One play after the Jackets failed to convert on fourth-and-12 in the third quarter while down 28-21, MTSU took over at the Tech 25-yard line with a chance to pull ahead by two scores. On first down, the MTSU offense lined up in a four-wide set with receivers in the slots rather than stacked. Tech countered with its base 3-4 set.
Before the snap, redshirt junior strongside linebacker Brandon Watts lined up to cover the left-side slot receiver but shifted to show blitz as sophomore safety Jamal Golden moved up to cover the slot. Junior safety Isaiah Johnson was thus the lone deep safety on the play, leaving senior weakside linebacker Malcolm Munroe in single coverage on the other side.
MTSU quarterback Logan Kilgore took the snap and faked a handoff as part of a play-action pass. Tech sent four rushers—Watts plus the three down linemen—and although Watts got around his blocker, Kilgore found an open man quickly.
Tech’s Munroe was matched up against MTSU’s Marcus Henry. When Munroe was slow to backpedal in coverage after the playaction fake, Henry ran past him and hauled in Kilgore’s pass in stride. Since Johnson was out of position while covering the entire field, Henry flew past him as well en route to a 75-yard touchdown, giving MTSU a 35-21 lead.