Middle Tennessee State Football

During a year that has been showered by shady head coaching changes, it's good to see that there's still some very classy coaches left in college football.

One of those coaches resides in Murfreesboro, Tenn., and that coach is Rick Stockstill.

Stockstill was given the opportunity to possibly take the head coaching job at East Carolina, which is a very respected program. Unlike so many other coaches, however, Stockstill withdrew his name citing reasons of it being so late in the recruiting process.

"I have decided I will remove my name from consideration at ECU. I could not look into the eyes of these recruits and their families and tell them the things I believe in and then leave Middle Tennessee with only two weeks left in the recruiting process," Stockstill said in a statement that was released earlier today.

This all comes less than a week after Lane Kiffin ditched Tennessee after just one year, leaving their program scrambling for a new head coach during such a crucial time.

Kiffin could learn a thing or two about how you should conduct yourself in a classy manner.

This isn't the first job offer he's turned down in recent time. Earlier this season, he was solicited by Memphis to take over. Now Memphis is in a whole lot worse shape than East Carolina, but it's still a job that was probably offering a lot of money.

In the long run I think this decision will benefit Stockstill. The Middle Tennessee football program is growing in a substantial way right now. He's taken this program farther than was ever imaginable in just four years at the helm.

Recruiting is only going to get better now that the program has gotten some national exposure over the past two seasons.

As big of a surprise as this success has been, it should've been expected when he was hired in 2006. Stockstill comes from a great coaching tree that includes Steve Spurrier and Lou Holtz.

Eventually, Stockstill will probably leave Middle Tennessee for a bigger program, and you can't blame him for that. As long as the Middle Tennessee football program continues to grow, the demand for Stockstill will grow even greater.

If he does ever leave the historic town of Murfreesboro, we do know that Stockstill will leave in a classy manner that has almost been abandoned in the rest of college football.

The game was supposed to belong to Southern Mississippi. The Eagles were playing in their third-straight New Orleans Bowl, while their opponent, Middle Tennessee was in their second bowl, ever.

Southern Miss was a member of Conference USA, a conference superior to the Blue Raider's Sun Belt affiliation. The Eagles had a 6'6" inch wide receiver in DeAndre Brown, along with a running back, Damion Fletcher, who had amassed over 5,000 yards in his career.

Middle Tennessee simply shut down these play makers enroute to a 42-32 victory in the New Orleans bowl.

DeAndre Brown recorded 4 catches for 65 yards, while Damion Fletcher barely eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark for the season running for only 78 yards.

The era of the New Orleans Bowl as an cupcake victory for Conference USA has ended. Staring in 2006, the Sun Belt has outscored the "superior" C-USA by the score of 154-106.

The Sun Belt has gone 3-1 in bowls since 2006, with an overtime loss being the only blemish on their record. Also since 2006, the league has put together a 4-2 record in bowl games.

As for Conference USA over this time span? They are 7-11.

What Middle Tennessee did last night to Southern Miss was put doubt in the eyes of the fans of Conference USA. Maybe this pass happy league has forgotten about the lost art of defense.

Middle Tennessee shut down two of the league's biggest play-makers while relying on the success of their undersized defensive line to put pressure on the quarterback.

Middle Tennessee beat Southern Miss by a larger margin than both division champions, Houston (seven), and East Carolina (five). They also did this while playing through the "weak" in-conference portion of their schedule.

The victory should have been larger as Southern Miss scored a garbage touchdown with 27 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

To the fans of Conference USA and their run and gun style of "offense only" football, it might be a good idea to look at the tape of last night's game.

Simply put, the "superior" team was dominated on all sides of the ball following the first quarter.

Once the game was tied, there was no question that the Blue Raiders knew they were the better team in New Orleans.

For a superior team, Southern Miss gave up more points than every Sun Belt team the Blue Raiders faced except for Western Kentucky and Florida International.

The time for beating Conference USA's chest is over. While the bowl games are nice, winning bowl games is the way a league will expand.

Sorry C-USA, Arena Football doesn't work when you can't stop anybody on the other side of the ball.

Another great game to the young bowl season happened in New Orleans on Sunday night as Middle Tennessee State handed Southern Miss their first loss ever in the New Orleans Bowl, 42-32.

The Big Easy certainly didn't start off easy for the Blue Raiders as they found themselves trailing 14-0 after the first quarter. That all changed after a steady dose of Dwight Dasher began to take effect.

Dasher finished the game with an amazing 366 yards of total offense, but it wasn't easy for Dasher. Perhaps his biggest opponent wasn't anyone on Southern Miss's roster. It was the Louisiana Superdome's turf.

With the Blue Raiders trailing 14-0, disaster nearly struck any hopes of a comeback. Dasher suffered what appeared to be a season ending, and maybe even career ending, knee injury. He only left the field for one play and later on that drive threw a touchdown pass to get some of the momentum back on the Blue Raiders' side.

What initially looked like a knee sprain was actually an ankle sprain that would continue to bother Dasher throughout the game. Dasher kept the heart of a champion and played through what can only be guessed was a lot of pain.

That same injury forced him to sit out for a few more plays in the second half and backup Brent Burnette did what no one thought he would do. He threw a touchdown pass of his own that put the Blue Raiders up, 28-20.

Dasher was shown cheering his team on as he was being taped up by the medical staff on the sideline. He would go on to set the record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in a bowl game.

The defense deserves a lot of credit as well. They started off shaky and looked to be a little timid out of the gate. Once they settled down, they managed to contain the high-octane offense of Southern Miss.

Most of that can be contributed to holding running back Damion Fletcher to a modest 78 yards on the ground. Fletcher is now eighth on the all-time list in NCAA history for FBS football.

It might be safe to say that the Sun Belt has moved ahead of Conference USA as far as who is the better football conference. Sun Belt teams have now beaten Conference USA teams three of the last four times in the New Orleans Bowl.

It's easy to say that this is the biggest win in the program's history. They finished on a seven-game winning streak, which is one of the longest current streaks in the nation.

Game MVP: Dwight Dasher-366 total yards, 4 touchdowns

Defensive MVP: Alex Suber-5 tackles, 1 interception, 2 tackles for loss

Unsung Hero: Brent Burnette-23 yard touchdown pass in third quarter

After a 9-3 season that did not end with a conference championship, the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders sit at home wondering...

Wondering where their post season future lies.

Unlike all other conferences, the Sun Belt only has one automatic bowl berth, a trip to the New Orleans Bowl.

Troy locked up this spot with their victory over Louisiana-Lafayette, giving the Trojans a perfect conference record at 8-0.

Or did they?

Rumors around the league have the New Orleans Bowl, along with the Sun Belt, wanting the Blue Raiders to participate in this bowl.

Troy's fans and coaches want New Orleans, but what do they do if New Orleans doesn't want Troy.

The perfect answer for the entire conference is Troy moving to the GMAC bowl and challenging the MAC champion. Mobile is a shorter distance than New Orleans, and the payout is much higher.

Traditionally this bowl is occupied by the MAC and ACC, but a lack of ACC bowl teams makes this an open spot perfect for an at-large south of the Mason Dixon line.

Many questions remain for such a scenario to be possible.

Will the MAC put their champion against the Sun Belt's: Last year the Sun Belt No. 4, Florida Atlantic, went up to Detroit in the Motor City Bowl and Beat MAC Champion Central Michigan. Is the MAC confident that their champion can beat the Trojans?

Will the MAC move their champion : Traditionally the MAC champion plays the Big Ten No. 7 in Detroit. With Central Michigan looking like the best team, will the MAC be willing to lose all the Chippewa fans to a trip to Mobile?

Will Troy Comply: Troy's coach Larry Blakeney wants his team in New Orleans. Will they be able to balk a movement to Mobile in favor of an easier match-up?

Currently the Blue Raiders are projected in the following bowls: St. Petersburg, Little Caesars Pizza (former Motor City Bowl), New Orleans, Eagle Bank, and New Orleans Bowl.

If the fans of Middle Tennessee had their way, Troy would take on the MAC champion in Mobile at the GMAC Bowl, and the Blue Raiders would have their New Orleans bowl berth.

Sadly with the landscape of this conference, I believe that the Blue Raiders will be traveling to Detroit or Mobile once again as conference runner-ups while Troy continues to book their trip to New Orleans.

Whatever happens enjoy a fun-filled week of football and keep updated on the bowl projections around the web.

Lets Go BLUE!

When many college football fans rank conference prestige, one league always lands on the bottom: the Sun Belt. 

With its pitiful television deal and poor bowl tie-ins, the league is looked at as a transition league for former members of the Football Championship Series (Division 1-AA). 

But the play on the field has become something to note, making this league competitive with teams in the BCS as well as other more "prestigious" conferences. Last year saw MAC member Central Michigan defeated by Florida Atlantic, a third-place team in the Sun Belt.

Troy was one bonehead play away from beating Southern Miss in the New Orleans Bowl. Had a wide receiver simply ran forward as opposed to backward, we'd be talking a perfect 2-0 record in bowl last season.

This year has seen Louisiana-Lafayette beat Big 12 North leaders Kansas State, as well as Middle Tennessee beat Conference USA member Memphis and ACC member Maryland on the road.

This year, the Sun Belt went 2-1 against Conference USA, with Troy beating UAB. The only loss was FAU's to UAB, with the Owls starting their backup quarterback.

Could the Sun Belt hang with the MAC? Sure. Here are the matchups we'd see.

Troy v. Central Michigan

Temple v. Middle Tennessee

Ohio v. Louisiana Monroe

Northern Illinois v. Louisiana-Lafayette

In all honesty, these teams could all have excellent games against each other.

The difference between the Sun Belt and other leagues is one thing: vision.

Teams in the MAC, CUSA, MWC, WAC are all looking to build their programs or their leagues. The Sun Belt is looking to simply exist in the world of college football.

The only way the league will continue grow is new leadership. The talent is on the field, but lacking in the front office.

Can the Sun Belt compete? On the field, yes. Off the field, no.

The future and ability of this league to grow comes down to its ability to want to get bigger. The area is full of talent, it just needs a leader to build showcase the league.

Let's be honest football fans, some smaller leagues have better teams, and some have worse, but just because we don't hear from these teams doesn't mean they can't play.

Remember: five years ago, nobody followed the Mountain West.

After both teams combined for over 110 points last week, the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders and Florida Atlantic Owls are set to do battle in Boca Raton for a chance to grab second place in the Sun Belt Conference.

Middle Tennessee, fresh of their 62-24 homecoming victory over Western Kentucky, looks to be finding their offensive groove after having consecutive games of scoring under ten points.

MTSU coach Rick Stockstill praised quarterback Dwight Dasher's practice the week before Western Kentucky, and the results on the field showed.

Dasher threw for 355 yards while running for another 66. Dasher's five total touchdowns were signs of a quarterback returning to form.

Not to be outdone, Florida Atlantic went on the road and hung 51 on Louisiana-Lafayette. Quarterback Rusty Smith had four passing touchdowns to go along with his 359 yards passing.

Where they once looked like a team lost, the Owls may have found their stride.

This week's game will help determine where each team's future lies.

The Blue Raiders have the look of a team bouncing back from a disappointing stretch against Troy and Mississippi St. An offense that seemed lost, was seemingly found in only 60 minutes of action against an inferior opponent.

Are the Blue Raiders returning to their early-season form, when they beat Memphis and Maryland in back-to-back weeks?

Or are they simply playing lesser competition?

The Florida Atlantic Owls are riding a two-game winning streak while returning home to play their toughest test in the Sun Belt so far. Florida Atlantic was once again expected to compete for a league title after a Motor City Bowl victory over Central Michigan.

Are the Owls rounding into a contender?

Or are they simply setting themselves up for a disappointment?

On paper, Florida Atlantic is the much more balanced football team. Running back Alfred Morris, only a sophomore, has already compiled over 700 yards on the ground. This is impressive considering FAU has played South Carolina and Nebraska this season.

Middle Tennessee has officially lost their opening-week running back, Phillip Tanner, for the season. Tanner will apply for a medical redshirt, hoping for a fifth-year of eligibility.

With the loss of Tanner, quarterback Dwight Dasher is leading the team in rushing with 417 yards.

Defense is the difference between the two teams. Florida Atlantic has given up nearly 36 points per game this season, including 40 to North Texas. Middle Tennessee played that same North Texas squad and gave up 21.

The Blue Raiders have given up an average of 27 points per game.

If Dwight Dasher plays the way he has against the likes of Maryland, Memphis, North Texas, or Western Kentucky, they will win this game by two scores.

If Dasher gives a Mississippi State of Troy performance, the Owls will win, and more questions will arise in Murfreesboro.

My Prediction:

Middle Tennessee 37

Florida Atlantic 24

The Blue Raiders have been an enigma throughout the 2009 college football season.

A 3-1 start had Middle Tennessee State fans seeing bowl games, but a recent 0-2 stretch has created worries in Murfreesboro.

Victories over Conference USA member Memphis along with ACC member Maryland on the road had given hope to the Blue Raider faithful as to the success of the newly installed Tony Franklin offense.

But recent outings against Troy, seven points, and Mississippi State, six points, have brought the Raiders back to earth.

The question being asked within Blue Raider nation is: What can be done to fix the slide, and get the Raider back on Bowl game track?

Let’s take a look at the Blue Raiders up to their game this Saturday against Western Kentucky.

The good news for the Raiders is the fact that the tough part of the season is over. They’ve gotten past their non-conference schedule with a 2-2 record.

While it doesn’t sound impressive, consider the fact that no Sun Belt team has ever won three non-conference games against 1-A opponents.

The Blue Raiders will finish the season in Sun Belt play with four home games. Their toughest opponent remaining, Louisiana-Monroe, will be their last game of the season on the road.

Hopefully by then, the Raiders will be bowl eligible.

Another piece of good news is that the Blue Raiders next opponent is the worst team in 1-A football, Western Kentucky.

With such poor performance on the offensive side of the ball, the Blue Raiders will have a practical cupcake to get ready for the remainder of conference play.

Currently the Blue Raiders sit in fourth place in the Sun Belt Conference, but they only have one conference loss.

No team has ever won the Sun Belt with an undefeated conference record, meaning that if the Blue Raiders win out, they could easily be conference champions.

Quarterback play has been a bright spot, or complete black hole depending on the game. Dwight Dasher had looked as if he’d grasped the new offense, but recent play has people questioning.

Dasher was recently suspended for the first quarter against Mississippi State for missing team meetings. Hopefully, that will be a wake-up call for him. If Dasher can get back to his Memphis and Maryland form, the Blue Raiders will be fine.

If Middle Tennessee wants to compete for a Sun Belt title, they’re going to have to establish some sort of running game.

Starting running back Phillip Tanner was lost for the season following the Memphis game, and backup D.D. Kyles is currently injured. If the Blue Raiders can’t threaten to run the ball and get the defense some rest, it might become a long season.

The way I see it, the Blue Raiders are battle tested. If you were to tell fans that the team would be 3-3 coming into Homecoming with Western Kentucky, they’d be all smiles.

If Tony Franklin and Rick Stockstill can get Dwight Dasher back on track, the season looks promising and a 7-5 record looks easily attainable.

With that record, the Blue Raiders will have many opportunities to be an at-large bowl team.

And when you’re in the Sun Belt you’re looking to build your program. A Bowl game is a great stepping stone to continue to grow.

A Blue Raider victory on Saturday will be history making for the Sun Belt Conference. For the first time ever, a Sun Belt team would have three non-conference wins against 1-A opponents.

The Blue Raiders have defeated Memphis, Maryland, and possibly Mississippi State.

If the Blue Raiders are to win, however, it will be on the arms and legs of quarterback Dwight Dasher. Recently news has come out of Dasher practicing with the second string. Whether or not this is simply to make Mississippi State prepare for more, nobody will know until Saturday.

Personally, I expect Dasher for the entire game.

A recent arrest has come across the wires regarding the Blue Raiders as well. Wide receiver Patrick Honeycut along with linebacker Gorby Loreus and backup quarterback Nick Coleman were all arrested at a house party.

Honeycut and Coleman were cited with furnishing alcohol to minors. Loreus was cited with underage consumption of alcohol.

The good news for the Blue Raiders is that a punishment was decided to be dealt with 'in house' meaning these players will play Saturday.

I personally don't see how these men can play Saturday, but that's another subject.

If the Blue Raiders can get the offense back on track following the Troy game, they will win the game.

I'm not calling this an upset. I fully expect the Blue Raiders to be the better team. If the offense doesn't get better, though, they will lose. It won't be pretty.

ESPNU will be airing the game, so tune in for your second chance for Blue Raider football on national television.

Score Prediction:

Middle Tennessee 30

Mississippi State 27

An appearance for both on ESPN is akin to an appearance on America's Got Talent. You've got two options: make an impact that the judges won't forget, or watch three red X's light up marking the end of your day.

Middle Tennessee got the X's.

Last night's game against Troy was set up for a Blue Raider victory, hopefully one that could propel the program.

Neither of that happened.

Instead viewers were given a three hour commercial for Troy football. Whether it was the long interview with former Troy DE DeMarcus Ware or the constant attention shown on Troy's recruiting strategy, Middle wasn't recognized.

It was even worse on the field.

The word execution is one that can not be stressed enough in the Tony Franklin offense. Middle Tennessee's Dwight Dasher had a horrendous first-half, completing less than 30% of his passes.

If a team that already can't run, can't throw, the thoughts of victory becomes bleak.

Even for as bad as the Blue Raiders played, they were still only down 7-0 with two minutes left to go in the second quarter. Troy had possession and seemed content on playing for the field goal. It seemed that the worst half of Blue Raider football could be salvaged in the second-half.

Troy didn't give the Blue Raiders the chance.

The Trojans hit a 50 yard pass to end the first half, putting them up 14-0 going into the locker room, at home.

The game never got any better as Troy backup QB, Dontavious Parker, got involved in the scoring party with two TDs from the Wildcat formation. Parker had six snaps, all runs, for 83 yards.

The Blue Raiders fell for the wildcat, six times, hardly defensive execution.

The fact is that Middle Tennessee had numerous chances to score on Troy to either tie the game at 7-7 or take a lead. For a team to beat Troy, especially on the road, you have to get up on them, make them play assignment football.

When you allow Troy to play in a wild-man style of defense, their speed becomes too much for many teams to handle.

Troy is not simply a scrappy Sun Belt team, they'd be a legitimate threat in any conference.

For a team like Middle to contend with Troy or the other big boys, consistent QB play must occur. Tuesday's game was a perfect example of what happens when your strongest point becomes your weakest. The team can not compete.

The good news for Blue Raider fans is that the season is hardly finished. With 7-5 and even 8-4 a possibility Bowl opportunities may open up.

No team has ever won the Sun Belt with an undefeated record, so Blue Raider fans can start rooting against Troy from here on out.

The Blue Raiders will face a tough SEC opponent in Mississippi State on October 17 at Johnny Red Floyd Stadium in Murfreesboro. The game will be on ESPNU, another shot for the Blue Raiders to make an impact.

After a tough loss to Troy, the message boards have exploded with questions and fears. Almost every team loses, so with that in mind, I've parodied a song.

Here is Blue Raider Jump: A parody of Jumper by Third Eye Blind.

I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend
You can’t cut ties with all those guys that we’ve been bringin’ in
And if you do not want to “GO BLUE” again, I don’t understand
I don’t understand
The “end of season” a bit too insane
Seven and Five aint too far away
You know we’ll go far...
You’re the first to cry
You’re way too loud
Message Boardin’ just to make some sound
Nothing’s “Going Wrong”
Well everyone I know has got a reason
To say, forget yesterday
I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend
You can’t cut ties with all those guys that we’ve been bringin’ in
And if you do not want to “GO BLUE” again I don’t understand
I don’t understand

Well we’re three and two with seven to go.
And I do not think anyone knows
What we have to fear...
We’ve played tough teams

Yet been dismissed
I never thought it would come to this
And I, I want you to know
Everyone's got to face down the season
Maybe today
You could put the past away

I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend
You can’t cut ties with all those guys that we’ve been bringin’ in
And if you do not want to “GO BLUE” again I don’t understand
I don’t understand
I don’t understand
I don’t understand
I don’t understand
I don’t understand
I don’t understand
Understand

Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Will you quit on this team today?
I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend
I don’t understand
I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend
I don’t understand
I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend
And I don’t understand
I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend
I don’t understand
I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend
I don’t understand