Featured Photo by Paige Mast
Story by Brett Walker
OXFORD, Miss – Middle Tennessee football (1-1) took its first road trip of the season on Saturday to face No 6. Ole Miss (2-0), falling 52-3.
In a stadium full of rowdy Rebels, the Blue Raiders struggled mightily in their first loss of the season.
Ole Miss shut down Middle Tennessee throughout the first half. MTSU gained 126 yards in the first two quarters, with only 18 of them coming in the first.
MTSU tried to establish the run game early, but to no avail as the Ole Miss defensive line dominated in the trenches.
“We didn’t run the ball effectively,” head coach Derek Mason said in his postgame press conference. “We’ve got to do that and stay balanced.”
The Blue Raider offense was more effective in the second quarter after turning to the passing game. MTSU’s lone scoring drive ended in a 32-yard Zeke Rankin field goal. Quarterback Nick Vattiato led the Blue Raiders down the field throwing for 67 yards on the drive.
Ole Miss, on the other hand, scored a field goal on its opening possession and never looked back. The Rebels scored on five of its six first-half drives with four touchdowns. Senior running back Henry Parrish Jr. wreaked havoc against Middle Tennessee with 14 carries for 165 yards and a career best four touchdowns.
MTSU entered the half trailing 31-3. Unfortunately for the Blue Raider faithful that made the trip, the team didn’t fare better in the second half of the contest.
Middle Tennessee fell victim to the turnover bug in the third quarter. Early on, Vattiato threw a pass intended for tight end Holden Willis that was intercepted on a leaping grab by safety John Saunders Jr. Later, Ole Miss hit Vattiato, forcing a fumble on MTSU’s 14-yard line. Turnovers kept MTSU from gaining any ground in the second half.
“Defensively, I thought they presented us a problem early in the ball game,” Mason said. “I think their defense was able to pressure us, get us in long third downs situations and then really get Nick (Vattiato) off the spot and we weren’t able to hold up the protection early.”
The loss on the record may prove to be irrelevant in the face of injury. Midway through the second quarter, senior running back Frank Peasant went down and was later carted off the field in a full leg brace. His status for the remainder of the season is currently uncertain.
Middle Tennessee returns to Murfreesboro for a two-game homestand beginning with arch-rival Western Kentucky on Sept. 14. The game is scheduled for a 6:00 p.m. kickoff and is slated to air on ESPN+.
“This was a benchmark game, the one that matters is next week that starts conference play,” Willis said. “Our goal since the spring has been conference championship and that starts this coming up week.”
Brett Walker is the sports editor for MTSU Sidelines
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