Photo by Tyler Lamb / Sports Editor
The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders trail the University of Texas-San Antonio today in a Conference USA East-West battle 28-10. This is in part because quarterback Brent Stockstill was injured early in the second quarter on a UTSA sack. He returned to sideline late in the second quarter with his arm in a sling.
This marks the second time the teams have played each other, with the Blue Raiders winning the only meeting last year 42-7.
MTSU won the toss and elected to defer, giving the Roadrunners the ball first. After a good return set up UTSA at their own 34-yard line, they established the run game early, carrying it eight times for 47 yards on their first drive. Jarveon Williams capped the drive off with a six-yard touchdown to give the Roadrunners an early 7-0 lead.
Middle Tennessee responded quickly, as Dennis Andrews caught a 16-yard pass from Brent Stockstill to tie the game at 7. I’Tavius Mathers contributed a 47-yard catch-and-run on a third down to get the Blue Raiders into Roadrunner territory. The drive lasted less than a minute and a half.
The Blue Raider defense held strong on the next Roadrunner drive, as they forced a three-and-out from UTSA. The Roadrunner punt pinned the Raiders at their own 21 yard-line. The Blue Raiders did nothing with it, as the UTSA defense forced them backwards to their own eight. MTSU punted the ball back to the Roadrunners, giving them the ball inside Blue Raider territory.
UTSA took advantage of the field position, scoring in five plays to take a 14-7 lead. Jalen Rhodes ran it in from 26 yards out to score.
The Blue Raiders next drive started with multiple positive gains, leading to the end of the first quarter. The UTSA defense sacked Brent Stockstill again, though Stockstill was hurt on the play. He finished the drive, as the Blue Raiders turned it over on downs. Stockstill went to the locker room and returned later in the second quarter to the sideline.
The Roadrunners took the ball down the field again, controlling the clock with their run game. Williams scored his second touchdown of the game to give UTSA a commanding 21-7 lead.
The MT offense failed to sustain a drive with redshirt freshman John Urzua in the game, as he threw an interception that set UTSA up at the Blue Raider 40 yard-line. The Roadrunners scored again on a 16-yard pass from Dalton Sturm. The Roadrunners pushed their lead further to 28-7.
Ursula looked much more comfortable on his second drive out there, leading the Raiders to the UTSA 13 yard-line. Canon Rooker kicked a 30-yard field goal to pull MT within 28-10 at halftime.
Stockstill left the game 8-11 with 98 yards and one touchdown. Urzua threw an early interception, but settled in before half, going 5-8 for 47 yards.
Leading rusher I’Tavius Mathers carried the ball just four times for 19 yards.
The run game of UTSA hurt the Blue Raiders, as Jalen Rhodes carried the ball 15 times for 78 yards and a touchdown. Jarveon Williams added 45 yards and two touchdowns of his own on 10 carries.
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