Middle Tennessee State
Record: 0-1
Last time played: The Yellow Jackets took an early 14-0 lead and then scored touchdowns on three consecutive possessions in the third quarter en route to a 42-14 win last Oct. 16 at Bobby Dodd Stadium. The Georgia Tech defense picked off MTSU quarterback Dwight Dasher four times.
MTSU on offense: The Blue Raiders don't mind putting the ball in the air; they passed 42.2 percent of the time last year and threw 47 out of 80 plays in their 27-24 loss to Purdue Saturday. Quarterback Logan Kilgore was 27 for 45 for 330 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. The Blue Raiders have two returning starters on the offensive line, both seniors.
MTSU on defense: The Blue Raiders play a 4-3 scheme and are particularly adept at pressuring the quarterback. MTSU was 17th in the country last year with 2.62 sacks per game, and had three against Purdue. Safety Eric Russell was named the Sun Belt's defensive player of the week with 13 tackles, a sack and an interception.
MTSU on special teams: Russell also returns punts and kicks for MTSU. He averaged 26.3 yards per return last season on kickoffs and broke a 40-yarder against Purdue. Kicker Alan Gendreau is a two-time all-conference pick but had two kicks blocked by the Boilermakers.
What you should know: MTSU has a history of playing automatic-qualifier conference schools tough. They beat Maryland in 2008 and 2009 and lost to Minnesota by a touchdown last year.
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