MIDDLE TENNESSEE FALLS LATE TO MARSHALL ON ROAD, 28-26
HUNTINGTON, WV - Middle Tennessee football looked headed for a repeat of last year’s late struggle before a late push nearly delivered the comeback it needed.
The Blue Raiders, now 1-1 on the season, fell to Marshall, also 1-1, by a 28-26 score in their first road game of the year after a late fourth-quarter rally came up short at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.
Middle Tennessee entered the final stretch trailing 28-20, but a poised sequence from redshirt sophomore quarterback Roman Gagliano gave the Blue Raiders new life. With under two minutes remaining and facing 4th-and-10 from the Marshall 33, Gagliano escaped pressure and connected with wideout AJ Jones for a 15-yard gain. Two plays later, the same duo hooked up again, this time turning into another 15-yard touchdown pass to pull MTSU within two points.
MTSU opted to go for two to tie the game, but Gagliano’s throw to the right side was incomplete, leaving the Blue Raiders to finish the night chasing the lead rather than leveling it.
Marshall appeared in control for much of the evening, but Middle Tennessee’s defense made its presence felt early and often. In the first quarter, the Blue Raiders scored after an errant snap over Marshall quarterback Carlos Del-Rio Wilson trickled into the end zone. Wilson recovered, only to have Aidan Butts force a fumble that safety Kalen Woods recovered for a touchdown—MTSU’s second defensive score in two weeks and Woods’ second fumble-recovery touchdown in as many weeks.
The offense answered as well. Dominic Bourgeois delivered a 52-yard field goal early in the second quarter to give Middle Tennessee a 10-7 lead, a kick that tied for the fifth-longest in program history. Later, Bourgeois hit from 50 yards again to swing the lead back toward Marshall, 14-13, before Gagliano found redshirt junior Cam’ron Lacy for an 11-yard touchdown to make it 20-14 at halftime’s aftermath. Marshall retook the lead with a touchdown drive that made it 21-20.
In the closing minutes, an interception by Marshall’s Zah Jackon set up a two-yard rushing touchdown that pushed the Thundering Herd’s advantage to 28-20. That proved pivotal, but the Blue Raiders refused to quit, repeatedly turning momentum into scoring chances, including the late TD to Jones that set up the final two-point attempt.
By the numbers, Woods added his second career touchdown, Lacy reset his personal best with nine catches, and linebacker Korey Smith recorded a career-high 13 tackles.
Next week, Middle Tennessee returns home for Week 3, hosting Nevada, with the Wolf Pack coming to “The Boro” at 1-0.
Comments