Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Raiders readying for defending champs
9/24/2018 4:00:00 PM | Football
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – After three weeks of non-conference play before a bye week, Middle Tennessee is facing a tall task in its first Conference USA matchup of the season.
The defending league champion Florida Atlantic Owls (2-2) will bring a talented offense and defense eager to prove itself to Murfreesboro on Saturday. The contest is scheduled for a 6 p.m. kickoff and will serve as the yearly Blackout game, and new members will be inducted into the Blue Raider Hall of Fame at 3:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast exclusively on Facebook.
What exactly will the Blue Raiders (1-2) have to prepare for? A little bit of everything, according to their head coach.
"They're a really good team," head coach Rick Stockstill said. "This is where it starts now, for us. It's a great opportunity for us, and we're looking forward to getting started [with conference play]."
The first three weeks of the season went according to the books for MT if looking at the Vegas odds.
Losses at Vanderbilt and Georgia sandwiched the Blue Raiders' first win of 2018, 61-37 in their home opener against UT Martin in Week 2.
Likewise, the Owls beat two teams they were supposed to – Air Force and Bethune Cookman, both at home – and lost to two nationally-ranked programs on the road at Oklahoma and Central Florida.
In four games, FAU has proven to have a talented offense led by defending C-USA MVP Devin Singletary, who's currently pacing the country with 10 rushing touchdowns. Its defense has been a little suspect, though, giving up an average of 43.5 points per game, worst in C-USA.
With games against offensive powerhouses Oklahoma and UCF, Stockstill thinks the Owls are a little better defensively than the numbers show.
"I think this is a really talented defense," he said. "They didn't give up a lot of points in conference play last year, and they have a lot of the same guys back."
Injuries have impacted Middle Tennessee so far this season, most notably in the defensive backfield and at the running back position.
The ailments made the bye in Week 4 a welcomed sight for the Blue Raiders.
"I think after the first couple of games we had, getting a little banged up, it was good to sit back and kind of get refreshed," redshirt senior quarterback Brent Stockstill said. "I think it was good … and I think we got healthier."
With a full week to heal and get refocused, MT is ready to get conference play kicked off. It's almost like the start of a new season in the Boro.
"All of our goals are still up there for us, so everything we want to accomplish is still up for grabs, as far as our record right now," senior linebacker Darius Harris said. "Every conference game is a big game for us … and the fact that it's against the Conference USA champion, it'll make [a win] even better."
Special captains
In honor of Coach to Cure MD week, the Blue Raiders will have a special captain against FAU. The coaches will also wear a special patch.
Garrett Sap, a local boy fighting against muscular dystrophy, will be an honorary captain alongside Colton Sheets, a local cancer fighter who's been an honorary captain twice for MT.
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 defending league champion Florida Atlantic Owls (2-2) will bring a talented offense and defense eager to prove itself to Murfreesboro on Saturday. The contest is scheduled for a 6 p.m. kickoff and will serve as the yearly Blackout game, and new members will be inducted into the Blue Raider Hall of Fame at 3:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast exclusively on Facebook.
What exactly will the Blue Raiders (1-2) have to prepare for? A little bit of everything, according to their head coach.
"They're a really good team," head coach Rick Stockstill said. "This is where it starts now, for us. It's a great opportunity for us, and we're looking forward to getting started [with conference play]."
The first three weeks of the season went according to the books for MT if looking at the Vegas odds.
Losses at Vanderbilt and Georgia sandwiched the Blue Raiders' first win of 2018, 61-37 in their home opener against UT Martin in Week 2.
Likewise, the Owls beat two teams they were supposed to – Air Force and Bethune Cookman, both at home – and lost to two nationally-ranked programs on the road at Oklahoma and Central Florida.
In four games, FAU has proven to have a talented offense led by defending C-USA MVP Devin Singletary, who's currently pacing the country with 10 rushing touchdowns. Its defense has been a little suspect, though, giving up an average of 43.5 points per game, worst in C-USA.
With games against offensive powerhouses Oklahoma and UCF, Stockstill thinks the Owls are a little better defensively than the numbers show.
"I think this is a really talented defense," he said. "They didn't give up a lot of points in conference play last year, and they have a lot of the same guys back."
Injuries have impacted Middle Tennessee so far this season, most notably in the defensive backfield and at the running back position.
The ailments made the bye in Week 4 a welcomed sight for the Blue Raiders.
"I think after the first couple of games we had, getting a little banged up, it was good to sit back and kind of get refreshed," redshirt senior quarterback Brent Stockstill said. "I think it was good … and I think we got healthier."
With a full week to heal and get refocused, MT is ready to get conference play kicked off. It's almost like the start of a new season in the Boro.
"All of our goals are still up there for us, so everything we want to accomplish is still up for grabs, as far as our record right now," senior linebacker Darius Harris said. "Every conference game is a big game for us … and the fact that it's against the Conference USA champion, it'll make [a win] even better."
Special captains
In honor of Coach to Cure MD week, the Blue Raiders will have a special captain against FAU. The coaches will also wear a special patch.
Garrett Sap, a local boy fighting against muscular dystrophy, will be an honorary captain alongside Colton Sheets, a local cancer fighter who's been an honorary captain twice for MT.
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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