Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Blue Raiders confident despite unknown
11/28/2018 5:00:00 PM | Football
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Unknown waters are ahead for Middle Tennessee's football team.
The Blue Raiders (8-4, 7-1) will host UAB (9-3, 7-1) Saturday at Floyd Stadium for the Conference USA championship, the first time either team has ever played for a C-USA trophy and first time MT has hosted a conference title game in its program's history.
The last time Middle Tennessee won its conference, it was a shared Sun Belt Conference crown with Troy in 2006, meaning the last players to have won a championship for the blue and white have long since graduated. The last outright conference title was in 1992.
After talking to the team, though, you would guess they'd be old pros at battling for a league trophy. It's confidence that exudes from each player and coach, confidence in themselves and the program its head coach has built over 13 seasons.
"I've talked about how much I believe in this team and how much this team believes in each other," head coach Rick Stockstill said. "We've done a lot of good things and we should be a confident team.
"This team believes in each other … and I just think we're a really confident football team this year."
There are plenty of sources of confidence for this year's Blue Raiders, most notably their eight wins in what proved to be a difficult schedule.
They hosted only five home games and went on the road to Southeastern Conference teams Vanderbilt, Georgia and Kentucky. They also started their C-USA slate with four straight games against the teams that finished second through fifth in the East Division standings.
After finishing off West Division champion UAB 27-3 in the final week of the regular season, Middle Tennessee had finished a 12-game gauntlet with its head held plenty high riding a five-game win streak against C-USA teams.
"You play three SECs and only five home games," Stockstill said, "and to put yourself in the position now where you're playing for a championship is a tremendous accomplishment for this team."
The regular-season-closing win over the Blazers also gave MT the chance to host the title bout, further adding to the Blue Raiders' confidence.
Middle Tennessee has never lost to UAB at home in three tries, scoring at least 27 points in every game, and the Blue Raiders have won seven in a row at home overall.
"We're at home and we get to stay in Murfreesboro," redshirt senior quarterback Brent Stockstill said. "It really helps us with the routine of everything and how we get ready for the game.
"We take pride when we play at home … and it will be a special game."
Of course, a big, blue crowd would go a long way in helping the home-field advantage.
"I hope our community comes out," Rick Stockstill said. "There's not another college game that they can see in-state … so there's no reason why we can't have a bunch of people in that stadium.
"It helps your perception in everything you do in trying to sell this program … and it helps and motivates our players and puts a little extra juice in them when they come out and see butts in the seats."
The Blue Raiders are hoping fans see a similar performance to what they saw in the regular-season finale.
Against one of the nation's best defenses, Brent Stockstill and the big blue offense racked up 394 total yards and closed the game on a 27-0 run.
Not to be overshadowed, MT's defense held C-USA's second-leading rushing attack (226.5 yards per game) to negative-1 yard. The Blazers managed 89 total yards and were sacked seven times.
With the momentum gained in the first contest against UAB and throughout the whole season, the Blue Raiders head to Saturday with loads of confidence despite the unknowns of the game.
Confidence isn't enough, though, and MT's leaders know there's still plenty of work to be done.
"That [win] was last week, and we're past that already," redshirt senior linebacker Darius Harris said. "We're just trying to be 1-0 this week … and we know we'll get their best shot.
"I don't believe anyone is comfortable or complacent, because we still have a goal to complete this week."
A family championship
A conference crown would obviously mean the world to every person involved with Blue Raiders football.
It might mean a little more to MT's heralded quarterback, though.
Brent Stockstill, the team's all-time leading passer, has been a part of the Middle Tennessee football program since his dad took over as head coach prior to the 2006 season.
Since he was in the sixth grade, the southpaw has watched his dad guide the Blue Raiders through a transition into Conference USA. Now, they have a chance to win the program's first C-USA title together.
"Personally, as the quarterback of this team, to provide that for my team and my dad, that would be special," Brent Stockstill said.
Tickets for Saturday's game are available at goblueraiders.com/tickets or at the Blue Raider Ticket Office, located at Gate 1A of Floyd Stadium, between 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Tickets will also be available on the Murphy Center concourse during the Nov. 29 Lady Raider women's basketball game.
Josh Vardaman is the staff writer for goblueraiders.com. Follow him on Twitter @J_Vardaman and also follow @MTAthletics for more on the Blue Raiders.
The Blue Raiders (8-4, 7-1) will host UAB (9-3, 7-1) Saturday at Floyd Stadium for the Conference USA championship, the first time either team has ever played for a C-USA trophy and first time MT has hosted a conference title game in its program's history.
The last time Middle Tennessee won its conference, it was a shared Sun Belt Conference crown with Troy in 2006, meaning the last players to have won a championship for the blue and white have long since graduated. The last outright conference title was in 1992.
After talking to the team, though, you would guess they'd be old pros at battling for a league trophy. It's confidence that exudes from each player and coach, confidence in themselves and the program its head coach has built over 13 seasons.
"I've talked about how much I believe in this team and how much this team believes in each other," head coach Rick Stockstill said. "We've done a lot of good things and we should be a confident team.
"This team believes in each other … and I just think we're a really confident football team this year."
There are plenty of sources of confidence for this year's Blue Raiders, most notably their eight wins in what proved to be a difficult schedule.
They hosted only five home games and went on the road to Southeastern Conference teams Vanderbilt, Georgia and Kentucky. They also started their C-USA slate with four straight games against the teams that finished second through fifth in the East Division standings.
After finishing off West Division champion UAB 27-3 in the final week of the regular season, Middle Tennessee had finished a 12-game gauntlet with its head held plenty high riding a five-game win streak against C-USA teams.
"You play three SECs and only five home games," Stockstill said, "and to put yourself in the position now where you're playing for a championship is a tremendous accomplishment for this team."
The regular-season-closing win over the Blazers also gave MT the chance to host the title bout, further adding to the Blue Raiders' confidence.
Middle Tennessee has never lost to UAB at home in three tries, scoring at least 27 points in every game, and the Blue Raiders have won seven in a row at home overall.
"We're at home and we get to stay in Murfreesboro," redshirt senior quarterback Brent Stockstill said. "It really helps us with the routine of everything and how we get ready for the game.
"We take pride when we play at home … and it will be a special game."
Of course, a big, blue crowd would go a long way in helping the home-field advantage.
"I hope our community comes out," Rick Stockstill said. "There's not another college game that they can see in-state … so there's no reason why we can't have a bunch of people in that stadium.
"It helps your perception in everything you do in trying to sell this program … and it helps and motivates our players and puts a little extra juice in them when they come out and see butts in the seats."
The Blue Raiders are hoping fans see a similar performance to what they saw in the regular-season finale.
Against one of the nation's best defenses, Brent Stockstill and the big blue offense racked up 394 total yards and closed the game on a 27-0 run.
Not to be overshadowed, MT's defense held C-USA's second-leading rushing attack (226.5 yards per game) to negative-1 yard. The Blazers managed 89 total yards and were sacked seven times.
With the momentum gained in the first contest against UAB and throughout the whole season, the Blue Raiders head to Saturday with loads of confidence despite the unknowns of the game.
Confidence isn't enough, though, and MT's leaders know there's still plenty of work to be done.
"That [win] was last week, and we're past that already," redshirt senior linebacker Darius Harris said. "We're just trying to be 1-0 this week … and we know we'll get their best shot.
"I don't believe anyone is comfortable or complacent, because we still have a goal to complete this week."
A family championship
A conference crown would obviously mean the world to every person involved with Blue Raiders football.
It might mean a little more to MT's heralded quarterback, though.
Brent Stockstill, the team's all-time leading passer, has been a part of the Middle Tennessee football program since his dad took over as head coach prior to the 2006 season.
Since he was in the sixth grade, the southpaw has watched his dad guide the Blue Raiders through a transition into Conference USA. Now, they have a chance to win the program's first C-USA title together.
"Personally, as the quarterback of this team, to provide that for my team and my dad, that would be special," Brent Stockstill said.
Tickets for Saturday's game are available at goblueraiders.com/tickets or at the Blue Raider Ticket Office, located at Gate 1A of Floyd Stadium, between 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Tickets will also be available on the Murphy Center concourse during the Nov. 29 Lady Raider women's basketball game.
Josh Vardaman is the staff writer for goblueraiders.com. Follow him on Twitter @J_Vardaman and also follow @MTAthletics for more on the Blue Raiders.
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