Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
NOTEBOOK: Wednesday CUSA tilt wraps up midweek play for Blue Raider Football
10/21/2024 6:31:00 PM | Football, General, Men's Cross Country and Track & Field, Women's Cross Country and Track & Field, Track & Field/Cross Country, Student-Athlete Advisory Committee
Middle Tennessee Women’s Basketball hosts exhibition in Glass House this week; Volleyball returns home in CUSA play at the AMG
"Breakfast wasn't probably until 9:00 or 9:30 on Tuesday morning," Vattiato said. I was long gone before then and no one really knew what was going on outside of coaches and the training staff."
No one knew the MTSU quarterback might miss the start that night against the Owls until he was absent at Raider Walk that afternoon, resting up and hydrating as much as he could to give it a go in a critical game for the Blue Raiders.
"I appreciate Coach Mason, he had full confidence," Vattiato said. "He was like 'listen, it's your call if you feel good to go, you can go.'"
While certainly not 100 percent, Vattiato threw for his lowest completion percentage of the season on Tuesday, the redshirt junior signal caller showed the leadership that Mason has continually praised since his arrival in Murfreesboro, helping guide MTSU to a 14-5 win over KSU, snapping a five-game losing streak to give the Blue Raiders some momentum heading into their final midweek game of the season at Jacksonville State this Wednesday.
"I knew how sick he was," Mason said. "Nobody else did, but I did. I probably could've gone a different route in the second half because he was tired and fatigued. But I went with him because I believe that that dude is going to will himself or try to get us to go places that we've never been to do things we've never done."
Vattiato and Mason will have their hands full with the Gamecocks this week, who are surging on a three-game win streak, including two blowout wins in CUSA play. With an up-tempo, power run offense that Rich Rodriguez humming under the leadership of Furman transfer Tyler Huff and an aggressive defense finding plenty of room in the backfield, not to mention Jax Sate getting the benefit of a bye week, the road trip to the Yellowhammer State this week will require another level of preparation, Mason said.
"I think they've hit their rhythm," Mason said. "We're definitely trying to find ours, offensively, defensively, special teams. Definitely looking forward to the challenge of what going to Jax State means. This football team is going to be a physical football team. We're not going to be surprised by what they do and how they play."
Kelly wins CUSA Special Teams Player of the Week after Punt Return TD
Junior wide receiver Omari Kelly was voted the CUSA Special Teams Player of the Week as announced by the league office on Monday. Kelly is the first Blue Raider this year to earn a CUSA award.
🏈 SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK 🏈
— Conference USA (@ConferenceUSA) October 21, 2024
Omari Kelly (@kelly_omari), @MT_FB #NoLimitsOnUs | https://t.co/3YODBtMHFP pic.twitter.com/TAbD78L6Jf
Kelly, out of Trussville, Ala., keyed MTSU's win over Kennesaw State when he returned a punt 61 yards for a touchdown late in the third quarter to seal the win. It was Kelly's first career return for a score and the first by the Blue Raiders since 2021.
Kelly is the first Blue Raider to earn CUSA Special Team Player of the Week honors since Jalen Jackson picked up the award on Oct. 26, 2020.
Speed.
— Middle Tennessee Football (@MT_FB) October 16, 2024
I am Speed. #BoroBuiltMiddleMade https://t.co/yaF21W2cLl pic.twitter.com/eUIfWPjeMB
Your first chance to watch MTSU Women's Basketball is this Friday!
Your reigning, defending, back-to-back Conference USA Women's Basketball Champions start their season with exhibition play this week, as the Blue Raiders host UT Southern at 6:30 p.m. It's the first game that can be part of your season ticket package to BOTH basketball programs for just $235, a $75 savings from buying both packages separately!
The time in NOW to secure your @MT_WBB & @MT_MBB Season Tickets as both teams will be back in The Glass House before you know it!
— MT Ticket Office (@MT_tix) October 17, 2024
Don't miss a minute of exciting hoops action - click on the link below to see available seating options today!
🎟️ - https://t.co/nhCjxfzIqn pic.twitter.com/cvCGviO6jz
Friday's game is the Blue Raiders Give Back game, where fans are encouraged to bring donations to support the MTSU Food Pantry. Details on the donation drive can be found in our release from today here.
Broadcast schedule finalized for MTSU Basketball
Conference USA announced the broadcast locations for numerous men's and women's basketball games in their portfolio last week. MTSU Men's Basketball will be on national television eight times in the regular season, which you can view in the tweet below, while MTSU Women's Basketball's home game against Liberty on January 4, 2025 will be on ESPNU.
hey, look, we'll be on tv 👋
— Middle Tennessee Men's Basketball (@MT_MBB) October 17, 2024
catch us on cbssn and espn networks throughout the season! pic.twitter.com/pZoYSMpc3b
Catch us on @ESPNU this January! 📺 #TrueBlue | #Team50 pic.twitter.com/v9oFv4Lzg0
— Middle Tennessee Women's Basketball (@MT_WBB) October 17, 2024
Volleyball returns home to AMG for series with LA Tech
After a weekend split in Lynchburg, Va., Middle Tennesse volleyball returns to the AMG for a pair of matches against LA Tech.
Blue Raiders win the LONG rally to keep the momentum going! 💪#BLUEnited | #BetterInTheBoro pic.twitter.com/BBVljQ3Qsr
— Middle Tennessee Volleyball (@MT_Volleyball) October 18, 2024
The Thursday/Friday series, with Thursday's game at 6 p.m. and Friday's game at noon, both feature promotions for the first 100 fans in attendance. On Thursday's Mental Health Awareness Day, the first 100 fans will receive green shoelaces, while the first 100 fans on Friday will receive international treats for the program's International Game.
What's Happening in the 'Boro - presented by Ole South@MT_Volleyball is back home for two matches and @MT_WomensTennis hosts its MTSU Fall Invite. @MT_WBB holds an Exhibition game in the Glass House!
— Middle Tennessee Athletics (@MTAthletics) October 21, 2024
🏐🎾🎟️ FREE
🏀🎟️ https://t.co/FpVYoaIe2Z#BLUEnited pic.twitter.com/zYw2Eqm7tv
Cross Country posts plethora of personal best in final regular season meet
At the Arturo Barrios Invitational in College Station, Texas, Middle Tennessee Cross Country saw 13 different runners post personal best times in the program's final tune up before next month's Conference USA Championships.
"This was a great race for us," Head Coach Keith Vroman said. "Everyone is peaking at the right time for the Conference USA Championship, so we will be ready for Oxford."
Middle Tennessee's men and women once again finished ahead of all CUSA teams in their fields this past weekend, with the men finishing seventh out of 38 teams and the women finishing 12th out of 41 teams. Freshman Allan Kiplagat finished fourth overall for the men to lead the pack for the Blue Raiders, while sophomore Odilia Jepchumba paced the women with an eighth place finish.
Headed into the Conference USA Championship with two top 10 single finishes in the Arturo Barrios Invitational! #BLUEnited pic.twitter.com/YKlT9T99Ms
— Middle Tennessee XC/Track & Field (@MT_TrackField) October 18, 2024
Men's Golf, Women's Golf continue fall schedule
Blue Raiders finish fifth at the Elon Phoenix Invitational.#TrueBlue pic.twitter.com/7g19XISyPI
— Middle Tennessee Men's Golf (@MT_MGolf) October 15, 2024
Staying steady in seventh through two rounds 🤝 pic.twitter.com/BzzAMqWoid
— Middle Tennessee Women's Golf (@MT_WGolf) October 21, 2024
Players Mentioned
