October 8, 2025 – Missouri State survived a late scare to beat Middle Tennessee 22-20 at Floyd Stadium, improving to 4-3 overall and 2-1 in conference play while the Blue Raiders fell to 1-6.
The Bears led 19-13 after three quarters before Middle Tennessee grabbed a 20-19 advantage on Nicholas Vattiato’s 10-yard touchdown pass to Cam’ron Lacy with 9:12 left. Missouri State answered with a 10-play drive capped by Yousef Obeid’s 29-yard field goal with 4:19 remaining.
Quarterbacks Trade Blows
| Quarterback | Team | Comp-Att | Yards | TD | INT | Sacks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deuce Bailey | Missouri State | 16-31 | 278 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Nicholas Vattiato | Middle Tennessee | 30-42 | 267 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Bailey threw for 278 yards and a touchdown despite getting sacked four times. His 76-yard strike to Ramone Green Jr. opened the second half and set up Missouri State’s third field goal. Vattiato completed 30 passes but couldn’t move the chains when Middle Tennessee got the ball back with under a minute left.
Ground Game Stats
| Running Back | Team | Att | Yards | TD | Long | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shomari Lawrence | Missouri State | 11 | 63 | 0 | 10 | 5.7 |
| Deuce Bailey | Missouri State | 18 | 17 | 1 | 15 | 0.9 |
| Jekail Middlebrook | Middle Tennessee | 17 | 93 | 0 | 18 | 5.5 |
Middlebrook led all rushers with 93 yards on 17 carries. Bailey added a 5-yard touchdown run in the second quarter that put Missouri State ahead for good until the fourth quarter.
Key Moments
Jacob Hathaway’s 50-yard field goal attempt fell short with 59 seconds left, giving Missouri State the ball back. The Bears ran out the clock with three kneel-downs.
Obeid went 3-for-4 on field goals, while Lacy caught six passes for 114 yards and both Middle Tennessee touchdowns. His 52-yard scoring catch in the second quarter tied the game at 10-10.
Missouri State converted all five red zone trips into points. Middle Tennessee failed on three fourth-down attempts in the second half.
Source: MTSU
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