Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Q&A Part I with Rick Stockstill
12/27/2020 5:00:00 PM | Football
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — With the unique 2020 college football season concluded for Middle Tennessee, there's plenty to look back on despite the Blue Raiders only playing nine games.
The final two matchups in the campaign were canceled due to COVID-19 issues, putting an end to a season that was headlined off the field by the pandemic and societal changes and on the field by a slow start but strong finish for the blue and white.
Head coach Rick Stockstill sat down to talk about the season and why he's optimistic heading into 2021, which hopefully looks a little more normal for all of college football. Here is part one of two parts.
This season started on the wrong foot when spring practice and summer workouts were canceled, then the pandemic made it tough to play for almost everyone around the country. Can you give a bit of a recap of what this season was like for your team?
"Obviously, we started out slow. We didn't start out how we had hoped to. I'm going to say a lot of things about this, and I hope they aren't taken as excuses. Obviously, we didn't have a spring practice, and we were a really young football team in a lot of critical positions. Not having a spring practice hurt us from a developmental standpoint. Then, we didn't have the summer like we normally do, so that impeded some of our progress as well.
"When we started bringing our guys back in shifts throughout the summer starting in about mid-June through July … we had some COVID-19 positive issues that we had to quarantine some guys through August. Our team was constantly changing, and we prepared all offseason to open up with Duke. Then, when the ACC made the determination that … if you were going to play out-of-conference games, they had to be within your state, we lost the Duke game. Then it looked like we were going to open up with Troy, so we started preparations for them about the second week of August, then that got moved and we opened up with Army. We had less than two weeks to prepare for them.
"It was just a constant change for our players, for our coaches, of who you're going to open up with, and our practice roster changed daily. We had a handful of guys … who were quarantined throughout August that we didn't get back until game week against Army. So, obviously, from a conditioning standpoint, from a football standpoint, they weren't ready for that. I tip my hat to those guys to go out there and play with just a handful of practices. I have a ton of respect for those guys and what they did.
"It was a very unique season. I'm really proud and appreciative of our players for how they battled through it — the injuries they suffered, the quarantine issues that we had to go through on a daily basis. It was hard to practice. We never knew who was going to miss. I just held my breath each test we took waiting on the result. It's disappointing how it ended, but when you look at it … had we had the opportunities at the end, who knows what could have been different.
"But, at the end of the day, I am really proud of the players and coaches for their commitment and effort throughout the year."
Your record was 3-6, but there were a couple of close losses early in the season — two points to UTSA and three to WKU — that could have flipped your season. How easily could your record have been better?
"We started out slow, not near like we had hoped or wanted to. We didn't play very well at Army, didn't play very well against Troy, then the UTSA game was thrown on us … and we lost a two-pointer there. When I look at it, had we just played a little better defensively [against UTSA], and didn't have the mishandled snap on an extra point … that game could have been different. Then, the next week was WKU, and we lost a three-pointer, and played really well defensively. Had we played better offensively, that game could have been different.
"As you go through the season and look at it, we ended up with three wins. Had we done a little bit better in those two games [against UTSA and WKU], we're at five … and really starting to play better. The whole outlook, the whole feel for this season could've been a heck of a lot better, especially if we had been able to play our last two games against Charlotte and FAU.
"That's why I'm really optimistic. You don't feel good about the season, because you look at the end result. But, we were really, really close to that thing being flipped completely the opposite way."
Despite everything going on off the football field and your record not being what you'd hoped, your players always seemed to come into practice and games ready to compete. How proud are you of them for staying the course?
"I have so much respect for these players. You think about it, this is the first time I've ever had to coach with a mask on. This is the first time that these kids can't hang out with their friends. It's the first time that some of them had to take all their classes online. Everything is new to these guys. Every day, they're learning how to do something they've never had to do in their life.
"To go through a football season with everything they had to go through … — making sure they always have their mask on, in the weight room wearing a mask while they're lifting weights, bench pressing with a mask on — our guys did such a great job of doing the things we asked them to do, that they had to do. We not only had to do this to play the game we love, but more importantly, to keep them safe and protect their life."
What was it like running a football program during a global pandemic, and how did you guys pull through it as a team?
"I'm just really proud of our team and how they handled this whole COVID-19 deal this year. I can't tell you how much energy and time I spent on who is going to sit next to each other on a plane, how we're separating guys, who's going to room with each other — we had guys who had rooms by themselves in hotels. We met outside. We didn't have team meetings like we do normally, because I didn't want to put guys together. We didn't get in ice tubs like we normally do in August. They were standing in a trash can by themselves, because I was so cognizant of keeping these guys safe in everything they did. I changed how we ate, how we lifted weights, in order to do my best to protect them.
"It was new to everybody, and they handled it extremely well. I'm really proud of them. How they continued to come to practice every day with a great attitude — yeah, we didn't have a great year, but they came to work every day … and played hard every game.
"For an athlete, you're used to playing in front of fans — loud, exciting, energy, noise. Now, all of a sudden, you have to go play a game, and there's nobody in the stands. You have to create your own energy, your own excitement … and as an athlete, it's the first time they've ever had to do that. I have a lot of respect for how hard they played, competed, practiced and prepared.
"The people on the outside have no idea how hard this was. … I'm really proud of our team, and I keep telling them, better days are ahead. It was a constant reminder from me to them to social distance, wear your mask and never relax."
Your team and the whole athletic department had to use Zoom and other technology more than ever this season. How do you see that sticking around?
"Zoom is great. I think where Zoom helps you is when you can communicate with your signees. You're installing and showing them stuff before they get here. You can also talk with your team if there's anything you need to while they're gone. But, nothing replaces face-to-face. … We could be Zooming, and you're piddling on your phone or something, and I don't see it. You command their attention better face-to-face, but I think there is a place for Zoom and some things you can do down the road in recruiting. But, in my opinion, nothing replaces or has the impact that face-to-face meetings have."
What are some of the things you told the team about going home for this holiday break?
"I don't think they would think too much of me if I told them they couldn't go home. They haven't been home for a long, long time. A lot of their family couldn't come and see them play this year. I don't think I would be a very good coach or a very good person if I told them they couldn't go home. They haven't hugged their family in a long time.
"What I did tell them was, because we moved school back a week, you're going to be home for six, seven weeks, and you have to be very cognizant and careful of where you go. You can't relax. You have to continue to wear your mask and protect not only yourself, but your family. Don't get in big groups. Basically, the same things I've reminded them on a daily basis since June.
"I just told them they have sacrificed a lot this year and to be very careful and enjoy the break, enjoy their family, but be safe."
The final two matchups in the campaign were canceled due to COVID-19 issues, putting an end to a season that was headlined off the field by the pandemic and societal changes and on the field by a slow start but strong finish for the blue and white.
Head coach Rick Stockstill sat down to talk about the season and why he's optimistic heading into 2021, which hopefully looks a little more normal for all of college football. Here is part one of two parts.
This season started on the wrong foot when spring practice and summer workouts were canceled, then the pandemic made it tough to play for almost everyone around the country. Can you give a bit of a recap of what this season was like for your team?
"Obviously, we started out slow. We didn't start out how we had hoped to. I'm going to say a lot of things about this, and I hope they aren't taken as excuses. Obviously, we didn't have a spring practice, and we were a really young football team in a lot of critical positions. Not having a spring practice hurt us from a developmental standpoint. Then, we didn't have the summer like we normally do, so that impeded some of our progress as well.
"When we started bringing our guys back in shifts throughout the summer starting in about mid-June through July … we had some COVID-19 positive issues that we had to quarantine some guys through August. Our team was constantly changing, and we prepared all offseason to open up with Duke. Then, when the ACC made the determination that … if you were going to play out-of-conference games, they had to be within your state, we lost the Duke game. Then it looked like we were going to open up with Troy, so we started preparations for them about the second week of August, then that got moved and we opened up with Army. We had less than two weeks to prepare for them.
"It was just a constant change for our players, for our coaches, of who you're going to open up with, and our practice roster changed daily. We had a handful of guys … who were quarantined throughout August that we didn't get back until game week against Army. So, obviously, from a conditioning standpoint, from a football standpoint, they weren't ready for that. I tip my hat to those guys to go out there and play with just a handful of practices. I have a ton of respect for those guys and what they did.
"It was a very unique season. I'm really proud and appreciative of our players for how they battled through it — the injuries they suffered, the quarantine issues that we had to go through on a daily basis. It was hard to practice. We never knew who was going to miss. I just held my breath each test we took waiting on the result. It's disappointing how it ended, but when you look at it … had we had the opportunities at the end, who knows what could have been different.
"But, at the end of the day, I am really proud of the players and coaches for their commitment and effort throughout the year."
Your record was 3-6, but there were a couple of close losses early in the season — two points to UTSA and three to WKU — that could have flipped your season. How easily could your record have been better?
"We started out slow, not near like we had hoped or wanted to. We didn't play very well at Army, didn't play very well against Troy, then the UTSA game was thrown on us … and we lost a two-pointer there. When I look at it, had we just played a little better defensively [against UTSA], and didn't have the mishandled snap on an extra point … that game could have been different. Then, the next week was WKU, and we lost a three-pointer, and played really well defensively. Had we played better offensively, that game could have been different.
"As you go through the season and look at it, we ended up with three wins. Had we done a little bit better in those two games [against UTSA and WKU], we're at five … and really starting to play better. The whole outlook, the whole feel for this season could've been a heck of a lot better, especially if we had been able to play our last two games against Charlotte and FAU.
"That's why I'm really optimistic. You don't feel good about the season, because you look at the end result. But, we were really, really close to that thing being flipped completely the opposite way."
Despite everything going on off the football field and your record not being what you'd hoped, your players always seemed to come into practice and games ready to compete. How proud are you of them for staying the course?
"I have so much respect for these players. You think about it, this is the first time I've ever had to coach with a mask on. This is the first time that these kids can't hang out with their friends. It's the first time that some of them had to take all their classes online. Everything is new to these guys. Every day, they're learning how to do something they've never had to do in their life.
"To go through a football season with everything they had to go through … — making sure they always have their mask on, in the weight room wearing a mask while they're lifting weights, bench pressing with a mask on — our guys did such a great job of doing the things we asked them to do, that they had to do. We not only had to do this to play the game we love, but more importantly, to keep them safe and protect their life."
What was it like running a football program during a global pandemic, and how did you guys pull through it as a team?
"I'm just really proud of our team and how they handled this whole COVID-19 deal this year. I can't tell you how much energy and time I spent on who is going to sit next to each other on a plane, how we're separating guys, who's going to room with each other — we had guys who had rooms by themselves in hotels. We met outside. We didn't have team meetings like we do normally, because I didn't want to put guys together. We didn't get in ice tubs like we normally do in August. They were standing in a trash can by themselves, because I was so cognizant of keeping these guys safe in everything they did. I changed how we ate, how we lifted weights, in order to do my best to protect them.
"It was new to everybody, and they handled it extremely well. I'm really proud of them. How they continued to come to practice every day with a great attitude — yeah, we didn't have a great year, but they came to work every day … and played hard every game.
"For an athlete, you're used to playing in front of fans — loud, exciting, energy, noise. Now, all of a sudden, you have to go play a game, and there's nobody in the stands. You have to create your own energy, your own excitement … and as an athlete, it's the first time they've ever had to do that. I have a lot of respect for how hard they played, competed, practiced and prepared.
"The people on the outside have no idea how hard this was. … I'm really proud of our team, and I keep telling them, better days are ahead. It was a constant reminder from me to them to social distance, wear your mask and never relax."
Your team and the whole athletic department had to use Zoom and other technology more than ever this season. How do you see that sticking around?
"Zoom is great. I think where Zoom helps you is when you can communicate with your signees. You're installing and showing them stuff before they get here. You can also talk with your team if there's anything you need to while they're gone. But, nothing replaces face-to-face. … We could be Zooming, and you're piddling on your phone or something, and I don't see it. You command their attention better face-to-face, but I think there is a place for Zoom and some things you can do down the road in recruiting. But, in my opinion, nothing replaces or has the impact that face-to-face meetings have."
What are some of the things you told the team about going home for this holiday break?
"I don't think they would think too much of me if I told them they couldn't go home. They haven't been home for a long, long time. A lot of their family couldn't come and see them play this year. I don't think I would be a very good coach or a very good person if I told them they couldn't go home. They haven't hugged their family in a long time.
"What I did tell them was, because we moved school back a week, you're going to be home for six, seven weeks, and you have to be very cognizant and careful of where you go. You can't relax. You have to continue to wear your mask and protect not only yourself, but your family. Don't get in big groups. Basically, the same things I've reminded them on a daily basis since June.
"I just told them they have sacrificed a lot this year and to be very careful and enjoy the break, enjoy their family, but be safe."
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