Ask the Expert: GoMiddle.com
Marshall hosts East Division rival MTSU after being throttled by ODU last weekend. Herdnation.com goes in-depth with an expert that covers the Blue Raiders. We caught up with GoMiddle.com's Casey Bowman to get his take on Saturday's match-up.
Talk a little bit about MTSU's season. Are Blue Raiders fans satisfied with how things have gone? Certainly a road win over an SEC school had to excite the fanbase.
Truthfully, there's not a lot of positive vibes around the program right now. The win over Mizzou was big, there's no denying that, but in the eyes of the fanbase, it did not overcome the disappointment around the losses to Vanderbilt, Western Kentucky and now UTSA. MT has fielded many good teams over the years since head coach Rick Stockstill took over the program, but they've never captured an outright conference championship during his tenure, and have found ways to underwhelm during seasons of high expectations - much like this year. Compound those things with the loss of their star QB, and things are looking pretty bleak in Murfreesboro as the Blue Raiders head down the home stretch of the schedule.
How big of a loss is Brent Stockstill's for MTSU? What do you expect to see from his replacement John Urzua?
The loss is huge, there's no other way around it. MT has been riddled with injuries this year, especially at the receiver position, but they were able to overcome a lot of that because of how good Stockstill is. From an leadership perspective, an accuracy perspective, an awareness perspective, and just an overall knowledge perspective - Stockstill has all the tools, and now he's gone. The kid is a sophomore (albeit the oldest sophomore in the game) and he already holds the school record for most TD passes. You don't just shake off a loss like that and expect to see the same product on the field. As for Urzua, last Saturday was the first time he's seen meaningful action since his arrival at MT. I think he's got a stronger arm than people give him credit for, so moving the ball and making the necessary throws won't be an issue with him. Against UTSA, he showed pretty good moxie by shaking off his interceptions and staying within his skillset, but you could tell he wasn't totally comfortable in the pocket, not that anyone could blame him as he was basically thrown into the game on a whims notice. Given that he'll have the time to prepare and get a full game plan in place, I'd expect to see a fairly impressive performance from him. While the injuries have been overwhelming, there is still plenty of talent on the Blue Raider offense that can help ease a RS freshman into the game.
When you look at this game with Marshall, what are your biggest match-up concerns for MTSU?
Right now you have to look at the battle in the trenches on both sides of the ball. Offensively, MT had only allowed five sacks heading into last week's game. MT gave up five sacks against UTSA, though, effectively doubling up their season total. That has to be a cause for concern because MT will need to keep Urzua upright and confident in this game to give themselves a shot.On the flip side, MT is going to have to find a way to generate some pressure with their defensive line. This group is led by seniors who are all tenured and talented, yet, they haven't produced anywhere near where the bar of expectations that was set for them. They were considered the strongest unit of the Blue Raider defense heading into the year, but with 11.5 of MT's 20 sacks being credited to the d-line, they're performing as a middle-of-the-pack unit. Aside from just putting pressure on the QB, this unit if the first line of defense in the run game, and as the stat sheet shows, they're failing miserably at that, too. If MT has any chance against Marshall (or anyone else left on the schedule for that matter), they'll need to plug some holes and stop the run, and find a way to get to the QB.
How do you see MTSU attacking Marshall?
Offensively, I foresee a steady dose of I'Tavius Mathers in the Thundering Herd's future. He's been great for MT all year at the running back position, but he's also become a great check-down option in the passing game. With MT breaking in a young, inexperience QB in a hostile environment, I anticipate that they will lean heavily on Mathers early and often in both departments. If Mathers is on and producing, that will take a load of pressure off of Urzua and the rest of the offense, which bodes well for their outlook in this game.Defensively, MT needs to throw the kitchen sink at Marshall. They have good DB's, I think it's time to test them a bit in some one-on-one situations while they bring the heat with various blitz packages.
Lastly, what is your score prediction and breakdown for Saturday?
Everything about this game seems pretty even to me. If Stockstill was playing, I'd definitely give the nod to Middle Tennessee, but with the QB situation an unknown right now, it's hard to gauge how productive the offense will be, especially in a tight game. With that being said, I also think MT sees some blood in the water here with a struggling Marshall team. So, it looks like a toss up game to me right now. Given how MT performed against Marshall the last time they visited, though, I give MU the advantage - if even by the slightest of margins.
Final Score: MT 28, MU 31