Featured Photo by Myles Valrie
Story by Brett Walker
MTSU faced arch-rival Western Kentucky on Saturday in the annual rivalry game known as the 100 Miles of Hate. The Blue Raiders fell to the Hilltoppers 49-21. Here are three key takeaways from MTSU’s week three contest.
Self-inflicted wounds
From the opening kickoff to the final kneel down, Middle Tennessee was the root of their own undoing. The game started with a muffed kickoff by Brian Brewton which caused MTSU to begin its first drive on the one-yard line.
Even after the offense got going, MTSU was never able to get out of its own way. The Blue Raiders reached the red zone two times in the first half, resulting in zero points.
On the first redzone trip, MTSU got down to the one-yard line following a 54-yard Nick Vattiato completion to wide receiver Omari Kelly. What followed was four straight run plays up the middle that ended in a turnover on downs. The early redzone woes weighed heavy on the MTSU quarterback. Anytime that the team has first and goal at the one, that has to be an automatic touchdown, Vattiato said.
“I think we have to take ownership as players,” Vattiato said. “Coaches can only do so much, coaches can put us in position, but at the end of the day players have to be on the field and execute it. If we can’t get six inches, then we shouldn’t be playing football.”
Connection in progress
One positive takeaway from Saturday’s slaughter would be the progress made in the connection between the junior quarterback, Vattiato, and junior wide receiver, Kelly.
Vattiato finished the game with 24 completions on 31 pass attempts for 456 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Kelly hauled in nine of those 24 completions for 239 yards and all three touchdowns on the day.
Kelly scored three touchdowns of 31, 71 and seven yards after halftime, a stark contrast from a dismal first half of play.
“Me and Nick (Vattiato) after halftime we just came out there and said we just have got to go out there and ball,” Kelly said. Whatever happened, happened, and he just put his trust in me and other people and he just makes plays. I tried to do my part the best I could.”
Both players finished Saturday’s game just short of setting new single-game school records. Vattiato fell three yards short of breaking former quarterback Wes Counts’ record of 459 passing yards back in 2001, while Kelly finished the game five yards short of former wide receiver Demetric Mostiller’s 244-yard receiving performance in 1995.
Defensive disaster class
While Saturday’s game was poor for Middle Tennessee on all fronts, no unit struggled more than the defense. Western Kentucky’s offense scored on its opening possession and never looked back, even after the injury to starting quarterback, TJ Finley.
Backup quarterback Caden Veltkamp ripped the MTSU defense to shreds. Veltkamp finished the game with 27 completions on 30 pass attempts for 395 yards and five touchdowns against a Blue Raider defense missing starting safety Brendon Harris among other injuries.
Middle Tennessee finished the day with one sack, on a play with 10 defenders on the field oddly enough and forced zero turnovers for the second consecutive game. For MTSU, defensive issues lie everywhere except for the inside of the line, head coach Derek Mason said.
“We didn’t win enough one on one’s outside and didn’t tackle very well, and I think all of that, third down, redzone, all of it is sort of a recipe for not playing good defense,” Mason said.
Needless to say, the Blue Raiders have a lot to clean up before they face the Duke Blue Devils on homecoming weekend. The game is scheduled for Sept. 21 at 3:00 p.m. and slated to air on ESPNU.
Brett Walker is the sports editor for MTSU Sidelines
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