MTSU football vs. Sam Houston State: Score prediction, scouting report for CUSA game
Middle Tennessee State football will finish the regular season with a Conference USA game at Sam Houston State on Saturday (11 a.m., ESPN+).
The Blue Raiders (4-7, 3-4 CUSA) have won back-to-back games, including last week's 34-30 victory over UTEP.
The Bearkats (2-9, 1-6) are in their first season in FBS and as a member of Conference USA , having won the FCS national championship in 2021. They had a two-game winning streak snapped last week, 28-23, at Western Kentucky.
Following is a scouting report on the season finale, including a score prediction:
Sam Houston State football has shown improvement
After losing their first nine games, the Bearkats were less than 12 minutes away from extending a win streak to three games, leading Western Kentucky 23-21 until the Hilltoppers scored the ultimate game-winner with a 75-yard TD pass early in the fourth.
The offense has gotten much better. After scoring 10 points combined in its first three games, Sam Houston State is averaging 30 points a contest over its last five.
The Bearkats have played well against tough competition, although struggling to close out those games. They allowed just 14 points in a loss to BYU, 13 points in a loss to Air Force, and played to within a touchdown of the league's top two teams (35-28 loss to Jacksonville State, 21-16 loss to Liberty).
Sam Houston State football offense pass-heavy
The Bearkats have struggled running the ball this season, gaining just 895 yards on the ground and averaging just 2.9 yards per carry.
Redshirt sophomore running back John Gentry and senior quarterback Keegan Shoemaker have dominated the team's carries, with Gentry rushing 87 times for 283 yards and one touchdown and Shoemaker rushing 76 times for 214 yards and a TD. Sam Houston has just 10 rushing touchdowns in 11 games.
Shoemaker has had some success through the air, completing 208 of 326 passes for 2,037 yards, 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions in nine games.
Redshirt junior wide receiver Noah Smith leads the team with 67 receptions for 660 yards and five touchdowns.
Sam Houston State linebackers are experienced
The Bearkats have allowed 26 points and 391 yards per game this season out of their 4-3 defense, but they have some experienced playmakers in linebacker corps.
MORE: MTSU football holds off UTEP 34-30 in home finale; Here's what we learned
The most experienced of that bunch is seventh-year graduate student Markel Perry. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound outside linebacker, who played in just one game last season before redshirting, has 27 tackles and three quarterback hits in seven games (five starts).
Graduate linebacker Trevor Williams is the team's leading tackler (109, seven for loss) and also has a sack, an interception and a forced fumble. Junior linebacker Kavian Gaither is second with 61 tackles, a sack, an interception and two forced fumbles. Junior outside linebacker Isaiah Nixon has a team-leading four sacks despite not starting.
The Bearkats have forced 12 turnovers (six interceptions, six fumbles).
Sam Houston State-MTSU score prediction
MTSU 35, Sam Houston State 24: Blue Raiders finish the season with a three-game winning streak, although with just five wins, they miss out on their third consecutive bowl appearance.
This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: MTSU football: Score prediction, scouting report vs. Sam Houston State
