5 things to know about MTSU ahead of Mizzou football's game Saturday night

The last time the Blue Raiders were in Columbia, they shut the nation’s oldest homecoming party down.

Mizzou football will host Middle Tennessee State again, seven years after falling during the Tigers’ homecoming game to Rick Stockstill’s team 51-45.

MU coach Eli Drinkwitz has never lost a home nonconference game in his four seasons with the Tigers, and a win Saturday night would give him his first 2-0 start to a season since he arrived.

Here are five things to know about MTSU ahead of the game:

Watch for the blitz

Mizzou running back Nathaniel Peat will be on the lookout.

Middle Tennessee likes to load the box and blitz, which will force Missouri into new territory from its Week 1 win over a more timid South Dakota. The Blue Raiders didn’t have too much success against Alabama — more on that later — but still managed to sack Crimson Tide starting quarterback Jalen Milroe twice as part of a four-TFL performance.

It’s also going to mean that pass-protection is going to fall on far more players than just the Tigers’ offensive line.

Drinkwitz said Tuesday that this might be the most important blitz-pickup week that he’s experienced in his time at Missouri. That’ll send MU’s tailbacks up front to keep Brady Cook, the newly official starting quarterback, on his feet.

Peat, who will form a tailback tandem with Cody Schrader, is acutely aware of his job.

“Pre-snap, defenses show a lot of things, a lot of tendencies that’ll show a blitz,” Peat said. “But it's also keeping your head on a swivel and knowing where a potential blitzer could come from. So a lot of things go into it, but at the end of the day you’ve just got to pick it up.”

And the air raid

Speaking of aggressive — MTSU won’t be shy on either side of the ball.

“If you watched the Alabama game, the first play was a fade down the field, so they're showing you they're ready to play,” MU defensive lineman Darius Robinson said. “So, you know, we have to be ready to set our tempo, set our pads and get lined up and get ready.”

It’s a different challenge for a Missouri defense that was so successful against South Dakota’s running game, with Drinkwitz mentioning the aggressive, fast tempo the Tigers will be up against in Week 2.

It’s up to the Tigers to counter speed with speed.

“If you are going to go ahead and pass rush, get there fast,” MU defensive tackle Jayden Jernigan said. “If you can't get there fast, get in the quarterback’s eye.”

The coaching staff

MTSU head coach Rick Stockstill is in his 18th season with Middle Tennessee State. He has a 109-104 record with the Blue Raiders, including four bowl wins.

His two coordinators both have head gig experience, too. Mitch Stewart, MTSU's offensive, was the coach at Murray State from 2016-18, while defensive coordinator Scott Shafer was in charge of Syracuse from 2013-15.

The quarterback

Nicholas Vattiato will lead the MTSU offense onto the field.

The quarterback from near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is in his third season with the Blue Raiders, and played the first three quarters in their opener against the Crimson Tide, completing 21-of-32 passes with a touchdown and a pick.

Vattiato, a redshirt sophomore has averaged 163 yards per outing in nine career games with eight touchdowns and eight interceptions. He was named the 2021 Bahamas Bowl MVP after a 270-yard night in MTSU’s 31-24 win over Toledo.

“You just tell (Vattiato’s) mindset is very aggressive, he’s confident in the scheme, he's well coached,” Drinkwitz said. “He knows where he needs to go with the ball and knows how to get out of trouble, so I was quite impressed with him.”

Alabama trouncing

Yes, it’s the Tide. The Blue Raiders aren’t the first, and they won’t be the last to suffer Nick Saban’s ire.

But MTSU had no answer for Alabama dual-threat QB Jalen Milroe, who pummeled Stockstill’s team for 48 yards and two touchdowns on the ground on seven runs, which led the Crimson Tide on foot. Milroe put up 194 yards and three touchdowns on 13-of-18 passing before being taken out midway through the third quarter.

Although Cook seldom turned to his legs in Mizzou’s opener, the Tigers might call the draw more often in Week 2 if the Blue Raiders get too aggressive and leave gaps up front.

'Bama showed the space is there.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: 5 things to know about MTSU ahead of Mizzou football's game Saturday