Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
MT seeking improvement heading into C-USA slate
9/30/2019 5:00:00 PM | Football
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — With four games in the books, attention now turns to conference play for Middle Tennessee.
It wasn't exactly the non-conference performance head coach Rick Stockstill was hoping for — his team is 1-3 after a tough 48-3 loss at No. 14 Iowa on Saturday. Seeing the schedule flip to Conference USA opponents is a welcomed sight, though.
"We're excited about getting started in that," he said. "Conference play is always an exciting time. Three of these first four, especially, have been a top 10 team, a top 15 team, a top 25 team. We've played a gauntlet of out-of-conference guys.
"We know we have a tough challenge ahead of us, and we're ready for it."
The first C-USA opponent for MT is Marshall. The 2-2 Thundering Herd go into Saturday's 2:35 p.m. kickoff at Floyd Stadium fresh off a 52-14 home loss to Cincinnati.
Despite the big setback, Stockstill and his players know it's a quality Herd team making the trip to Murfreesboro. They edged a good Ohio squad 33-31 in their third game after playing current No. 16 Boise State tough the week before, falling 14-7 on the road.
Offensively, Marshall utilizes a heavy ground game behind dual-threat sophomore quarterback Isaiah Green (206.5 team rushing yards per game), and its defense is also focused on the run. The Thundering Herd limit opponents to 166 rushing yards per game and have only allowed six rushing touchdowns this season.
"I have a ton of respect for Marshall's football program and [head coach] Doc Holliday," Stockstill said. "We know we're playing a very talented team, a very well-coached team. They're coming in off a tough one, and we're coming in off a tough one."
If there's one thing the Blue Raiders and Thundering Herd have come to expect from the matchup, it's a good game.
Six of their eight meetings have come as members of C-USA. The other two came in the Division I-AA playoffs in 1992 and 1994.
In the six games since both joined the same league, they've split 3-3, and all three Middle Tennessee wins have come by 10 points or less, including last year's 34-24 victory. It was the first time the Raiders have ever won in Huntington, West Virginia.
"Marshall, this game is always big," redshirt senior safety Jovante Moffatt said. "You look at the games, and they've always been close. … I told [our team] to just be ready to bring your hats, because this is a big conference game for us.
"This is where it really matters. Everything we want to accomplish is still in front of us, so we all know this is a big week and a big game."
Both teams have some improvements to be made coming out of the non-conference slate. Whichever one makes those adjustments Saturday could prove the winner and get a leg up in the East Division at 1-0 in C-USA play.
"We just have to be better," Stockstill said. "It's not so much Marshall coming up or whoever we play next, it's about us. We need to correct some things and get better at what we're doing."
Don't forget, Saturday is also the annual MT Hall of Fame game. Seven new members will be inducted into the Blue Raiders Sports Hall of Fame in a ceremony prior to kickoff outside the Rose and Emmett Kennon Sports Hall of Fame building.
It wasn't exactly the non-conference performance head coach Rick Stockstill was hoping for — his team is 1-3 after a tough 48-3 loss at No. 14 Iowa on Saturday. Seeing the schedule flip to Conference USA opponents is a welcomed sight, though.
"We're excited about getting started in that," he said. "Conference play is always an exciting time. Three of these first four, especially, have been a top 10 team, a top 15 team, a top 25 team. We've played a gauntlet of out-of-conference guys.
"We know we have a tough challenge ahead of us, and we're ready for it."
The first C-USA opponent for MT is Marshall. The 2-2 Thundering Herd go into Saturday's 2:35 p.m. kickoff at Floyd Stadium fresh off a 52-14 home loss to Cincinnati.
Despite the big setback, Stockstill and his players know it's a quality Herd team making the trip to Murfreesboro. They edged a good Ohio squad 33-31 in their third game after playing current No. 16 Boise State tough the week before, falling 14-7 on the road.
Offensively, Marshall utilizes a heavy ground game behind dual-threat sophomore quarterback Isaiah Green (206.5 team rushing yards per game), and its defense is also focused on the run. The Thundering Herd limit opponents to 166 rushing yards per game and have only allowed six rushing touchdowns this season.
"I have a ton of respect for Marshall's football program and [head coach] Doc Holliday," Stockstill said. "We know we're playing a very talented team, a very well-coached team. They're coming in off a tough one, and we're coming in off a tough one."
If there's one thing the Blue Raiders and Thundering Herd have come to expect from the matchup, it's a good game.
Six of their eight meetings have come as members of C-USA. The other two came in the Division I-AA playoffs in 1992 and 1994.
In the six games since both joined the same league, they've split 3-3, and all three Middle Tennessee wins have come by 10 points or less, including last year's 34-24 victory. It was the first time the Raiders have ever won in Huntington, West Virginia.
"Marshall, this game is always big," redshirt senior safety Jovante Moffatt said. "You look at the games, and they've always been close. … I told [our team] to just be ready to bring your hats, because this is a big conference game for us.
"This is where it really matters. Everything we want to accomplish is still in front of us, so we all know this is a big week and a big game."
Both teams have some improvements to be made coming out of the non-conference slate. Whichever one makes those adjustments Saturday could prove the winner and get a leg up in the East Division at 1-0 in C-USA play.
"We just have to be better," Stockstill said. "It's not so much Marshall coming up or whoever we play next, it's about us. We need to correct some things and get better at what we're doing."
Don't forget, Saturday is also the annual MT Hall of Fame game. Seven new members will be inducted into the Blue Raiders Sports Hall of Fame in a ceremony prior to kickoff outside the Rose and Emmett Kennon Sports Hall of Fame building.
MTSU Football Signing Day Press Conference 12/3/25
Wednesday, December 03
MTSU Football at New Mexico State post-game press conference – 11/29/25
Sunday, November 30
MTSU Football at New Mexico State post-game press conference – 11/29/25
Saturday, November 29
Raider Report Game 12 - MTSU vs. New Mexico State University
Friday, November 28
