Miami vs. Middle Tennessee State: Previewing the Blue Raiders

A closer look at Miami's Week 4 opponent, Middle Tennessee State.

The Miami Hurricanes will need its offense to get going against Middle Tennessee, because Middle Tennessee’s could get going against the Hurricanes. Miami has struggled to put up points since their home-opener against Bethune-Cookman which saw them score 70 points. 

MTSU doesn’t have the defense that the Canes do, but considering the scoring struggle Miami is facing, it could be a trap game for Miami. Here’s a look at a Blue Raider team that's averaging 41.5 points in their last two games.

The Blue Raiders' offense would likely go under the spread offense category, but they do have a good balance between running and passing the ball. The Blue Raiders are running the ball at a 54% rate while passing 46% of the time, so the balance between the two is there.

Stats will show that the Blue Raiders might be better suited to lean on the passing game. The Blue Raiders are averaging just over three yards per carry. It's a first down every four downs, but it’s not an efficient way to gain yards against a strong defense. The run game is headlined by Frank Peasant, who’s averaging 4.9 yards per carry and has found the end zone five times this year already.

The passing game, however, led by Chase Cunningham, is efficient. He’s completing just under 72% of his passes with a 2-1 touchdown to interception ratio. It also helps when he has a strong receiving duo of Yusuf Ali and Izaiah Gathings, who combine for 49% of the team’s receiving yards this year.

Ali is the top slot receiver for the Blue Raiders while Gathings is the big-bodied down-field threat. Gathings could pose the biggest threat against Miami’s defense because of his big frame and 50/50 ball receiving ability. 

For a guy who’s reeling in 100% of his targets this year and having him go up against cornerbacks that have struggled in 50/50 ball opportunities, MTSU would be wise to try their luck on red-zone fades. The MTSU defense is trending upwards.

The Blue Raiders have a strong defense that had a bad showing against James Madison, but ince then they’ve allowed 12.5 points per game, which is half of a point more than Miami is allowing defensively. It’s a fair assessment to say both teams’ strength is defense, but MTSU does a better job of getting to quarterbacks and making plays behind the line of scrimmage.

The Blue Raiders have 27 tackles for loss on the year to go with 12 sacks, so getting to the quarterback is this defense’s identity. MTSU has been consistent up front and it's spearheaded by Jordan Ferguson and his three sacks and three tackles for loss. However, this defense loves getting in the backfield as a collective.

There are four defenders with 3.5 tackles for loss on the dot. The front seven for the Blue Raiders is one the Hurricanes offense must be ready for. The Miami offensive line, which has been praised for its development under head coach Mario Cristobal and offensive line coach Alex Mirabal, will see aggressive defensive play calling from MTSU.

Could Tyler Van Dyke find a rhythm against the Blue Raider secondary? It's certainly plausible. The Blue Raider secondary is not its strength but it's also not a secondary that will lay down and let big plays happen.

The Blue Raiders have forced four interceptions in their three games. On the flip side, like Miami’s cornerbacks, they’ve struggled with batting the ball down and not allowing catches, especially on third downs. 

It’s still a bit early to tell if MTSU is the best G5 opponent the Canes will face, but it's certain that they’ve been a different team since their week one blowout loss against JMU. 

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