MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) — Frank Peasant’s 30-yard touchdown run with 16 seconds left sent Middle Tennessee State past Tennessee Tech 32-25 in a season opener on Saturday night.
The game didn’t end until 1:18 a.m. because of weather delays.
The Blue Raiders led 21-5 at halftime before the Golden Eagles scored three touchdowns and took a 25-24 lead when reserve quarterback Jordyn Potts threw a pair of touchdowns in the game’s final minutes. Potts relieved injured starter Dylan Laible who departed in the first quarter.
Potts threw a 15-yarder to Ashton Maples capping an eight-play, 82-yard drive with 4:21 left. The Golden Eagles’ defense forced a three-and-out, and Potts this time led a six-play, 57-yard drive resulting in a 13-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Yates with 1:06 left.
MTSU countered when quarterback Nicholas Vattiato connected on pass plays of 14 and 26 yards to Omari Kelly. The 26-yarder occurred on fourth-and-5 at the Blue Raiders’ 44-yard line. The play set up Peasant’s game-scoring dash.
Peasant ran for 49 yards and two touchdowns. His 3-yard plunge with 6:56 left in the first was the game’s first score.
Vattiato threw a 15-yard scoring pass to Myles Butler early in the second and Jaiden Credle ran it in from the 10 a little more than six minutes later and MTSU appeared ready to run away with it leading 21-0.
Potts finished with 256 yards passing completing 27 of 38 passes and three touchdowns.
MTSU holds a 37-31 all-time record against Tennessee Tech.
Prior to Saturday, the game has only been played once since the Blue Raiders moved to I-A/FBS football in 1999. MTSU demolished its longtime rival, 44-0, in 2006.
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