How Western Kentucky football handed MTSU its third straight C-USA loss

Middle Tennessee State's football team dropped its third consecutive game − all in Conference USA − with Saturday's 35-17 loss to rival Western Kentucky on homecoming.

The Blue Raiders (3-4, 0-3 C-USA) were 3-1 after a 45-31 win over No. 25 Miami a few weeks ago, but have dropped three consecutive league games since. The Hilltoppers improved to 4-3, 2-1 in league play.

Here are five takeaways from the blowout conference loss:

Brutal stretch ends roughly for MTSU

It’s not as if MTSU won’t have any more difficult games this season, but a brutal first-half stretch came to a close with the Blue Raiders sitting at 3-4 and losers of three in a row.

Blue Raiders fans knew it would be a tough three-game stretch, with a road game at No. 25 Miami, followed by C-USA games vs. UTSA, UAB and WKU.

After a shocking 45-31 win over the Hurricanes, MTSU proceeded to be outscored by a combined 121-61 to the three conference foes.

"It's been tough, but we knew that going in," MTSU coach Rick Stockstill said. "You wish you weren't sitting here where we're sitting, but there's a lot of pride in that locker room. We're going to bounce back."

MTSU will have an open date before a winnable stretch of league games resumes on Oct. 29 at Texas-El Paso.

WKU gets back-breaking drive to open third

Western Kentucky scored what proved to be the back-breaking TD on the first possession of the third quarter.

The Hilltoppers had two defense-gashing plays on the drive, including a 37-yard run by Kyle Robichaux and a 26-yard pass play from Austin Reed to Joey Beljan that got the ball down to the MTSU 1. Reed took it in from there for a 21-10 lead.

The Blue Raiders attempted an answer on the next possession, but a fumble inside the WKU 30 thwarted the drive. MTSU then failed to convert a fourth-and-4 at midfield on its next possession.

MTSU defense bends, but maintains in first half

MTSU, following back-to-back games in which its defense allowed more than 580 yards, had a better showing against the Hilltoppers’ stout offense.

The Blue Raiders allowed 245 yards to WKU in the first half, but forced four punts, a turnover on downs, an interception and a fumble recovery in holding the Hilltoppers to just two touchdowns.

The fumble recovery by Teldrick Ross, which came on WKU’s first play, led to MTSU’s first touchdown, a 14-yard keeper by QB Chase Cunningham.

"I thought we made some improvement defensively from the last couple of weeks," Stockstill said. "We've struggled giving up explosive plays, and we played more zone coverage here tonight and less man coverage. I thought our secondary and linebackers did a much better job. We kept the ball in front of us.

"They're an explosive offense, and you can't give them anything, and we gave them a couple of things."

MTSU run game suffers after Peasant leaves

MTSU lost running back Frank Peasant in the second quarter with a lower body injury.

Peasant was helped off the field, limping noticeably.

Stockstill said Peasant and defensive lineman Jordan Branch, who also left with an injury, would get MRIs on Sunday.

"We had a handful of guys go down tonight, and I'll have a better idea tomorrow," Stockstill said.

MTSU's run game struggled from there, gaining just 63 yards on 26 carries. Cunningham led all rushers with 29 yards.

Blue Raider offense struggles again

MTSU, which was held to just 14 points and 336 total yards in a loss to UAB the previous week, continued to struggle moving the ball in the first half against the Hilltoppers.

The Blue Raiders were held to one touchdown (which came on a short field after a turnover) and a field goal in the first half.

MTSU punted seven times in the half and was limited to just 130 yards (59 on the ground) and seven first downs.

Things didn't get much better in the first half, as MTSU was held to fewer than 100 total yards until a late scoring drive that cut the WKU lead to 35-17.

"It's not as much about what they did as what we do," MTSU wide receiver Yusef Ali said. "We have to be better on the perimeter, blocking for our teammate, and make plays when we get a chance."

This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: MTSU football: Western Kentucky gives Blue Raiders third loss in a row