Haven't seen much talk about this game. What are Middle's thoughts on the game Saturday? I am optimistic despite our poor performance last week. I think MTSU has a capable offense but it won't be like TT and their defense is probably a little better than TT. I admittedly don't know much about yall defense other than looking up some stats. James is great, Stockstill is talented and the RB seems to be having a good season. I think if we can contain the running game and get some pressure on Stock we shouldn't give up 100 or whatever TT scored on us.

This was the toughest one for me to pick this week. I think I picked MT but I don't feel real confident about that. I think UTSA/ODU game should be close as well but I'm a homer so it was an easy pick.

(09-21-2016 11:46 AM)mturn017 Wrote:  This was the toughest one for me to pick this week. I think I picked MT but I don't feel real confident about that. I think UTSA/ODU game should be close as well but I'm a homer so it was an easy pick.

I am a homer too. Going into the season this was a game I had as a toss up. MTSU is a 4-4.5 point favorite at home so basically a toss up. I think we have more weapons on offense but MTSU has better QB play. Defense is worrisome for Tech. Really a lot of unknowns and we haven't had the performance out of some of the newcomers and transfers as we expected. IF we get RS Fr CB Ephraim Kitchen back this week I would feel better about the match up as he is "supposedly" our best cover corner but has been hurt often since arriving.

This is the first true litmus test game in CUSA. We will be able to better establish a pecking order inside the conference based on the results. I feel good about this game, but then again. I am a homer and wouldn't fault any MTSU fan for feeling the same way about their team.

WR injuries hurt but the ones we have now are doing fine and coming into their own. Richie James is tops in the conference. I'Tavius Mathers is one of the best RBs we've ever had, skill-wise, and he is a quick learner. Agile, speedy, and strong... Without a strong run defense he can single-handedly win games for our offense. Brent Stockstill is as described... R-SO and phenom. Defense has been a questionable area but we are not as bad as some of our fans think we are. Getting better every week, IMO, and much improved from last year. Pass defense is suspect at best but we seem to be winning line of scrimmage. I think Raiders win at home, and with the BLACKOUT game we always seem to play better.

This is likely to be like one of those Marshall/wku battles we've had at Floyd in recent seasons. Could be an OT/multiple OT type games with a score that reaches into the 50s or 60s. Raiders win by three.

Our Rush defense seems solid, we have decent pass coverage, but our LB's do lack in pass coverage. We have to stiffen up on the intermediate stuff. We are very deep on offense but lack a superstar at QB, but as long as he doesn't turn the ball over we are Ok. Jared Craft is a great RB, but still no Dixon. This is the best receiving corps we have ever had. I know Stockstill is a great QB for you guys but I just don't think he can move to avoid pressure the way Mahomes did to make the big plays last week. He will get plenty of pressure from us. I think MTSU will score plenty of points to win, but so will we. It will all come down to who gets the most stops. I felt that if we had made prevented three third down conversions against TT, we would have won, but we didn't. We will have to, to beat MTSU at their house. My prediction right now is optimistically 45-37 Dawgs.

(09-21-2016 12:59 PM)pilot172000 Wrote:  Our Rush defense seems solid, we have decent pass coverage, but our LB's do lack in pass coverage. We have to stiffen up on the intermediate stuff. We are very deep on offense but lack a superstar at QB, but as long as he doesn't turn the ball over we are Ok. Jared Craft is a great RB, but still no Dixon. This is the best receiving corps we have ever had. I know Stockstill is a great QB for you guys but I just don't think he can move to avoid pressure the way Mahomes did to make the big plays last week. He will get plenty of pressure from us. I think MTSU will score plenty of points to win, but so will we. It will all come down to who gets the most stops. I felt that if we had made prevented three third down conversions against TT, we would have won, but we didn't. We will have to, to beat MTSU at their house. My prediction right now is optimistically 45-37 Dawgs.

Our offensive line is really good I think. With the right amount of time and a weakish secondary Brent can easily eat you up. Depends too on what Franklin's playcalling looks like. IIRC in 2009 it took a few games to really see the true strength of the system.

(09-21-2016 01:01 PM)Ole Blue Wrote:  

(09-21-2016 12:59 PM)pilot172000 Wrote:  Our Rush defense seems solid, we have decent pass coverage, but our LB's do lack in pass coverage. We have to stiffen up on the intermediate stuff. We are very deep on offense but lack a superstar at QB, but as long as he doesn't turn the ball over we are Ok. Jared Craft is a great RB, but still no Dixon. This is the best receiving corps we have ever had. I know Stockstill is a great QB for you guys but I just don't think he can move to avoid pressure the way Mahomes did to make the big plays last week. He will get plenty of pressure from us. I think MTSU will score plenty of points to win, but so will we. It will all come down to who gets the most stops. I felt that if we had made prevented three third down conversions against TT, we would have won, but we didn't. We will have to, to beat MTSU at their house. My prediction right now is optimistically 45-37 Dawgs.

Our offensive line is really good I think. With the right amount of time and a weakish secondary Brent can easily eat you up. Depends too on what Franklin's playcalling looks like. IIRC in 2009 it took a few games to really see the true strength of the system.

Tony's system didn't really make a difference for us until a year and a half into his stay here. We were 6-11 before things started to click and then finished 16-4 after that before he moved on to Cal. We have 5 Grad Transfers starting on Defense so I anticipate a good match-up with the O-line. I really think this could turn into a great game, which is sorely needed for CUSA.

Is this televised?

(09-21-2016 02:01 PM)Doots4Dawgs Wrote:  Is this televised?

ASN

Already got it DVRed on DirectTv. I even watched MTSU's game last weekend for reference purposes. I make no bones about my dislike for Eastern Teams, but I completely acknowledge the fact that USM, TECH, MTSU, Marshall and WKU need to play each other as much as they can to create those much hyped and much needed matchups for the good of the conference. I have heard some pretty strong rumors that there will acually be no expansion anytime soon, so we need to hunker down and make the most of what we got!!

I mean really, the way the offenses and defenses shape up, this one will be all about who turns the ball over and gives away easy scores. It's definitely cliche, but both defenses have weaknesses that the other offense will certainly exploit. Unfortunately we've had one entire game (Vanderbilt), and one half (Bowling Green 1st half), where we've been the team that did every stupid thing you could from a field position standpoint.

With all due respect to MTSU, the Blue Raiders aren't nearly on the same level as Texas Tech and Arkansas. LA Tech was very competitive in both of those two games, losing by a combined 15 points. In Lubbock, the Dawgs ran into a buzzsaw, and yet still lost by only 14 points.

Of course, I want to kill the AD that put this 2016 schedule together. Three of LA Tech's first 4 games are doozy's on the road.

Still, LA Tech beats MTSU by 2 TD's this Saturday. Mostly because I think the physical matchups favor Tech. I honestly believe this conference has underestimated the young talent that Skip Holtz has brought in. Oh sure, Tony Franklin's gimmick offense (and that's what it is. I called it that when he was our OC too) will keep it interesting for a while, but in the end I believe Tech's talent takes over.

The Blackout Game at home is a huge momentum boost for us. We're 7-2 in those uniforms. We beat a Cato led Marshall team and a Brandon Doughty led WKU in those jerseys at home. For some reason, our type gets hyped for the Blackout game.

Texas Tech has a great offense but their D is horrible. I mean like 118th in the nation horrible. LaTech was down 21 points until the very end of the game. Texas Tech's D was bad but good enough to stop LaTech enough to go up 21 points until like 30 seconds left. I like that. Texas Tech isn't even ranked and they lost to an ASU team that put up 60+ on them. This is the same ASU that barely put up 32 to squeak out a win vs UTSA Friday night.

LaTech also let SCState put 24 on them. 6 out of the 12 quarters we've played, we've held our opponents scoreless.

This game will be a war. I like our chances as long as we don't field any punts.

Mahomes is a "legitimate Heisman candidate".

http://www.espn.com/college-football/tea...ed-raiders

No, physically we are better than La Tech. No one in the conference comes close to our team in terms of physicality. We will win 45-21 or by a similarly big margin!

It will come down to turnovers...so far MT as turned it over multiple times in all three games with interceptions, fumbles and not handling punts. No one has stopped us but ourselves. In 2 of our 3 games we have played in really bad weather. My hope is for no rain so we can see what we are. While we average 41 points, I think it would be over 50 when decent weather. Our D was hung out to dry against both Vandy and BG by the turnovers - not sure what they are. The did hold BGSU scoreless for the last 43 mins of the game - BGSU never punted in the 2nd half, they went for it on every singe drive.

For LT to win the formula is the same - limit turnovers, get an early lead and and run the FB in the 2nd half. If LT is more physical this is the formula to beat us.

I don't buy into this we played AR or TT close therefore we are better; I can't tell you how many times we had a P5 team on the ropes, lost and then went on to losing season.

(09-21-2016 08:04 PM)Ole Blue Wrote:  No, physically we are better than La Tech. No one in the conference comes close to our team in terms of physicality. We will win 45-21 or by a similarly big margin!

That's laughable.

(09-21-2016 08:01 PM)HogDawg Wrote:  Mahomes is a "legitimate Heisman candidate".

http://www.espn.com/college-football/tea...ed-raiders

On a 7 win team. Awesome! You made him look like a Heisman winner. After that ASU game, not so much.