Middle Tennessee football looking to return to bowl after injury-plagued 2019

Veteran QB, explosive playmakers lead intriguing offense

Middle Tennessee has one of the best quarterbacks that you have likely never even heard of. Asher O’Hara burst onto the scene in 2019 as a sophomore and took advantage of the opportunity given to him. He had a season that saw him put up over 2,600 yards passing and 1,000 rushing, as well as completing 62 percent of his passes with 20 touchdowns while adding nine touchdowns on the ground.

Having a veteran quarterback like O’Hara is key whenever you are hoping to help a team return to a bowl game and with a year of experience under his belt, expect an even better season from the dual-threat in 2020.

Junior Chaton Mobley will be the main focus at running back for the Blue Raiders this fall and he was used mostly as a backup last season because he was slowed by an ankle injury for most of the season. He will hope to regain his freshman form in 2018, when he ran for over 600 yards and started seven games for the Blue Raiders. He’s a big back at 6-foot-1 and 237 pounds and adds a physical element to the Blue Raiders’ rushing attack.

MTSU is also welcoming two Power Five transfers at running back in Martell Pettaway from West Virginia and Amir Rasul from Florida State. Both guys have talent and should help make the rushing attack that much more dangerous.

The wide receiving corps is the most experienced group on the offense and it is a good group of wide outs. In a spread out attack like the Blue Raiders have, it is always a bonus to have such a deep group of receivers. Jarrin Pierce was the leading receiver for MTSU last season and both he and Jimmy Marshall should be able to keep the offense humming. Yusuf Ali and DJ England-Chisolm are also back and should provide depth for this offense.

The offensive line will welcome back four starters and they it be counting on JUCO transfer Jordan Palmer to take over at center.

This was an explosive offense last season, but they could stand to be more efficient in the passing game and I think that will happen because O’Hara has a season of experience under his belt and every meaningful contributor on this offense is back. This should be the best offense MTSU has seen in quite some time.