Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
COLUMN: A Spring Game with more than just steaks
4/14/2024 6:34:00 PM | Football
The dinner reward for the Blue Team is just one small part of a revitalized Spring Game
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — If you're a college football coach, you hope you don't have to create a sense of stakes around the Spring Game. If you're Middle Tennessee Head Coach Derek Mason, you hope the benefits that come from consistency, from putting up good tape, from making the most of your chances now to ensure you get more chances in the future is enough to motivate your players as it's done all spring.
"Your playing time is not between me and you, it's between you and you," Mason relayed as a message to the Blue Raiders early after he was hired this past December. "I tell them it's like The Hunger Games. If you play well, you deserve more playing time. If you don't, then you go to the back of the line and that's part of that blue-collar mentality."
But if continued jostling to move up the depth chart wasn't quite enough motivation, Mason found another way to raise the stakes on Saturday with, well, steaks.
(Yes, get your boos in. I certainly earned them with that pun.)
With a steak dinner, served by the losing team, in store for the winning team and a dinner of Beanie Weenies for the loser, it was clear after Saturday's 20-7 win for the Blue Team that the motivation has paid off, in more ways than one.
"Medium well, no A1 Sauce, a little extra salt and pepper," Blue Team defensive lineman James Stewart said, when asked how he likes his steak. The defensive end recorded three sacks on Saturday in the scrimmage.
"I'm going to have to," tight end Taharin Sudderth said of finding a way to like Beanie Weenies. "Credit to the Blue Team, they were the better team today."
The Blue Team was certainly the stronger of the two sides in the scrimmage, scoring the game's first 20 points before a late touchdown catch from Sudderth made the final quarter just a bit more interesting. A result of the "spoils of consistency" Mason said, pointing out the Blue Team's ability to move the ball on third down (7-for-11) as well taking advantage of some shorter fields early in the day thanks to three-and-outs to start the afternoon from the White Team.
But, like any Spring Game, it's not wise to take away too much from the on-the-field action, particularly with both rosters as well scrambled as they were on Saturday, with spring ball starters, second teamers and depth pieces all working together as part of one unit. An intentional design on the part of Mason, who was pleased with how his team adapted this week ahead of the Spring Game.
"You get to the season, and somebody goes down and the (backups) got to play now," Mason said. "I thought of the idea of only having three practices to sort of gel and figure out exactly what they could do. Our coordinators did a good job putting menus together that really fit what we needed to get done with the players."
For sure, there were reasons to be excited with the on-the field results. It's fantastic to see quarterback Nicholas Vattiato so sharp at the end of spring, completing the game with just one incompletion (15-for-16 for 228 yards and a touchdown). Just as it was encouraging to see the offense embrace the physicality of offensive coordinator Bodie Reeder's more multiple scheme, one that featured a bit more designed runs than the air raid flavored spread offense MTSU had run in recent years.
Likewise, the defenses on both sides seemed comfortable with their own multiple front scheme designed by defensive coordinator Brain Stewart, shifting sides to mirror the offense in ways that created opportunities for multiple takeaways. The flip card listed just one defensive tackle as the nose with two defensive ends and a WILL linebacker that often has a hand in the dirt to make it look like a four-man front. But just the threat of an odd front opens the door to a ton of versatility defensively come this fall.
I've often subscribed to the notion that strong conclusions from what happens on the field in spring games aren't worth getting too invested in, particularly in the transfer portal age where many rosters will look different come fall camp, whether it's from summer enrollees recruited in the winter or new folks finding greener pastures after spring ball is complete. The off-the-field work, in buy-in from a new staff and new team, in building trust, in creating a culture off a foundation that was built, that stuff is what lasts from the spring.
"Coach Mason has definitely brought a new feeling, a new culture to this program," safety Chris Johnson said. "Not rearranging what Coach Stock did but bringing some new energy and new juice to it. This spring game was monumental for all of us."
The coaching staff has already made myriad mental notes on where the team was and where it went in the spring, an assessment Mason was happy to give post-game on Saturday.
"In 15 practices on the grass, this football team is much better than I anticipated," Mason acknowledged. "I don't know how that equates to what happens in the fall, I just know I feel good about this football team."
Where will Mason and his staff look to improve the Blue Raiders after they've watched them those 15 practices? By finding quality through all parts of the flip card, particularly in the trenches.
"It's up front," Mason said. "What we've seen is that we have quality players at certain positions. But we've still got be competitive and we need depth. If this football team wants to make any noise, it's got to be about depth. It's not about your 1s, everybody's got 1s, it's about your 2s and 3s, your goons and goblins."
That time will come in the days and weeks ahead. For now, as the head coach of both teams, Mason doesn't have to worry about the Beanie Weenies awaiting the White Team for their dinner.
"I'm all about the steak, I didn't lose, I won!" Mason said with a smile, before acknowledging the lack of major injuries after Saturday making him a true winner after the spring.
"I'm excited, because right now, here's what I know," Mason said, describing the bone-in steak he'll get to enjoy with some A1 and some steak butter. "That thing is going to be good and I'm going to watch some of those coaches on the losing side, watch me eat my steak and (I'll) be like 'You should've won.'"
"Your playing time is not between me and you, it's between you and you," Mason relayed as a message to the Blue Raiders early after he was hired this past December. "I tell them it's like The Hunger Games. If you play well, you deserve more playing time. If you don't, then you go to the back of the line and that's part of that blue-collar mentality."
But if continued jostling to move up the depth chart wasn't quite enough motivation, Mason found another way to raise the stakes on Saturday with, well, steaks.
(Yes, get your boos in. I certainly earned them with that pun.)
With a steak dinner, served by the losing team, in store for the winning team and a dinner of Beanie Weenies for the loser, it was clear after Saturday's 20-7 win for the Blue Team that the motivation has paid off, in more ways than one.
"Medium well, no A1 Sauce, a little extra salt and pepper," Blue Team defensive lineman James Stewart said, when asked how he likes his steak. The defensive end recorded three sacks on Saturday in the scrimmage.
"I'm going to have to," tight end Taharin Sudderth said of finding a way to like Beanie Weenies. "Credit to the Blue Team, they were the better team today."
The Blue Team was certainly the stronger of the two sides in the scrimmage, scoring the game's first 20 points before a late touchdown catch from Sudderth made the final quarter just a bit more interesting. A result of the "spoils of consistency" Mason said, pointing out the Blue Team's ability to move the ball on third down (7-for-11) as well taking advantage of some shorter fields early in the day thanks to three-and-outs to start the afternoon from the White Team.
But, like any Spring Game, it's not wise to take away too much from the on-the-field action, particularly with both rosters as well scrambled as they were on Saturday, with spring ball starters, second teamers and depth pieces all working together as part of one unit. An intentional design on the part of Mason, who was pleased with how his team adapted this week ahead of the Spring Game.
"You get to the season, and somebody goes down and the (backups) got to play now," Mason said. "I thought of the idea of only having three practices to sort of gel and figure out exactly what they could do. Our coordinators did a good job putting menus together that really fit what we needed to get done with the players."
For sure, there were reasons to be excited with the on-the field results. It's fantastic to see quarterback Nicholas Vattiato so sharp at the end of spring, completing the game with just one incompletion (15-for-16 for 228 yards and a touchdown). Just as it was encouraging to see the offense embrace the physicality of offensive coordinator Bodie Reeder's more multiple scheme, one that featured a bit more designed runs than the air raid flavored spread offense MTSU had run in recent years.
Likewise, the defenses on both sides seemed comfortable with their own multiple front scheme designed by defensive coordinator Brain Stewart, shifting sides to mirror the offense in ways that created opportunities for multiple takeaways. The flip card listed just one defensive tackle as the nose with two defensive ends and a WILL linebacker that often has a hand in the dirt to make it look like a four-man front. But just the threat of an odd front opens the door to a ton of versatility defensively come this fall.
I've often subscribed to the notion that strong conclusions from what happens on the field in spring games aren't worth getting too invested in, particularly in the transfer portal age where many rosters will look different come fall camp, whether it's from summer enrollees recruited in the winter or new folks finding greener pastures after spring ball is complete. The off-the-field work, in buy-in from a new staff and new team, in building trust, in creating a culture off a foundation that was built, that stuff is what lasts from the spring.
"Coach Mason has definitely brought a new feeling, a new culture to this program," safety Chris Johnson said. "Not rearranging what Coach Stock did but bringing some new energy and new juice to it. This spring game was monumental for all of us."
The coaching staff has already made myriad mental notes on where the team was and where it went in the spring, an assessment Mason was happy to give post-game on Saturday.
"In 15 practices on the grass, this football team is much better than I anticipated," Mason acknowledged. "I don't know how that equates to what happens in the fall, I just know I feel good about this football team."
Where will Mason and his staff look to improve the Blue Raiders after they've watched them those 15 practices? By finding quality through all parts of the flip card, particularly in the trenches.
"It's up front," Mason said. "What we've seen is that we have quality players at certain positions. But we've still got be competitive and we need depth. If this football team wants to make any noise, it's got to be about depth. It's not about your 1s, everybody's got 1s, it's about your 2s and 3s, your goons and goblins."
That time will come in the days and weeks ahead. For now, as the head coach of both teams, Mason doesn't have to worry about the Beanie Weenies awaiting the White Team for their dinner.
"I'm all about the steak, I didn't lose, I won!" Mason said with a smile, before acknowledging the lack of major injuries after Saturday making him a true winner after the spring.
"I'm excited, because right now, here's what I know," Mason said, describing the bone-in steak he'll get to enjoy with some A1 and some steak butter. "That thing is going to be good and I'm going to watch some of those coaches on the losing side, watch me eat my steak and (I'll) be like 'You should've won.'"
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