Blue Raiders drop defensive slugfest at New Mexico State

Saturday, November 4

Las Cruces, NM

5:00 PM

Middle Tennessee

2-7 , 1-4

New Mexico State

7-3 , 5-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Middle Tenn.

New Mexico St.

11/4/2023 9:00:00 PM | Football

Box Score Post Game Notes Game Book Cumulative Stats Photo Gallery

MTSU held the Aggies to 13 points but could not get the offense rolling to take advantage of stout defense

LAS CRUCES, N.M. — Middle Tennessee football grinded their way into a chance to win the game on the final play, but too many missed opportunities on offense spoiled a stout defensive effort, as the Blue Raiders fell to New Mexico State 13-7 on Saturday evening at Aggie Memorial Stadium.

The first quarter ended scoreless, but NMSU (7-3, 5-1 CUSA) capped off the first drive of the second quarter with a fullback dive to take the lead 7-0. MTSU (2-7, 1-4 CUSA) would sandwich two punts between a missed Aggie field goal before finally forcing a punt of their own late in the second quarter.

Nicholas Vattiato then led a rapid two-minute drill, scoring in six plays when he found DJ England-Chisolm behind the NMSU secondary for a 27-yard touchdown that tied the game 7-7. The Aggies would then execute a two-minute drill of their own to set up a 24-yard field goal just before the half, taking a 10-7 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The defensive chess match only drew more compelling in the second half, where the Aggies only managed a third-quarter field goal to stretch their lead to 13-7. The Blue Raiders dialed up the pressure, picking up two TFLs in the second half, but NMSU held serve. A missed field goal with 6:53 to play put the Blue Raiders in an even tougher position late, but a stop of Diego Pavia's run on third down forced a punt and gave MTSU a chance to take the lead late.

The Blue Raiders would get two shots at the end zone inside the red zone with under ten seconds to play, but both passes fell incomplete to end the game.

By the Numbers
20: Combined points for the Aggies and Blue Raiders on Saturday. It's the fewest total points in an MTSU game since the Blue Raiders defeated Florida International 7-6 on August 31, 2006 in Rick Stockstill's first ever game as head coach of Middle Tennessee.

96: Yards rushing for Vattiato, a career high. Dueling against one of the leading quarterback rushers in the country in Diego Pavia, Vattiato outrushed Aggies signal caller by 29 yards on Saturday.

7: Pass breakups for Quindarius Dunnigan on the season after breaking up a screen pass in the first quarter on Saturday. Dunnigan's seven PBUs lead all defensive linemen in Conference USA.

Blue Raider Notes
• Today's game against NM State marks Middle Tennessee's first game in 18 days

Offensive Player Notes
#9 | Elijah Metcalf | WR | r-So.
• Tallied five catches for a team high 69 yards.
• Last six games: 34 catches for 465 yards and five TDs.

#11 | Nicholas Vattiato | QB | r-So.
• Finished 20-for-36 with 178 yards and a TD
• Logged a career high 96 yards on the ground

Defensive Player Notes
#2 | Jorden Starling | DT | r-Sr.
• Played in his 59th career game this evening, second all-time. He is chasing the career record of 60 career games played, set by DQ Thomas (2017-21).

#17 | Tra Fluellen | S | Sr.
• Posted a team high eight tackles.
• Logged his third INT of the year in the first quarter against NM State – leads the team.

#33 | Sam Brumfield | LB | r-Jr.
• Tallied six stops, including the Blue Raiders lone sack and a QB hurry.

Thoughts from Head Coach Rick Stockstill
"First of all, I was proud of our effort. Our guys busted their gut, they left everything out there. Just when you look at the totality of this game, we didn't do enough to win the game, obviously. We score right there at the end of the half and then they go down and kick a field goal with 42 seconds, hit a field goal at the buzzer.

"I'm not blaming the defense, because they played their tail off. But we gave them three there, we drive down their in fourth quarter. We miss a three-pointer. If we don't give up the three, we hit our field goal, there at the end of the game we're kicking to send it to overtime or win it.

"We did a lot of good things defensively. We only gave up 13 points and in this day and time, that's a good day's work. And then offensively, we just never got in a rhythm in the first half."

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