Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Camp Insider: Your Direct Source for Blue Raider News
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| These are the Dog Days of Summer and time when the Blue Raiders get to work and begin installing their plan for the 2015 season. Go behind the scenes of the Middle Tennessee camp here at GoBlueRaiders.com. Here, you will find a plethora of information leading into the opener against Jackson State. We’ll have information, practice reports, scrimmage statistics, quotes, blogs, tweets, photos, videos and more as Middle Tennessee begins its preparations for the 2015 campaign. Check back each day for all of the latest on the Blue Raiders! |
August 28, 2015 VISOR IS SIGN OF LEADERSHIP FOR RAIDERS by Connor Grott (GBR Beat Writer)  Every sport has its fashion accessories. Baseball has the ever important shin guard, and basketball has the wonderful headbands and arm sleeves. But no accessory in sports may hold as much meaning or value as football’s helmet visor. Specifically at MT, visors are worn primarily by much of the leaders on the team. Players like Kevin Byard, T.T. Barber, Steven Rhodes, Jeremiah Bryson, Shane Tucker and Demetrius Frazier are some of the upperclassmen that don a visor during practices and games. Each player has different motives for wearing a visor, but how to receive one is universal between the student-athletes. Excluding medical or safety concerns, visors have to be earned by the Blue Raiders. “Personally, I feel like I needed to earn one. I didn’t want to just go ask for one,” Bryson said. “And now I’m a senior and I’ve been putting in a lot of work so I feel like I deserved one. But, the other running backs have been putting in a lot of hard work also. I feel like they all deserve one.” It’s not just Bryson who feels that visors have to be earned. Byard agreed with his teammate about the process of earning the glorious helmet accessory. “Some of the seniors get a little leeway but you definitely have to earn a visor,” Byard said. “Most of the time if you’re not a starter you won’t get to wear one.” Most MT players wear the helmet shield as a fashion statement, or as a method to intimidate players on the opposing team. It’s a shared mindset by the players: If you look good, you will play good. That belief holds true for Bryson going into his senior season as a Blue Raider, as the Smyrna, Tennessee, native began to wear a visor this offseason. Bryson had worn a visor throughout his career at Smyrna High School, but had taken a hiatus to earn it back. “To be honest this is really my first year at MT wearing a visor,” Bryson said. “I felt like I had to earn the visor and I finally accomplished that. It feels good to wear one because you look stylish out there and look good.” Visors do have a certain look that is appealing to the eye, but they also provide safety and comfort to some players. “Just about every player asks for a visor,” graduate assistant equipment manager Demayo Partee said. “Some guys use it just to look good, and others actually need them. For some, it helps them see better or they may have contacts and it gives them comfort on the field knowing they have that extra eye protection.” For Byard, it’s more than just that added style. It’s a way for him to perform better on the field. The senior safety never wore a visor during high school, but after putting one on his helmet during his freshman season at MT, the Lithonia, Georgia, native has needed one ever since. “I really didn’t wear a visor in high school,” Byard said. “At first, it was pretty much just a ‘swagger’ thing. But now it’s like I can’t go out there without a visor. It actually allows me to see better, honestly. It makes my vision more clear.” Whether a player uses one strictly for looks, or requires it to perform well, visors are an indication of hard work and an important symbol of leadership for the Blue Raiders. |
August 28, 2015 OFF THE FIELD WITH ALEX DALE by Eric Beovich Q: What is your favorite Emoji? Why? A: It’s probably the skull one because I like to laugh. If I ever see something funny I’m probably just dying. If you see the skull emoji you know it’s something funny to me. Q: Who is the most interesting person you follow on Twitter? Why? A: I’m a big basketball guy so hardwood paroxysm (@hpbasketball) is funny. My hometown guy Chris Vernon is a good sports guy, too. Q: What’s the last movie you have seen in a theatre? A: I think it was Dope. Q: What did you like about it? A: Probably just seeing some big celebrities in there like ASAP Rocky. I’m a big ASAP Rocky fan. Q: Who would you put on the cover of Madden? Why? A: Being a Steelers fan I’m going with Big Ben (Roethlisberger). He deserves it. Q: What do you think about the Steelers signing Michael Vick? Are they going to draw up some plays for him? A: Ooh, I was super excited. I know they’re going to draw up some stuff for him. He’s going to do something back there! Q: What is Coach Stockstill’s favorite saying? A: I like YAW-YAW (You Are Who You Associate With). I like 4 to 6 seconds of relentless effort, because that’s something I have to work on, personally. I think YAW-YAW is the one that sticks out to me the most. Q: If we came to your house for dinner, what would you prepare? A: Everybody in the world knows I love chicken, so I would make chicken, probably some corn, broccoli, and a little garlic bread action. Q: What hidden talent do you have that few people know? A: Umm, I guess basketball. I’m pretty decent at basketball. Q: Did you play any in high school? A: I didn’t. I stopped playing in middle school but I play pick-up games all the time. I’m the best rebounder on this team, no doubt. Q: Can you dunk? A: On a good day, I don’t have many good days though. Q: What is your dream job and why? A: Being a college head coach. I’ve always wanted to coach. I feel like the reason I’m here is the coaches have pointed me in the right direction and helped me be a leader on my teams. I just want to be able to instill that into others. Q: If EA Sports came out with an NCAA Football game this year, what would your rating be? A: I’m kind of modest, I’ll go with 75. Q: What do you think would be your best attribute on the game? A: Catching. Well, no, I drop some every now and then. Strength. Q: What is your favorite place in Murfreesboro? A: I’m going to go with the Boulevard. I have a lot of friends who work there and it’s a good place to hang out on Fridays. Q: What is your favorite place on campus? A: On campus, the locker room or the KUC because that’s where all the guys always are. |
August 27, 2015 FAULKNER HAS STRONG BOND WITH FAMILY by Connor Grott (GBR Beat Writer)  It was another normal day at MT’s fall camp Thursday evening. Quarterbacks Austin Grammer and Brent Stockstill stood at midfield during team separate drills. Offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner looked on as his quarterbacks took turns making their throws. Standing next to Grammer and Stockstill, though, was an addition to Faulkner’s team of quarterbacks. That player, decked out in his youth football uniform and MT helmet, was Faulkner’s son, Harrison Faulkner. “The fact that he’s able to come around is huge for me,” Faulkner said. “I don’t want to look back 15 or 20 years and be one of those guys that didn’t know their kids. That’s where my priorities are.” Harrison has made frequent appearances at MT practices and has gotten to interact and talk to the players over time. During breaks in today’s drills, he played catch with Stockstill and the other quarterbacks. One player that Harrison is particularly a fan of, though, is junior running back Shane Tucker. “All the guys have gotten to know him and Harrison knows them all by first name,” Faulkner said. “He’s been coming around a long time and he can imitate all of them. He can do the Shane Tucker home run swing when he scores. That’s probably his favorite player, but he loves them all and they’re great with him.” And it’s not just Harrison that makes it out to enjoy MT’s practices. Buster’s wife, Tia Faulkner, and their two daughters, Hadley and Haisley, also take the time to come and see him during practices and games. Buster’s family have made frequent appearances at practices, and MT head coach Rick Stockstill has had no issues with allowing that family atmosphere to continue over many years. “It means a lot to me that Coach Stockstill will allow that,” Faulkner said. “I’ve been here going on five years now and it means a lot.” On the field, the MT offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach can always be seen trying to help his Blue Raider family. Off the field, Buster keeps that same mindset with his actual family, epitomizing what it means to be a family man. “I like to think of myself as a family guy,” Faulkner said. “I love football, faith and my family. Those are really the three things that matter to me the most.” |
August 27, 2015 OFF THE FIELD WITH CODY CLARK by Eric Beovich  Q: What is your favorite Emoji? Why? A: Honestly, probably the dead skull emoji because my roommates make me laugh a ton in group text messages. Q: Who is the most interesting person you follow on Twitter? Why? A: I think you have gotten this a lot, but probably Alex Dale. He’s my roommate and he puts a lot of good stuff on there, especially during NBA season with the Grizzlies. Q: What’s the last movie you have seen in a theatre? A: Dope. Q: What did you like about it? A: I just liked how it had a bunch of 2015 culture. I felt like it was a movie that was happening as I was watching it. Q: Who would you put on the cover of Madden? Why? A: (Adam) Vinatieri. Best kicker of all time in my opinion. Q: What is Coach Stockstill’s favorite saying? A: I’d say “outstanding.” Actually, towards me, it’s “you’re walking backwards.” That’s whenever I’m wearing my hat backwards. And every time I wear my hat backwards he happens to see me. [Laughing…] Q: If we came to your house for dinner, what would you prepare? A: I would make some sort of pasta. I do a little pasta bar, where you can choose shrimp, chicken, beef, mushrooms, vodka sauce, marinara, alfredo, whatever you want. Q: What hidden talent do you have that few people know? A: Oh, that’s tough. [Pauses briefly…] Let’s come back to that one. Q: What is your dream job and why? A: Probably being the head of apparel design for Nike. Whether it be cleats or whatever. Something with sports apparel. Q: If EA Sports came out with an NCAA Football game this year, what would your rating be? A: Uhh, we’ll go with a modest 85. Q: Would they have you as an accuracy or power guy? A: Definitely accuracy. I’d probably say about 78 power and 89 accuracy. Q: What is your favorite place in Murfreesboro? A: Probably Indian Hills Golf Course. Q: Why Indian Hills? A: That’s where I play all of my golf. It’s narrow and it gets pretty heated out there with me, Gram (Austin Grammer), Brent (Stockstill), and Justin Lloyd out there together. Q: Brent told me he usually shoots about an 80. What do you usually shoot? A: Around 82. Me and Grammer took him and Justin on in a two-man scramble and me and Grammer went -3 through 9. Q: What is your favorite place on campus? A: Probably the football stadium. It just kind of feels home-y. I feel pretty relaxed in there. Q: Ok, now back to the hidden talent… A: I would probably say my music knowledge is a hidden talent. Just knowing stuff. I know everything from ASAP Rocky to Pink Floyd to Bryan Adams to Queen. It’s just a very wide variety of music knowledge. |
August 26, 2015 SOUNDS OF PRACTICE: PLAYERS AND COACHES SHOW DIVERSITY IN MUSIC by Connor Grott (GBR Beat Writer)  On the field, the Middle Tennessee coaching staff and players are a unified team with common goals. In their tastes in music, though, MT coaches and student-athletes are light years apart from each other. That separation in musical preference is brought about in the form of an iPad that is used by Video Coordinator Erik Bartlett and his team of student video coordinators. “The players come out here and stretch and Coach Stockstill wants us to play some upbeat music to try and get them going,” student video manager Jeremy Fuller said. “It’s just an iPad and a huge sound dock that hooks up to the speakers on the practice field. If we need to go to the stadium for practice, they have a soundboard up there that you can hook the iPad up to.” Through fall practices, the iPad has blared music at the practice field and at Floyd Stadium. Music is typically played during MT’s pre-practice, and also during breaks. The iPad has close to 500 songs on it, spanning almost every music genre. The playlist has songs that MT head coach Rick Stockstill has developed an interest in, such as artists Colt Ford and Big Smo. It also satisfies the players, much like senior safety Kevin Byard. Artists like Drake, Future and Young Thug highlight a majority of the playlist favorites between the players. “[Bartlett] came to me last year and asked me to give him a playlist for the games, or a pre-game playlist,” Byard said. “It’s good. I feel like a lot of it is a little old, but they’re still playing some of the new music like Drake, Big Sean and different guys like that.” Seniors like Byard and T.T. Barber are two of the main players that have previously requested songs. Bartlett typically asks each senior for a couple of songs that they would like to add to the playlist. The player’s requests are usually granted and the songs are added to the iPad playlist. If you ask Stockstill though, there’s no balance in the selection of music. “No, not really because they don’t play enough of the music I like,” Stockstill jokingly said about whether he liked the music being played. “Which is Motown, old-school rhythm and blues. That’s my music, but when I run at lunch time this summer I’ve gotten into just mixing things up.” Along with the players, though, Stockstill and the assistant coaches have requested songs to be added to the playlist as well. It’s still a hard task to satisfy both sides’ musical expectations. “We try to vary it between what the coaches like and what the players like,” Bartlett said. “And sometimes that’s two completely different things. We try to keep everybody happy, but you can’t really do it.” Whether it’s a Stockstill selection like The Temptations, or a player selection like Future or Drake, that iPad has a big influence on the mood during practice. “It breaks up the monotony of practice,” Bartlett added. “If Stockstill feels like they may be dragging in these dog days of camp, it’s good to play a little music to get their mind off camp.” |
August 26th, 2015 OFF THE FIELD WITH XAVIER WALKER by Eric BeovichQ: What is your favorite Emoji? Why? A: The cool emoji, that’s smiling with the sunglasses. He’s just got this cool look, like people will never know what you’re thinking. Q: Who is the most interesting person you follow on Twitter? Why? A: It’s got to be the NFL Draft Diamonds (@DraftDiamonds). It just keeps me updated with what’s happening around the league. Q: What’s the last movie you have seen in a theatre? A: The new Fast and the Furious. It’s the best one yet of all of them. Q: What was your favorite part? A: When Brian (Paul Walker) always seems like he’s going to die but every time he makes it throughout the whole movie. I liked the tribute at the end, too. Q: Who would you put on the cover of Madden? Why? A: I would have to say my old roommate, Cordarrelle Patterson, wide receiver with the Minnesota Vikings. We used to room together freshman year of junior college. Q: What is Coach Stockstill’s favorite saying? A: “Relentless effort.” Q: If we came to your house for dinner, what would you prepare? A: Some barbecue with macaroni and cheese. Q: What hidden talent do you have that few people know? A: I played baseball growing up and in high school. Q: What is your dream job and why? A: To play in the NFL or coach. I would want to coach college or high school, definitely. Q: If EA Sports came out with an NCAA Football game this year, what would your rating be? A: For me, 86 I guess. Q: What would be your best attribute? A: I’m good at going to get the ball. Q: What is your favorite place in Murfreesboro? A: My house and Wal-mart. [Laughing…] I live right across the street from it. Maybe Toot’s, too. I don’t really go out too much. Q: What is your favorite place on campus? A: The Murphy Center. Q: Why do you like being in the Murphy Center? A: Just being around my teammates, being in the weight room, learning film and studying with my coaches. |
August 25, 2015 DAY NINETEEN OBSERVATIONS by Connor Grott (GBR Beat Writer) Players returned to practice after having Monday off due to classes resuming. MT came out in full pads for the first time since last Thursday, which was the team’s second scrimmage of fall camp. Following the nineteenth day of fall practice, here are a few observations that stood out as camp continues to move towards Game Week on Aug. 31. Secondary keeping form The Blue Raider secondary seems to improve after every practice. The senior duo of Kevin Byard and Xavier Walker are the obvious anchors of this group, but the depth of this unit is starting to show flashes of brilliance. Senior safety Quay Watt continues his impressive offseason. Watt had two interceptions today as he tries to earn increased playing time. The problem will be trying to get him in the game as much as possible, especially since the current Blue Raider safety duo is performing so well. “When you’re playing close to 90 or 100 snaps a game, you just can’t have two guys,” defensive backs coach Steve Ellis said. “Quay has developed and had a great summer. He’s a leader now, and guys know he comes to work every day and punches that work badge. When guys see that, they have to respect that.” Junior corner Jeremy Cutrer had a solid day with a couple of deflected passes and near interceptions. Another transfer, Dontavious Heard, showed his physicality with a couple of big tackles. Collis paces receiver group Senior receiver Christian Collis has had a great camp, and Tuesday evening’s practice was no different. Collis showed off his hands, but also showed his vision and speed after making catches. Collis had two would-be touchdown catches, with both coming on plays made after making the reception. “I think [Collis] has had a really nice camp,” MT head coach Rick Stockstill said. “He’s worked hard and he’s an ‘effort’ guy. He finishes every play and he makes some tough, physical catches. I’ve been really pleased and proud with how Collis has played.” Junior transfer Rod Ducksworth had a great practice today with a handful of catches in traffic. Ed Batties had numerous catches across the middle, and also reeled in a touchdown catch early in “tempo” drills. Defensive line getting more aggressive Each day that passes in fall camp, it seems there’s more bursts of yelling after a physical play between the offensive and defensive lines. Today’s “hype” play of the day came in the form of freshman defensive lineman Malik Manciel. Manciel took on freshman counterpart and offensive lineman DeAndre Ford in 1-on-1 drills. Manciel lifted the 6-foot-6, 378 pound lineman off of his feet and planted him into the turf to swing the defensive line into a frenzy. “We were working on a new move and he got DeAndre on his heels,” defensive line coach Tommy West said. “He got the better of him right there. Manciel’s learning how to play, but he’s got a lot of ability. I really like him and I’m glad he’s here. Down the line he’s going to be a great player for us.” Plays like that are becoming common with the defensive line. The interior combo of Pat McNeil and Shaquille Huff look primed for the upcoming season. Junior defensive end Steven Rhodes has provided his physicality and leadership for the defense. Across from Rhodes, the Blue Raiders have a solid rotation going between Chris Hale and Alexandro Antoine. “I think we’re still making progress,” West said. “We’re way ahead of where we stopped last season and I like their attitudes. I think they’re positive and they’re all trying to master their trade, and I’m pleased with them right now.” |
August 25th, 2015 FORMER RAIDERS AID TEAM WITH ADDED ELIGIBILITY by Connor Grott (GBR Beat Writer)  Defensive end Omar McLendon and cornerback Kenneth Gilstrap had solid playing careers as members of the Middle Tennessee football team. McLendon finished his senior season with all-conference honors after racking up 34 tackles, two sacks and a team-best four hurries. He was also a member of two bowl teams (2009 and 2010) in his Blue Raider career. Gilstrap was a member of three bowl teams for the Blue Raiders, including the 2009 New Orleans bowl championship team. Over the course of his MT career, he tallied 126 tackles, 14 pass breakups and three fumble recoveries. McLendon and Gilstrap completed their four years of NCAA eligibility following the 2012 and 2013 seasons, respectively. Although both went on to graduate from Middle Tennessee, McLendon and Gilstrap have earned extra “eligibility.” But it will not be tackling ball carriers or intercepting passes. The defensive duo have teamed up as graduate assistants on MT head coach Rick Stockstill’s 2015 coaching staff.  McLendon enters his second year as a graduate assistant for the defense. He was a member of Jason Spray’s strength and conditioning staff in 2013 before becoming a graduate assistant for the defense the next year. “First off, I love football,” McLendon said about why he joined Stockstill’s staff. “And ever since I’ve been here, Coach Stockstill has taken really good care of me, from the time he met me to the time I graduated. Even afterwards he was asking if I had thought about coaching, and I said ‘of course.’ It’s just Coach Stockstill and the family atmosphere here.” Going into his second year, McLendon works closely with positional coach Tommy West and the Blue Raider defensive linemen. Being a former defensive end himself, it’s easy for McLendon to help coach current players given the experience he has in the system. “When the young guys get here I can relate to them because I’ve played here,” McLendon said. “I know how the system is, how Coach Stockstill is and how the coaches want things done.” Not only do former players like McLendon bring knowledge to the team, but they bring an added amount of leadership and respect as well. “I feel like I’ve earned their respect,” McLendon said. “I’ve played with a few of the guys, and when I played with them I felt like I had their respect. Guys like Kevin Byard and Pat McNeil have been here since I have, so those guys kind of understand the leadership role I want to help them establish within themselves.” Along with McLendon, Gilstrap has strived to be that mentor for the Blue Raider defense, most notably in the cornerback position. The former MT cornerback enters his first season as a graduate assistant on Stockstill’s coaching staff. “I’ve just been playing the older brother role,” Gilstrap said. “I’ve been in the same system for two years. I just want to relay the message that [defensive backs] coach [Steve] Ellis has taught me, so that I can teach them and help them take the next step forward to be better.” The leadership at the cornerback position was something that needed to be found, according to Stockstill before fall camp started. Working with positional coach Steve Ellis and the defensive backs, Gilstrap took those words and accepted the challenge. “I just want to help the team be the best that they can be and to maximize their potential,” Gilstrap said. “Especially from the cornerback standpoint, since I did play the position. I take it personally, and I do want to make those guys better.” “I want them to be better than me, and to strive for greatness.” Although trying to raise the performance of players on the field is an obvious goal for McLendon and Gilstrap, another mission is important between the two graduate assistants. “The main thing is we want to help those guys grow as men also,” Gilstrap said. “So they can become great citizens of this society.” |
August 25th, 2015 OFF THE FIELD WITH ED BATTIES by Eric Beovich Q: What is your favorite Emoji? Why? A: I just got the iPhone, so I’ll say the 100 emoji. I try to keep everything 100. I try to be as real as I can. Q: Who is the most interesting person you follow on Twitter? Why? A: I don’t have a twitter. Q: What about Instagram? A: I don’t know, I’m not much of a social networking guy. Q: What’s the last movie you have seen in a theatre? A: San Andreas with the Rock. Q: What was your favorite part? A: I liked how his daughter had the courage and the belief in her father to know that he was going to come back for her. Q: Who would you put on the cover of Madden? Why? A: I’d put Andre Johnson on there. He’s a big receiver and makes big-time plays. I like his game. Q: If we came to your house for dinner, what would you prepare? A: I’d cook you some chicken pasta with alfredo. Q: What hidden talent do you have that few people know? A: I play the drums for my church. I’m an instrument guy. Q: What is your dream job and why? A: I always wanted to be a basketball coach at a high level like college or professional. Q: If EA Sports came out with an NCAA Football game this year, what would your rating be? A: I think I’d be a 90s guy. Q: What would your best attribute be on the game? A: I’ll say my route running. Q: What is your favorite place on campus? A: On campus my favorite spot is the KUC (Keathley University Center) with Chick-fil-a. |
August 22nd, 2015 RAIDERS HOLD ANNUAL BEANIE BOWL  MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - With the season opener against Jackson State only 14 days away, Middle Tennessee 10th-year head football coach Rick Stockstill put his team through a dress rehearsal of sorts at Floyd Stadium Saturday morning. Middle Tennessee will kick off the 2015 campaign when it hosts Jackson State Sept. 5 at 6:00 p.m., and the Blue Raiders were put through every situation possibly imagined during the scripted scrimmage. "It was a scripted practice where we went through different kicking plays that can occur in a game from onsides to hands teams to kick after a safety, a return after a safety, a regular kickoff, kickoff return punt safe and punt block," said Stockstill. "Then we put the first-team offense against the second-team defense in certain situations during a 10-play drive." Not only did players go through the pregame and various situations created by the coaching staff but the Blue Raider offensive and defensive scout teams represented the Tigers' offense and defense, respectively. Attention to detail was prevalent throughout the scrimmage, from prior to kick-off when Stockstill addressed where players would be on the sideline, to the flip of the coin and other various situations throughout the nearly three-hour workout. Coaches wore headsets and relayed the plays onto the field from the press box. Officials were working the field and replay officials were in the booth. As important as the run-through is for the players, Stockstill says it is equally important for the coaches and everyone who is involved with the program during the course of the game. "A lot of times people think this is just for the players but this is a very valuable practice for our coaches as well," said Stockstill. "We work on everything from the pregame warm-up to the coin toss. It's all very important and we want to make sure everybody knows what to do during any type of situation." Plays went according to a pre-determined script regardless of what the outcome of a particular play may have been. "No matter what happened on the play, whether it was a 40-yard gain or a 10-yard sack, we moved the ball on the next play to a different situation," said Stockstill. "We did this so our coaches can call a game with 2nd-and-5, 3rd-and-2 or whatever, while also working in various kicking situations. Everybody had to be alert and attentive on the sidelines with our substitutions." The Blue Raiders will practice again Sunday at 5:05 PM and it will be closed. |
August 22nd, 2015 OFF THE FIELD WITH CHRIS HALE by Eric Beovich Q: What is your favorite Emoji? Why? A: The smiley face. I’m just a happy person. Q: Who is the most interesting person you follow on Twitter? Why? A: I’m not sure. I’m not really on Twitter that much. Q: What about Instagram? A: Yeah there’s a couple on Instagram. I follow the Rock and J.J. Watt. All the motivational pictures and quotes that they put up I like to look at regularly. Q: What’s the last movie you have seen in a theatre? A: Southpaw. I thought it was awesome. Q: What was your favorite part? A: Just his ability to bounce back from all the adversity he went through. Q: Who would you put on the cover of Madden? Why? A: Hmm…I’d put J.J. Watt on it. In my opinion, he’s the most all-around, best athlete in the NFL. Q: What is Coach Stockstill’s favorite saying? A: “Give relentless effort for 4 to 6 seconds.” Q: If we came to your house for dinner, what would you prepare? A: I’d make my famous baked ziti that my dad taught me how to make. I’d make a little macaroni and cheese on the side if you don’t really like the past taste of the ziti. A little mashed potatoes and some chicken, too. Q: What hidden talent do you have that few people know? A: I’m a crazy good dancer. Q: Do you have a favorite song to dance to or do you just make up your own moves? A: I just make it up as I go, but I always get the comments like “you’re too big to be dancing, but you’re really good at it.” Q: What is your dream job and why? A: My dream job is the NFL, of course. If that doesn’t work out I want to run an organization where younger, less-privileged athletes can come to get help funding them to participate in sports. Q: If EA Sports came out with an NCAA Football game this year, what would your rating be? A: I think around 81. Q: What do you think your best attribute would be? A: I think I’m best at the bull rush so I’ll say power moves. Q: What is your favorite place in Murfreesboro? A: I like to go to the Boulevard, it’s a good place to go eat and my family loves it, too. Q: What is your favorite place on campus? A: Probably the locker room. Being in there with my brothers and having that fellowship is priceless. |
August 21st, 2015 DAY SIXTEEN OBSERVATIONS by Connor Grott (GBR Beat Writer)  Following the 16th day of fall practice, here are a few observations that stood out as camp continues to move towards Game Week on Aug. 31. Players report in shorts Friday’s practice came after a physical scrimmage the day before. Players reported in helmets and shorts today as the Beanie Bowl takes place Saturday. Special teams had a focus during the first eight periods of practice. Cody Clark took field goal practice, which was followed up with the punting unit getting some reps. Senior duo dominating Receivers Christian Collis and Ed Batties show continual improvement each day of camp. Along with self-improvement, they’re providing senior leadership to a position that needs it. Both of the seniors don’t really lead vocally, instead letting their play lead the group. And Friday evening’s practice certainly reflected that. Collis made a nice sideline catch with a defender all over him in team drills. Collis has developed a great sense of awareness of where he’s at on the field, evident by his numerous sideline grabs throughout camp. Batties, perhaps, made the best catch of camp to this point. During team drills, Batties jumped up and made a spectacular catch over senior Jamarcus Howard that set the offensive sideline into a frenzy. Howard made a great play on the ball, but Batties simply went up and made the catch. Offensive line making strides MT’s offensive line has a lot of young talent, and the growth is starting to be seen. Freshmen Chandler Brewer and Josh Fannin have seen an increased amount of reps as a few players remain out of practice. During 1-on-1 drills, Brewer showed great footwork and hands against a pass rusher. Redshirt junior Maurquice Shakir has continued to improve as well. Shakir held his ground against junior Peter Bailey during 1-on-1 drills, showing off his enhanced blocking ability. I’ve already talked about the size of this crop of offensive linemen. If this group continues to learn under positional coaches Geep Wade and Rick Mallory, they will be a hard group to get through. |
August 21st, 2015 OFF THE FIELD WITH TERRY PETTIS by Eric Beovich  Q: What is your favorite Emoji? Why? A: It’ll have to be the winky face. Q: Who is the most interesting person you follow on Twitter? Why? A: That’s a hard one. It’ll have to be Lil Wayne. Q: What does he tweet that you like? A: I’ve just always been a big fan of him and he tweets just like a regular person. Q: What’s the last movie you have seen in a theatre? A: The last move I saw in a theater has to be Fast and the Furious. Q: What was your favorite part? A: It had to be when the parking deck was crashing and Vin Diesel was flying through the air in his car. Q: Who would you put on the cover of Madden? Why? A: Odell Beckham, he’s great and he deserves it. Q: What is Coach Stockstill’s favorite saying? A: He has so many I don’t think he has a favorite one. I do always hear 4 to 6 seconds of relentless effort. Q: What does that mean to you and why 4 to 6 seconds? A: No matter how tired you are, you always have 4 to 6 more seconds in you, and that’s how long the average play lasts. Q: If we came to your house for dinner, what would you prepare? A: Hot wings! Q: What hidden talent do you have that few people know? A: Dance. I like to dance. Q: What is your dream job and why? A: To be an NFL player. Q: If EA Sports came out with an NCAA Football game this year, what would your rating be? A: 99. [Laughing…] Q: Well I was going to ask you what your best attribute would be but I guess they would all be 99s wouldn’t they? A: Yep, they would be all 99s. Q: What is your favorite place in Murfreesboro? A: It has to be my apartment at Campus Crossings. Q: What is your favorite place on campus? A: KUC (Keathley University Center). Q: Why the KUC? A: It’s just a good place to chill with my teammates. |
| August 20th, 2015 DAY FIFTEEN OBSERVATIONS by Connor Grott (GBR Beat Writer)  Thursday afternoon’s practice marked the second scrimmage of MT’s 2015 fall camp. Today’s practice was pushed back from a 9:30 a.m. start time to noon, due to weather problems. Following the 15th day, and second scrimmage, of fall practice, here are a few observations that stood out as camp continues to move towards Game Week on Aug. 31. Tight end group getting deeper It’s a well-known fact that MT has a solid, deep group of running backs this season. Go ahead and add the Blue Raider tight end group to that list as well. Terry Pettis and Sean Smith had decent days, mixing in a few good catches between each other. The standout in the tight end group during today’s practice, though, was Lucas Hamilton. Hamilton had two touchdown catches today to lead the group, which came as a shock to MT head coach Rick Stockstill since the redshirt sophomore is mainly used in blocking situations. “I didn’t come out here thinking he’d catch two touchdown passes,” Stockstill said. “If you’d have said Terry, or Tyler [Barron], or Sean, I’d agree with you. Lucas is more of your tough blocker in there. But all of those guys have done a nice job. Coach [Rick] Mallory has done a nice job of developing them, so I’ve been pleased with those guys.” Hamilton has had a relatively quiet camp, but he has displayed his hands and blocking ability at times. Barron is in the same category as Hamilton. Both of them are used primarily in blocking situations, but still have the ability to catch the ball like Pettis and Smith. Running backs sharp Even with injuries mounting up in the backfield, MT’s stable of runners had a splendid day. Jordan Parker and Shane Tucker saw action early in the scrimmage before being shut down. Parker had some physical runs, highlighted by a 20-yard run on the third play of the scrimmage. Tucker seemed to be running with a chip on his shoulder every down. One run saw the junior make a terrific stiff arm on a defender down the left sideline, while picking up the first down. Freshman Desmond Anderson has had a great week, and it was capped off with another stellar performance on Thursday. Anderson snuck his way through the trenches at times, and made defenders miss in open space. He brought down a 19-yard catch on one drive, and finished off that same drive with a two-yard power run for a touchdown. Redshirt sophomore Jordan Willis also had a good day. Willis had some physical runs, including a nine-yard score. Freshman Ruben Garnett showed quickness when hitting the hole, and also had some great catches coming out of the backfield. “We’re down some backs,” Stockstill said. “[Herrod] is out for the year, Kamani [Thomas] is out and Jeremiah [Bryson] has been nicked, and it was the first time he’s practiced this week. We’ve got to get [Anderson and Garnett] ready, and Willis has done a nice job in there. “We know what Parker and Tucker can do. I wanted to give them a couple of carries and then get them out.” Defense continues to swarm The Blue Raider defense swarmed to the football throughout today’s scrimmage. Senior linebacker Trey Wafford had MT’s lone interception after picking off Austin Grammer on the right sideline. Junior transfer Dontavious Heard almost had an interception after making a terrific play on a Brent Stockstill pass. MT’s front four consistently generated pressure and forced the quarterbacks out of the pocket. On plays where pressure wasn’t created, the defensive line still caused problems by swatting down passes at the line of scrimmage. Redshirt junior defensive end Chris Hale did just that, swatting down a Grammer pass on the second play of Thursday’s scrimmage. Hale may see an increased role this season as he came out with the first team today. Overall, the Blue Raider offense had its moments of success early on, but the defense began to lock down as the scrimmage progressed. “Ideally, you like to see the defense shut the offense out every time,” Stockstill said. “I thought the offense moved the ball pretty decent early, and the defense got better as the scrimmage went along. I thought we tackled well and got good pressure on the quarterbacks.” |
August 20th, 2015 OFF THE FIELD WITH TREY WAFFORD by Eric Beovich Q: What is your favorite Emoji? Why? A: Probably the frowning one or one of the mean ones. Q: Who is the most interesting person you follow on Twitter? Why? A: Probably Floyd Mayweather. The way he acts provides good entertainment. Q: What’s the last movie you have seen in a theatre? A: It was probably Ted 2. It was pretty good and pretty funny, too. Q: What was your favorite part? A: When he was in the court office and had to explain that he was a human to the judge. Q: Who would you put on the cover of Madden? Why? A: I’d put Tyrann Mathieu from the Arizona Cardinals. I look up to him since he’s a smaller guy and he gets to the ball a lot and creates turnovers. I try to base my game off of that. Q: What is Coach Stockstill’s favorite saying? A: Whenever you ask him how he’s doing he always says “outstanding.” Q: If we came to your house for dinner, what would you prepare? A: Oh, probably hot dogs and chips. [Laughing…] Q: What hidden talent do you have that few people know? A: I have really neat, nice handwriting. Q: What is your dream job and why? A: Besides playing in the NFL it would be to coach younger guys and teach them the game of football. Q: If EA Sports came out with an NCAA Football game this year, what would your rating be? A: I would hope it would be like an 89. Q: What is your favorite place in Murfreesboro? A: It would probably have to be the Stones River Mall. Q: What is your favorite place on campus? A: The KUC (Keathley University Center). Q: Why do you like going to those two places? A: They have good varieties of food and restaurants to eat at. |
August 19th, 2015 DAY FOURTEEN OBSERVATIONS by Connor Grott (GBR Beat Writer) Following the 14th day of fall practice, here are a few observations that stood out as camp continues to move towards Game Week on Aug. 31. Batties gaining momentum Senior receiver Ed Batties continued his consistent play throughout camp. Batties reeled in a number of catches and was a steady, go-to option for quarterbacks Austin Grammer and Brent Stockstill. Batties hasn’t particularly had any breakout days in camp, but he hasn’t had a bad day either. He’s been a solid presence for the receivers group, and it was apparent once more during Wednesday’s practice. One play saw the senior wide out fight through contact to make an impressive catch over an MT defender during 1-on-1 drills. I like Batties’ work ethic, because he doesn’t seem to take a play off. His route running is also improving, especially across the middle of the field. He was a constant target for the quarterbacks over the middle, picking up 10 to 15 yards on each catch. Thundering “Heard” Junior transfer cornerback Dontavious Heard had a solid practice today. I haven’t talked about him too much, but Heard has had a great camp to this point. He, along with Cutrer, has earned the praise of MT head coach Rick Stockstill and positional coach Steve Ellis over the course of fall camp. The 6-foot-1 cornerback still has some areas to work on, but the improvement from day one to today is evident. Heard made a great play on senior receiver Christian Collis during 1-on-1 drills, as he shifted Collis to the sideline and forced an incompletion. Howard returns Senior cornerback Jamarcus Howard returned to the practice field today after missing a couple of days with a stomach issue. He saw his first amount of significant playing time since returning. Howard didn’t seem to miss a step, as he made a number of great defensive plays during 1-on-1 and 11-on-11 drills. His return is big for the secondary, as Howard and Jared Singletary are two of the senior leaders at the corner position. |
August 19th, 2015 OFF THE FIELD WITH CHRIS BROWN by Eric Beovich Q: What is your favorite Emoji? Why? A: I don’t really use them much. Q: Who is the most interesting person you follow on Twitter? Why? A: I don’t have a Twitter account. Q: What’s the last movie you have seen in a theatre? A: Jurassic World. Q: What was your favorite part? A: The fighting scene between the dinosaurs at the very end. Q: Who would you put on the cover of Madden? Why? A: Marshawn Lynch. I like everything about him. His attitude, his approach to the game and everything. Q: What is Coach Stockstill’s favorite saying? A: Outstanding. Asking about how he’s doing, he always says outstanding. Q: If we came to your house for dinner, what would you prepare? A: Steak, baked potato, a little green beans or something like that. Q: What hidden talent do you have that few people know? A: My speed, that’s it. Q: What is your dream job and why? A: Mechanical engineering, I want to work in a factory. That’s what really interests me. Q: If EA Sports came out with an NCAA Football game this year, what would your rating be? A: I really loved NCAA. My rating for the game would be about 90. Q: What would your best attribute be? A: I don’t know to be honest. Probably my speed. Q: What is your favorite place in Murfreesboro? A: Probably Logan’s Steakhouse. Q: What is your favorite place on campus? A: The Student Union. Q: Why do you like those places so much? A: Well with the Student Union I can always go in there and eat Popeye’s whenever I want. Logan’s is just a nice place to sit down and have a good meal with no distractions. |
August 18th, 2015 DAY THIRTEEN OBSERVATIONS by Connor Grott (GBR Beat Writer)  It was another rainy day at Floyd Stadium as the Blue Raiders continued their strenuous fall practice schedule. Following the 13th day of fall practice, here are a few observations that stood out as camp continues to move towards Game Week on Aug. 31. Desmond Anderson shines It seems like there is a new standout every day at the running back position. Jordan Parker and Shane Tucker repeated what they’ve done all of camp with another great day. But, with a few players sitting out of practice today in the backfield, Anderson made the most of his increased amount of touches. He ran for about a 30-yard touchdown early on during 11-on-11 drills, and also made a spectacular, fingertip catch on the right sideline as rain poured down during 1-on-1 drills against the linebackers. The speedy freshman running back earned a slight comparison to former MT running back Reggie Whatley earlier in camp by running backs coach Mike Polly. It’s clear why, as Anderson’s agility and speed is increasing each day of camp. Fullback position solidifying Much like Anderson, fullback Jordan Willis saw an increased amount of reps today and he looked impressive throughout practice. At times, he reminded me of former MT fullback Corey Carmichael during the 2013 season. Willis had some physical runs during practice and he surprised me with his pass catching ability as well. He’s only a redshirt sophomore, though, so it remains to be seen what his future impact will be given there are two seniors in Chase Pennycuff and former Alabama member Corey McCarron also on the roster. Pennycuff returns to the Blue Raiders after starting three games at fullback last season. McCarron, who is the younger brother of former Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron, is a new arrival for the Blue Raiders after leaving the Crimson Tide last season. Overall, MT seems to have a solid rotation of fullbacks to accommodate its already impressive group of running backs. Swarming defense The Middle Tennessee defense had another successful day as they forced a handful of turnovers over the course of practice. Redshirt junior safety and Twitter aficionado Alex Dale made a great interception on a pass that sailed over a receiver’s head that got the defense fired up. Linebacker Trey Wafford forced a fumble by putting his helmet on the ball after a pass was completed across the middle. The defensive line had another disruptive day in the backfield as the group generated constant pressure on the quarterbacks during 11-on-11 situational drills. Junior defensive end Steven Rhodes had another terrific practice that was highlighted by him swatting an attempted pass into the air that was nearly intercepted by senior safety Quay Watt. |
August 18th, 2015 BLUE RAIDER CAMP UPDATE: TOP FIVE SURPRISES OF FALL PRACTICE by Connor Grott (GBR Beat Writer)  Camp Insider has provided frequent updates throughout fall camp in an effort to highlight every important detail about the progress of the Blue Raiders. Now it’s time to compile all of those updates into a list of the five most intriguing players to this point of MT’s 2015 fall camp. This list is comprised of players that have made adjustments to a new position, or are newcomers that should be watched closely as camp moves onward. 5. Josh Chester: The redshirt junior offensive lineman has made the switch from right guard to center over the course of this offseason. He started eight games at guard and only four at center during the 2014 season. And he has certainly been successful in his adjustment to the center position which can be attested to his inclusion on the Rimington Watch List. He has been a leader and anchor of the unit all camp and I expect him to continue his growth as camp rolls toward the opener. A question is also raised about who will replace his vacated spot at right guard. Right now, there is a competition between junior Daniel Stephens and senior Jaylen Hunter for the open spot. Nonetheless, Chester still remains one of the anchors of the offensive line, along with senior Darius Johnson. 4. Jocquez Bruce: Bruce originally enrolled at Tennessee this June as a blueshirt recruit. The receiver then made the decision to attend MT where he enrolled right when MT’s fall camp was beginning. He has flashed his athleticism and ability to make difficult catches numerous times during fall camp, and his route running has fooled a fair amount of defenders. When looking at how to utilize him, the Blue Raiders have a good problem on their hands. MT has a solid group of receivers in the likes of Christian Collis, Ed Batties, Richie James, Demetrius Frazier and Jevontey Smith, to name a few. Bruce also is still learning the playbook as he has continued to alternate in and out of the slot during practice. How the Blue Raiders will use Bruce remains a mystery. But, if the wide out can learn offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner’s playbook, the sky is the limit for him. 3. Terry Pettis: Here is another player who is also going through a positional switch for the Blue Raiders. Pettis has gradually been making the switch from receiver to tight end over the offseason. His role on the team will not change much compared to last season, other than the fact he will have his hand in the ground a little more. Pettis has had a seamless transition from wide out to tight end and it has been reflected with his play in camp. His pass catching ability has improved tremendously from last season as well, so it will be interesting to see how Faulkner will utilize the hands and size of his improved 6-foot-5 tight end. 2. Sean Smith: Perhaps the most improved player this offseason on the offensive side of the ball has been Smith. The freshman tight end took a redshirt in the 2014 season, so the 2015 season marks the first year of substantial playing time for him. And it looks like he is running with the opportunity so far in fall camp. Being a 6-foot-7 target for quarterbacks Austin Grammer and Brent Stockstill, it’s hard to miss Smith. He knows how to use his large frame and his hands are a perfect complement to his size. Much like Pettis, it will be intriguing to see how Faulkner uses his big target. Two tight-end sets may be more common in his scheme this season, especially in the red zone. 1. Jeremy Cutrer: The addition of Cutrer, aka “Bones”, is undoubtedly the biggest acquisition for the Blue Raiders this fall. Coming into camp virtually unknown to everyone, he has proven time and again how versatile he is at the cornerback position. The 6-foot-2, 170-pound junior transferred to MT this fall from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College after he originally committed to LSU. He is one of three players on the Blue Raiders that arrived from MGCCC, joining linebackers Trey Wafford and Cavellis Luckett, both of whom arrived in the 2014 season. He has earned the praise of his coaches and teammates throughout camp due to his stellar play and understanding of the defensive playbook so quickly. It’s hard to imagine Cutrer not being in the starting lineup when Jackson State comes to town Sept. 5. |
| August 18th, 2015 OFF THE FIELD WITH CHRISTIAN COLLIS by Eric Beovich  Q: What is your favorite Emoji? Why? A: I want to say probably the money emoji. I know money’s not everything, but I do like a lot of money. [Laughing…] Q: Who is the most interesting person you follow on Twitter? Why? A: Wow, that’s a good one. It might be the Future Blue 2016 (@FutureBlue2016) account. Q: What’s the last movie you have seen in a theatre? A: Jurassic World 3D. Q: What did you think about it? A: It was pretty good. I haven’t seen a Jurassic Park movie in like 10 years, but it was nice. Q: What was your favorite part? A: I think my favorite part was when buddy had to jump down and talk to the little dinosaurs and they were actually listening to him. Q: Who would you put on the cover of Madden? Why? A: Antonio Brown, without a doubt. Great route runner and clutch. Q: Is he your favorite receiver? A: Yeah, and I’m biased because I’m a Steelers fan. Q: What is Coach Stockstill’s favorite saying? A: It’ll have to be either YAW-YAW or E.A.T..T. Q: You want to tell me about what one of those means to you? A: Well YAW-YAW is You Are Who You Associate With. That’s something he tries to instill in us very early on. It just means if you hang out with good people good things will happen, and if you hang out with bad people or a bad crowd you may eventually do bad things. Q: If we came to your house for dinner, what would you prepare? A: Aw, man. I’ll whip up some good rotisserie chicken for y’all, some green beans, and then maybe some cornbread, you know some good ole soul food. Q: What hidden talent do you have that few people know? A: I don’t know if I really have any, but I am pretty good at video games. I try to play some in my spare time. Q: Which one do you think you’re best at? A: Right now I would say Mortal Kombat. I don’t think anybody on this team could beat me at Mortal Kombat. Q: What is your dream job and why? A: Well obviously, my dream job would be to go to the NFL, but if I don’t do that, I want to work for ESPN or another big media company and do some web design. Q: If EA Sports came out with an NCAA Football game this year, what would your rating be? A: I would rate myself maybe 85 at the highest. Anywhere between 80 and 85. I got a lot of stuff to work on. Q: What would your best attribute be? A: Strength and jumping. I feel like I can jump pretty good and I’m pretty strong. Q: What is your favorite place in Murfreesboro? A: O’Charley’s. I like their food. Q: What is your favorite place on campus? A: Right here. Floyd Stadium. Q: What do you like about being in Floyd Stadium? A: Just the atmosphere. I love the crowd. I love everything about it. I’ve been here for four years and I wouldn’t take any of it back for anything. I love this place. The way it’s setup, the fans and everything. |
August 17th, 2015 DAY TWELVE OBSERVATIONS by Connor Grott (GBR Beat Writer)  Following the eleventh day of fall practice, here are a few observations that stood out as camp continues to move towards Game Week on Aug. 31. Weather has an effect Monday morning’s practice was the first to be effected by inclement weather this fall. A steady amount of rain was coming down as players got back on the practice field after Fan Day yesterday afternoon. The rain had an obvious effect as the ball was a little hard to handle at times. The mistakes were few and far between, though, which was a positive given the amount of rain Floyd Stadium absorbed. Quarterbacks looked great One positive that I could see even with the torrential downpour was Austin Grammer and Brent Stockstill. Mistakes were common with the rain, but for the most part Grammer and Stockstill made their throws and, at times, seemed oblivious to the rain. Stockstill and Grammer connected on their deep passes today, which has been a focus for the two quarterbacks through camp. Some passes were a little short, but Grammer and Stockstill didn’t really miss any intermediate or deep targets during today’s practice. Running backs highlight of today The three-headed monster of Jordan Parker, Jeremiah Bryson and Shane Tucker showed how potent they can be today. Parker and Bryson each showed off their lateral quickness and strength, even with the soggy turf. The standout in the backfield today, though, was Tucker. Tucker had a few runs that captured my eye throughout practice, highlighted by a terrific run down the right sideline that saw him evade defenders with ease. The run would have gone for about 40 yards in an actual game, and it certainly showed off his nimble feet. Tucker, much like the other running backs, has had a great camp to this point and his hustle and effort on every drill during today’s practice reinforced how solid he’s been. Receiver update Receivers Christian Collis and Demetrius Frazier managed to work through the bad weather to have great practices today. Collis made a handful of catches that were amplified in difficulty due to the rain coming down. Frazier also showed off his hands today with some nice grabs. The redshirt junior receiver displayed his speed on an end around down the left sideline that amounted to a 45-yard gain. Drops were common today between all receivers, who began to take their wet gloves off as the practice progressed. Overall, though, the receivers and tight end group had stellar days to close out the eleventh day of fall practice. |
August 17th, 2015 OFF THE FIELD WITH BRENT STOCKSTILL by Eric Beovich  Q: What is your favorite Emoji? Why? A: Smiley face. You always have to have a smile on your face. Q: Who is the most interesting person you follow on Twitter? Why? A: Probably my teammates. They’re just funny and fun to follow. I don’t really follow anyone out of the ordinary. Q: What’s something recent you’ve seen from one of your teammates on Twitter that stands out to you? A: Alex Dale, one of our corners, he’s always posting funny stuff. In the training room one time he tweeted some funny things. Q: What’s the last movie you have seen in a theatre? A: Southpaw. It was outstanding. Q: What was your favorite part? A: I liked the whole thing. The boxing part of it was probably my favorite, though. Q: Who would you put on the cover of Madden? Why? A: Tom Brady. He’s the best quarterback there is. Q: What is Coach Stockstill’s favorite saying? A: “Be first class in everything you do.” Q: If we came to your house for dinner, what would you prepare? A: I’m not a very good cook so I would probably grill for you. We could have anything that you want on the grill. Q: What hidden talent do you have that few people know? A: I don’t really have a hidden talent. I like to play golf, though. Q: What do you usually shoot? A: Probably somewhere around 80. Q: What is your dream job and why? A: To be a college football coach. I’ve been around it my whole life and it’s been my dream since I was little. I just love college football. Q: What is your favorite place in Murfreesboro? A: The Boulevard. It’s my favorite restaurant. Q: What is your favorite place on campus? A: The weight room. Q: Why do you like being in the weight room? A: Because we have the best strength coach in the country and I love being around him. |
August 15th, 2015 RHODES EXPECTS 'DOMINATION' FROM DEFENSIVE LINE by Connor Grott (GBR Beat Writer)  Back in 2013, MT defensive end Steven Rhodes was at the forefront of national media outlets after being ruled ineligible by the NCAA. Rhodes, who served five years with the Marines before arriving at MT, was eventually granted full eligibility after the NCAA changed its ruling. Now, as the 2015 season opener against Jackson State on Sept. 5 quickly approaches, Rhodes and the Blue Raider defensive line want to create headlines based on their dominating play. “The expectation is to dominate everybody that’s across the line from us,” Rhodes said about MT’s defensive line. “We’re really coming together. We’re growing and maturing, and getting a good chemistry between us.” Rhodes, an upcoming junior who started five games last season, is going to see his leadership role on the defensive line expand following the departure of seniors Leighton Gasque and Shubert Bastien. Even with the losses of Gasque and Bastien, the Blue Raiders welcome back a significant amount of its depth from the 2014 season. MT returns five players from last year who started at least one game. One of those returners is Rhodes, who finished with 24 tackles, two sacks and a team-high six hurries during his sophomore season. Redshirt senior defensive tackle Pat McNeil also returns after tallying 15 tackles and one sack in 11 starts last season. “Steven Rhodes and Pat McNeil both have shown tremendous leadership,” defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix said. “Both of them have us going in the right direction.” Across from Rhodes will be redshirt senior defensive end Alexandro Antoine, who has had a healthy fall camp after missing spring practice. Antoine started seven games last season and finished with 14 tackles before going down with a knee injury that kept him out of spring drills this year. “As far as leadership goes on the defensive line, it’s pretty much between me, Steven Rhodes and Antoine,” McNeil said. “We’re pretty much the older guys and we have a lot of experience. We set the tone for practice every day, and we just want to execute and perfect the things we’ve been working on.” Alongside McNeil will be junior defensive tackle Shaquille Huff, who will return as the leading tackler on the defensive line. Huff registered 28 tackles and two sacks after starting all 12 games in 2014. Junior Jimal McBride rounds out the returning Blue Raiders who started at least one game. McBride saw action in all 12 games but garnered just one start. He finished with 25 tackles last season, only ranking behind Huff’s mark of 28 tackles for a returning defensive lineman. “We feel like we’re really athletic up front,” Nix said. “So we’re going to do a lot of different things with them. All in all, we’re happy with the way they are moving around.” The returns of those players, along with key role players Chris Hale, Raynard Felton and Derious Bennett, show the depth of this unit and the potential to dominate in the 2015 season. Which is exactly what Rhodes wants. “I expect nothing but domination from all of us.” |
August 15th, 2015 OFF THE FIELD WITH J'VONTE HERROD by Eric Beovich Q: What is your favorite Emoji? Why? A: It would be the football emoji, of course. Every time I see a football emoji, the new school one and the old school one, it just makes me think of my grandfather. Q: Who is the most interesting person you follow on Twitter? Why? A: The most interesting person I follow on Twitter would have to be Tyrann Mathieu. He’s just an outstanding cornerback and everything he goes through he displays that on Twitter. Q: What’s the last movie you have seen in a theatre? A: Jurassic World. Q: How was it? A: Amazing. Best movie by far. Q: Do you have a favorite part from the movie? A: When they thought Blue was dead and he came back out of nowhere and rescued them. Q: Who would you put on the cover of Madden? Why? A: I’ll stick with Odell Beckham. He’s one of my favorite wide receivers. Q: What is Coach Stockstill’s favorite saying? A: Be mentally tough. Have good focus. Q: If we came to your house for dinner, what would you prepare? A: I’m a fan of lasagna so I could make some good lasagna for y’all, or have my parents make it. [Laughing…] Q: What hidden talent do you have that few people know? A: I can play basketball a little bit. When I say that a lot of people say “oh that’s a big dude to be playing basketball,” but I really can play a little bit. Q: Are you a shooter or a slasher? A: Both. I admire LeBron’s game so I try to do what he does. Q: What is your dream job and why? A: I always wanted to be a history teacher. I was fascinated by the wars and the dust bowl and everything. I always got straight A’s in it. It’s real fun. Q: What is your favorite place in Murfreesboro? A: Oh, Cook-Out. It’s a nice place to be. Q: What is your favorite place on campus? A: On campus, my favorite place, I would have to say the JUB (James Union Building). Q: What do you like about the JUB? A: When you go in the JUB they show you a whole bunch of love. When you go eat everything is fresh and delicious. It’s like going to a restaurant. |
August 14th, 2015 DAY NINE OBSERVATIONS by Connor Grott (GBR Beat Writer)  Friday morning marked the ninth practice of MT’s fall camp. It was also the first live scrimmage of fall camp as players were full speed through the entire day. Following Friday’s scrimmage, here are a few observations that stood out as camp continues to move towards Game Week on Aug. 31. Cutrer continuing to impress Another day of practice and it was another solid performance by defensive back Jeremy Cutrer. The very first play of the scrimmage saw Cutrer execute a corner blitz to perfection, leading to what would have been a sack and fumble. He also displayed great tackling technique after Jeremiah Bryson tried to spin around him, but a nice wrap-up prevented any extra yardage off the spin move. After talking with MT coach Rick Stockstill, “Bones” is picking up the playbook quickly in only his ninth day of being with the team. It was evident as Cutrer saw increased reps with the first team, and he certainly made the most of it. Tight ends will be valuable weapons Junior Terry Pettis and freshman Sean Smith showed why they will be heavily utilized this season, especially in the red zone. The big-bodied targets each had a score during Friday’s scrimmage. Brent Stockstill connected with Terry Pettis on a score in the red zone, and Austin Grammer threw a strike to Sean Smith from nine yards out for a touchdown. The overwhelming size of that duo, and with the entire tight end group, will be a tough task for opposing teams to match up with. Kicking game Cody Clark was the only kicker to convert a field goal try Friday morning. Clark finished 1-for-2 on the day after making a 45-yard field goal and missing a 46-yarder later on. Canon Rooker has had a good camp to this point, but took a slight step back after going 0-for-2 with both misses coming from 46 yards out. Rooker made eight of his nine tries during yesterday’s practice. Running backs have perfect balance Jordan Parker was the only running back to score during today’s scrimmage after he jumped over the pile for a goal line touchdown. But he wasn’t the only impressive back on the day. Shane Tucker and Jeremiah Bryson had nice, physical runs to pick up tough yardage. Sophomore Kamani Thomas made a few runs that impressed as he recovers from last season’s injuries. The freshmen each showed off their speed and agility, especially Desmond Anderson and Ruben Garnett. Defenders struggled to get the freshmen to the ground at times. Overall, the running back group has remained consistent and primarily healthy, with the latter being the most important. Pass rush is coming along After ranking ninth in C-USA last season with 25 sacks on the year, the Blue Raiders have put a bigger focus on generating pressure. During Friday’s scrimmage, it looked like that increased focus was paying off as the defense consistently created pressure in the backfield. Steven Rhodes continues to lead a defensive line that has a solid group of rotational players. The linebacker group, led by T.T. Barber, has a stout, and experienced, rotation of players as well that were causing havoc when blitzing or stopping the run. |
August 14th, 2015 MT LINEBACKERS WORKING AS 'BROTHERS' by Connor Grott (GBR Beat Writer)  It is ordinary for positional groups to share a close friendship with one another. Running backs are close with running backs. Linemen are close with linemen. But one positional unit for the Blue Raiders might share a bond that is stronger than most. Obviously, a team needs skilled players and the proper leadership under a coaching staff. One core element is not always factored into how successful a team is, though. Brotherhood. And the Blue Raiders’ group of linebackers have just that. “We’re working hard and giving our full effort,” senior linebacker Cavellis Luckett said. “Right now we’re playing hard and getting to the ball, and being with each other as brothers.” “We’re coming together as brothers.” It is easy to form a brotherhood like that after being teammates for such a long duration. Luckett and fellow senior linebacker Trey Wafford played together at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College before transferring to the Blue Raiders in 2014. Other seniors such as T.T. Barber and James Roberson are currently going into their fourth season of playing alongside each other. “We expect leadership from them and a standard of work ethic and accountability,” defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix said. “If those guys can set a great example, it not only helps our team out but it helps these young guys see the way it’s supposed to be done.” Barber is at the heart of this group after leading the Blue Raiders in tackles the past two seasons. The Colquitt, Georgia, native finished with 72 tackles last season, which has led to a spot on the 2015 Preseason First Team All-C-USA list. “We try to rejoice when any player makes a play, and T.T. [Barber] is a very unselfish guy,” Nix added. “If he makes a play, great. If his teammate makes a play, great. All in all, he wants the Blue Raiders to be good.” The senior trio of Wafford, Luckett and Roberson played in all 12 games last year, and will certainly step into critical leadership roles this season. The three linebackers combined for 135 total tackles in the 2014 season. MT will welcome junior transfer Myles Harges to the team. Harges, who transferred from Itawamba Community College in Mississippi, racked up 73 tackles and seven sacks during his sophomore campaign. The Blue Raiders also return redshirt junior Anfornee Stewart and sophomore D.J. Sanders this season, and both will likely see extended playing time. “I like the linebacker core we have right now,” Barber said. “[Wafford], Luckett, [Harges], [Roberson], all the people that are pretty much rotating in, have impressed me. The freshmen and new guys are coming along. They’re doing pretty well and those guys are really showing me stuff.” Combine the cohesive group of senior linebackers with the younger talent coming in, and you get a balance that the Blue Raiders are perfectly content with. “Right now, we’re probably ahead of schedule,” Nix said. “But you don’t find out for sure until you get into a game-type situation. Right now, though, we feel real good about where we are at this stage of camp.” |
August 14th, 2015 OFF THE FIELD WITH JEVONTEY SMITH by Eric Beovich  Q: What is your favorite Emoji? Why? A: The one that’s sticking it’s tongue out. It’s just different. Q: Who is the most interesting person you follow on Twitter? Why? A: Randall Cobb from the Green Bay Packers. He’s a receiver so I feed off of stuff that he says. He talks about how receivers think and stuff like that. Q: What’s the last movie you have seen in a theatre? A: Focus with Will Smith. It was a good movie. Q: What was your favorite part? A: When they were at a game and they were playing a guessing game. At the end Will Smith told him to guess any number on the field and he guessed the number Will Smith knew he was going to guess. At the game, everywhere around him they had shown that number. Q: Who would you put on the cover of Madden? Why? A: Calvin (Johnson). He’s the best receiver in the NFL. Q: What is Coach Stockstill’s favorite saying? A: Effort. Relentless effort. Q: If we came to your house for dinner, what would you prepare? A: I’ll give you some soul food. I would cook greens, fried chicken, macaroni, cornbread, all that. Q: What hidden talent do you have that few people know? A: I write. Like poems and stuff like that. I do that on my off time. Q: What is your dream job and why? A: If the NFL doesn’t work, I want to be an aerospace engineer. It’s mechanics. I know how to work on cars but I want to get into something bigger like airplanes and stuff like that. Q: What is your favorite place in Murfreesboro? A: Bar Louie on Tuesdays. Q: Why is that? A: $1.00 burgers and they are about this big. [Holding up hands to show how big the burgers are…] Q: What is your favorite place on campus? A: You could say JUB (James Union Building) in the mornings and on Wednesdays for the fried chicken. |
August 13th, 2015 DAY EIGHT OBSERVATIONS by Connor Grott (GBR Beat Writer)  Following the eighth day of fall practice, here are a few observations that stood out as camp continues to move towards Game Week on Aug. 31. Special teams takes priority As announced after Wednesday’s practice, today was going to have a heavy emphasis on special teams work. Players were back in full pads after coming out in helmets and shorts yesterday. The first hour of practice was purely dedicated to the special teams unit. Referees from different conferences were also involved in today’s special team’s work. After talking with one of the referees, MT’s kickoff coverage unit would have been flagged a few times for off-sides early in the drill. Towards the end, though, he said they had gotten much better about staying on-sides. Clark and Rooker Redshirt junior Cody Clark and redshirt sophomore Canon Rooker each saw a lot of work during live and dead periods of their field goal scrimmage. Both kickers attempted field goals from distances between 24 and 48 yards, and alternated between live and dead plays. During the scrimmage, Clark converted six of his nine field goal tries, and Rooker connected on eight of his nine tries. Confident Collis It seems the longer camp goes on, the better receiver Christian Collis gets. Collis had another solid day after he made a handful of highlight reel catches. In 1-on-1 drills, the redshirt senior rose up over a defender to make a back-of-the-endzone touchdown after a nice toe drag. The Opelika, Alabama, native also made a great move on cornerback Chris Brown during 1-on-1 drills after the two had been playfully jawing back and forth. Collis made a nice move on him on a hitch route, scoring a would-be touchdown after getting some good separation. “Bones” It’s hard not to talk about junior transfer Jeremy Cutrer’s progress during camp every day. The 6-foot-2 corner, who is listed at 170 pounds on the roster, has earned the nickname “Bones” due to his slight frame. Cutrer plays anything like it, though, as he showed his athleticism once more. Running back Shane Tucker made a reception on the left sideline, and in one swift motion, Cutrer jumped into Tucker, took the ball away from him and dashed the other way for a would-have-been touchdown. Defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix also experimented with Cutrer on special teams. Defensive Line showing its depth The defensive line’s day was pretty much highlighted by an outstanding move by redshirt junior Derious Bennett, who has been one of the more vocal guys on the defensive line. Bennett bull-rushed right through an offensive lineman during 1-on-1 drills, sending all of his defensive teammates into a collective frenzy. After talking with Coach Nix earlier in camp, the expectation out of this group is a solid rotation of guys that can remain fresh for four quarters. To this point in camp, this group of linemen that consists primarily of juniors and seniors could do just that. |
August 13th, 2015 OFF THE FIELD WITH DJ SANDERS by Eric Beovich Q: What is your favorite Emoji? Why? A: Probably the smiley face emoji that’s cheesin’. I like to smile. [Smiling real big…] Q: Who is the most interesting person you follow on Twitter? Why? A: Chad Johnson. He puts a lot of stuff on there, like “the frugal team.” Q: What’s the last movie you have seen in a theatre? A: Fast and Furious 7. Q: Any thoughts on the movie? A: Great movie. I loved it. Q: What did you like most about it? A: I liked the ending with the tribute to Paul Walker. Q: Who would you put on the cover of Madden? Why? A: Probably Cam Newton. I think he’s a good player. I feel like he’s going to have a good year this year, too. Q: What is Coach Stockstill’s favorite saying? A: “Win the day.” Q: What does that saying mean to you? A: Don’t worry about yesterday, don’t worry about tomorrow. Just win the day. Be the best you can today. Q: If we came to your house for dinner, what would you prepare? A: I can’t cook [Laughing…] so we would probably be having TV dinners or something. Q: What hidden talent do you have that few people know? A: I can play the drums. I barely ever do it but I know how to play them. Q: What is your dream job and why? A: Football-wise it’s to play in the NFL. But probably owning my own business with my brothers. Q: What is your favorite place in Murfreesboro? A: Probably Genghis Grill. Q: What is your favorite place on campus? A: The KUC (Keathley University Center). Q: What do you like about those two places? A: Both of them have good food. I really love to eat and I really love to eat a lot. |
August 12th, 2015 DAY SEVEN OBSERVATIONS by Connor Grott (GBR Beat Writer) Following the seventh day of fall practice, here are a few observations that stood out as camp continues to move towards Game Week on Aug. 31. Helmets and shorts Players got a small break from hitting as they came out in helmets and shorts today. It looked like the emphasis during today’s practice was making sure players knew their correct assignments rather than being physical. The Blue Raiders had been practicing in shells or full pads since Aug. 8. Safety first The safety duo of Kevin Byard and Xavier Walker continued to blow me away at practice. Byard has been a leader for this team throughout camp, and it’s because of his strong play. The senior safety made a play early in practice after jumping a route to intercept a pass. Walker, not being the one to be outdone, intercepted one of his own on a deep ball, one of three interceptions for him on the day. The 6-foot-4 senior has shown a fantastic ability to track down deep passes, and he obviously has the size to go over the top of any receiver. Chris Brown, and not the singer Cornerback Chris Brown has had a good fall camp as he makes the switch from safety to cornerback. From what I’ve seen, Brown has the speed and athleticism to stay with receivers. The main thing Brown has started to work on is getting his head around when the ball is in the air. He made some great plays while covering receiver Christian Collis, including a nice play to knock the ball out of the senior wide outs hands to force an incompletion on the right sideline. But, he has seen his share of growing pains in turning around when the ball is in the air, which was epitomized by a stellar Collis sideline catch for a touchdown. Barber showing emotion Much like Byard, senior linebacker T.T. Barber has had a spectacular camp to this point. The biggest thing I like out of Barber is the emotion he shows after making a play, even in helmets and shorts. Barber made a good read and picked off a pass that got the defense fired up during 11-on-11 drills. Improvements in pass rushing, run stopping and in coverage have all been displayed by Barber to this point. Focus on special teams MT’s practice started with a good amount of special teams work, and it also ended with a focus on special teams. Cody Clark and Canon Rooker each made some nice kicks today, especially during situational drills towards the end of practice. Clark and Rooker connected on field goals from about the 25-yard line. Wednesday’s practice ended with missed field goal returns from Byard. Special teams will also be a primary focus Thursday as the Blue Raiders will have a kicking scrimmage. |
August 12th, 2015 OFF THE FIELD WITH CARLOS JOHNSON by Eric Beovich  Q: What is your favorite Emoji? Why? A: The football emoji. Just because it’s a big part of my life, really. I see it every day. Q: Who is the most interesting person you follow on Twitter? Why? A: I’m not on Twitter, so… Q: What’s the last movie you have seen in a theatre? A: The Gallows, actually. Q: What did you think of it? A: It was pretty good! It was actually pretty scary. It was unexpected, really. Q: Who would you put on the cover of Madden? Why? A: For me, I’m a big Ravens fan so I’ll probably say Terrell Suggs. Q: What is Coach Stockstill’s favorite saying? A: Really our “E.A.T.T.” shirts. That’s the mentality we have every day. Q: Do you want to explain a little bit about what “E.A.T.T.” means to you? A: It just means to bring effort every day, have the right attitude, have toughness – have mental toughness and physical toughness being out here in full pads every day – and just try not to turnover the ball on offense and get turnovers on defense. Q: If we came to your house for dinner, what would you prepare? A: I would probably bake some chicken and make some macaroni and cheese and some greens. Q: What hidden talent do you have that few people know? A: I don’t really have any hidden talents [Laughing…] Q: What is your dream job and why? A: Other than playing football, it would probably be a TV analyst. I just like seeing those guys on TV. Q: Would you just want to cover football or any sports? A: I could do any sport. Q: What is your favorite place in Murfreesboro? A: Probably The Boulevard. Q: What is your favorite place on campus? A: The Student Union. Q: What do you like about those two places? A: They’re just great places to meet people and they have good food. |
August 12th, 2015 BLUE RAIDER BACKFIELD HOPING TO RUN WILD IN 2015 by Connor Grott (GBR Beat Writer)  If the past two seasons are any sign, MT’s group of running backs will be doing exactly what the Blue Raider mascot’s name indicates. Bolting towards the end zone with lightning speed. Looking back at the 2013 season, a good offensive line and an abundant amount of talent in the backfield helped propel MT’s running game to 199.3 yards per game – the Blue Raiders’ largest average since 2002 when the NFL duo of Dwone Hicks and ReShard Lee got the bulk of carries. In the 2014 season, MT raised the bar even higher by averaging a total of 213.8 yards per game to rank second in C-USA. Fast forward to MT’s 2015 campaign, where the backfield remains virtually the same since that 2013 season, and the expectations have skyrocketed. "We have seven guys on scholarship and I feel like all seven of them are pretty good,” offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner said. “Some of them are bigger and more physical and some of them are smaller and quicker, so each of them has a skill set we want to try to take advantage of.” The three-headed attack of senior Jordan Parker, senior Jeremiah Bryson and junior Shane Tucker return for the Blue Raiders. The trio of Parker, Bryson and Tucker were members of the 2013 and 2014 teams that boasted elite rushing attacks. “Me, Tucker and Parker have been together for a long time,” Bryson said. “We just feed off each other. If one of us breaks a long run, another one of us will come in and do the exact same thing, if not better. We talked as a group and our expectations are to be better than we were last year, which was a good year.” The Blue Raiders will be without a key member of those teams, though. MT lost speedster and last season’s leading rusher Reggie Whatley following his graduation. Whatley led the team with 767 rushing yards on 113 attempts, while finishing second with seven rushing touchdowns. Being a threat out of the backfield and on special teams, Whatley will be a tough loss for the Blue Raiders. “I don’t know if you can ever truly replace a guy like Reggie Whatley and the explosion he provided,” running backs coach Mike Polly said. “But, it’s going to have to be by committee. Everybody’s got to step up and take their opportunity and make the best of it.” Even with the loss of Whatley, though, the Blue Raiders return the aforementioned trio that accounted for 1,253 rushing yards and 16 of MT’s 31 rushing touchdowns in 2014. “I’ve been really impressed with Parker, Bryson and Tucker,” MT head coach Rick Stockstill said. “Those three guys really work hard every day. They compete and they don’t take a play off.” The problem with having so much depth in the backfield? “Any one of them can run any play in our playbook,” Faulkner said. “The biggest challenge is making sure some of those guys get ‘X’ amount of touches.” Historically, Faulkner has managed to divvy out the carries between each running back precisely, whether that has been handoffs or getting each involved in the passing game. Parker may be in line for the bulk of the carries after finishing second on the team with 546 rushing yards last year. The 6-foot-1 senior brings a talented skillset, but more importantly he’s going through this offseason healthier than in previous years. “My body feels really good so I think I could have a good year,” Parker said. “I just wanted to be healthy, and that’s what I was looking forward to this year and I am right now.” Bryson, who is also coming off a healthy spring, enters his senior year after having a solid 2014 campaign. The Smyrna, Tennessee, native tallied 221 yards on 42 carries for a solid 5.3 yards-per-carry average. He also finished with a career-high six touchdowns on the ground. Rounding out the Blue Raider trio is Tucker, who racked up 486 rushing yards to finish third on the team. The Memphis, Tennessee, native also led MT with eight rushing scores in 2014. “I’ve been working hard, and I’m just trying to set an example for the younger guys,” Tucker said. “With myself, I’ve just been trying to stay in shape, and I feel I’m in the best shape of my life.” Along with the other two running backs, Tucker presents a threat in the passing game. He ranked fourth for the Blue Raiders with 25 catches and 351 receiving yards, including four touchdowns. Regardless of which tailback gets more carries or touches, one thing remains certain. MT has another stable of running backs that might be considered the deepest in Conference-USA yet again. “I get happy when I see Parker and Tucker doing good because those are my brothers,” Bryson said. “We all know that we’re going to get our shares. It’s just about when you get your time, you need to make it your best. We’re deep and all three of us are pretty good and can make things happen.” |
| August 11th, 2015 BLUE RAIDER SECONDARY HIGHLIGHTED BY SAFETY DUO by Connor Grott (GBR Beat Writer) It’s no secret as to where the leadership lies in MT’s secondary at the conclusion of the Blue Raiders’ sixth practice of fall camp. It falls squarely on the safety combo of seniors Kevin Byard and Xavier Walker. Byard, who will be making his third consecutive appearance on the Jim Thorpe Watch List, has proven himself to be a ball hawk year after year. He led the team with six interceptions last season, and currently ranks second all-time at MT with 15 career picks. The Lithonia, Georgia, native also ranked fourth on the team with 66 tackles last season. “I just try to come out here every day and try to get better,” Byard said. “I don’t feel like you can ever stay the same. You can either come out and get better or get worse. So, I really try to push myself to keep working every day.” Walker, a 6-foot-4 senior from Duluth, Georgia, started all twelve games beside Byard last season. He finished third on the team with a career-best 67 tackles while also registering an interception. Walker has proven to be a valuable piece to this defense and a perfect complementary piece to Byard. His size and ability to track down the ball are signified by those high tackle numbers. The question that this group has going into the season is the leadership at the cornerback position, which MT coach Rick Stockstill has talked about throughout camp. Defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix has noticed as well, but says the work ethic from the players at the cornerback position is there. “At every position we have room for improvement, but it’s always the cornerback position for us,” Nix said. “The way those guys have worked this summer though, they may have been the hardest working group. That tells you about their character and commitment, and that they won’t be the weak link of the defense.” MT lost corners Khari Burke, Chris Sharpe, Keemem Berry and John Kelly from last season. The loss of Burke will, perhaps, hit the hardest as he started 10 games in the 2014 season. He finished with 41 tackles and ranked third in C-USA with 10 pass breakups. The Blue Raiders have two returning seniors at the cornerback position in Jared Singletary and Jamarcus Howard. Senior Jordan Frost-Dixon also returns, but he will be making the transition from corner to safety. With the loss of Burke and other role players at the corner position, Singletary has seemed to take on the leadership role that Stockstill wants. Singletary started all 12 games last season and tallied a career-high 53 tackles. “This offseason I really took it upon myself to push all the young and new guys from JUCO,” Singletary said. “I feel like we have a great group of guys that can come in and help us instantly. So, I’ve just been challenging these guys every day to not only push themselves, but to push me as well to be the best leader I can be.” Other returnees from the 2014 season include juniors Chris Brown, Alex Dale and Michael Minter. Brown has been in the process of switching from safety to cornerback during the offseason. “I think Chris Brown’s had a solid camp and Mike Minter’s been okay,” Stockstill said. “We’ve got some guys to choose from so we’ll see how they continue to work and see how they play and progress.” Much like the receivers group, the group of corners have talented transfer players arriving. Junior Dontavious Heard finished with 32 tackles and nine pass breakups in his sophomore season at Phoenix College, and has performed well in fall camp. Former LSU commit Jeremy Cutrer has also shown a skillset that will be valuable to the Blue Raiders. The 6-foot-2 corner was listed as the No. 2 JUCO safety and 25th overall prospect when he played at Mississippi Gulf Coast. “[Cutrer] is athletic and those guys are long, quick twitch guys,” cornerbacks coach Steve Ellis said. “They’re a feisty group of guys, both [Cutrer] and Dontavious Heard. The biggest thing is they’re both really athletic and they take it personal when they make mistakes.” |
August 11th, 2015 DAY SIX OBSERVATIONS by Connor Grott (GBR Beat Writer)  Following the sixth day of fall practice, here are a few observations that stood out as camp continues to move towards Game Week on Aug. 31. Tight ends standing out At times, the tight end group seems to literally stand out. The size of this group is gigantic, highlighted by the duo of 6-foot-7 freshman Sean Smith and 6-foot-5 junior Terry Pettis. Smith had another great day, most notably with his pass catching. Pettis had a couple of great catches also, capped off by a great catch on the right sideline during 11-on-11. Tyler Barron showed off his hands also, making some tough catches during 1-on-1 drills. “Steady Eddy” Senior receiver Ed Batties enjoyed his best day of camp to this point. Batties made a plethora of difficult catches, highlighted by a leaping catch over a defender for a touchdown during 1-on-1 drills. Batties hasn’t had a bad camp, but the great play of the other receivers has overshadowed Batties slightly to this point. It was great to see Batties have a day like this, as he really was catching every ball that came his way today. Defensive ends improving Steven Rhodes has been a terrific leader for this unit, mainly coming in his actions on the field. Rhodes continued his success yesterday with another great day in beating his man off the line of scrimmage. Rhodes and Alexandro Antoine are two of the obvious leaders of the defensive line, but one player continues to catch my eye coming off the edge. Junior defensive end Peter Bailey has shown flashes of being a good situational pass rusher for the Blue Raiders. Coupled with Chris Hale, this group looks like it has a good amount of depth as camp continues. QBs remain steady Day six has come and gone, and with it another good day for both Austin Grammer and Brent Stockstill. Grammer’s biggest miscue today came on an overthrown deep pass to Derek Barnes, who had burned his defender at the line of scrimmage. Other than that, Grammer and Stockstill both had tremendous days in putting short and intermediate throws where they needed to be. Situational Drills close out practice Coach Stockstill put the first and second units in a situational drill to conclude practice. Grammer and Stockstill were tasked with driving the offense down the field with 1:10 left on the clock, no timeouts and trailing by three. Grammer got the offense down to around the 10-yard line, where kicker Cody Clark drilled a field goal. Stockstill followed suit by getting the offense down to the 25-yard line, where Canon Rooker managed to connect on a long field goal try. The quarterbacks looked poised when driving down the field, and both kickers nailing their attempted field goals completed two solid possessions for the offense. |
August 11th, 2015 OFF THE FIELD WITH RICHIE JAMES by Eric Beovich Q: What is your favorite Emoji? Why? A: The laughing emoji with the tears. I just use it lot. I’ll always be laughing when I’m texting people. Q: Who is the most interesting person you follow on Twitter? Why? A: Man, that’s a good question. It’s got to be Coach Stock. It’s just the way he tweets, like the water hose tweets. I think he has some funny tweets. Q: What’s the last movie you have seen in a theatre? A: I went to go see Jurassic World, it was pretty good! Q: What was your favorite part of the movie? A: I liked when he stopped all of the velociraptors from attacking him in the cage. Q: Who would you put on the cover of Madden? Why? A: I’m going to go with my boy Amari Cooper. He’s going to be the rookie of the year. No, I won’t really go with Amari. It’s got to be Odell (Beckham Jr.). He’s repping the wide receivers right now. Q: What is Coach Stockstill’s favorite saying? A: He’s got a lot of sayings. He likes to say “You’re soft.” Let’s see what else. He’ll say “We’re tough, we’re a tough team.” He also likes to tell us we’re “a bunch of water hose drinkers.” Q: If we came to your house for dinner, what would you prepare? A: I have to go with macaroni & cheese, some greens, and fried chicken. That’s just something I like to cook. Q: What hidden talent do you have that few people know? A: I can flip for days. I can do a lot of backflips and front flips. I can do one right now! [Takes a step back and does backflip in full pads…] Q: What is your dream job and why? A: I want to be a CEO of a big company. I couldn’t tell you any names though. Just because I want to make my way and work for myself. I’m a finance major so I will be able to do a lot with that. Q: What is your favorite place in Murfreesboro? A: To eat or anything? I’d have to say Zaxby’s. I don’t know what it is, I just really like Zaxby’s. Q: What is your favorite place on campus? A: Most of the time I go hang out in the KUC (Keathley University Center). |
August 10th, 2015 DAY FIVE OBSERVATIONS by Connor Grott (GBR Beat Writer)  Following the fifth day of fall practice, here are a few observations that stood out as camp continues to move Game Week on Aug. 31. All geared up Monday morning’s practice marked the first day of full pads for the Blue Raiders. Practice began a little early in another effort to beat any potential weather issues (people have no idea exactly how much time Coach Stockstill spends tracking the weather radar). The day consisted of 22 periods, with only one of those periods going live and full tackle. Towards the beginning of practice, players also had the opportunity to get some work in during “Oklahoma” drills for the first time in camp. The intensity by the players was there today, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Keeping up the pressure There were a couple of moments during today’s live period where MT’s pass rush and inside penetration showed glimpses of its potential. Senior linebacker T.T. Barber made a great play after bull rushing his way through the offensive line to blow up a running play. Alexandro Antoine followed suit by beating his man off the line of scrimmage and bringing down Jeremiah Bryson in the backfield. In regards to pass rush, Grammer and Stockstill were continually forced from the pocket. Steven Rhodes seems to be improving daily with his explosiveness and strength off the snap, as he was consistently causing havoc in the backfield during the live period. Running backs running away Jordan Parker remains the running back that the Blue Raiders want him to be. Parker has displayed the best of both worlds to this point in camp. Parker has great hands coming out of the backfield, and his strength and speed remain equally as impressive. The 6-foot-1 senior hit the edge and burst through a hole on the left sideline, going for what would have been a 65-yard score. Shane Tucker and Jeremiah Bryson have also been impressive to this point. Tucker had a 30-yard gain on an option read that showed his shifty moves. Bryson’s footwork stands out the most, as the senior running back has seemed to emphasize one cut and then exploding up the field. Quarterbacks still working It was another good day for quarterbacks Austin Grammer and Brent Stockstill. Not much was seen in regards to deep throws, with the exception coming in a few overthrows during 1-on-1 drills. Grammer and Stockstill hit receivers in stride on their short and intermediate routes, but the more impressive part of their days came on the ground. Both signal callers practiced option read plays heavily for the first time in fall camp, leading to some nice runs by both quarterbacks. Grammer made a nice read on the left sideline, pitching the ball to Tucker for a decent chunk of yardage. Stockstill showed off his improving mobility with an option keeper that split two defenders down the left sideline for a big gain. Secondary continues to improve Specifically, MT’s group of cornerbacks have shown a great work ethic in trying to get better. MT head coach Rick Stockstill stated before fall camp that he was searching for leadership at the cornerback and receiver positions. Senior Jared Singletary has seemed to accept that challenge to this point as he tries to get the younger corners prepared in camp. Mike Minter has continually improved, along with Jeremy Cutrer, Dontavious Heard and converted cornerback Chris Brown. There has been a lot of change with this group over the offseason, but the athleticism and work ethic exists. |
August 10th, 2015 OFF THE FIELD WITH MIKE MINTER by Eric Beovich Q: What is your favorite Emoji? Why? A: Probably the one with the smirk face. Girls like it. [Laughs…] Q: Who is the most interesting person you follow on Twitter? Why? A: I’d probably have to say Richard Sherman. He posts a lot of pictures with good captions like “Iron sharpens iron.” Q: What’s the last movie you have seen in a theatre? A: It’s been a while since I’ve been to a movie. It was probably Equalizer. I went with the team. Q: What did you like about it? A: It was just a good movie. Anything with Denzel Washington is going to be a good movie. Q: Who would you put on the cover of Madden? Why? A: Cam Newton. He represents Atlanta real well. I idolize him coming from Atlanta myself. I know how hard it can be to get out of Atlanta. Q: What is Coach Stockstill’s favorite saying? A: “You have to do right off the field to do right on the field.” Q: If we came to your house for dinner, what would you prepare? A: Meatloaf. Mashed potatoes and probably corn for the sides. I like mashed potatoes with steak, meatloaf, anything really. Q: What hidden talent do you have that few people know? A: I can rap a little bit. I don’t record or anything, I try to stay away from that. Q: What is your dream job and why? A: Well the NFL is my dream job. That’s plan A. But if that doesn’t work out I want to be a marriage counselor and help people out with their marriage. Q: What is your favorite place in Murfreesboro? A: Home. I try to stay out of the scenes. I like to stay by myself and stay low-key. Q: What is your favorite place on campus? A: Probably the Student Union or the KUC (Keathley University Center). That’s mostly because of the food. I love to eat. |
August 10th, 2015 COLLIS, BATTIES LEAD YOUNG RECEIVERS by Connor Grott (GBR Beat Writer)  Regardless of who gets the start under center against Jackson State on Sept. 5, one thing is for certain. Austin Grammer, or Brent Stockstill, will have a talented but young group of receivers to work with. MT returns only two upcoming seniors from last year’s team in Christian Collis and Ed Batties. Batties finished with a team-high 45 receptions, 474 yards and three touchdowns. Collis tallied 13 catches, 79 yards and one score in three starts. “It’s up to me and Ed [Batties], the two seniors, to really motivate the young guys and bring them along,” Collis said. That will certainly be true after the Blue Raiders saw receivers Marcus Henry, Devin Clarke and Chris Perkins graduate following the 2014 season. By the end of last year, Henry led all receivers in both yards and touchdowns after accumulating 527 yards and four scores. He also finished second on the team with 40 receptions, trailing only Batties’ mark of 45 catches. Overall, the trio of Henry, Clarke and Perkins combined for 72 receptions, 991 yards and seven of MT’s 17 touchdowns through the air last season. Replacing that trio will not be easy, but the additions of receivers Jocquez Bruce and Rod Ducksworth, along with the returns of Collis, Batties, Richie James and Demetrius Frazier, may help facilitate a smooth transition. “We have high expectations for guys like Demetrius Frazier and Richie James,” offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner said. “We've got some guys on the outside like Ed [Batties] and Christian [Collis] who have played a lot for us that have to continue to get better. We also brought in a junior college transfer in Rod Ducksworth who has a lot of potential but needs to learn the offense.” Bruce, a freshman, was a late enrollee at MT after originally enrolling at Tennessee in June. He was a key component of South Doyle’s Class 5A state quarterfinals run in the 2014 season, compiling 1,381 yards rushing and 21 touchdowns after playing at running back, receiver and defensive back. James, a freshman who took a redshirt for the 2014 season, has already made significant strides heading into this season. He was named the most improved receiver following spring drills, and has continued that success throughout fall camp to this point. Ducksworth, a native of Taylorsville, Mississippi, is a JUCO transfer who started two seasons at Jones County. The upcoming junior receiver registered 50 receptions, 851 yards and seven touchdowns during his sophomore campaign. Frazier is the only non-senior who returns after seeing a large amount of playing time in the 2014 season. The redshirt junior played in all 12 games and started two of them, finishing with 15 catches and 165 yards. Redshirt junior Terry Pettis returns to the Blue Raiders, but he made the switch from receiver to tight end over the course of this offseason. "My expectations are very high on those guys,” Faulkner added. “We've got some inexperienced young guys that you'll see play a lot. I think they are highly competitive kids.” Growing pains are to be expected, especially with the arrival of new receivers coach Kodi Burns. Burns, who played quarterback and receiver at Auburn from 2007 to 2010, was an offensive graduate assistant for the Tigers during the 2013 season. Even with the addition of Burns and the youth of the Blue Raiders’ receivers, the expectations remain the same for them. "Every position has to get better at something,” Faulkner said. “The biggest thing is the lack of playing time that the wide receivers have had. Making plays when the ball is in the air is what has to happen.” |
August 9th, 2015 DAY FOUR OBSERVATIONS by Connor Grott (GBR Beat Writer)  Following the fourth day of fall practice, here are a few observations that stood out as camp continues to move forward. - Today’s practice marked the last day of shells as players prepare to come out in full pads tomorrow morning. It was evident that players were already looking forward to going out in full pads after another physical practice Sunday afternoon. T.T. Barber’s physicality carried over from yesterday’s practice, which saw him deliver a big hit on running back Jordan Parker. The defensive line, led by Steven Rhodes, exhibited its own physicality with a great pass rush during 11-on-11 drills. - Quarterbacks Austin Grammer and Brent Stockstill had good and bad moments during Sunday’s practice as they alternated between the first and second team. Both quarterbacks struggled to complete deep passes early on, eventually leading to offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner yelling out “0-for-3” after a third pass sailed over a receiver’s head. Grammer threw his first interception of camp during 1-on-1 drills, but it wasn’t necessarily his fault. Tight end Tyler Barron did not run a solid route, leading to an easy interception by safety Xavier Walker. Grammer and Stockstill each had their share of bright spots, though. Grammer delivered a few strikes into the middle of the field, one going to Ty Clemons that would have been a touchdown. Stockstill did the same thing, throwing a bullet to Rod Ducksworth between multiple defenders that would have counted as a score. - As a whole, the receiver group looked like it had its best day today. A lot of talking was happening between the receivers and defensive backs group, which is certainly typical. The main take away from that talking was the response by the receivers after getting shut down on earlier plays. Senior Christian Collis was a prime example of this after seeing himself get locked down by newcomer Jeremy Cutrer on a nice play. Collis responded the next time around during 1-on-1 drills by beating Cutrer off the line and making a terrific sideline catch. - Joc Bruce and Richie James had solid days today, which has been a common theme through the fourth day of camp. Bruce showed off his footwork during 1-on-1 drills after freezing a defender, leading to an over-the-shoulder grab that would have been a touchdown. James continues to make defenders miss in open space after making catches, something that is valuable to an offense like this. The slot position looks to be in good shape, regardless of who gets more playing time against Jackson State. - The tight end group showed flashes of its potential today, most notably in Sean Smith. Smith is a 6-foot-7, 238 pound redshirt freshman, who could potentially be a complementary piece to redshirt junior and recently converted tight end Terry Pettis. Smith hasn’t particularly had a standout camp, but the athleticism and size is there. One play saw Smith make a great leaping catch over the middle of the field, while absorbing a good amount of contact at the same time. Smith is still a freshman and has displayed that youth at times, but looks to be headed in the right direction. |
August 9th, 2015 OFF THE FIELD WITH STEVEN RHODES by Connor Grott (GBR Beat Writer) Q: What is your favorite Emoji? Why? A: I don’t really use emoji’s, but I’d have to say a smiley face to always be positive. [Brent Stockstill overhears …] Q: Brent just said the American flag. Would it be the American flag if you did use emoji’s? A: If I did, yeah, probably so. [Laughs …] Q: Who is the most interesting person you follow on Twitter? Why? A: I’m not really on Twitter. I’m on there and I have a profile, but I’m not really on there, man. Maybe Ray Lewis, though. The passion, leadership, emotion...he brings all of the ingredients to the game. Q: What’s the last movie you have seen in a theatre? A: Fast and Furious 7, maybe. I’ve seen something after that but I can’t think of what it is. Q: Who would you put on the cover of Madden? Why? A: That’s a tough one. I’m trying to think of some defensive ends that I like. Probably Julius Peppers. He’s a beast, and that’s somebody I strive to be like, as far as my game and my intensity. Q: What is Coach Stockstill’s favorite saying? A: “Win the Day.” It means forget about yesterday. Come out and prove it again. Be better than you were yesterday. Q: If we came to your house for dinner, what would you prepare? A: It would probably be something on the grill. Probably some steak, you know. I’d fix some macaroni and cheese and some mashed potatoes, maybe. [Laughs …] Q: What hidden talent do you have that few people know? A: I have the faith of a mustard seed. It’s a seed that’s very small, but it grows into one of the biggest plants. My faith is strong. That’s the thing that’s really got me to where I am now, my faith in the Lord. Q: What is your dream job and why? A: Playing in the NFL. I can make that happen by going out here and busting my tail every day. Beating the man across from me. Q: What is your favorite place in Murfreesboro? What is your favorite place on campus? A: My favorite place in Murfreesboro is Genghis Grill. I just love to eat, and it’s good food. My favorite place on campus is the locker room, because that’s where I’m at all the time other than class. |
August 8th, 2015 MT OFFENSIVE LINE LOOKING TO GEL BEFORE OPENER by Connor Grott (GBR Beat Writer)  The Blue Raiders’ offensive line has seen a fair amount of change compared to last season. One change that can immediately be seen is the size of the offensive line, especially in the incoming freshmen. “I’m excited about some of those freshmen,” offensive line coach Geep Wade said. Freshmen linemen Josh Fannin, Chandler Brewer, Jonathan Roth and DeAndre Ford are the newcomers of the group. Fannin and Brewer both came into camp weighing 310 pounds each, with the latter standing at 6-foot-6. Roth comes in at 6-foot-5, 280 pounds, and Ford enters camp at a whopping 6-foot-6, 378 pounds. The size of those upcoming freshmen will mix with players that will look to improve upon last season. Senior and offensive line leader Darius Johnson returns as the anchor to this unit. Redshirt junior center Josh Chester will also share the leadership duties as he looks to improve on his sophomore campaign. Johnson will make the switch from tackle to guard this season. Chester, who started eight games at guard and only four games at center last season, will now permanently man the center position. On the offensive line, MT lost Isaiah Anderson, Patrick Hughes and Jonah Sells. Anderson, who was a Second Team All-C-USA selection and started all 12 games last season, was the most costly of those losses. Even with the loss of Anderson, though, the personnel that helped lead MT to the second highest yards per game on the ground in C-USA last season remains virtually the same. “My first year here we had a bunch of guys that played and we lost them all,” Wade said. “Last year was the year nobody really played, so it took us awhile to figure it out.” “I know we will build upon that.” As far as the tackle positions go, the Blue Raiders will now be leaning on redshirt freshman Carlos Johnson and redshirt junior Maurquice Shakir. Johnson took a redshirt in 2014, along with Shakir, who is a transfer from Santa Monica College. At the right guard position, junior Daniel Stephens will compete with redshirt senior Jaylen Hunter for the starting gig. Stephens started in ten games last season, playing on 760 snaps to rank fourth out of the offensive linemen. Hunter played in eight games, starting three of them, while playing 309 total snaps. “We have one goal and that’s to be the best,” Wade said. “We have enough depth to be that. My first year, two years ago, I thought we could take over games at times. Last year, I didn’t have that feeling one time. This year, I hope we have it again. Only time will tell.” Day Three Observations Following the third day of fall practice, here are a few observations that stood out as camp continues to move forward. - Players came out in shells for today’s practice and the physicality was there, even in helmets and shoulder pads. Players were going full speed for a majority of the day, culminating in a massive hit by T.T. Barber on Jordan Parker in 11-on-11 drills. The first day of full pads is still scheduled for Monday, and if Saturday afternoon’s practice is any indication, the physicality will definitely increase. - The offensive line came out, perhaps, with the most physicality. Josh Chester looked impressive during hip and hand drills. Overall, the offensive line held their blocks during 11-on-11 team drills, which led to some impressive runs by the running back group. - Quarterback-wise, Austin Grammer and Brent Stockstill each had a few miscues, but had good days. Grammer overthrew a few receivers that nearly turned into interceptions. Stockstill was the first out of the two quarterbacks to throw an interception, as defensive back Chris Brown made a great diving play to pick off Stockstill. - Richie James and Joc Bruce had solid days, showing off their footwork and route running during 1-on-1 drills. James made some nice moves in getting early separation, along with Bruce. Both receivers continue to improve their release, and the hands of both receivers continue to shine. |
August 8th, 2015 OFF THE FIELD WITH JOSH CHESTER by Connor Grott (GBR Beat Writer) Q: What is your favorite Emoji? Why? A: Probably the smirk face. [Laughs …] I don’t know, it’s just the way you would add it to something to be, kind of, facetious about something. Q: Who is the most interesting person you follow on Twitter? Why? A: Oh, probably…that’s tough. I’d have to say Austin Grammer, just because he’s always tweeting about something. Or Alex Dale. Actually, make Austin second. Alex Dale is No. 1. He loves the sports quotes and everything, and just always gives his two cents about everything. Q: What’s the last movie you have seen in a theatre or at home? A: I just watched Ted the other night. I also watched Pirates of the Caribbean, the third one. Q: Who would you put on the cover of Madden? Why? A: You can’t go wrong with Andrew Luck. Definitely not Tom Brady now. [Laughs …] Yeah, probably Andrew Luck or Peyton [Manning] or some guy like that. Russell Wilson maybe, but definitely a QB though. Q: What is Coach Stockstill’s favorite saying? A: “Don’t be the guy running down the ramp, don’t be that guy.” Last minute like getting dressed in the locker room and about to come to meetings and stuff. Or the “YAW-YAW” speech. Q: What’s the “YAW-YAW” speech? A: “You Are Who You Associate With.” Yeah, that’s it. It’s usually the last day of camp when we get that speech. Q: If we came to your house for dinner, what would you prepare? A: I would probably say my dad’s grilled pork chops, some green beans, mashed potatoes or baked potatoes depending on what starch you want in there. Macaroni and cheese, for sure. Q: What hidden talent do you have that few people know? A: I don’t know, what you see is what you get, I guess. [Laughs …] I can whistle really loud but I don’t ever do it, so. Q: What is your dream job and why? A: I want to own real estate and rent houses, like flip houses in the market or something like that. Like a sales kind of job. Just because the rental market is very strong right now. And it’s not an easy job, but at the same time it’s just a good way to make money depending on how many houses you have. Q: What is your favorite place in Murfreesboro? What is your favorite place on campus? A: Go-USA or going to the driving range and just hanging out. In Murfreesboro and on campus, we really just hang out at people’s houses a lot. Just playing video games or just catching up. Q: Who won the rap beef between Drake and Meek Mill? A: Drake, no question. [Laughs …] You just can’t go after Drake when you’re Meek Mill, that’s just not how it goes. |
August 7th, 2015 DAY TWO OBSERVATIONS by Connor Grott (GBR Beat Writer) Following the second day of fall practice, here are five observations that stood out as camp continues to move forward. - Freshman receiver Joc Bruce took the practice field for the first time in his Blue Raider career Friday afternoon. Bruce transferred from Tennessee before fall camp began, and his skills were immediately showcased. Bruce did not take any snaps with Austin Grammer or Brent Stockstill, instead working with quarterbacks John Urzua and Nolan Genovese. One play saw the young wide out make a terrific one-handed catch over redshirt freshman linebacker Darius Harris. Bruce did make his fair share of mistakes though. At one point he lined up wrong, followed by an incorrect route on the next snap. Mistakes like that are typical on a player’s first day in a new offensive system. When Bruce can learn the playbook, his impact and role in the offense could expand. - Another newcomer had a solid day as junior defensive back Jeremy Cutrer made a number of impressive plays. Cutrer picked off quarterback John Urzua earlier in the practice after making a great move on the ball. The 6-foot-2 corner followed that up with a near interception of an overthrown Grammer pass that saw him use his athleticism on a diving play. Cutrer earned recognition by his teammates, including safety Kevin Byard, who said his play has been “impressive” the past couple of days. - Speaking of Byard, the redshirt senior’s play and unquestioned leadership is showing through in only the second day of camp. Byard was close to the action at all times during team drills and was vocal throughout the entire day, whether on the field or the sideline. With a group of cornerbacks consisting of extreme athleticism and talent but no leadership to this point, Byard has seemed to take on that leadership role more so than in previous years. - Offensively, the Blue Raiders had a good day but struggled with turnovers towards the end. Junior transfer Dontavious Heard forced a Jordan Parker fumble in the last round of team drills after Parker was running through a gap on the left side of the field. Senior linebacker James Roberson followed that with a forced fumble of his own after stripping Rod Ducksworth soon after making a reception. Individually speaking, Jevontey Smith had a great second day after displaying fluid footwork and hands. Earlier in the day, Smith ran a beautiful route that left senior cornerback Jared Singletary lying on the ground. - One of the bigger improvements for the Blue Raiders was inside the trenches. Senior Pat McNeil and the defensive line came out with a lot of energy during Friday’s practice, and it seemed to last for the duration . During a hands drill, McNeil struck the dummy hard enough to send his own mouthpiece flying across the field. Other players such as Chris Hale, Steven Rhodes and Peter Bailey showed off their explosiveness and strength throughout the day as well. |
August 7th, 2015 PAT MCNEIL: FIVE YEARS IN THE MAKING by Connor Grott (GBR Beat Writer) Redshirt senior Patrick McNeil has come a long way since he began his Blue Raider career way back in 2010. Originally from Mobile, Alabama, McNeil played for Davidson High School, registering 90 tackles, five sacks, 13 tackles for loss and five pass breakups in his senior season. Following his final season at Davidson, McNeil decided to take his talents to MT, where he has become an unquestioned leader on the defensive side of the ball. Q: So, you’re from Mobile, Alabama. What made you choose MT way back in 2010? A: Oh, man. Coming out of high school I had certain offers, but those offers went away. Then, I took my visit out to MT and actually met with Coach Stockstill and saw the type of things they were doing on defense with Brandon Perry. The main thing that sold me was guys like Jimmy Staten and Jadarius Hamlin and Coach Stockstill, just giving me a good family feeling. Q: Now that was back in 2010, does it ever hit you about how long you’ve been here? A: Every day. Nobody is really here that I came in here with. I’m pretty much carrying the totem pole for my graduating class and all that. [Laughing while looking over at Kevin Byard…] I’m just trying to be successful for my guys and my teammates. Q: In 2010 and 2011, you suffered injuries that ended both of those seasons for you. What was it like having to battle through those injuries so early in your career? A: Especially that Achilles injury. It was something that really tested my faith and my mental toughness to come back from an injury of that magnitude. To come back and start and play for the team and give it my all, it was just a process…a learning process. Q: You’ve seen a lot of your teammates go on to play in the NFL. Is that still one of your main goals right now, and what are some of the adversities and challenges to get there? A: I mean, my main goal right now is to win games, be conference champions and go to a bowl game. I feel like if we do that, the rest of those things will take care of itself. Q: What has your relationship with Coach Stockstill been like since you arrived back in 2010? A: Coach Stock, man. He’s like my granddaddy, almost to me. [McNeil laughes…] Coach Stock and I have a real good relationship. Q: What about your relationships with coaches Tyrone Nix and Tommy West? A: Coach Nix, it’s family orientated. Coach Nix is like an uncle that’s at the cookout. [McNeil and Byard both laugh…] And Coach West is a real laid back, cool and down-to-earth coach that relates to the players. Q: Out of your MT career, which game or moment stands out the most? A: Game-wise, I’d have to say the Georgia Tech win. And moment, I would say the Western Kentucky game [in 2012] at the end, where we had a defensive stand to win the game. They were just high energy games. At Georgia Tech, no one thought we could do it. And against Western Kentucky, we were against the odds. The clock was running out and we’re about to lose the game and Reggie [Whatley] runs a kickoff back for a touchdown and then we have to make a defensive stand. Those are some of the best moments in football. Q: Your last regular season schedule at MT happens to be your hardest, does pressure start to creep in as a player? A: I feel like a mindset like that, where you start thinking like that, you kill the whole season. When you go in there confident and understand that these are the same guys you’ve been playing with in high school, we can compete on a level with anybody if we execute our calls and give 100 percent effort. Q: Being an upcoming fifth-year senior, how has it been coming into that leadership role this season? A: The past couple of years, it’s actually just realizing where I’m at on the team and the things that I do on the field. To just be a voice, a leader and companion to my teammates, especially the young guys and trying to help bring them along. Q: What are your expectations going into your final season at MT? A: I expect it to be the best season we’ve ever had at MT. |
August 7th, 2015 OFF THE FIELD WITH JEREMIAH BRYSON by Eric Beovich Q: What is your favorite Emoji? Why? A: I like the smiley face that shows the teeth. I love to smile. Q: Who is the most interesting person you follow on Twitter? Why? A: Reggie Bush. He tweets with his daughter a lot which I like because I have a daughter, too. Q: What’s the last movie you have seen in a theatre? A: American Sniper. It was great. I loved everything about it. Q: Who would you put on the cover of Madden? Why? A: Reggie Bush Q: What is Coach Stockstill’s favorite saying? A: That depends. If I have my hat on backwards he always tells me I’m walking backwards. He knows I smile a lot so if I’m not smiling he’ll say “Get your country butt going!” Q: If we came to your house for dinner, what would you prepare? A: Homemade tacos. Q: What hidden talent do you have that few people know? A: I’m like third in the nation in rock, paper, scissors. I just feel in my head like there’s only two people in the country better than me. Q: What is your dream job and why? A: Well if the NFL doesn’t work out I want to be a coach and be able to inspire kids. Q: What is your favorite place in Murfreesboro? What is your favorite place on campus? A: Mostly at my friends’ house. Usually with Shane (Tucker) and Jordan (Parker). On campus I’m going to have to go with the KUC (Keathley University Center). |
August 6th, 2015 DAY ONE OBSERVATIONS by Connor Grott (GBR Beat Writer) Despite the inclement weather, Day One of MT’s fall camp has come and gone Thursday afternoon. Players and coaches took the field thirty minutes early at Floyd Stadium as fall practices got underway. Following the first day of fall practice, here are five observations that stood out as camp continues to move forward. - Austin Grammer and Brent Stockstill had great opening days, with neither throwing an interception in team drills. At Monday’s press conference, offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner said both quarterbacks had improved in areas that they were lacking in last year. Thursday’s practice certainly reflected that, as Grammer’s release looked more fluid while also showing good accuracy with some of his throws down the field. Stockstill flashed his progression in the weight room this past offseason, as he displayed great mobility in scrambling and moving around in the pocket. - MT tight end Terry Pettis earned the praise of Blue Raider head coach Rick Stockstill following the conclusion of practice. Pettis is making the transition from receiver to tight end over the course of this offseason. Pettis’ improvement was evident, especially with his hands. The 6-foot-5 redshirt junior dropped one or two passes and mixed in one bad route throughout the day, but otherwise had an impressive afternoon. Pettis showed great blocking technique and made some nice catches, including a 15-yard grab on the right sideline with a defender draped over him. Expectations for Pettis are high this coming season, and with his improvement over spring and summer workouts it is clear why. - MT’s group of young receivers did not have a spectacular day but the effort was there, according to Stockstill. Seniors Ed Batties and Christian Collis made some great catches to pace the group of young wide outs. Demetrius Frazier, Rod Ducksworth and Richie James flashed their athleticism as well, making a couple of good catches after beating defenders in team drills. MT receivers coach Kodi Burns said this group has a long way to go, but the group of receivers are responding well to his coaching and are extremely competitive. - The athleticism of the Blue Raiders’ secondary showed Thursday afternoon, with the group swarming to every pass or running play in team drills. Senior cornerback Jamarcus Howard had a great day in coverage, as he continues what has already been a terrific offseason for him. Junior cornerback Jeremy Cutrer, originally an LSU commit, showed his speed and awareness on a screen pass that saw the 6-foot-2 defensive back meet the ball carrier right after the completion. Much like MT’s group of receivers, the cornerback position will be searching for leadership throughout the remainder of camp. - The Blue Raider backfield continued to reinforce how deep it is following the first day of camp. Jordan Parker and Shane Tucker showed the agility and power that they presented in seasons past. Jeremiah Bryson displayed his speed and quick feet after a dump off pass resulted in him racing down the left sideline after juking out a defender in team drills. Freshmen Desmond Anderson, J’Vonte Herrod and Ruben Garnett got numerous reps as well, each showing off their skill sets that might lead to more playing time as the season opener approaches. |
August 5th, 2015
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August 5th, 2015 105 REPORT TO CAMP Head Coach Rick Stockstill welcomed 105 veterans and newcomers Wednesday as the team officially reported for the start of fall drills. The first official practice is set for Thursday at 4:05 PM and is open to the public. "I thought we had a really good winter workout session prior to spring practice and we were able to accomplish a lot during the spring,” said Stockstill. “I have been really impressed with our guys on the way they have worked this offseason. I love the attitude and the character of this team. There are some guys that are really hungry. I think we have better leadership at every position than we did last year. I have some questions regarding the cornerback and wide receiver positions, so those two groups have to step up these next four weeks." The freshmen and transfers spent most of the day in academic orientation meetings Wednesday before taking photos and physicals early in the afternoon. Following a 5:15 PM dinner, Stockstill held a senior meeting at 6:45 PM, followed by a team meeting and breakout meetings for the offense and defense, before calling it a day. The NCAA's mandatory acclimatization period will begin with Thursday’s practice and will conclude with Monday’s drills, which will be the first full-padded practice. A total of 44 lettermen and 16 starters highlighted the list of players reporting to camp Wednesday. Offensively, the Blue Raiders have 18 lettermen and eight starters returning which includes quarterback Austin Grammer, running back Jordan Parker, receivers Ed Batties and Terry Pettis, and linemen Darius Johnson, Josh Chester, Jaylen Hunter and Daniel Stephens. Defensively, 23 letter winners and eight starters will be back for Coach Tyrone Nix. The returning starters are linebackers T.T. Barber and Trey Wafford, linemen Alexandro Antoine, Shaquille Huff and Pat McNeil, cornerback Jared Singletary and safeties Kevin Byard and Xavier Walker. Three players who did not go through spring practice or announced with the 2015 signing class were part of today’s 105. The new additions are defensive back Jeremy Cutrer, full back Corey McCarron, and long snapper John Ross Dewberry. Cutrer is a four-star recruit from Mississippi Gulf Coast who originally signed with LSU and will be eligible in 2015. McCarron, the younger brother of former Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron, graduated from UA in 2015 and will have one year to play for the Raiders. Dewberry is a walk-on from Siegel High School. The Blue Raiders had two veterans and three newcomers who will not be part of the 105 as they continue to rehab injuries. Wide receivers Isiah Upton and Terrelle West, defensive back Nick Beasley, defensive end Jahmal Jones and running back I’Tavius Mathers are all still working to come back from injuries. The Blue Raiders, who will host their annual Fan Day on August 16, will open the 2015 season at home against Jackson State, Sept. 5. Kickoff is slated for 6:00 PM CST. |
August 4th, 2015 FIVE THINGS TO LOOK FOR AS FALL CAMP OPENS by Connor Grott (GBR Beat Writer) The start of the 2015 Blue Raider football season is inching closer following Monday's annual Kickoff Press Luncheon. MT Head Coach Rick Stockstill, along with his coordinators and student-athletes, took the podium before players report to camp on Wednesday, with the first fall practice taking place the next day. With the conclusion of Monday's press conference, here are the five key things to note heading into fall camp Thursday. Jason Spray and his staff have the team conditioned Many things can get overlooked as summer workouts transition into the beginning of fall camp. One thing that can't be looked over is the amount of work MT Head Football Strength Coach Jason Spray and his staff has put in to get the Blue Raiders prepared for fall camp and the regular season. "Nobody missed, we didn't have guys missing workouts," Stockstill said. "Jason and his staff do a phenomenal job. I think Jason is the best in the country, and I'm not saying that because he's here with us. He does a great job of relating to players and motivating players." Without question, one of the more important objectives of Spray's strenuous workouts is to limit injuries that can strike the team at any time. With the Blue Raiders' schedule being as tough as it is, the players will need to be equally as strong and conditioned. The improvements in the weight room are something that Stockstill has noticed about his team as camp approaches. "Our guys are in great shape and it's also a credit to our players and how hard they worked," Stockstill said. Wide receiver group looking for leadership MT saw three receivers graduate last year in Devin Clarke, Marcus Henry and Chris Perkins. Replacing the losses of those players will be upcoming redshirt seniors Ed Batties and Christian Collis. Batties comes into his final year at MT after a stellar 2014 campaign in which he nabbed 45 receptions for 474 yards and three touchdowns. Collis saw himself in a more limited role in 2014 but still played in 11 games, three of which he started. Collis finished with 13 catches, 79 yards and a touchdown in his junior season. Even with the return of Batties and Collis, Stockstill is still searching for leadership out of this group. "We have two seniors at the position and some have played a little bit and some haven't played at all," Stockstill said of his receivers. "If you asked me today who the leader of the receiver group was, I would tell you that we don't have one. Somebody has to step up whether it's a senior or a freshman. We have to develop leadership in that group." New receivers coach Kodi Burns joins the MT coaching staff this season in an effort to develop that desired leadership. Burns was a former Auburn quarterback and wide receiver from 2007 to 2010, and was most recently the running backs coach at Samford. The addition of Burns has proven to be a smooth transition between the players, and offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner. "He has definitely brought new ideas and positive energy," Faulkner said. "Schematically, we're going to sit down and game plan together, but he's got some great ideas in the running game and the passing game and we'll definitely incorporate some of those things into what we do and we're glad to have him." Burns will certainly look to use all available weapons, with receivers Demetrius Frazier, Derek Barnes, Richie James and Rod Ducksworth looking to become key playmakers in the 2015 season to help complement Batties and Collis. Depth at running back is plentiful One certainty heading into fall practice is the amount of leadership and depth at the running back position. MT returns the three-headed attack of Jeremiah Bryson, Jordan Parker and Shane Tucker. Coupled with that trio is redshirt sophomore Kamani Thomas and touted freshmen J'Vonte Herrod and Ruben Garnett. "We have seven guys on scholarship and I feel like all seven of them are pretty good," Faulkner said. "Some of them are bigger and more physical and some of them are smaller and quicker, so each of them has a skill set we want to try to take advantage of." The main challenge surrounding this group is how to get everyone their touches, something that Faulkner has proven to do well in previous seasons. "I think you'll see some two-back sets to make sure those guys are on the field," Faulkner said. "Any one of them can run any play in our playbook; the biggest challenge is making sure some of those guys get 'X' amount of touches. I think we've done a good job of that in the past and you will continue to see several guys get to play back there." Quarterback battle will remain competitive throughout camp Coming into the first fall practice Thursday, the quarterback battle between redshirt junior Austin Grammer and redshirt freshman Brent Stockstill will begin its early stages in what may prove to be another long process of naming a starter. Both signal callers have made significant strides over the course of the offseason. Grammer has continued to improve his release mechanics, and Stockstill has done a phenomenal job in the weight room to increase his mobility, Faulkner said. Grammer started all 12 games last season, completing 221 of his 338 pass attempts for 2,557 yards and 17 touchdowns. Stockstill saw action in the season opener before taking a redshirt for the 2014 season. "They are both highly intelligent kids and they take everything to heart," Faulkner said of the two quarterbacks. "They are very competitive, tough kids which is the kind of kids you want to coach." Coach Stockstill stated that he was in no hurry to name his opening day starter, but that he was more confident in the quarterback position this year compared to last season. Team focus is on camp, not on upcoming schedule When asked if any of the players were looking forward to games against SEC foes Alabama or Vanderbilt, one response was instantaneous. "No, not at all," senior linebacker T.T. Barber said. "It's really mind over matter. They put on their pads the same way we do, they're the same human beings as we are." Responses like that were common between the four student-athletes at the podium: Barber, Darius Johnson, Kevin Byard and Josh Chester. As the Blue Raiders prepare for one of their hardest schedules in recent years, it might be easy to overlook an opponent such as MT's opening day foe, Jackson State. The excitement is still there for those games though, especially for Byard. "It's an opportunity for Middle Tennessee to get some national attention by winning those games and it's also going to make you work harder and go the extra mile in practice," Byard said. "It's hard not to get excited when you look at the schedule, but we have to beat Jackson State before we get to Alabama. We have one of the hardest schedules in Conference USA, if not the country." Even with the excitement surrounding the upcoming schedule, Johnson emphasized a key point that was shared with the entire team headed into fall camp. "One thing that Coach Stock always tells us is ignore the noise," Johnson said. "Ignore the Alabama talk, the Illinois talk, the Vandy talk. We have to focus on camp and then when camp is over we'll attack Jackson State. We just have to take it day-by-day." |
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