The Blue Raiders entered the day with a four-shot lead but scorched the course with an 8-under 280 - the fifth-best round in school history - to create an even greater advantage in their quest to become the first Middle Tennessee golf team to win consecutive tournaments in a decade when the 1998 team won the Southern Junior/Senior and the Ohio Valley Conference events in consecutive weeks.

How good were the Blue Raiders Saturday?

They had to throw out a 1-under 71 in regard to team scoring.

Craig Smith led the balanced Blue Raider scoring attack with a 3-under 69 and is tied for sixth at 141 entering the final round. Kent Bulle, Chas Narramore, and Jason Millard all were 2-under Saturday and Rick Cochran's 1-under 71 wasn't even counted toward the team score.

"Today's round was a total team effort. Every single one of them played well and that doesn't happen often," Middle Tennessee first-year Head Coach Whit Turnbow said. "Sometimes you may have three of five or four of five play well but it is rare all five of them played like ours did today. We have put ourselves in good position going into the final round but we have to take care of business (Sunday) because no one is going to lie down for us."

Southeastern Louisiana (577) is the closest threat standing between Middle Tennessee and back-to-back tournament titles and the Lions, who shot 4-under Saturday, had pulled to within three shots of the Blue Raiders at the turn.

That's when Middle Tennessee flexed its collective muscle and demonstrated the maturity expected from a lineup loaded with tournament savvy. The Blue Raiders set the tone by playing holes 10-through-12 at 5-under. It was a preview of things to come.

The Blue Raiders had four birdies on No. 11 and four more on No. 13, both par-5s, to begin putting distance between themselves and the rest of the field. Middle Tennessee's five players combined for 18 birdies, 22 pars, and just five bogeys on the 45 holes played. The Blue Raiders played the back at 11-under.

"That was quite a run on the back side," Turnbow said. "Our players didn't realize some teams were closing in at the turn but they knew, individually, each of them did not play the front as well as they were capable. They stayed patient and that's something we talk about. If you stay patient good things will happen. You have to realize you are out on the course 4-1/2 hours and it is 18 holes, not nine. They were patient all day and when they finally got it going on the back there were birdies everywhere."

Smith was especially strong on the back nine, where he shot 4-under on the strength of five birdies including three straight on 11, 12, and 13. His 3-under 69 enabled him to close to within six of the individual lead of 7-under held by Jacksonville State's Julian Colmenares.

Bulle repeated his 2-under 70 in the first round with an identical score Saturday and is 4-under 140 and three shots off the lead entering Sunday's final round. Narramore also was steady from start to finish as he put together another 71 and is tied for 10th at 2-under. Millard is tied for 14th and even. Rick Cochran's second-round 71 enabled him to vault past half of the field and into a tie for 32nd at 4-over.

Middle Tennessee has four players at even or in the red. No other team in the field has more than two.

Ron Smith/USF Invitational
Lake Jovita Golf & Country Club
Par 72 - 7084 yards
Second round team scores
1 Middle Tennessee 287-280 567 -9
2 Southeastern Louisiana 293-284 577 +1
3 Jacksonville State 299-284 583 +7
T4 Marquette 297-288 585 +9
T4 Columbus State 301-
T6 VCU 291-296 587 +11
T6 South Florida 294-293 587 +11
T8 Florida Southern 296-292 588 +12
T8 DePaul 296-292 588 +12
T8 Troy 303-285 588 +12
11 Texas-San Antonio 298-291 589 +13
12 Austin Peay 303-289 592 +16
13 Eastern Michigan 301-292 593 +17
T14 Rhode Island 304-293 597 +21
T14 Arkansas State 300-297 597 +21
16 Missouri 301-297 598 +22
17 Xavier 302-299 601 +25
18 Nebraska 305-302 607 +31

1 MT Scores (566)
T4 Kent Bulle 70-70 140 -4
T6 Craig Smith 72-69 141 -3
T10 Chas Narramore 71-71 142 -2
T14 Jason Millard 74-70 144 E
T32 Rick Cochran 77-71 148 +4

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