Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Saturday notebook; scrimmage update
8/10/2019 6:00:00 PM | Football
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — A hot first week of fall camp is in the books for Middle Tennessee.
Head coach Rick Stockstill and his staff have begun the process of identifying who fits where in all three phases of the game.
Here are some tidbits from practice:
First scrimmage in the books:
The Blue Raiders held their first scrimmage of camp on Saturday inside a steamy Floyd Stadium. The team ran 98 plays and saw a lot of positives on both sides of the ball.
"The first scrimmage is always a great indicator on what you have to focus on in the next couple of weeks," said Head Coach Rick Stockstill. "I thought the defense had a lot of energy and tackled well while the offense did a nice job of making plays in space but overall we had too many penalties and turnovers. Have to correct those. Overall, I was pleased with the first scrimmage but I will know more after watching the video."
Here are some stat leaders from the scrimmage:
Passing
Asher O'Hara: 11-24, 125 yards 1 TD
Chase Cunningham: 6-10, 36 yards, 1 TD
Randall Johnson: 5-9 50 yards
Rushing
Jayy McDonald: 4-25
Zack Dobson: 3-37
Receiving
Zack Dobson: 5-37
Yusef Ali: 2-39
Tyrese Johson: 2-36
Jarrin Pierce: 2-33
Defense
Kylan Stribling: 6 tackles
Reed Blankenship: 4 tackles
Jordan Ferguson: 4 tackles
Tyshun Render: 2 sacks, 2 TFLs, 1 PB
Justin Brown: Interception
Marcus LaFrance: Interception
Quincy Riley: Fumble Recovery
Richard Kinley: 3 tackles, including 1 sack
Field Goals
Crews Holt: 5-5 (long of 52 yards)
Receiver depth evident:
The biggest storyline for Middle Tennessee this offseason is finding a new starting quarterback.
Through a week of camp, it's been evident that whoever that quarterback ends up being will have a deep receiving corps to lean on.
Blue Raider wide receivers coach Austin Silvoy said they have the option of going three or four players deep at all four wideout spots. They just have to build trust with the quarterback group.
"We can put guys at all different kinds of positions, and every guy has a little niche," Silvoy said. "It's great to have all those different skillsets."
Quarterbacks rotating:
Speaking of quarterbacks, MT's top three candidates for the starting job — Asher O'Hara, Chase Cunningham and Randall Johnson —have played about equal amounts with the first team offense so far in practice.
Stockstill said each has stood out at different times. They're just looking for one to stand out consistently before naming a starter.
Orange is our favorite fruit:
The Blue Raiders have broken out orange slices to help stay hydrated during camp.
With temperatures consistently over 90 degrees, strength and conditioning coach Matt Hickmann has made rounds every day passing out the tasty fruits.
"We love them, man," redshirt senior defensive tackle Malik Manciel said. "Shout out to Coach Hickmann."
Permanent team captains named:
Stockstill announced the team's permanent team captains on Aug. 4.
The team voted for safety Reed Blankenship, linebacker Khalil Brooks, defensive tackle Malik Manciel (second season in a row), safety Jovante Moffatt and running back Terelle West to be this year's captains.
"This is the ultimate honor when your teammates make you a permanent captain for the season," Stockstill said.
Fan Day is Aug. 24:
The Blue Raiders' annual Fan Day will be from 7:15-9 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 24 inside Floyd Stadium. It's free to attend, and the football, volleyball, soccer and cross country teams will sign autographs and talk with fans. There will also be live music from the popular band The Respectables, as well as countless family-friendly amenities, such as inflatables, giveaways, photo booths, autograph/ photo sessions and free food and drinks.
This year's Fan Day is combining with the University Event Convocation/President's Picnic, an annual event that welcomes students and family members to the university and marks the beginning of a new academic year. The President's Picnic is a time to eat and mingle with fellow students and administrators while hearing from President Dr. Sidney McPhee.
Free parking will be available at the Livestock Lot on campus, and a free shuttle will get fans to the stadium.
Fun stats of the day:
Wide receiver Ty Lee is the NCAA's active leader in career receptions (213). He's also caught at least one pass in 40 straight games, three shy of equaling the school record.
Middle Tennessee's leading tacklers from the last two seasons are back on this year's team, and they make up one of the best safety duos in Conference USA. Redshirt senior Jovante Moffatt led the team in 2017 with 101 total tackles, and last season, his safety mate, Reed Blankenship, paced the Raiders with 107.
Head coach Rick Stockstill and his staff have begun the process of identifying who fits where in all three phases of the game.
Here are some tidbits from practice:
First scrimmage in the books:
The Blue Raiders held their first scrimmage of camp on Saturday inside a steamy Floyd Stadium. The team ran 98 plays and saw a lot of positives on both sides of the ball.
"The first scrimmage is always a great indicator on what you have to focus on in the next couple of weeks," said Head Coach Rick Stockstill. "I thought the defense had a lot of energy and tackled well while the offense did a nice job of making plays in space but overall we had too many penalties and turnovers. Have to correct those. Overall, I was pleased with the first scrimmage but I will know more after watching the video."
Here are some stat leaders from the scrimmage:
Passing
Asher O'Hara: 11-24, 125 yards 1 TD
Chase Cunningham: 6-10, 36 yards, 1 TD
Randall Johnson: 5-9 50 yards
Rushing
Jayy McDonald: 4-25
Zack Dobson: 3-37
Receiving
Zack Dobson: 5-37
Yusef Ali: 2-39
Tyrese Johson: 2-36
Jarrin Pierce: 2-33
Defense
Kylan Stribling: 6 tackles
Reed Blankenship: 4 tackles
Jordan Ferguson: 4 tackles
Tyshun Render: 2 sacks, 2 TFLs, 1 PB
Justin Brown: Interception
Marcus LaFrance: Interception
Quincy Riley: Fumble Recovery
Richard Kinley: 3 tackles, including 1 sack
Field Goals
Crews Holt: 5-5 (long of 52 yards)
Receiver depth evident:
The biggest storyline for Middle Tennessee this offseason is finding a new starting quarterback.
Through a week of camp, it's been evident that whoever that quarterback ends up being will have a deep receiving corps to lean on.
Blue Raider wide receivers coach Austin Silvoy said they have the option of going three or four players deep at all four wideout spots. They just have to build trust with the quarterback group.
"We can put guys at all different kinds of positions, and every guy has a little niche," Silvoy said. "It's great to have all those different skillsets."
Quarterbacks rotating:
Speaking of quarterbacks, MT's top three candidates for the starting job — Asher O'Hara, Chase Cunningham and Randall Johnson —have played about equal amounts with the first team offense so far in practice.
Stockstill said each has stood out at different times. They're just looking for one to stand out consistently before naming a starter.
Orange is our favorite fruit:
The Blue Raiders have broken out orange slices to help stay hydrated during camp.
With temperatures consistently over 90 degrees, strength and conditioning coach Matt Hickmann has made rounds every day passing out the tasty fruits.
"We love them, man," redshirt senior defensive tackle Malik Manciel said. "Shout out to Coach Hickmann."
Permanent team captains named:
Stockstill announced the team's permanent team captains on Aug. 4.
The team voted for safety Reed Blankenship, linebacker Khalil Brooks, defensive tackle Malik Manciel (second season in a row), safety Jovante Moffatt and running back Terelle West to be this year's captains.
"This is the ultimate honor when your teammates make you a permanent captain for the season," Stockstill said.
Fan Day is Aug. 24:
The Blue Raiders' annual Fan Day will be from 7:15-9 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 24 inside Floyd Stadium. It's free to attend, and the football, volleyball, soccer and cross country teams will sign autographs and talk with fans. There will also be live music from the popular band The Respectables, as well as countless family-friendly amenities, such as inflatables, giveaways, photo booths, autograph/ photo sessions and free food and drinks.
This year's Fan Day is combining with the University Event Convocation/President's Picnic, an annual event that welcomes students and family members to the university and marks the beginning of a new academic year. The President's Picnic is a time to eat and mingle with fellow students and administrators while hearing from President Dr. Sidney McPhee.
Free parking will be available at the Livestock Lot on campus, and a free shuttle will get fans to the stadium.
Fun stats of the day:
Wide receiver Ty Lee is the NCAA's active leader in career receptions (213). He's also caught at least one pass in 40 straight games, three shy of equaling the school record.
Middle Tennessee's leading tacklers from the last two seasons are back on this year's team, and they make up one of the best safety duos in Conference USA. Redshirt senior Jovante Moffatt led the team in 2017 with 101 total tackles, and last season, his safety mate, Reed Blankenship, paced the Raiders with 107.
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