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MTSU football ends season with 23-20 loss at Sam Houston State. Here's what we learned

Cecil Joyce, Murfreesboro Daily News Journal
·4 min read
15

Middle Tennessee State football had a disappointing end to the season with a 23-20 loss at Sam Houston State on Saturday in Huntsville, Texas.

The Blue Raiders (4-8, 3-5 Conference USA), who will miss a bowl for the first time in three seasons, missed a 47-yard field goal by Zeke Rankin as time expired.

Players from both teams had to be separated afterward as a fight broke out between the teams after the clock hit zero. Video appeared to show punches thrown before the ESPN+ broadcast cut away. If any suspensions are handed down, they will carry over into the first game of the 2024 season for those with eligibility remaining, per NCAA rules.

"I don't know ... it's embarrassing," said MTSU coach Rick Stockstill. "I didn't see it. I don't know how it got started. It was a big scrum out there. It was an emotional game back and fourth. But just embarrassing. I'm disappointed in how we responded to it.

"There's no place for that in college football."

Sam Houston State (3-9, 2-6) finished its first season as an FBS team with three wins in its final four games.

Both teams scored touchdowns in the final 2:45, with Sam Houston State taking the lead with 57 seconds left.

Here's what we learned about MTSU's 2023 season finale:

MTSU defense breaks at the wrong time

While MTSU's offense struggled for a majority of the game, its defense was able to keep Sam Houston State out of the end zone until the closing minute of the game.

But that one TD decided the game, as the Blue Raiders allowed the Bearkats to drive 72 yards on 12 plays in the closing minute to take a 23-20 lead.

Prior to that, the MTSU defense bent but didn't break. The Bearkats drove inside MTSU's 35-yard line three times vin the first half (twice inside the 10) but settled for field goals on all three possessions. The other two possessions ended in a punt and the half.

The Blue Raiders also thwarted Sam Houston's first possession of the second half when Marvae Myers intercepted Keegan Shoemaker and returned it to the Bearkat 17. MTSU settled for a field goal.

The defense came up big early in the fourth after a Bearkat interception. Sam Houston State got to the MTSU 25, but the Blue Raiders stiffened and ultimately forced a punt, preserving a three-point deficit.

MTSU allowed just 284 total yards.

"We came into this game being well prepared," Myers said. "We knew what they were going to do. We had some great stops. We could have done better keeping the ball inbounds during that last drive. We would have loved to have closed that game out for our team."

Middle Tennessee State defensive back Marvae Myers returns an interception during the third quarter of Saturday's Conference USA game and season finale at Sam Houston State
Middle Tennessee State defensive back Marvae Myers returns an interception during the third quarter of Saturday's Conference USA game and season finale at Sam Houston State

MTSU offense starts hot, sputters after

MTSU scored on its first two possessions of the game, driving 62 yards for a touchdown (Frank Peasant 4-yard run) after taking the opening kickoff and driving 60 yards on the next possession before settling for a field goal.

However, the offense struggled from that point.

MTSU's next nine possessions ended in five punts, three interceptions and a field goal, which was set up by an interception return to the Sam Houston State 17.

The Blue Raiders did show signs of life late, driving 97 yards on six plays for the go-ahead touchdown, a five-yard run by D.J. Riles with 2:45 left.

"Offensively we couldn't do anything until the last two drives," Stockstill said. "We put ourselves in position to get a field goal. Just didn't get it done."

MTSU pulled out a couple of trick plays on the drive, as Holden Willis completed a pass on a wide receiver reverse and Riles took a pitch from Nick Vattiato and attempted a pass that resulted in a pass interference penalty that put the ball at the 5.

MTSU gained 97 of its 342 total yards on that drive.

"It's disappointing that we waited until five minutes left in the game to start doing that," Vattiato said.

MTSU quarterback Nick Vattiato started strong, completing his first 11 passes for 108 yards, but had a hard time finding a rhythm after that. He finished 29 of 37 for 241 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions.

MTSU also struggled again to run the ball, rushing 28 times for 66 yards.

This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: MTSU football: Blue Raiders end season with 23-20 loss at Sam Houston