Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
“It's critical for your development” — Rotation on offense sparks Blue Raiders’ tempo
9/6/2023 5:31:00 PM | Football
Planned rotation of key positions provided some extra juice against the Crimson Tide
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — It all comes back to Bryce Bailey so quickly. The details of the redzone play: the hot route at the line, the slant inside, the diving in untouched into the Bryant-Denny Stadium end zone for his first career touchdown, sure. But more what came after.
"I looked up and I couldn't see anything but my mom screaming and yelling," Bailey said, relaying that his mom, his stepdad, his little brother and his little sister were all in attendance that night. "It was a whole bunch of excitement and a whole bunch of emotion pouring out in the moment."
A nice moment that Bailey will never forget, sure, but one that Blue Raider fans might be forgiven for not remembering the details of in a game where Bailey's seven-yard touchdown catch was the only reason Middle Tennessee avoided the shutout against No. 3 Alabama. But while Bailey's touchdown only served to cut the deficit to 35 points, it was indicative of what sparked the Blue Raiders to the many of moments where the offense clicked against the Crimson Tide: the rotation of players at every position on the offense, save for quarterback Nicholas Vattiato.
Flip through this week's game notes to page 11 and scroll through the MTSU depth chart. You won't find Bryce Bailey listed on the first or second team, nor will you find AJ Toney, who stood alongside him in the slot on his touchdown catch nor Jaylen Ward, who stood at the other outsider receiver spot on the play. Jacob Coleman, the H-wide receiver? Also, not on the depth chart.
Watch the tape back of Bailey's touchdown catch and you'll find just three listed starters in on the play: Vattiato, center Wilson Kelly and guard Keylan Rutledge. Is that just due to the score of the game at the time, as MTSU worked in new guys with the game well out of hand? A little bit, almost certainly. But given how the Blue Raiders rotated throughout the night, that level of depth was something that came by predetermined design, not on a whim during a blowout.
"It's critical for your development, going into this week, we're going to try to do the same thing," offensive coordinator Mitch Stewart said. "If we're getting in good rotations, that usually means our tempo is going pretty well. We want to try to do that at every position."
Keep an eye on the field at the start of each drive and particularly after a play where a wide receiver or running back goes long, or towards the MTSU sideline. There's a good chance there will be some new Blue Raiders hopping onto the field in their place, particularly if the play was successful, allowing the tempo of the offense to go even faster.
The best evidence last week was near the end of the first quarter, when the Blue Raiders, only down two scores, rotated off their entire starting receiver group. Or at the start of the second quarter, when three new offensive linemen checked in down two scores: Devin Hayes, Julius Pierce and J'Shun Bodiford.
"You're straining against some big boys, (we're) just trying to keep guys fresh," head coach Rick Stockstill said of the offensive line post-game. "Our second team guys deserved and earned the right to play too. Just to try to play as many guys as possible and keep guys fresh where they can play at a high level."
On Saturday, the rotation was the spark for MTSU, stretching drives out against a national championship level defense with the second team in, fresh and eager to prove. The fact the guys second on the depth chart could move the ball against the Tide gives Vattiato a ton of confidence moving forward, with the redshirt sophomore complimenting his teammates for making the most of their chances with the ball in their hands.
"I know whoever is in there, whether it's the X, the Z, the Y, the H, any of our talented running backs, I trust them to do what they're supposed to," Vattiato said. "I'll make sure to get them the ball out in space and they'll make a play when their number is called."
Practice is designed around this rotation for the Blue Raiders, Stewart said, with skill guys rotating on each rep in a rack of plays for the offensive line. Allowing quarterbacks like Vattiato to develop chemistry and familiarity with everyone. Nonetheless, seeing those units have success was a positive for the offense, Stewart noted.
"We wanted all of them to get that experience," Stewart said of the big game environment in Tuscaloosa. "From a personal standpoint, that's as good as it gets and as big as it gets. But from a professional standpoint, to see those guys react. Especially that last group that went down there was a mixture of kind of twos or threes. For them to calmly go do what they've been doing all week was really good for us to see."
For players listed as backups, like tackle Devin Hayes, who's seen action now in 41 games across three schools during his college career, but never started one, the rotation the Blue Raiders use makes it easy to stay, and keep others, motivated during the game.
"No matter who we put in there, we've still got to move the ball, we've still got to score points," Hayes said. "I tell the young guys every day to prepare. You never know when your name is going to be called, just keep working."
As for Bailey, who will again look to make his mark when his number is called, the rotation that Stewart's offense allows for promises to give him more opportunities, which he knows helps him and so many others be the best version of themselves for the Blue Raiders.
"It gives guys the confidence and the intensity to be ready on the plays that they're going to get in," Bailey said. "That helps out a lot."
"I looked up and I couldn't see anything but my mom screaming and yelling," Bailey said, relaying that his mom, his stepdad, his little brother and his little sister were all in attendance that night. "It was a whole bunch of excitement and a whole bunch of emotion pouring out in the moment."
A nice moment that Bailey will never forget, sure, but one that Blue Raider fans might be forgiven for not remembering the details of in a game where Bailey's seven-yard touchdown catch was the only reason Middle Tennessee avoided the shutout against No. 3 Alabama. But while Bailey's touchdown only served to cut the deficit to 35 points, it was indicative of what sparked the Blue Raiders to the many of moments where the offense clicked against the Crimson Tide: the rotation of players at every position on the offense, save for quarterback Nicholas Vattiato.
Flip through this week's game notes to page 11 and scroll through the MTSU depth chart. You won't find Bryce Bailey listed on the first or second team, nor will you find AJ Toney, who stood alongside him in the slot on his touchdown catch nor Jaylen Ward, who stood at the other outsider receiver spot on the play. Jacob Coleman, the H-wide receiver? Also, not on the depth chart.
Watch the tape back of Bailey's touchdown catch and you'll find just three listed starters in on the play: Vattiato, center Wilson Kelly and guard Keylan Rutledge. Is that just due to the score of the game at the time, as MTSU worked in new guys with the game well out of hand? A little bit, almost certainly. But given how the Blue Raiders rotated throughout the night, that level of depth was something that came by predetermined design, not on a whim during a blowout.
"It's critical for your development, going into this week, we're going to try to do the same thing," offensive coordinator Mitch Stewart said. "If we're getting in good rotations, that usually means our tempo is going pretty well. We want to try to do that at every position."
Keep an eye on the field at the start of each drive and particularly after a play where a wide receiver or running back goes long, or towards the MTSU sideline. There's a good chance there will be some new Blue Raiders hopping onto the field in their place, particularly if the play was successful, allowing the tempo of the offense to go even faster.
The best evidence last week was near the end of the first quarter, when the Blue Raiders, only down two scores, rotated off their entire starting receiver group. Or at the start of the second quarter, when three new offensive linemen checked in down two scores: Devin Hayes, Julius Pierce and J'Shun Bodiford.
"You're straining against some big boys, (we're) just trying to keep guys fresh," head coach Rick Stockstill said of the offensive line post-game. "Our second team guys deserved and earned the right to play too. Just to try to play as many guys as possible and keep guys fresh where they can play at a high level."
On Saturday, the rotation was the spark for MTSU, stretching drives out against a national championship level defense with the second team in, fresh and eager to prove. The fact the guys second on the depth chart could move the ball against the Tide gives Vattiato a ton of confidence moving forward, with the redshirt sophomore complimenting his teammates for making the most of their chances with the ball in their hands.
"I know whoever is in there, whether it's the X, the Z, the Y, the H, any of our talented running backs, I trust them to do what they're supposed to," Vattiato said. "I'll make sure to get them the ball out in space and they'll make a play when their number is called."
Practice is designed around this rotation for the Blue Raiders, Stewart said, with skill guys rotating on each rep in a rack of plays for the offensive line. Allowing quarterbacks like Vattiato to develop chemistry and familiarity with everyone. Nonetheless, seeing those units have success was a positive for the offense, Stewart noted.
"We wanted all of them to get that experience," Stewart said of the big game environment in Tuscaloosa. "From a personal standpoint, that's as good as it gets and as big as it gets. But from a professional standpoint, to see those guys react. Especially that last group that went down there was a mixture of kind of twos or threes. For them to calmly go do what they've been doing all week was really good for us to see."
For players listed as backups, like tackle Devin Hayes, who's seen action now in 41 games across three schools during his college career, but never started one, the rotation the Blue Raiders use makes it easy to stay, and keep others, motivated during the game.
"No matter who we put in there, we've still got to move the ball, we've still got to score points," Hayes said. "I tell the young guys every day to prepare. You never know when your name is going to be called, just keep working."
As for Bailey, who will again look to make his mark when his number is called, the rotation that Stewart's offense allows for promises to give him more opportunities, which he knows helps him and so many others be the best version of themselves for the Blue Raiders.
"It gives guys the confidence and the intensity to be ready on the plays that they're going to get in," Bailey said. "That helps out a lot."
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