Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
On Senior Day, the Blue Raiders found a way to win
11/19/2023 7:31:00 AM | Football
Stockstill: “They get to walk off the field the last time as a winner.”
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Jordan Branch has wanted Middle Tennessee to call the play ever since it was installed.
It was something MTSU had put into its punt attack package before, a running play they could use as a fake, where Brody Butler would snap the ball to Branch, rather than the punter, allowing the defensive linemen who usually formed a wall in front of the Blue Raider specialist a chance to use some of the skills he had out of the backfield at Crockett County, where Branch said he was used on offense as a prep player before his six years in Murfreesboro.
But on Saturday, facing a fourth-and-two at the MTSU 33, just three plays after UTEP had tied the game on a 54-yard punt return touchdown, the Blue Raiders got the look they wanted and Branch had his shot, bursting through the hole and rumbling into Miner territory for the first down.
A successful fake punt is almost always a swing play as far as momentum is concerned. But even in a 34-30 victory for MTSU that featured a plethora of swings against UTEP, Branch's 24-yard run was a sneakily big one, setting up an eventual 17-yard touchdown catch from Holden Willis that put the Blue Raiders up for good in the first half. And for Branch, it was a moment that capped off an emotional senior day for the veteran defensive lineman.
"I've been here six years," Branch said. "I love everything about MT. I love Coach Stock, giving me the opportunity to come here. It was very emotional, but I've enjoyed myself here."
The Blue Raiders clearly enjoyed themselves in their final home game of the season, never trailing against the Miners while turning over their opponent four times, thrice on defense, once on special teams. The ensuing drives off of those turnovers resulted in 13 points on the board.
Marvae Myers played a part in two of those takeaways, falling atop a fumble on a botched option exchange in the first quarter, setting up a nine-yard Frank Peasant touchdown run just five plays later, then picking off UTEP quarterback Cade McConnell in the fourth quarter. But no play loomed as large as his final one of the afternoon, when he won the one-on-one battle on fourth down to knock McConnell's deep pass to the Floyd Stadium turf, securing the win for the Blue Raiders.
"I kind of took some pride on my chest when I saw them line up in that formation and coach giving us a man call," Myers said. "The only thing in my mind was the seniors, how much they put in work to be here, what this night meant to them.
"I'm not going to be the reason that we lose this game."
A lot of non-seniors, by their actions, had that mentality for their 11 teammates who were honored before kickoff on Saturday. There was Holden Willis, catching six passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns, or Parker Hughes, bursting through the stout Miner offensive line twice on Saturday for tackles for loss. The seniors made their mark too, no doubt. From Zack Dobson's stop-n-go, 56-yard touchdown catch to Jorden Starling's pair of QB hurries, they made their names known in Floyd Stadium for the final time.
"Really happy for our guys, especially our seniors, that they get to walk off the field the last time as a winner," head coach Rick Stockstill said. "It was a hard fought ball game."
But in a physical matchup, perhaps no one played for the seniors harder than quarterback Nicholas Vattiato, who has stepped up as a dual-threat quarterback in the latter half of the season. His 92 yards rushing were just shy of a career high, one the Plantation, Fla. native would've hit if not for a late fourth quarter sack. But with a long run of 17 yards, and nearly 250 yards passing through the air, Vattiato has become a weapon teams must respect.
"When we've got run plays and we're blocking front side, then we look back and the run goes the other way and Nick is running loose for 20, 30, 40 yards, linemen chasing downfield, it's fun to see," Willis said. "Nick's a ballplayer. The ball's in his hands downfield, he's got good stats, he's going to make it work."
That dual-threat ability, plus the growth he's shown with nearly a full season under his belt, Stockstill said, made for a contrast in gameplans this week for both teams.
"You're having to defend a quarterback that gains 100 yards (with his feet) and also throws for 250," Stockstill said. "That puts an added stress on a defense. We weren't worried about UTEP's quarterback beating us with his feet. So, you take that out of the equation. But they couldn't say that."
After another physical matchup, MTSU has a chance to end the season on a high note after a disappointing start, with a date with Sam Houston in Huntsville, Texas as the final obstacle for the Blue Raiders to end the year by ripping off three straight wins. For linebacker Devyn Curtis, that game against the Bearkats can be one last gift this team can give the seniors.
"We're a mature group," Curtis said. "The love that we have for one another is going to help bring us together for this one last game."
It was something MTSU had put into its punt attack package before, a running play they could use as a fake, where Brody Butler would snap the ball to Branch, rather than the punter, allowing the defensive linemen who usually formed a wall in front of the Blue Raider specialist a chance to use some of the skills he had out of the backfield at Crockett County, where Branch said he was used on offense as a prep player before his six years in Murfreesboro.
But on Saturday, facing a fourth-and-two at the MTSU 33, just three plays after UTEP had tied the game on a 54-yard punt return touchdown, the Blue Raiders got the look they wanted and Branch had his shot, bursting through the hole and rumbling into Miner territory for the first down.
It's a fake! And a first down for the big man @jbranch_99 pic.twitter.com/R45wI84wYl
— Middle Tennessee Football (@MT_FB) November 18, 2023
A successful fake punt is almost always a swing play as far as momentum is concerned. But even in a 34-30 victory for MTSU that featured a plethora of swings against UTEP, Branch's 24-yard run was a sneakily big one, setting up an eventual 17-yard touchdown catch from Holden Willis that put the Blue Raiders up for good in the first half. And for Branch, it was a moment that capped off an emotional senior day for the veteran defensive lineman.
"I've been here six years," Branch said. "I love everything about MT. I love Coach Stock, giving me the opportunity to come here. It was very emotional, but I've enjoyed myself here."
The Blue Raiders clearly enjoyed themselves in their final home game of the season, never trailing against the Miners while turning over their opponent four times, thrice on defense, once on special teams. The ensuing drives off of those turnovers resulted in 13 points on the board.
Marvae Myers played a part in two of those takeaways, falling atop a fumble on a botched option exchange in the first quarter, setting up a nine-yard Frank Peasant touchdown run just five plays later, then picking off UTEP quarterback Cade McConnell in the fourth quarter. But no play loomed as large as his final one of the afternoon, when he won the one-on-one battle on fourth down to knock McConnell's deep pass to the Floyd Stadium turf, securing the win for the Blue Raiders.
"I kind of took some pride on my chest when I saw them line up in that formation and coach giving us a man call," Myers said. "The only thing in my mind was the seniors, how much they put in work to be here, what this night meant to them.
"I'm not going to be the reason that we lose this game."
A lot of non-seniors, by their actions, had that mentality for their 11 teammates who were honored before kickoff on Saturday. There was Holden Willis, catching six passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns, or Parker Hughes, bursting through the stout Miner offensive line twice on Saturday for tackles for loss. The seniors made their mark too, no doubt. From Zack Dobson's stop-n-go, 56-yard touchdown catch to Jorden Starling's pair of QB hurries, they made their names known in Floyd Stadium for the final time.
"Really happy for our guys, especially our seniors, that they get to walk off the field the last time as a winner," head coach Rick Stockstill said. "It was a hard fought ball game."
But in a physical matchup, perhaps no one played for the seniors harder than quarterback Nicholas Vattiato, who has stepped up as a dual-threat quarterback in the latter half of the season. His 92 yards rushing were just shy of a career high, one the Plantation, Fla. native would've hit if not for a late fourth quarter sack. But with a long run of 17 yards, and nearly 250 yards passing through the air, Vattiato has become a weapon teams must respect.
"When we've got run plays and we're blocking front side, then we look back and the run goes the other way and Nick is running loose for 20, 30, 40 yards, linemen chasing downfield, it's fun to see," Willis said. "Nick's a ballplayer. The ball's in his hands downfield, he's got good stats, he's going to make it work."
That dual-threat ability, plus the growth he's shown with nearly a full season under his belt, Stockstill said, made for a contrast in gameplans this week for both teams.
"You're having to defend a quarterback that gains 100 yards (with his feet) and also throws for 250," Stockstill said. "That puts an added stress on a defense. We weren't worried about UTEP's quarterback beating us with his feet. So, you take that out of the equation. But they couldn't say that."
After another physical matchup, MTSU has a chance to end the season on a high note after a disappointing start, with a date with Sam Houston in Huntsville, Texas as the final obstacle for the Blue Raiders to end the year by ripping off three straight wins. For linebacker Devyn Curtis, that game against the Bearkats can be one last gift this team can give the seniors.
"We're a mature group," Curtis said. "The love that we have for one another is going to help bring us together for this one last game."
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