Gusty call off in fourth quarter for Derek Mason, MTSU football in win at FIU
Coach Derek Mason made a gutsy call for MTSU football and it worked in a 26-23 win over FIU on Oct. 20.
In a thrilling 26-23 victory over FIU on October 20 in Miami, Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) football coach Derek Mason made a daring play call with the game on the line. After allowing a fourth-quarter touchdown that cut MTSU's lead to three points, Mason opted to go for a crucial 4th-and-10 conversion from the FIU 40-yard line with just over a minute and a half remaining.
Roman Gagliano delivered a 25-yard completion to Cam Lacy, securing the first down and giving MTSU the opportunity to eat up the clock. Mason explained his decision, saying, "We didn't want to give it back to them. We wanted to move the chains. I'm sure they weren't expecting it. They thought we would punt. You've got to seize opportunities and take advantage of things when they show up."
With the Blue Raiders successfully converting the play, they held on to win the game, improving their record to 2-1 in Conference USA. This marks MTSU's earliest fourth consecutive victory in conference play since 2019, and they are now just two wins away from bowl eligibility.
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