Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Looking ahead to MT and Troy
9/18/2020 6:00:00 PM | Football
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — An old rivalry will be renewed Saturday when Troy visits Floyd Stadium to take on Middle Tennessee.
The Blue Raiders (0-1) and Trojans (0-0) have a storied past that dates all the way back to 1936, and they'll play twice this season, with MT travelinhg south to Troy, Alabama on Nov. 21.
The latest edition of the Battle for the Palladium is sure to be a fun affair.
"It's a very talented Troy team coming in here," Middle Tennessee head coach Rick Stockstill said. "Their record could have been up a lot better than what it was last year. They played a lot of close games.
"There's always that unknown when you play a team for the first game of the year, so we will adjust and will be ready for that. … Our players have responded really well from the first week, and I like where we're at right now."
Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
Where can you watch or listen?
TV: ESPN
Radio: The Game 102.5/97.5 FM, WGNS 100.5 FM/1450 AM/101.9 FM
Search 'Middle Tennessee' on the TuneIn app; go to CUSA.TV/RaiderVision for the audio stream
Coaches tale of the tape
Rick Stockstill
Record, in conference (C-USA, Sun Belt): 91-87 (15th year), 68-41
Bowl appearances, record: 8 (2018 New Orleans Bowl), 2-6
Accolades: 6-time coach of the year, 2018 C-USA COY, sixth-longest tenured coach in the country, third all-time at MT in wins
Chip Lindsey
Record, at Troy: 5-7, same
Bowl appearances as head coach, record: None
Accolades: Served as an offensive analyst on Auburn's staff in 2013, the season the Tigers won the SEC title and fell 13 seconds short of a national championship; offensive coordinator at Auburn in 2017 when the Tigers won an SEC West Division Championship; Troy finished ninth nationally in passing offense (313.2) in 2019
Series history
This is an old rivalry, dating back to the teams' first matchup during the 1936 season. They played nine times as members of Division I-AA before moving to I-A, Middle Tennessee in 1999 and Troy in 2001.
When the teams moved to Division I-A, they became Sun Belt Conference foes. The Battle for the Palladium started when they met for the first time as conference rivals in 2003 and was played every year until Middle Tennessee moved to Conference USA in 2013.
The Blue Raiders lead the all-time series 12-8, though the Trojans hold a 7-4 advantage since both moved to Division I-A. Stockstill has only one win in seven tries against the old rival.
While the games haven't always been close, the last two meetings were decided by three points, Troy winning in 2011 38-35 and MT taking the last matchup in 2012 24-21.
Last meeting
The rivalry produced an instant classic in 2012. On Middle Tennessee's senior day, the Raiders found themselves trailing 21-17 late in the fourth quarter when redshirt freshman Kevin Byard showed why he's considered one of the program's greatest players.
With 5:48 remaining, Byard intercepted a pass and returned it 77 yards for a touchdown, and it proved to be the difference in the game.
It was the fifth turnover the Blue Raiders forced and third by Byard, who had two interceptions and a forced fumble to go with six tackles.
Offensively, Middle Tennessee racked up 328 yards led by freshman running back Jordan Parker, who had 141 yards on 19 carries. He scored on a 98-yard run in the first quarter, the longest run in program and Sun Belt history at the time.
Defense changing strategy
If the Blue Raiders can force five turnovers against the Trojans again, they'll probably be in pretty good shape.
Middle Tennessee used its bye week to switch its focus from Army's triple option scheme to Troy's spread, which require two totally different mindsets.
"It's a huge difference," senior safety Reed Blankenship said. "Obviously, Army's and Troy's offense are two totally different things. … The triple option is very tough. I'm just excited to get back into what we've been doing against Troy."
The Blue Raiders will have to be sound defensively against what was one of the country's best passing attacks in 2019.
Lindsey is regarded as one of the best offensive minds in college football, and his team proved it in his first season. They ranked ninth in the country in passing (313.2 yards per game), 18th in total offense (456.3 yards per game) and 25th in scoring (33.8 points per game), topping the 35-point mark eight times.
Troy is having to replace quarterback Kaleb Barker, but it returns virtually all of its weapons for redshirt sophomore QB Gunnar Watson, who was named the starter a few weeks ago. The Trojans' top five wideouts are all back, including seniors Kaylon Geiger, Khalil McClain and Reggie Todd, as well as top tight end A.J. Lewis. They also have leading rusher DK Billingsley returning to pair with 2019 Preseason Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year B.J. Smith, who was lost in the second game of the season due to injury.
"They were ninth in the country in passing offense, and they lead the Sun Belt in pass offense. So, it's a really good offense," Stockstill said. "It's an explosive offense that we've got to do a great job defensively, putting pressure on the quarterback, getting pressure on him, and then not giving up the explosive plays, keep the ball in front of us."
Offense hoping for improvement
Like its defense, Middle Tennessee's offense also used the bye week to reset after a tough outing against Army, in which they were shut out for the first time since 2012.
The Blue Raiders racked up just 184 total yards against the stout Black Knights defense.
"We kind of focused [during the bye week] on just getting back to our basics and what we found success in last year," redshirt sophomore quarterback Asher O'Hara said. "We just kind of put our heads down, and we're a little more pissed off and we're ready to go.
"We changed a few things schematically and put some other people at different positions. So, we kind of feel like we got something good coming this week."
Troy's defense was nothing to write home about in 2019. Stats-wise, the Trojans were one of the worst defensive teams in the country, giving up 34.8 points and 434.2 yards per game to rank 117th and 98th in scoring and total defense, respectively. In the eight games they scored at least 35 points, they only held a 5-3 record.
While the stats didn't look pretty, Stockstill is preaching to his team that Troy's defense will be better than it appears.
The Trojans return eight defensive starters, including junior linebacker Carlton Martial, who was named an All-American by Pro Football Focus, and sophomore defensive back Dell Pettus, who was named to the Pro Football Focus Freshman All-American team. Martial led the team with 126 total tackles, including 18.5 for loss, to go with four sacks and three interceptions. Pettus had 63 tackles to rank second on the team.
"They're an extremely fast, very talented from an athleticism standpoint, defense," Stockstill said. "They can all run. The defensive line, the linebackers, the back end, they can all run. They're athletic, and they had some shootouts last year … and you can't look at stats and can't look at a record and determine how good a team is."
Home sweet home
For the longest time this summer, it looked like Middle Tennessee might not be able to even take the gridiron this fall. Now, the Blue Raiders are not only playing, but they're also playing in front of fans.
Floyd Stadium will operate at 20% capacity, meaning there will be about 7,000 fans in the stands on Saturday. That will be a welcome sight for Stockstill's bunch.
"These players have worked so hard and have sacrificed so much to get here … and now their family, their friends, their girlfriends, everybody can come see them play. I know that's important to them, and I'm happy for them that they're able to do that," Stockstill said. "People don't realize how much these guys have sacrificed the last four months. So, I'm happy for them that they get to perform in front of their friends and family and our fans here and everything."
Injuries of note
The Blue Raiders were rather unfortunate in the injury department against Army.
Junior center Jordan Palmer exited the contest on the game's second play and didn't return, and defensively, they lost defensive lineman Ja'Kerrius Wyatt, linebacker Johnathan Butler and defensive tackle Jordan Branch.
All four will likely be out on Saturday.
"I think we got our legs back underneath of us, but … the four guys that got hurt at Army will be out this week," Stockstill said. "The open date was good to get our legs back and some minor injuries that we had, but, you know, we had four key guys that I don't see them getting back."
The Blue Raiders (0-1) and Trojans (0-0) have a storied past that dates all the way back to 1936, and they'll play twice this season, with MT travelinhg south to Troy, Alabama on Nov. 21.
The latest edition of the Battle for the Palladium is sure to be a fun affair.
"It's a very talented Troy team coming in here," Middle Tennessee head coach Rick Stockstill said. "Their record could have been up a lot better than what it was last year. They played a lot of close games.
"There's always that unknown when you play a team for the first game of the year, so we will adjust and will be ready for that. … Our players have responded really well from the first week, and I like where we're at right now."
Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
Where can you watch or listen?
TV: ESPN
Radio: The Game 102.5/97.5 FM, WGNS 100.5 FM/1450 AM/101.9 FM
Search 'Middle Tennessee' on the TuneIn app; go to CUSA.TV/RaiderVision for the audio stream
Coaches tale of the tape
Rick Stockstill
Record, in conference (C-USA, Sun Belt): 91-87 (15th year), 68-41
Bowl appearances, record: 8 (2018 New Orleans Bowl), 2-6
Accolades: 6-time coach of the year, 2018 C-USA COY, sixth-longest tenured coach in the country, third all-time at MT in wins
Chip Lindsey
Record, at Troy: 5-7, same
Bowl appearances as head coach, record: None
Accolades: Served as an offensive analyst on Auburn's staff in 2013, the season the Tigers won the SEC title and fell 13 seconds short of a national championship; offensive coordinator at Auburn in 2017 when the Tigers won an SEC West Division Championship; Troy finished ninth nationally in passing offense (313.2) in 2019
Series history
This is an old rivalry, dating back to the teams' first matchup during the 1936 season. They played nine times as members of Division I-AA before moving to I-A, Middle Tennessee in 1999 and Troy in 2001.
When the teams moved to Division I-A, they became Sun Belt Conference foes. The Battle for the Palladium started when they met for the first time as conference rivals in 2003 and was played every year until Middle Tennessee moved to Conference USA in 2013.
The Blue Raiders lead the all-time series 12-8, though the Trojans hold a 7-4 advantage since both moved to Division I-A. Stockstill has only one win in seven tries against the old rival.
While the games haven't always been close, the last two meetings were decided by three points, Troy winning in 2011 38-35 and MT taking the last matchup in 2012 24-21.
Last meeting
The rivalry produced an instant classic in 2012. On Middle Tennessee's senior day, the Raiders found themselves trailing 21-17 late in the fourth quarter when redshirt freshman Kevin Byard showed why he's considered one of the program's greatest players.
With 5:48 remaining, Byard intercepted a pass and returned it 77 yards for a touchdown, and it proved to be the difference in the game.
It was the fifth turnover the Blue Raiders forced and third by Byard, who had two interceptions and a forced fumble to go with six tackles.
Offensively, Middle Tennessee racked up 328 yards led by freshman running back Jordan Parker, who had 141 yards on 19 carries. He scored on a 98-yard run in the first quarter, the longest run in program and Sun Belt history at the time.
Defense changing strategy
If the Blue Raiders can force five turnovers against the Trojans again, they'll probably be in pretty good shape.
Middle Tennessee used its bye week to switch its focus from Army's triple option scheme to Troy's spread, which require two totally different mindsets.
"It's a huge difference," senior safety Reed Blankenship said. "Obviously, Army's and Troy's offense are two totally different things. … The triple option is very tough. I'm just excited to get back into what we've been doing against Troy."
The Blue Raiders will have to be sound defensively against what was one of the country's best passing attacks in 2019.
Lindsey is regarded as one of the best offensive minds in college football, and his team proved it in his first season. They ranked ninth in the country in passing (313.2 yards per game), 18th in total offense (456.3 yards per game) and 25th in scoring (33.8 points per game), topping the 35-point mark eight times.
Troy is having to replace quarterback Kaleb Barker, but it returns virtually all of its weapons for redshirt sophomore QB Gunnar Watson, who was named the starter a few weeks ago. The Trojans' top five wideouts are all back, including seniors Kaylon Geiger, Khalil McClain and Reggie Todd, as well as top tight end A.J. Lewis. They also have leading rusher DK Billingsley returning to pair with 2019 Preseason Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year B.J. Smith, who was lost in the second game of the season due to injury.
"They were ninth in the country in passing offense, and they lead the Sun Belt in pass offense. So, it's a really good offense," Stockstill said. "It's an explosive offense that we've got to do a great job defensively, putting pressure on the quarterback, getting pressure on him, and then not giving up the explosive plays, keep the ball in front of us."
Offense hoping for improvement
Like its defense, Middle Tennessee's offense also used the bye week to reset after a tough outing against Army, in which they were shut out for the first time since 2012.
The Blue Raiders racked up just 184 total yards against the stout Black Knights defense.
"We kind of focused [during the bye week] on just getting back to our basics and what we found success in last year," redshirt sophomore quarterback Asher O'Hara said. "We just kind of put our heads down, and we're a little more pissed off and we're ready to go.
"We changed a few things schematically and put some other people at different positions. So, we kind of feel like we got something good coming this week."
Troy's defense was nothing to write home about in 2019. Stats-wise, the Trojans were one of the worst defensive teams in the country, giving up 34.8 points and 434.2 yards per game to rank 117th and 98th in scoring and total defense, respectively. In the eight games they scored at least 35 points, they only held a 5-3 record.
While the stats didn't look pretty, Stockstill is preaching to his team that Troy's defense will be better than it appears.
The Trojans return eight defensive starters, including junior linebacker Carlton Martial, who was named an All-American by Pro Football Focus, and sophomore defensive back Dell Pettus, who was named to the Pro Football Focus Freshman All-American team. Martial led the team with 126 total tackles, including 18.5 for loss, to go with four sacks and three interceptions. Pettus had 63 tackles to rank second on the team.
"They're an extremely fast, very talented from an athleticism standpoint, defense," Stockstill said. "They can all run. The defensive line, the linebackers, the back end, they can all run. They're athletic, and they had some shootouts last year … and you can't look at stats and can't look at a record and determine how good a team is."
Home sweet home
For the longest time this summer, it looked like Middle Tennessee might not be able to even take the gridiron this fall. Now, the Blue Raiders are not only playing, but they're also playing in front of fans.
Floyd Stadium will operate at 20% capacity, meaning there will be about 7,000 fans in the stands on Saturday. That will be a welcome sight for Stockstill's bunch.
"These players have worked so hard and have sacrificed so much to get here … and now their family, their friends, their girlfriends, everybody can come see them play. I know that's important to them, and I'm happy for them that they're able to do that," Stockstill said. "People don't realize how much these guys have sacrificed the last four months. So, I'm happy for them that they get to perform in front of their friends and family and our fans here and everything."
Injuries of note
The Blue Raiders were rather unfortunate in the injury department against Army.
Junior center Jordan Palmer exited the contest on the game's second play and didn't return, and defensively, they lost defensive lineman Ja'Kerrius Wyatt, linebacker Johnathan Butler and defensive tackle Jordan Branch.
All four will likely be out on Saturday.
"I think we got our legs back underneath of us, but … the four guys that got hurt at Army will be out this week," Stockstill said. "The open date was good to get our legs back and some minor injuries that we had, but, you know, we had four key guys that I don't see them getting back."
Players Mentioned
S
/ Football
DL
/ Football
LB
/ Football
QB
/ Football
OL
/ Football
RB
/ Football
DT
/ FootballMTSU 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
