Blue Raiders fail to keep pace with Flames

Saturday, November 9

Murfreesboro, TN

12:00 PM

Middle Tennessee

3-7 , 2-4

Liberty

6-2 , 4-2

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Liberty

Middle Tenn.

11/9/2024 3:38:00 PM | Football

Box Score Game Book Post Game Notes Cumulative Season Stats Photo Gallery

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee football failed to keep up with Liberty on Saturday afternoon at Floyd Stadium, getting outscored 20-0 in the second quarter en route to a 37-17 loss.

MTSU (3-7, 2-4 CUSA) stalled out on their first drive, but quickly recovered on defense, taking advantage of a dropped screen pass lateral in Liberty (6-2, 4-2 CUSA) territory, resulting in a Brandon Buckner fumble recovery, to quickly get on the move on their second drive. The Blue Raiders took advantage of a read option keeper and a 17-yard pass to Javonte Sherman with a roughing the passer penalty to get inside the Liberty 10, where Nicholas Vattiato found Hayes Sutton for a six-yard touchdown pass to give MTSU a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.

The Flames quickly countered with a solid drive of their own, capping it off with a 41-yard touchdown run on the QB draw to tie the game 7-7. The score would hold through the end of the first quarter after MTSU forced their second turnover of the game, deflecting an option pitch that led to another fumble recovery, this time by Xavier Williams.

MTSU looked to have gotten Liberty off the field early in the second quarter, even getting to take advantage of an 18-yard shank on a fourth down punt. But a penalty for illegal formation (lining up over the long snapper), followed by an offsides penalty when Liberty attempted to convert the ensuing fourth and one, led to the Flames getting new life on their drive, capping it off with a four-yard touchdown run to take the lead, 14-7.

The Flames scored two more touchdowns, missing the PAT on the first, the second coming off an MTSU fumble in the two-minute drill, to increase the lead to 27-7 at halftime.

MTSU forced a three-and-out on the first possession of the second half and followed it up with a long, sustained drive, going 84 yards in 17 plays. But Jaiden Credle's fourth and inches run on the MTSU 5 finished just short of the line to gain and MTSU turned the ball over on downs after a drive that took 8:28 off the clock in the third quarter. A pair of penalties, a facemask and an unsportsmanlike conduct, moved Liberty inside the red zone on the next drive, eventually resulting in a 35-yard field goal to stretch the Flames' lead to 30-7.

Big passes from Vattiato to Holden Willis and Sutton sustained MTSU's next drive, culminating in a 17-yard touchdown pass to running back Terry Wilkins, who high-pointed the ball through contact to complete the catch and claw some of the deficit back, cutting the lead to 30-14. Liberty responded with a touchdown their next drive, pushing their lead back to 23 points, but Zeke Rankin's 48-yard field goal, a season-long, trimmed it back down to 20, 37-17, with around five minutes to play in the fourth quarter, a score that held after Liberty recovered the ensuing onside kick.

By the Numbers
339: Rushing yards for Liberty. The Flames averaged over seven yards per carry and had three players with at least 50 rushing yards. MTSU managed just 70 yards of rushing on the day.

10-93: Number of penalties and number of penalty yards earned by MTSU on Saturday. It's tied for the most penalties committed in a single game and is the most penalty yards earned in a game this season by MTSU. It's the fifth time MTSU has committed at least eight penalties in one game this season.

8-1: TFLS for Liberty and MTSU, respectively.

Blue Raider Notes

Today's 12:02 PM kick was the earliest for the Blue Raiders at Floyd Stadium since Nov. 21, 2015. That day, MTSU kicked at 11 AM against North Texas.
Omari Kelly missed today's game with an injury. Kelly leads the Blue Raiders in receiving with 48 receptions for 811 yards.
Junior Jared Douglas made his first career start today as a Blue Raider.
Offensive Lineman Ellis Adams made his 30th career start today

Offensive Player Notes
#4 | Terry Wilkins | RB| r-Sr.

Hauled in his first career touchdown pass when he grabbed a 17-yard strike from Nicholas Vattiato early in the fourth quarter

#9 | Hayes Sutton | WR | Gr.

Sutton recorded his first receiving touchdown as a Blue Raider when he hauled in a 6-yard pass in the first quarter. Hayes entered the game with just seven catches on the year.

#11 | Nicholas Vattiato | QB | r-Jr.

Made his team-leading 22nd straight start today against Liberty.
His first quarter TD pass was the 41st of his career which ties Teddy Morris for fourth place all-time. He added a second one in the fourth quarter for his 42nd career TD to own fourth place by himself.
Vattiato recorded his 22nd 200-yard passing game which ranks second all-time and is 13 behind career leader Brent Stockstill. Vattiato has now topped the 200-yard mark 18 times in his last 21 games.

Defensive Player Notes
#40 | Anthony Bynum | DE | r-Fr.

Set his career-high in tackles with eight stops today against Liberty

#18 | Xavier Williams | S| Gr.

Registered his first fumble recovery of the season in the first quarter

Thoughts from Head Coach Derek Mason
"For us, I thought we had some momentum early with some turnovers and had some opportunities. But for us, the ability to capitalize just slipped through our fingers. I told our guys afterwards we have to continue to not be about the peaks and the valleys of how football is played. You're going to have mistakes, and we can work through the mistakes.

"Way too many penalties in this ball game. Penalties kill drives. I think for us there were times where I thought we thwarted momentum, but gave it right back due to penalties. Then there were other times in this ball game where we couldn't get off the field. I think the important thing is, defensively, you've got to find a way to stop the run. I knew that was going to come at us, we knew it was going to come at us. Just didn't do it well enough today to get the ball back to our offense. And didn't execute well enough on offense. The end result is what you saw today. The Blue Raiders have got to be better. "

Up Next
MTSU hits their final open week in the 2024 schedule next week, returning to action the following week at home against New Mexico State on Saturday, November 23. Kickoff on Senior Day is set for 1:30 p.m. in Floyd Stadium.

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