JACKSONVILLE, Ala. — Middle Tennessee football kept things interesting through one half at AmFirst Stadium but could not slow down the tempo offense of Jacksonville State enough in the second half to pull out a result, losing to the hosts 42-20 on Wednesday night in Conference USA play.  
 
The Blue Raiders (2-6, 1-3 CUSA) got off to a red hot start on their very first drive, with a 13-yard run from Jaiden Credle setting the stage for a play-action pass on MTSU's fourth play from scrimmage, where Holden Willis got behind every member of the defense for a 61-yard pitch and catch from Nicholas Vattiato to give the Blue Raiders an early 7-0 lead. The Gamecocks (4-3, 3-0 CUSA) responded with an even quicker drive, however, to tie the game at 7-7 with just over four minutes elapsed on the clock.  
 
MTSU put together a 10-play drive that ended in a 47-yard field goal from Zeke Rankin to retake the lead, but Jax State kept their foot on the gas, capping off a 12-play, 75-yard drive with a four-yard touchdown run to give themselves a 14-10 lead that would hold through the end of the first quarter.  
 
The second quarter was a defensive showcase, highlighted by MTSU generating a takeaway inside their own 10-yard line when Jax State mishandled a handoff on third and one and Muaaz Byard hopped on top of the ball to prevent a Gamecock score. MTSU's three consecutive defensive stops in the second quarter kept the score 14-10 at the half.  
 
The Gamecocks quickly changed the vibe in the second half, ripping off a 65-yard run on the second half's first play from scrimmage to get inside the red zone, setting up a touchdown pass three plays later to give the hosts a 21-10 advantage. The Blue Raiders would respond with a 38-yard toss on their first offensive play of the half that helped lead to a 41-yard field goal from Rankin to make it a one-score game, 21-13, but the Gamecocks kept their foot on the gas, sandwiching a pair of touchdown drives around a three-and-out from the Blue Raiders to take a commanding 35-13 lead at the end of the third frame.  
 
The Blue Raiders continued to fight in the fourth quarter, putting together an eight-play, 75-yard drive that was finished off by a four-yard touchdown pass from Vattiato to Myles Butler on fourth and three from JSU 4-yard line, cutting the Gamecock lead to 35-20. But Jacksonville State's final touchdown drive of the night on the ensuing possession stretched the Gamecocks' lead to its final margin, 42-20.  
   
By the Numbers  
8.0: Yards per carry for the Gamecocks. The Blue Raiders struggled to slow down the Jax State option game most of the night, particularly from quarterback Tyler Huff (18 carries for 151 yards, 8.4 yards per carry) and running back Tre Stewart (21 carries for 210 yards, 10 yards per carry).  
  
5-for-13: MTSU's success rate on third down. The Gamecocks also faced 13 third downs, converting eight of them. Both teams converted once on first down on Wednesday night.  
 
128 and 106: Yards receiving for Omari Kelly and Holden Willis, respectively. The last time MTSU had two 100 yard receivers was last season's game against Jax State on October 4, 2023 (Justin Olson, nine catches for 124 yards, Elijah Metcalf four catches for 115 yards). 
   
Blue Raider Notes   

• Since Conference USA moved to midweek October games, Middle Tennessee is 2-5 in weekday contests.  
• Redshirt-freshman wide receiver Cam'ron Lacy made his first career start against Jax State. 
• Freshman tight end Evan Poticher logged his first career start against the Gamecocks. 
• Tonight marked the fourth time this season that MTSU has scored a touchdown on its opening drive. 

 
Offensive Player Notes 
#1 | Omari Kelly | WR | Jr. 

• Tallied 128 yards on eight receptions and a touchdown. 
• Fourth career 100-yard game – all four have come in the past six games. 

#11 | Nick Vattiato | QB | r-Jr. 

• Made his team-leading 20th straight start today against Jax State. 
• Finished 25-for-36 for 297 yards and two touchdowns. 
• Recorded his 20th career 200 or more yard passing game – third all-time. 
• With a pair of touchdowns passes on the night, Vattiato now ranks tied for sixth all-time in program history with Chase Cunningham with 39 career touchdowns. 

#42 | Evan Poticher | TE | Fr. 

• Logged his first career catch against Jax State – a nine-yard reception. 

#83 | Holden Willis | TE | r-Sr. 

• Tallied 109 yards on six receptions and a touchdown. 
• Caught a season long 61-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. 

Defensive Player Notes 
#9 | Parker Hughes | LB | r-Jr. 

• Registered a career-high nine tackles, including three solo stops. 

#18 | Xavier Williams | S | Gr. 

• Posted a career high 13 tackles, including eight solo stops and is now the team leader in tackles for the year

Special Teams Player Notes 
#7 | Zeke Rankin | PK | r-Sr. 

• Went 2-for-2 on the night, with a long of 47 yards. 
• Tallied his 41st career field goal on a 41-yard attempt in the third quarter – ranks third all-time in career field goals. 

Thoughts from Head Coach Derek Mason  
"Hats off to this Jax State football team. We knew what they were going to do. Practiced everything, saw every look. There wasn't a look we didn't see. We didn't execute very well tonight on the defensive side of the ball. The reality is, you have to come here knowing it's going to be a physical game. That's what they do. Thirty-five to forty percent of their yards are going to be after contact. We had guys there; guys just didn't make plays.  
 
"The reality of it is a team like this will make you pay. Because they will go fast, they will put you in positions where there's got to be a one-on-one and you've got to make it. And if you don't make it, they'll make you pay. They'll keep you on the field and they'll put it in the endzone. Tonight, we felt parts of that.  
 
"I thought offensively, at times, we had some rhythm. It felt a little better. We gave them some things they probably hadn't seen with some of the two backs stuff. Had some runs early, but couldn't be consistent enough. I thought we took some shots in the pass game and gave ourselves some opportunities. Probably could've took more, because I felt like the matchups were outside. 
 
"At the end of the day, in order for us to play good football, it has to be complementary. It wasn't physical enough defensively to keep us off the field and give us a chance to get a ball back to our offense." 
  
Up Next   
The Blue Raiders stay on the road in Conference USA play, heading to El Paso, Texas to take on UTEP next week on Saturday, November 2. MTSU's first weekend kickoff in over a month is set for 2:30 p.m. CT on CBS Sports Network and over the air on the Blue Raider Network.