point performance against Texas A&M last Saturday, but as a whole, the majority of the fanbase is still behind Gattis, and of course, defensive coordinator Kevin Steele.

2) Defensive End Jordan Ferguson highlighted quarterback Tyler Van Dyke as a future NFL draft pick in this week's press conference, and third-year sophomore obviously has the pedigree to back that assessment up. Outside of the stats and accolades, what do you think are some of Van Dyke's best traits as a signal caller? Who are some of his teammates on offense that help the unit click when they're in sync?

Tyler Van Dyke has exceptional ball placement, especially on deep passes. While the vertical game hasn't been seen much this season, it made up a sizable chunk of Van Dyke's production last season. He has the best rapport with Will Mallory, a fifth-year tight end who caught six passes for 56 yards in Week 3 against the Aggies.

3) The Hurricanes' defense has had a red hot start to the season, averaging just over 13 points allowed per game, with Rick Stockstill highlighting the unit's speed at all three levels as a big reason why. Who are some of the playmakers on that side of the ball MTSU fans should know ahead of kickoff on Saturday?

Miami's defensive line is talented and very deep. Sophomore Leonard Taylor III is a tackle for loss nightmare, and edge rushers Akheem Mesidor and Mitchell Agude are two transfers that have brought a lot to that unit. At linebacker, the team is led by MIKE Corey Flagg Jr., a solid and fundamentally sound veteran. Miami also has a star-studded safety room, led by sophomore trio James and Avantae Williams and Kamren Kinchens. Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson is one to watch as well.

4) Special Teams were a problem for Miami in their loss to Texas A&M, with a muffed punt leading to an Aggies touchdown and two missed field goals, one of which was blocked. What has the message been publicly this week from the program on the special teams miscues and what's being done to clean up the third phase of the game ahead of conference play?

Mario Cristobal mentioned that the unit has to clean things up. He attributed the blocked field goal to a poor job up front blocking and a low trajectory on the kick itself. The Hurricanes got dominated in that facet of the game against Texas A&M, and it was one of the main reasons why they lost.

5) Miami comes into Saturday's game a huge favorite and will be looking to gain some momentum back ahead of ACC play. What do you think will be some of the keys for the Hurricanes to take care of business and not let MTSU pull off an upset?

I think the two biggest keys will be to get Tyler Van Dyke in rhythm and to slow down MTSU's passing attack. Van Dyke has not played at the same level that he was at during Miami's final six games of last season, and he'll need to find his stride before ACC play kicks off. The Blue Raiders play a very pass-heavy style of offense led by Chase Cunningham that will definitely give Miami's cornerbacks, who play a lot of press coverage, a challenge.

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Players Mentioned

Chase Cunningham

Jordan Ferguson

Deidrick Stanley II

Nicholas Vattiato

Jamari Williams

Middle Tennessee State University Athletics