# 2020 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team

The 2020 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team represented Middle Tennessee State University as a member of the East Division of Conference USA (C-USA) during the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by 15th-year head coach Rick Stockstill, the Blue Raiders compiled an overall record of 3–6 with a mark of 2–4 in conference play, placing fifth in the C-USA's East Division. The team played home games at Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

## Preseason
### Award watch lists

Listed in the order that they were released
| Award | Player | Position | Year |
| TBD ||||

### CUSA media days

The CUSA Media Days was held virtually for the first time in conference history.
Media poll (East Division) :
| Predicted finish | Team |
| 1 | Charlotte |
| 2 | FIU |
| 3 | Florida Atlantic |
| 4 | Marshall |
| 5 | Middle Tennessee |
| 6 | Old Dominion |
| 7 | Western Kentucky |
Media poll (CUSA Championship) :
| Rank | Team | Votes |
| TBD |||

### Preseason All-CUSA teams

To be released

## Schedule

Middle Tennessee announced its 2020 football schedule on January 8, 2020. The original 2020 schedule consists of six home and six away games in the regular season. The Blue Raiders had games scheduled against Duke, Indiana State, Old Dominion, UConn, Virginia Tech, and UAB which were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 5 | 12:30 p.m. | at Army* | Michie StadiumWest Point, NY | CBSSN | L 0–42 | 5,249 |
| September 19 | 2:30 p.m. | Troy* | Johnny "Red" Floyd StadiumMurfreesboro, TN (Battle for the Palladium) | ESPN | L 14–47 | 6,000 |
| September 25 | 7:00 p.m. | at UTSA | AlamodomeSan Antonio, TX | CBSSN | L 35–37 | 6,182 |
| October 3 | 4:00 p.m. | Western Kentucky | Johnny "Red" Floyd StadiumMurfreesboro, TN (100 Miles of Hate) | ESPN3 | L 17–20 | 6,500 |
| October 10 | 3:00 p.m. | at FIU | Riccardo Silva StadiumMiami, FL | ESPNU | W 31–28 | 2,213 |
| October 17 | 4:00 p.m. | North Texas | Johnny "Red" Floyd StadiumMurfreesboro, TN | Stadium | L 35–52 | 5,000 |
| October 24 | 2:30 p.m. | at Rice | Rice StadiumHouston, TX | ESPN3 | W 40–34 $^{2OT}$ | 0 |
| November 14 | 12:00 p.m. | at No. 16 Marshall | Joan C. Edwards StadiumHuntington, WV | CBSSN | L 14–42 | 12,224 |
| November 21 | 2:30 p.m. | at Troy* | Veterans Memorial StadiumTroy, AL | ESPN3 | W 20–17 | 12,000 |
| *Non-conference gameRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Central time |||||||

## Game summaries
### At Army

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Blue Raiders | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| • Black Knights | 7 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 42 |
| Pregame line | Over/under |
| ARMY –3.5 | 54 |
| Statistics | Middle Tennessee | Army |
| First downs | 13 | 24 |
| Total yards | 184 | 368 |
| Rushing yards | 75 | 340 |
| Passing yards | 109 | 28 |
| Turnovers | 4 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 24:31 | 35:29 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Middle Tennessee | Passing | Chase Cunningham | 7/10, 63 yards |
| Middle Tennessee | Rushing | Chaton Mobley | 5 carries, 27 yards |
| Middle Tennessee | Receiving | Jarrin Pierce | 4 receptions, 33 yards |
| Army | Passing | Christian Anderson | 2/4, 28 yards |
| Army | Rushing | Tyrell Robinson | 9 carries, 94 yards |
| Army | Receiving | Isaiah Alston | 1 reception, 18 yards |

### Troy

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Trojans | 7 | 19 | 14 | 7 | 47 |
| Blue Raiders | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Pregame line | Over/under |
| TROY −3.5 | 64.5 |
| Statistics | Troy | Middle Tennessee |
| First downs | 30 | 15 |
| Total yards | 496 | 241 |
| Rushing yards | 240 | 87 |
| Passing yards | 256 | 154 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 3 |
| Time of possession | 35:45 | 24:15 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Troy | Passing | Gunnar Watson | 26/37, 248 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT |
| Troy | Rushing | B. J. Smith | 10 carries, 81 yards |
| Troy | Receiving | Khalil McClain | 6 receptions, 75 yards, 2 TDs |
| Middle Tennessee | Passing | Asher O'Hara | 16/23, 109 yards, 1 INT |
| Middle Tennessee | Rushing | Asher O'Hara | 14 carries, 45 yards, 1 TD |
| Middle Tennessee | Receiving | Jarrin Pierce | 11 receptions, 81 yards |

### At UTSA

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Blue Raiders | 3 | 7 | 13 | 12 | 35 |
| • Roadrunners | 0 | 17 | 17 | 3 | 37 |
| Pregame line | Over/under |
| UTSA –6 | 59 |
| Statistics | Middle Tennessee | UTSA |
| First downs | 27 | 16 |
| Total yards | 563 | 391 |
| Rushing yards | 191 | 88 |
| Passing yards | 372 | 303 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 35:40 | 24:20 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Middle Tennessee | Passing | Asher O'Hara | 31/47, 372 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs |
| Middle Tennessee | Rushing | Jayy McDonald | 7 carries, 76 yards |
| Middle Tennessee | Receiving | Jarrin Pierce | 7 receptions, 107 yards |
| UTSA | Passing | Josh Adkins | 16/28, 233 yards, 1 TD |
| UTSA | Rushing | Sincere McCormick | 19 carries, 82 yards, 2 TDs |
| UTSA | Receiving | Zakhari Franklin | 6 receptions, 119 yards, 1 TD |

### Western Kentucky

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Hilltoppers | 0 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 20 |
| Blue Raiders | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Pregame line | Over/under |
| WKU –7 | 52.5 |
| Statistics | Western Kentucky | Middle Tennessee |
| First downs | 21 | 18 |
| Total yards | 326 | 319 |
| Rushing yards | 138 | 102 |
| Passing yards | 188 | 217 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 31:35 | 28:25 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Western Kentucky | Passing | Tyrrell Pigrome | 21/36, 188 yards, 2 TDs |
| Western Kentucky | Rushing | Tyrrell Pigrome | 16 carries, 55 yards |
| Western Kentucky | Receiving | Xavier Lane | 7 receptions, 73 yards, 1 TD |
| Middle Tennessee | Passing | Asher O'Hara | 23/33, 217 yards, 1 TD |
| Middle Tennessee | Rushing | Asher O'Hara | 25 carries, 98 yards, 1 TD |
| Middle Tennessee | Receiving | Jarrin Pierce | 9 receptions, 65 yards |

### At FIU

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Blue Raiders | 0 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
| Panthers | 7 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 28 |
| Pregame line | Over/under |
| FIU –6.5 | 57 |
| Statistics | Middle Tennessee | FIU |
| First downs | 23 | 15 |
| Total yards | 404 | 328 |
| Rushing yards | 136 | 270 |
| Passing yards | 268 | 58 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 31:46 | 28:14 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Middle Tennessee | Passing | Asher O'Hara | 23/42, 268 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs |
| Middle Tennessee | Rushing | Asher O'Hara | 23 carries, 106 yards, 2 TDs |
| Middle Tennessee | Receiving | Jarrin Pierce | 5 receptions, 80 yards, 1 TD |
| FIU | Passing | Kaylan Wiggins | 5/15, 37 yards, 1 INT |
| FIU | Rushing | Shaun Peterson Jr. | 15 carries, 117 yards, 2 TDs |
| FIU | Receiving | Nate Jefferson | 2 receptions, 19 yards |

### North Texas

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Mean Green | 7 | 14 | 21 | 10 | 52 |
| Blue Raiders | 21 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 35 |
| Pregame line | Over/under |
| MTSU –3.5 | 72 |
| Statistics | North Texas | Middle Tennessee |
| First downs | 32 | 23 |
| Total yards | 768 | 432 |
| Rushing yards | 462 | 268 |
| Passing yards | 306 | 164 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 27:52 | 32:08 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| North Texas | Passing | Jason Bean | 12/17, 181 yards, 2 TDs |
| North Texas | Rushing | Jason Bean | 10 carries, 169 yards, 3 TDs |
| North Texas | Receiving | Jaelon Darden | 10 receptions, 204 yards, 1 TD |
| Middle Tennessee | Passing | Asher O'Hara | 18/29, 164 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT |
| Middle Tennessee | Rushing | Chaton Mobley | 14 carries, 156 yards, 1 TD |
| Middle Tennessee | Receiving | CJ Windham | 4 receptions, 49 yards |

### At Rice

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| • Blue Raiders | 0 | 14 | 17 | 3 | 6 | 40 |
| Owls | 6 | 7 | 6 | 14 | 0 | 33 |
| Pregame line | Over/under |
| RICE −4 | 48.5 |
| Statistics | Middle Tennessee | Rice |
| First downs | 22 | 26 |
| Total yards | 451 | 425 |
| Rushing yards | 118 | 183 |
| Passing yards | 333 | 242 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 3 |
| Time of possession | 27:03 | 32:57 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Middle Tennessee | Passing | Asher O'Hara | 24/33, 333 yards, 2 TDs |
| Middle Tennessee | Rushing | Asher O'Hara | 22 carries, 69 yards, 2 TDs |
| Middle Tennessee | Receiving | CJ Windham | 7 receptions, 109 yards, 1 TD |
| Rice | Passing | Mike Collins | 18/35, 242 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT |
| Rice | Rushing | Juma Otoviano | 20 carries, 84 yards |
| Rice | Receiving | Austin Trammell | 3 receptions, 76 yards, 2 TDs |

### At Marshall

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Blue Raiders | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| No. 16 Thundering Herd | 7 | 14 | 21 | 0 | 42 |
| Statistics | MTSU | MRSH |
| First downs | 18 | 26 |
| Plays–yards | 68–303 | 75–520 |
| Rushes–yards | 23–56 | 38–184 |
| Passing yards | 247 | 336 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 30–45–0 | 25–37–0 |
| Time of possession | 24:46 | 35:14 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Middle Tennessee | Passing | Asher O'Hara | 29/44, 241 yards, 1 TD |
| Middle Tennessee | Rushing | Asher O'Hara | 11 carries, 39 yards, 1 TD |
| Middle Tennessee | Receiving | Jarrin Pierce | 9 receptions, 90 yards, 1 TD |
| Marshall | Passing | Grant Wells | 25/37, 336 yards, 5 TD |
| Marshall | Rushing | Brenden Knox | 16 carries, 70 yards |
| Marshall | Receiving | Willie Johnson | 8 receptions, 137 yards, 2 TD |

### At Troy

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Blue Raiders | 7 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 20 |
| Trojans | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Pregame line | Over/under |
| TROY –11 | 60.5 |
| Statistics | Middle Tennessee | Troy |
| First downs | 23 | 18 |
| Total yards | 396 | 392 |
| Rushing yards | 186 | 92 |
| Passing yards | 210 | 300 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 37:21 | 22:39 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Middle Tennessee | Passing | Asher O'Hara | 19/23, 210 yards |
| Middle Tennessee | Rushing | Asher O'Hara | 25 carries, 86 yards |
| Middle Tennessee | Receiving | Yusuf Ali | 7 receptions, 90 yards |
| Troy | Passing | Gunnar Watson | 25/39, 300 yards, TD, 2 INTs |
| Troy | Rushing | B. J. Smith | 10 carries, 62 yards, 1 TD |
| Troy | Receiving | Khalil McClain | 6 receptions, 92 yards, 1 TD |