Fourth-quarter skid plagues MTSU’s homecoming, as Blue Raiders fall to 1-3

Murfreesboro, Tenn. — After the Blue Raiders picked up their first win of the season in a 14-13 brawl against Nevada, they travelled back to Murfreesboro for their highest anticipated matchup of the year against Marshall. Not only was Middle Tennessee playing its first FBS opponent of the year, but they were also playing their homecoming game, and they were hoping to pick up their first home victory since Oct. 15th, 2024, against Kennesaw State.

Middle Tennessee did not pick up that victory, however, but it wasn’t without some excitement.

To start the game, the Blue Raiders pounced on the Thundering Herd offense, forcing a three-and-out to start the game, giving MTSU the ability to take the lead in front of their homecoming crowd. Nahzae Cox hauled in a 15-yard reception and was targeted on the next play of the drive, but Marshall’s Daytione Smith came down with it, marking Nicholas Vattiato’s third straight game with an interception.

Blow for Blow

From that point on, Marshall and Middle Tennessee would exchange haymakers for five straight drives. In the following eleven minutes, the two teams would combine for twenty-three plays, three hundred and forty yards, and five touchdown drives.

The first blow would come in the form of a Carlos Del Rio-Wilson touchdown pass to Toby Payne. The Herd’s three-yard touchdown would give Marshall a 7-0 lead on Middle Tennessee’s home turf.

The Thundering Herd would take a gut punch from the Blue Raiders on the next play immediately following the kickoff. Middle Tennessee running back Jekail Middlebrook would rush for seventy-two yards, and Middle Tennessee would score on the play after. 7-7 game with eight minutes to go in the first.

Just like a good pay-per-view boxing match, though, Marshall would punch right back. Carlos Del-Rio Wilson would pass for another touchdown, as Demarcus Lacey would take a short out route 68 yards to the house. 14-7 Marshall, with just over seven minutes to go in the quarter.

Nicholas Vattiato took that personally. Middle Tennessee responded with two consecutive explosive passing plays of its own to bring the ball back into the end zone. After just less than three minutes from the first score of the game, the score was already 14-14.

In this blow-for-blow battle, Marshall would take a slow, calculated drive to deliver the final punch. After two explosive plays of their own, the Thundering Herd would methodically drive down the field and score on a quarterback keeper by Carlos Del-Rio Wilson.

Marshall’s lead would be extended to 21-14, and the Thundering Herd would win the first quarter blow-for-blow battle.

Middle Battles

MTSU graduate quarterback Nick Vattiato, shown during a Week 2 game vs. Wisconsin, threw a touchdown pass and added the game-winning rushing touchdown all within the final 6:30 of The Blue Raiders' 14-13 win over Nevada on Sept. 13. // Cecil Joyce, Murfreesboro Daily News Journal

After the Blue Raiders lost the initial blow-for-blow battle, the Blue Raiders dueled with Marshall, slowly chipping away at the Herd’s lead with two consecutive field goals, one of which was a 50-yard field goal from Jacob Hathaway, the first 50-yard field goal for Middle Tennessee in over five years.

The second quarter was “buckle down” time for the Blue Raiders, and Derek Mason’s team looked like they were finally settling into Johnny “Red” Floyd Stadium, as they neutralized what had been a very strong Marshall offense led by Carlos Del-Rio Wilson.

Middle came out of the locker room swinging as well, holding the Thundering Herd to just forty yards during the duration of the third quarter. Marshall averaged just 2.9 yards per play in the third quarter, and the Blue Raiders' lead was established 28-21 on a Vattiato rushing touchdown.

But just as the third quarter started to come to a close, the Herd gained momentum that they wouldn’t lose for the rest of the game.

Marshall Scores 21 Unanswered

In the fourth quarter, the valiant Blue Raiders team that had seemed to have taken their mojo back, fell completely flat. After the game, head coach Derek Mason said, “I saw some things tonight early that were good, then I saw some things late that were [not good] for us, you can call it fatigue or whatever you want, you just have to be better tacklers, period.”

After the fourth quarter hit, Marshall clearly emerged as the superior team. Carlos Del-Rio Wilson started the quarter off with a touchdown pass to Toby Payne, tying the game up at 28-28 and starting what would become a streak of 21 unanswered points for the Thundering Herd.

That quarter was not pretty for the Blue Raiders, as Marshall scored on all three of their drives, not including the final drive of the game that ended in victory formation. The Blue Raiders ended the fourth quarter with just 25 total yards, 18 of which came off one play from Nicholas Vattiato.

MTSU fell apart in the fourth quarter, allowing Marshall to storm ahead with the lead, and finish with a final win margin that was not indicative of how close the game was for a heavy duration of the game.

Middle Tennessee falls to 1-3, and the Blue Raiders' next game is Sept. 27 against 2-2 Kennesaw State.