Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
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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 2016 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 Alabama A&M. We’ll have information, practice reports, scrimmage statistics, quotes, blogs, tweets, photos, videos and more as Middle Tennessee begins its preparations for the 2016 campaign. Check back each day for all of the latest on the Blue Raiders! |
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| Position Breakdown: Receivers by Josh Vardaman The motto of this year’s Middle Tennessee wide receiver group so far has been next man up. With three of the group’s key pieces lost for the season due to injury and last year’s second leading receiver Ed Batties graduated, there is plenty of room for new guys to step in and contribute. “The motto is when one falls, the next guy has to be better,” offensive coordinator Tony Franklin said. “Injuries happen, they’re part of football. When one guy goes out you just have to have the next guy step in and work.” Redshirt freshman Jocquez Bruce recently joined redshirt senior Terry Pettis, who was third on the team last year with 612 receiving yards, and senior Shane Tucker on the injured list. All three will miss the season with leg injuries. Since three guys are gone from the group, Franklin may have to change things around a little in the Blue Raiders’ offensive schemes. “Sometimes we have to change formations,” he said. “If we lose more we may have to move to more two-back stuff; you just have to figure out how to do it.” To help fill in for the losses, a handful of players are expected to step in and contribute in ways that they didn’t last season. Redshirt junior Tristan Walker, redshirt sophomore Ty Clemons and senior Rod Ducksworth all played in limited amounts in 2015. This season they will be looked upon to make strides in their development in order to help the offense produce. Sophomore Desmond Anderson, who played running back as a freshman and finished third on the team in rushing, has also made the switch to receiver and is expected to bring big play ability to the outside. “It’s a new change – I’m really learning a lot from the other players and coaches, and it’s going great,” Anderson said of the switch. “It was a little learning curve, like with the routes and formations and stuff. But other than that, it kind of just comes to me through playing football.” Franklin said some key newcomers, like redshirt junior Patrick Smith, have shown some promise in camp and are in the mix to step in and play key roles. Junior Ricky Blair, redshirt freshman Isiah Upton, freshman Ty Lee, redshirt senior Dennis Andrews and freshman CJ Windham are all also included in that receiver group, and redshirt sophomore Max Linder is expected to fill in as tight end in some packages. If the Blue Raiders are going to be successful on the outside, some of their young guys who haven’t seen the field yet will have to gain experience quickly and perform at a high level. “We know we can count on them if someone goes down to step up and handle business,” Anderson said. “They come out and work just as hard as everyone else does every day.” With a lot of guys stepping into roles they have never been in before, a lot of the leadership roles in the receiving group will fall on the shoulders of its two leading returners – Richie James and Demetrius Frazier. James, a redshirt sophomore, set MT single-season records in receptions and receiving yards last season. Frazier, a redshirt senior, was last year’s fourth-leading pass catcher. “Demetrius has a chance to be a special guy,” Franklin said. “He’s not there yet, but I think he has a chance if he’ll continue to pick it up. “Richie is a special player that can make people miss in space. He’s a really good route runner and sets things up really well. He could be a starter for any school in the country and be a really good player.” While James and Frazier could go a long way in limiting the impact of the losses the Blue Raiders have had on the outside this offseason, their true help could in fact come from elsewhere on the offense. “If we can run the football, it won’t matter,” Franklin said. “If we can’t run the ball, Richie will get double covered and we could be in trouble. So we have to run the football.” |
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| Position Breakdown: Linebackers by Josh Vardaman Few Middle Tennessee position groups are having to replace what the linebackers will attempt to this season. All three starters from last year – T.T. Barber, Cavellis Luckett and Trey Wafford – are gone, meaning someone will have to step into a starting role at every linebacking position. “They get an opportunity to play, and that’s one thing that they haven’t done,” defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix said. “I think they’ve done a great job from the start of the offseason until now of providing leadership and playing within the scheme of the defense.” The most important loss among the group was Barber, who was arguably the Blue Raiders’ best defensive player the last three seasons. The permanent team captain started 41 straight games to end his MT career, finishing ranked fourth in MT history in both tackles (323) and tackles for loss (34). He also led the team in tackles a season ago with 89 and tackles for loss with 11.5 and tied the team-high with four sacks. “T.T. helped teach us how to be vocal and lead the team,” redshirt junior Myles Harges said. “The defense runs through us, and he taught us it’s up to the linebackers to make plays.” Junior DJ Sanders and Harges lead this year’s group as the older, more experienced guys. Sanders, who replaces Wafford as the Sam linebacker, was fourth among Blue Raider backers and seventh overall on the team in tackles a season ago with 44. After battling injuries all season a year ago, Harges is expected to step into the Mike linebacker spot where Luckett starred in 2015, finishing second on the team with 72 tackles and being named honorable mention All-Conference USA. This season, Sanders and Harges will try to improve not only on their play but as leaders of the young group, as well. “It’s picking guys up when they’re wrong,” Harges said. “When they make the play they have to be serious about it, and when you don’t make a play get it right the next time and don’t repeat mistakes.” Sophomore Chris Melton and redshirt sophomore Darius Harris will combine to step into the Will linebacker spot that Barber manned the last three-plus years. Harris matched Sanders with 44 tackles last season, while Melton added 17. Junior Malik Hawkins, redshirt freshman Khalil Brooks and true freshmen Dale Craig and Caleb Felton are also pieces of the group that could see some playing time. With a young group of linebackers that includes two juniors, two sophomores and two freshmen, some growing pains could be felt as the season gets underway. When they start to get comfortable in bigger roles, though, they could have a big impact on the Blue Raiders’ defense. “They just have to be consistent. We have playmakers at those positions, and I have confidence in the group. I think by the end of the season they’ll be household names and fill in those roles.” If there’s one thing this group brings to the table, it’s big play ability. Sanders, Harris and Harges all had interceptions last season, and Sanders and Harris took theirs to the house for scores. “We have big play potential, and I think those guys are ready for their time to shine,” Nix said. |
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| Position Breakdown: Running backs By Josh Vardaman The Middle Tennessee running back group has a lot of new faces this season. Last year’s two leading rushers – Jordan Parker and Shane Tucker – are gone this season due to graduation and injury, respectively. Desmond Anderson, who was third on the team in rushing in 2015, also made the switch to wide receiver recently. Stepping in to try and replace Parker, Tucker and Anderson in the backfield is a host of backs that each contribute in a different way. “We’re just glad all of our running backs are able to bring something different to the table and contribute to the team,” redshirt senior I’Tavius Mathers said. Mathers, who sat out the 2015 season after transferring from Ole Miss, has impressed throughout camp so far. “I’Tavius has gotten a lot better,” offensive coordinator Tony Franklin said. “I thought at the end of the spring he was just an OK back, but he looks like a really good back right now. He’s gotten better at the little things and details.” The 5-foot-11, 197-pound hometown back who starred at Blackman High School played three years at Ole Miss and led the Rebels in rushing as a sophomore with 563 yards. He said he’s excited to finally start his last collegiate season, especially in front of his hometown. Mathers also hopes he can teach the younger running backs something in his last year. “I’m able to block well and show them how to finish,” he said. “I try to do everything the right way and hopefully they can learn things from me.” In the Blue Raiders’ first two team scrimmages of training camp, redshirt freshmen Ruben Garnett and Terelle West have shown they are prepared to contribute at a high level, as well. West led the team with seven carries for 55 yards and a score in the second scrimmage, while Garnett rushed for 22 yards on six carries and caught two balls for 33 yards in the first scrimmage. The balance West and Garnett can add to the group will be an important piece to the MT offense. The group also adds size with redshirt sophomore J’Vonte Herrod who is finally healthy. The 5-11, 228-pounder redshirted in 2014 and then was lost for the year with a knee injury in preseason camp last season. Herrod has enjoyed a solid camp and should be a factor in 2016. Veteran Kamani Thomas, who had 156 rushing yards last year, has shown flashes during his career and is another guy the coaches feel can step up if needed. “That’s pretty important, because if someone gets hurt or something the next person should be able to step up and play like a starter,” Mathers said. Not only are the backs in the group expecting to play more of a roll than some have in the past, but they are also learning a new system under Franklin. It is his first year as the Blue Raiders’ offensive coordinator after spending the past three seasons at Cal. In Franklin’s system, it is important for running backs to do more than just run between the tackles. “The biggest thing is the route running is very important in this offense,” Franklin said. They have to do a great job of catching the ball or else they’re a liability.” In order for them to pick up Franklin’s new offense and add to what expects to be a very potent Blue Raiders’ attack this season, they have to play smart, tough football and not over think things. “The big thing is you have a good player who has had some experience in I’Tavius, and the other guys just have to play and be disciplined,” Franklin said. |
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 GoBlueRaiders.com will be conducting a series of Q&A features with different football players throughout fall camp. Today’s feature is senior cornerback Jeremy Cutrer. GBR.com: What are your expectations for this season? JC: My expectations for this season are to get better every day, reach the goals we have set as a team and to be a great teammate. Winning a championship is very high on that list as well. GBR.com: What do you look forward to most about camp? JC: Just getting better and working as a team. I’m working to be a leader for the defensive backfield. I’m an older guy in the group. I know a lot of eyes are on me. I’m taking it step-by-step and trying to avoid the pressure. There is a lot of pressure on me, so it’s about not letting that get to me. GBR.com: What is different for you this year compared to year’s past? JC: The team, really. We’re bonding really well. Everybody has the same mission and are for each other. We all want one thing – that’s a championship. GBR.com: What is your greatest athletic accomplishment? JC: That’s pretty hard, you know, there are so many. I guess every one of them are the greatest. GBR.com: What is your favorite memory as a Blue Raider? JC: The field goal block for my teammates. That was the best feeling ever to win in overtime. It wasn’t just me who blocked that field goal, it took all 11 guys. Winning that one for my teammates was the best. GBR.com: If you could play another position what would you play? JC: I would like to play safety and receiver, too. I’d love to help my team out at receiver on offense. They got it stacked on offense right now though. GBR.com: What is the best thing you did this summer on or off the field? JC: Maturing and trying to stay focused, staying in shape and learning plays and learning the system on defense. GBR.com: Do you have a pre-game song or artist you listen to? JC: I used to listen to Lil’ Boosie. Boosie is from Louisiana and he gets you right before the game. GBR.com: What is your favorite emoji? JC: The winky eye GBR.com: What is your favorite type of social media? JC: I love Instagram to post football pictures to let my fans know the type of guy I am off the field. Just let them get an idea what I’m all about. GBR.com: Who is the best dancer on the team? JC: We have some pretty good dancers on the team, but I think I could give them all a pretty good challenge. GBR.com: Where is your favorite place to go on campus? JC: The football field and the locker room. I love the locker room. There is so much love in there with my teammates. It’s your brothers in there, and that’s the best place for me on campus, really. But I love going to class and meeting new people. GBR.com: Who is your celebrity crush? JC: Jay-Z might get mad, but I love Beyoncé. GBR.com: Who has the best hair on the team? JC: I’m going to say Justin Akins. He’s got pretty good hair and a lot of it. GBR.com: Who is your favorite sports team? JC: It used to be the Seahawks when they had the Legion of Boom, but now it’s the Cardinals. They are straight savages out there. Tyrann Mathieu, Patrick Peterson, all those great guys. |
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 GoBlueRaiders.com will be conducting a series of Q&A features with different football players throughout fall camp. Today’s feature is redshirt sophomore running back J’Vonte Herrod. GBR.com: What are your expectations for this season? JH: My expectations this season are for everyone to buy in and come closer together. The whole motto is to not lead each other down but to be our brother’s keeper. GBR.com: What’s your favorite part about camp? JH: Getting more comfortable running the ball. GBR.com: How was this camp different for you than in years past? JH: The tempo is really different. Last year, I don’t think we really bought in like we have this year. GBR.com: How have the players responded to new offensive coordinator Tony Franklin? JH: The coaches are phenomenal. He’s one of the best coaches I’ve had. Hopefully his plan will work perfectly. We have a great running backs coach and a great offensive line coach. GBR.com: What is your favorite memory as a Blue Raider? JH: The Blue Raider Walk. My first time going through Blue Raider Walk, just having that experience and having everyone there for you and ready to watch you play the game, spending time with the teammates in the hotel, it’s the full game day experience. GBR.com: If you could play a different sport what would it be? JH: Baseball. I love baseball. GBR.com: Do you have a pre-game routine that gets you focused before a game? JH: I’ll talk to my mom and my sisters. Just seeing everyone lift each other up and get each other focused helps too. GBR.com: What is your favorite phone app? JH: The ESPN app. I like checking out that app and checking in on Adrian Peterson. He’s my favorite running back. GBR.com: Who is the best Twitter follow on the team? JH: Richie James. He’s a pretty funny guy. GBR.com: Which teammate has the dirtiest locker? JH: Oh, Carlos Johnson. You can’t even sit down without rising up because there is so much stuff in there. GBR.com: If there was a movie made about your life which actor would play you? JH: Michael B. Jordan. He did great in Creed, so I’ll pick him. GBR.com: What was your favorite Olympic event? JH: Everything that Michael Phelps was in. GBR.com: Should football be an Olympic event? JH: It should be, but the hard part about it is picking which players would be in it. There’s too many to choose from. GBR.com: Finally, Kanye West or Taylor Swift? JH: Kanye West. |
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 Blue Raiders Complete Beanie Bowl MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The season opener against Alabama A&M is still two weeks away but it looked a lot like game day activities during Saturday morning’s Middle Tennessee football practice. Blue Raider Head Football Coach Rick Stockstill put his team through a dress rehearsal of sorts at Floyd Stadium in preparation of the Sept. 3 opener. Kickoff is 6 p.m. It has become customary throughout Stockstill’s career to conduct what is called the “Beanie Bowl” each year. The purpose is to put the Blue Raiders through every situation possible 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," Stockstill said. "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 Alabama A&M 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. 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." Players even went through pre-game warm-ups and were sent out to the field in their respective groups, as will be the case on game days. They went through the entire Game Day routine and conducted warm-ups in their Game Day areas. Fall camp concluded with Saturday’s practice as classes begin for students Monday. |
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 Position Breakdown: Special Teams by Josh Vardaman Competition can be a very good thing, especially in a position battle. In Middle Tennessee’s special teams’ case, the biggest competition can be found in the kicking unit. Redshirt junior Canon Rooker entered camp as the leading candidate to take over placekicking duties from Cody Clark, who left after knocking home 12 of 16 field goals last season. However, freshman Crews Holt has entered the mix and has been sharing duties with Rooker throughout camp. “Competition is good for everybody,” head coach Rick Stockstill said. “You can never relax, you keep competing every day. We didn’t have as much competition in the kicking positions last year, and now we do. I think it will be very beneficial not only for this team, but for them individually.” Rooker has never attempted a field goal in a game as a Blue Raider, but he served as the team’s primary kickoff specialist last year and in 2013. He was injured for the entire 2014 season. Holt was named last year’s Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Kicker of the Year after making 17 of his 22 field goals and 64 of 65 PATs for Ravenwood High School in Brentwood, Tenn. He was also named the Offensive MVP of the 6A state title game after hitting four of five field goals, one of which he made from 42 yards. Having Holt in camp this season has brought out the best in Rooker, the redshirt junior said. “He’s definitely made me a better kicker,” Rooker said. “He’s a very good kicker, and he’s made me focus more and be the best I can be.” On the punt team, sophomore Matt Bonadies will take sole control of punting duties this year. He shared time last year with Trevor Owens, who is no longer with the team. After averaging 41.3 yards per punt a season ago on 31 attempts, Bonadies said he’s eager to show improvements he’s made. “Last year I felt a lot of pressure back there as a freshman, but this year I think I’ve really relaxed,” he said. “I’m really comfortable, and I think that will show this year. And [long snapper Will Eads] is doing a great job getting it back there.” Not only is the punting and kicking game looking to be improved this season, but the returners and coverage teams have looked sharp so far in camp, according to Stockstill. “I think we’ve made a lot of improvement, not only in this camp but from last year,” he said. “I’m really pleased with our teams right now.” With just two weeks to prepare for the first game of the season against Alabama A&M on Sept. 3, the special teams unit will continue to fine tune, Stockstill said. If the feelings of players on special teams in this year’s camp indicate anything, the Blue Raiders may be significantly improved in that aspect of the game in 2016. “I think the special teams unit has been a complete 180 this year from last year’s camp,” Bonadies said. “There’s a lot more positive energy on the unit, and the players this year on the special teams unit are really looking out for the team and caring for the team as a whole. Our performance this year will reflect that, I believe.” |
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 GoBlueRaiders.com will be conducting a series of Q&A features with different football players throughout fall camp. Today’s feature is redshirt freshman running back Ruben Garnett. GBR.com: What are your personal expectations for this season? RG: Just getting in where I fit in wherever Coach Franklin wants me, whether that’s in the backfield or slot receiver, and do what I need to do to contribute to the offense. GBR.com: What do you look forward to most about camp? RG: Getting my wind and getting more comfortable with everything – from special teams to offense, wherever they need me. GBR.com: How is this camp different for you than in years past? RG: It’s not too much different. The defense has incredible intensity. First day of pads I thought they brought it. I think we’re used to it though. They are like that all the time so it’s not much different. GBR.com: How have the players responded to new offensive coordinator Tony Franklin? RG: These guys came in and bought into Coach Franklin’s system. We’ve been learning football. GBR.com: What is your greatest athletic accomplishment? RG: So far, winning a state championship in high school. GBR.com: What is your favorite memory as a Blue Raider? RG: The comradery. We have a strong brotherhood and family here. It’s great. GBR.com: If you could play a different position what would it be? RG: I think I might try to play a little safety. GBR.com: What’s the greatest thing you’ve done this summer? RG: I got my speed up a little bit. GBR.com: Do you have a pre-game song or artist you like to listen to? RG: I probably throw on a little Kodak Black. GBR.com: What is your favorite emoji? RG: Probably one with the tongue out. GBR.com: What is your favorite platform of social media? RG: It’s either Snapchat or Instagram. I go back and forth. GBR.com: Who has the best dance moves on the team? RG: D.J. (Sanders) says it’s him, so I guess I’ll go with D.J. It might be Malik (Manciel) though. GBR.com: Where is your favorite place to hang out on campus? RG: The locker room. GBR.com: Who is your celebrity crush? RG: Rihanna. Tell her I said hello if you can. GBR.com: Who is your favorite sports team? RG: Miami Heat. We’re going to bounce back. |
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 Coaches see improvement in second scrimmage by Josh Vardaman For the second time in a week Middle Tennessee took the field in an organized team scrimmage. After the Blue Raiders’ first scrimmage was plagued by a few too many miscues for head coach Rick Stockstill’s liking, Thursday was a little more disciplined on each side. “I thought we were better this scrimmage than last,” he said. “We reduced our penalties; we still had a couple out there, but not as many as we did the first time. I was pleased with our effort.” The MT offense and defense went through a few different scenarios from different spots on the field. On their second drive, the first team offense capped a 98-yard, 13-play drive with a four-yard rushing score by redshirt freshman running back Terelle West, who also caught a 16-yard pass from quarterback Brent Stockstill on third-and-four to keep the drive alive on the preceding play. West led the way in rushing for the Blue Raiders on the day with seven carries for 55 yards and one score. “We have a rotation and they want us to step up when our number is called,” he said. “Today I felt a need to step up and do my job.” New offensive coordinator Tony Franklin said the offense looked better than it did in the first scrimmage, though it isn’t running quite to the tempo he wants to be at yet. “I thought the first few drives were pretty good,” he said. “We finished a lot better. We obviously had some guys out, but we needed to see some guys step up and make some plays and get more reps.” With wide receivers Terry Pettis and Shane Tucker ruled out for the rest of the season with leg injuries, scrimmages like Thursday’s are a good chance for the coaching staff to see who is going to step up and fill those gaps. A total of 13 players caught a pass Thursday. “I never have allowed myself when someone gets hurt to even let it enter my brain as far as thinking, ‘Well we aren’t going to be good now,’” Franklin said. “I just always think the next man up is going to be better than the last guy.” On the defensive side, defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix was happy with the improvement he saw from the first scrimmage. He said he was particularly happy with the way they played in the redzone, especially on the first drive from the first team offense that got all the way inside the redzone but resulted in just a field goal. “I saw a lot of improvements – fewer missed assignments, fewer missed tackles and the effort continues to get better,” Nix said. “All in all, I thought we played better in the redzone and did some short yardage things really well.” Redshirt sophomore linebacker Darius Harris led the way defensively with six tackles, one for loss. With just two weeks until the Blue Raiders’ first game of the season against Alabama A&M on Sept. 3, there is still a lot of fine tuning Rick Stockstill said needs to be done. “It goes back to executing – we dropped a touchdown pass, we had a penalty down there that knocked us out [of the redzone],” he said. “We have enough to work on; we’re a long way away from being a finished product.” |
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 GoBlueRaiders.com will be conducting a series of Q&A features with different football players throughout fall camp. Today’s feature is redshirt junior safety Alex Dale. GBR.com: What are your expectations for this season? AD: The sky is the limit. Our goal is to win a conference championship, and if we commit to being disciplined and stick together, I think that’s where we can get. We need to stick to those goals and the fundamentals that Coach Stock has instilled in us. GBR.com: What do you look forward to most about camp? AD: Practices are brutal sometimes, but being around the guys in meetings and in the locker room and fellowshipping with them is my favorite part. GBR.com: How is this camp different for you than in years past? AD: I’m starting to get more reps now that KB (Kevin Byard) and all of them are gone. I’m trying to take more of a leadership role and make sure I’m on my P’s and Q’s and all that. I’m trying to help these young guys get situated as well. GBR.com: What is your greatest athletic accomplishment? AD: My sophomore year in high school we won state and we ranked No. 4 in the country, so probably that. GBR.com: What is your favorite memory as a Blue Raider? AD: Probably the WKU three overtime win. GBR.com: What is the best piece of advice you have been given or a personal motto you live by? AD: I like Stock’s ‘You are who you associate with.’ You can see in the NFL, if you hang around guys who don’t have the same goals as you do, you can get caught up with them and make you lose sight of what your goals and dreams are. That’s probably my favorite one. GBR.com: If you could play a different sport what would it be? AD: Let me rank them – golf No. 3, tennis No. 2, and basketball No. 1. GBR.com: What is your pre-game routine to get you focused before a game? AD: I have a set game day playlist I like to listen to. I have some WWE Wrestling themes on there. GBR.com: So you’re a big wrestling fan? AD: Huge. GBR.com: Who is your favorite wrestler? AD: Stone Cold Steve Austin. GBR.com: What is your favorite phone app? AD: Twitter. GBR.com: Who is the best Twitter follow on the team? AD: Besides me? I don’t know. I’m going to go with me. I can’t think of anybody else. GBR.com: Which teammate has the dirtiest locker? AD: Carlos (Johnson). I don’t know what’s under there, but it’s gross. GBR.com: Who has the best hair on the team? AD: That’s a good one. I’ll say Richie. GBR.com: Who has the best dance moves? AD: Tristan (Walker), Joc (Bruce), Darius Harris – those three probably. GBR.com: If your life was made into a movie, which actor would play you? AD: I hope Will Smith would. I like Will Smith, and Cuba Gooding, Jr. GBR.com: What is your favorite Olympic event? AD: Probably basketball because it’s my favorite sport. GBR.com: Finally, Taylor Swift or Kanye? AD: Kanye. No Taylor Swift for me, never. |
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 GoBlueRaiders.com will be conducting a series of Q&A features with different football players throughout fall camp. Today’s feature is redshirt senior running back I’Tavius Mathers. GBR.com: What are your expectations for this season? IM: I want us to be great, and come out and get better each and every day. We want to win a championship and improve every day to get better. GBR.com: What do you look forward to most about camp? IM: I look forward to when we go full pads and everything is live. I can see what the defense has got, and the defense can see what the offense has. GBR.com: How have the offensive players responded to new offensive coordinator Tony Franklin? IM: Coach Franklin is very detailed and he wants us to be very detailed. He wants us to be able to do things that don’t necessarily require talent. You just have to buy in on the offensive side, and once you buy in, everything will work out just fine. GBR.com: What is your greatest athletic accomplishment? IM: Probably winning Tennessee’s Mr. Football honors. GBR.com: What is your favorite memory as a Blue Raider? IM: Definitely the overtime game with Marshall last year when Jeremy (Cutrer) blocked the field goal. GBR.com: What is the best piece of advice you have been given or a personal motto you live by? IM: Don’t worry about tomorrow because each day has problems of its own. GBR.com: If you could play a different sport what would it be? IM: It would be between basketball and baseball. I never played baseball, so I’ll go with basketball. GBR.com: What is your pre-game routine to get you focused before a game? IM: Nothing really. I just listen to some slow music to calm me down, and probably take a nap. GBR.com: What is your favorite phone app? IM: Probably Snapchat. GBR.com: Who is the best Twitter follow on the team? IM: I’ll probably say Richie (James). GBR.com: Who has the dirtiest locker? IM: I’m going to go with either Brent (Stockstill) or (Demetrius) Frazier. GBR.com: If your life was made into a movie which actor would play you? IM: Can I be myself? I’ll probably run with that one. GBR.com: Do you have any acting skills for us? IM: No, I’m really a horrible actor, but I’m a nice comedian though. GBR.com: Do you have any other hidden talents some may not know about? IM: Yeah, I play the guitar. GBR.com: Oh, yeah? IM: No, I’m just kidding. I don’t think I have many hidden talents. GBR.com: Have you been following the Olympics, and what is your favorite event? IM: I’ve been watching Michael Phelps and the gymnastics as well. I really like the track events, but gymnastics has been cool to watch too. |
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 Position breakdown: Offensive line by Josh Vardaman While never getting much of the spotlight or recognition, offensive linemen are the key to making a good offense. Middle Tennessee’s offense that last year set school records in points scored, yards gained and passing yards thrown for, among other statistical categories, has the benefit in 2016 of bringing back a lot the same talent it had up front a season ago. The returners along the line have made for a good preseason camp so far for the group, though there is still work to be done. “I think we’re in a good position,” senior center Daniel Stephens said. “We didn’t have that great of a day [Tuesday], but we just need to have teamwork and get better. We’re good, but we’re not where we need to be.” In all, the starting five linemen this season bring a total of 71 starts in a Blue Raider uniform to the table. Two of them – Stephens and redshirt senior left guard Josh Chester – have been named to the Remington Watch List this year and last year, respectively, and redshirt senior right tackle Maurquice Shakir can be found on the All-Conference USA Preseason Team this season. The group of Stephens, Shakir, sophomore right guard Chandler Brewer, Chester and redshirt sophomore left tackle Carlos Johnson have shown the consistency offensive line coach Rick Mallory expected from them so far in camp. “The guys who’ve been there and done it have been pretty consistent, as far as their performance,” Mallory said. “They come out and try to improve their game every day and they know what to do. Now it’s the idea that they have to do it consistently every snap.” The experience and leadership from the starting group will be a big factor to how well the offense picks up a slightly new scheme from new offensive coordinator Tony Franklin. “It’s a little bit different schematically,” Stephens said. “Not too much has changed – obviously we’re still running the spread, but blocking assignments and where to go is a little different.” The starters’ ability to help some of the younger guys on the offensive line will also be key to this season. Mallory said so far there has been a clear divide between who is ready to start in the Blue Raiders’ first game against Alabama A&M on Sept. 3 and who needs more practice time. “The first group is putting distance between the second group … and in order to get depth we have to keep on pushing the second group,” he said. “It’s a long season, and we need 10 or 11 guys to get through the season.” Though the group has proven in the past they are capable of anchoring a potent offensive attack, plenty of work can be done before the Blue Raiders take the field for Week 1, according to Stephens. “We just have to continue to work every day,” he said. “We know we have to be a nasty group up front and we have to be better than we are now. We’re good, but we’re not at the point we need to be.” Notebook
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 GoBlueRaiders.com will be conducting a series of Q&A features with different football players throughout fall camp. Today’s feature is redshirt senior defensive end Chris Hale. GBR.com: What are your expectations for this season? CH: I think we can go all the way. We’ve set a goal as a team to win a championship and win a bowl game. Our biggest expectation is to reach those goals. GBR.com: What do you look forward to most about camp? CH: What I look forward to most about camp is coming out here every day. It’s my last year, and it has flown by. Just coming out here every day with coaches and teammates, it’s everything I love to wake up, come out here and do it. GBR.com: How is this camp different for you than in years past? CH: I’m more of a leader this year. I took a leadership role along with a lot of the older guys. I have younger guys really look at everything I do, so I really have to focus on setting a good example for them. GBR.com: What is your greatest athletic accomplishment? CH: My greatest athletic achievement was having played baseball my whole life to coming to play football. Coach Stock gave me the opportunity to play Division I football, and that’s something I never really dreamed of GBR.com: What is your favorite memory as a Blue Raider? CH: Wow, we got a lot of them. I would have to say my favorite one was last year against Marshall. We won in overtime, and that feeling in the locker room and the feeling on the field. That was amazing. GBR.com: What is the best piece of advice you have been given or a personal motto you live by? CH: To really get better every day. That’s in anything you do, whether it’s school or being a person or a player, it’s about getting better every day and improving yourself. GBR.com: If you could play a different sport what would it be? CH: Basketball maybe? But that’s too much running; definitely baseball. I played that all my life. I can still throw a tennis ball against the wall and remember the fundamentals of grounding a ball and throwing it to first base. GBR.com: What position did you play in baseball? CH: Third and first. GBR.com: What is your pre-game routine to get you focused before a game? CH: This is my main routine I stick to: I have some songs I play, ‘I’m Rollin’ and a Future song called ‘If You Know What It Took,’ and I’ll do some arm exercises to get my juices going and then get in a good stretch. GBR.com: What is your favorite phone app? CH: I have to say Snapchat. I probably go there the most. GBR.com: Who is the best Twitter follow on the team? CH: I’ll have to say Alex Dale. A lot of people say he tweets the most. GBR.com: I’ve asked a lot of players who has the best dance moves on the team and they say Tristan Walker. What do you have to say about that? CH: I say me. I’m down for a dance off whenever. GBR.com: Who has the best hair on the team? CH: Me. GBR.com: Who has the dirtiest locker? CH: I don’t know. That’s kind of hard to answer. Coach Stock preaches us on taking care of it. A dirty locker will get you in the visitor’s locker room. Unless some guys hide it pretty well, nobody really has a dirty locker. GBR.com: If your life was made into a movie which actor would play you? CH: I’d say Dwayne Johnson, The Rock. GBR.com: What is your favorite Olympic event? CH: Other than watching basketball, I’ve been watching a lot of gymnastics this year. I think it’s pretty impressive how they can flip and do their routines. GBR.com: Kanye West or Taylor Swift? CH: That is a funny question, but I’ll have to go with Kanye. |
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| GoBlueRaiders.com will be conducting a series of Q&A features with different football players throughout fall camp. Today’s feature is redshirt senior wide receiver Demetrius Frazier. GBR.com: What are your expectations for this season? DF: Just come out here and give my team all I have and play with great effort. I want to be able to be dependable and be coach-able. GBR.com: What do you look forward to most about camp? DF: Mostly it’s about getting better. Me and the other receivers want to get better with great timing and perfecting our routes. It’s about hustle and doing what we do. GBR.com: Have you seen a difference so far in this camp compared to camps in previous years? DF: The tempo is much faster. I like it because it helps us get ready for a game. If you practice great, the game will be even better. It’ll be easy for us in-game, but we just need to take it day-by-day. GBR.com: How have the players responded to some of the new coaches? DF: They coach very detailed. They are hard on us, and I like it. You can’t come out here and drop passes and think it is okay. They are on us a lot. We have to be coach-able. They know what they are doing, and we are getting better day-by-day. GBR.com: Do you think you’ll have more of a teaching role this year? DF: My thing is to lead by example. Get out here and give it all you got, catch balls, run routes, get back to the line and hustle. It’s good to talk and be a vocal leader sometimes, but you have to get out here and lead by example with your actions. Like Brent (Stockstill), he’s a great leader. He leads with action and he gets on to us. You have to be able to lead by example with actions too. GBR.com: What is your greatest athletic accomplishment? DF: I would say leading my high school region in receiving yards. GBR.com: What is your favorite memory as a Blue Raider? DF: Oh man, the WKU wins in 2012 and 2014. Both of those were the best. It was exciting. We won in overtime in one of them. And the Marshall game with the blocked kick. Those were great. GBR.com: If you could play a different position what would you play? DF: I would go back to cornerback. I love defense. It’s very physical. GBR.com: What is the best thing you did this summer? DF: The best thing I did this summer was to get with Brent and the offense and throw and catch balls. Just trying to catch as many as I could every day, it helped me a lot. I broke my thumb in the spring, so it helped me a lot to get my hands back right. GBR.com: What is your go-to song or artist to listen to before a game? DF: I would say Future, March Madness by Future. GBR.com: What is your favorite emoji? DF: It would be the one with the tongue out. I love it. If you’re messing with someone and use that, it’s nasty. GBR.com: Who has the best dance moves on the team? DF: I’ll say Tristan (Walker). He likes to dance a lot. He loves it. We might have to get him out here to dance some. GBR.com: Where is your favorite place to go on campus? DF: The locker room. I like to sit and chill sometimes or watch TV. GBR.com: Who is your celebrity crush? DF: I probably have a couple. Meagan Good, Beyoncé, yeah, I got a couple. GBR.com: Who is your favorite sports team? DF: Detroit Lions. |
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| Position breakdown: Defensive line by Josh Vardaman MURFREESBORO - Middle Tennessee’s defensive line is one of the Blue Raiders’ most experienced groups. It’s also one of their most talented. In order for the MT defense to be successful this year, the d-line will have to lead them. “A good defensive front is a secondary’s and a linebacker’s best friend,” defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix said. “That’s an asset we have on our side right now.” The starters this season along the defensive front bring a combined 55 career starts to the table. Three of them – left end Steven Rhodes, right end Chris Hale and right tackle Shaquille Huff – started all 13 games last year for the Blue Raiders, while left tackle Jimal McBride has played in 34 games in his three seasons. In total along the front there are six seniors, including the four starters. That kind of experience will be key, due to the fact that the Middle Tennessee linebacking corps and safeties don’t bring a lot of starter experience this season. Rhodes said the line can’t just assume their many starts mean they will be successful, though. They have to be leaders for the defense and the whole team and show the kind of determination and drive to get better. “When you have seniors and you are leaders on your team, you have to lead by example and be able to take up slack in any part of the defense that you have,” he said. “But, they’re coming along and doing great. I expect us to be very sound.” Not only do the starters along the line this year have a wealth of experience, but so do their backups. Senior defensive end Peter Bailey saw action in 12 games last season, while redshirt junior tackle Justin Akins played in all 13 games with one start and redshirt senior tackle Raynard Felton has played in every game for the Blue Raiders the last two years. That depth of older, experienced players who can come in and contribute is very important for the Blue Raiders’ defense. “You’re always looking for more depth, and you can rotate more and more guys to stay fresh throughout the game and hopefully you’re at your best in the fourth quarter,” Nix said. Last season, the Blue Raiders finished seventh in Conference USA in sacks with 23. Players no longer on the roster accounted for 10 of those, so this season the defensive line is hoping to pick up the slack and get after the quarterback at a more regular fashion. Rhodes said in order for them to be more consistent at rushing the passer, there are little things they need to work on. “I think we’re just building every day,” he said. “We just have to work on little things, little flaws here and there, so we can tighten up and be ultimately 100 percent by game one.” If they can tighten down on the little things Rhodes said need work, the group could be in for big things in 2016. That could mean very good things for a Blue Raider defense that is trying to replace its starting three linebackers and both safeties from last season. |
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| First scrimmage runs smoothly for Raiders by Josh Vardaman MURFREESBORO - Football season felt a little more like it had arrived Friday, as Middle Tennessee held its first scrimmage of fall camp at Floyd Stadium. The 55-play scrimmage went mostly according to the book for head coach Rick Stockstill. “I was pleased with most of it, but disappointed in some penalties on both sides of the ball that really stopped some drives,” he said. “I thought their effort was good, I thought they competed well and I thought they worked. For the most part, I was pleased with how it went.” The only disappointment Stockstill had was the lack of discipline at times on both sides of the ball. Both the offense and defense had a few inexcusable penalties, including an offensive pass interference in the endzone that halted the offense’s first drive. The team, overall, needs to clean up their play, according to Stockstill. “You have to do a better job at coaching and the kids have to be accountable,” he said. “But, it starts with me, it starts with us. It’s a sign of an undisciplined team when you do that.” Friday was the first time the Blue Raiders offense under new offensive coordinator Tony Franklin got the chance to show their stuff against a defense in a scrimmage setting. “It was alright. It was sloppy, undisciplined at times,” Franklin said. “There are some things we’re good at and some things we’re really limited with. We’ll have to figure out just how to overcome our limitations to be good.” Redshirt sophomore quarterback Brent Stockstill took the field first under center and ended 5-of-9 passing for 62 yards. Backup QB John Urzua, a redshirt freshman, completed eight of 10 passes for 47 yards. On the ground, redshirt sophomore J’Vonte Herrod led the way with eight carries for 34 yards. Redshirt freshman Ruben Garnett added six rushes for 22 yards and two catches for 33 yards. The running backs as a group with Herrod, Garnett, I’Tavius Mathers and Terrell West have been the biggest surprise for Franklin this camp. “They ran hard,” Franklin said. “They’ve been the best part of camp so far. They’ve done a really good job and Jeff [Beckles] has done a really nice job with them.” The only turnover of the scrimmage came when Urzua threw an interception to redshirt sophomore linebacker Darius Harris, who potentially would have scored from about 30 yards out if the whistles didn’t blow the play dead. “It was a screen and coach called me on a blitz,” Harris said. “I saw the line letting me go easy, and I read it and backpedaled back and tipped it to myself.” Overall on the defensive side, Harris said there were things they can fine-tune, but they were pleased with the way they performed. “It was just good to be live again in a game situation,” he said. “The defense, there was some stuff we need to work on, but as a team I felt like we flew to the ball and tackled pretty well. “We need to read our keys, making sure our eyes are on our keys, and be more fundamentally sound so we can be in a good football position to make plays.” Junior cornerback Charvarius Ward led the way with five tackles, while Myles Harges, DJ Sanders, Jeremy Cutrer and Malik Manciel each added four. Senior left end Steven Rhodes recorded the only sack for the Blue Raiders. With the first scrimmage out of the way, the Blue Raiders will fine tune at Saturday’s practice. Then Sunday, fans can meet and greet the players and coaches for free at the athletic department’s annual Fan Day. From 2-4 p.m. at Floyd Stadium, fans will get the chance to meet all the football, soccer and volleyball players. 2016 team posters, yard signs and schedule cards will be available, and for those who’ve yet to buy single-game or season tickets there will be a select-a-seat event for seats that are still available. |
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| GoBlueRaiders.com will be conducting a series of Q&A features with different football players throughout fall camp. Today’s feature is redshirt sophomore linebacker Darius Harris. GBR.com: What are your expectations for this season? DH: As a team, I think we all have the expectation to win a conference championship and a bowl game. We’ll just take it game-by-game for every game on the schedule. GBR.com: What do you look forward to most about camp? DH: Bonding with my teammates. Everybody is around each other 24/7. We’re building a team as one so everybody can reach their goals. GBR.com: Have you seen a difference so far in this camp compared to camps in previous years? DH: I’m getting more experience since some of the older linebackers left. I feel more comfortable with it being my third year in the program. I feel better with what I’m doing. GBR.com: Do you see yourself having more of a teaching role throughout camp? DH: I could say that with some of the new guys coming in. I’m looked up to more than I was in previous years when I was the one who was looking up. Now I need to be a leader and teach them, and help set the foundation of what we do here at Middle Tennessee. GBR.com: What is your favorite memory as a Blue Raider? DH: Probably going to the Bahamas Bowl and then last year getting my first collegiate touchdown against Charlotte. GBR.com: If you could play a different position, what would you play? DH: I would play quarterback. Everybody wants to play quarterback growing up, and that’s what I played in high school, so why not? GBR.com: What was the best thing you did this summer? DH: Probably when I went to New York with my family. We also had a family reunion in Knoxville up in the mountains. Those were the best things – spending time with my family. GBR.com: What is your go-to pregame song or artist? DH: I have a couple of them. I would probably say Young Thug, Moneybagg Yo or something like that. GBR.com: What is your favorite emoji? DH: To my girl, it’s the heart eyes or the heart. GBR.com: What is your favorite platform of social media? DH: Probably Instagram or Snapchat. GBR.com: Which teammate is the best follow on Instagram? DH: That’s a tough one. Probably J’Vonte Herrod, the guy is hilarious on there. GBR.com: Who has the best dance moves on the team? DH: It would be between me, of course, and Malik Manciel. GBR.com: Where is your favorite place to go on campus? DH: Probably the KUC because they have a Chick-fil-A, or the Student Union because of Dunkin’ Donuts. GBR.com: Who is your celebrity crush? DH: I would say Christina Milian. GBR.com: Who is your favorite sports team? DH: Oh, the New England Patriots. We’ll be back. |
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| Harges hoping to lead linebackers after injury by Josh Vardaman MURFREESBORO - With no starters returning from last year’s Middle Tennessee linebacking corps, this season the Blue Raiders will rely on new faces to lead the defensive attack. As middle linebacker, redshirt junior Myles Harges is hoping to provide a good deal of the leadership MT is replacing. “He has to provide leadership and play within the scheme of the defense,” defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix said. “He’s the quarterback for us right now, and he’s probably the guy who’s most experienced from just being here and understanding what we’re doing. He’s done a great job.” Harges transferred to Middle Tennessee before last season from Itawamba Community College in Fulton, Miss. After racking up 73 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and seven sacks in his sophomore year for the Indians, he had hopes of seeing the field regularly in his first year in Murfreesboro. But, the injury bug came biting, and a sprained MCL kept Harges out of games for much of the season. The 6-foot-2, 225-pounder from Grenada, Miss., played in just two games in 2015, but he stayed focused and participated in practice drills even when he knew he wouldn’t see the field on game day. “It was tough when it first started, but coach Nix made it clear to keep preparing like I was still on the field,” Harges said. Now almost a year after hurting his knee, Harges said he doesn’t notice the injury anymore. He even said he feels like he’s playing faster than he was at the beginning of last season. “I have no problem with it,” he said. “I forget about it most of the time. I move faster because I understand the defense more and more.” Even with the injury and a 2015 season in which he didn’t see a lot of the field on Saturdays, Harges didn’t lose his leadership characteristics that will be crucial for the Middle Tennessee defense this year. Though he said he can be a vocal leader when he needs to be, he prefers to lead by example. That’s what he tried to do last season though he knew he wouldn’t be on the field much during games. “I really just have to provide leadership,” Harges said. “We have a lot of freshmen, so I have to lead by telling them what to do and how to do it. That helps them a lot.” No linebacker on the Blue Raiders’ roster this season has ever started a game for the Middle Tennessee defense. With that inexperience, Nix said the group will have to get the most out of every rep, and every extra rep they can get is welcomed. Having a guy like Harges who knows the playbook and has prepared for big games will be critical. “Overall, you gain a lot of experience from actually playing in the game, but he was fortunate enough even with his injury to practice with us and prepare just like he was getting ready to play each week,” Nix said. “Every rep is irreplaceable. I think he’s in position to help run the defense this year.” With just three weeks until Middle Tennessee takes the field against Alabama A&M in the season-opener, Harges said he’s itching to finally lead the linebackers onto the field. If the last year has shown anything, it’s that he has the leadership to help make the group successful. Fans will get their next chance to see the team, as well as MT’s soccer and volleyball teams, at the athletic department’s annual Fan Day Aug. 14 from 2-4 p.m. at Floyd Stadium. 2016 team posters, yard signs and schedule cards will also be available, and the Blue Raider Ticket Office will have a select-a-seat event to see what seats are still available for football season. Single-game and season tickets will be available. The event is totally free to attend. |
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New equipment keeping players safer by Josh Vardaman In a sport as physical as football, player safety is of the upmost importance. To help Middle Tennessee’s athletes play safer in practice, the Blue Raiders football team this season instituted new equipment for its offensive and defensive linemen. Named Guardian Caps, the new pieces of equipment slip over the top of helmets and provide an added layer of protection from concussions and other head injuries. “It’s to reduce the impact, which lessens the results of having concussions,” Middle Tennessee Assistant Athletic Director for Equipment Operations Larry Maples said. “It’s just an extra layer of protection for our guys.” The Guardian Caps are simply just slipover pieces that fit around the helmet. They have foam rubber pieces arranged throughout that are designed to dissipate energy better than the hard surface of a regular helmet. Then, when guys hit heads or hit the ground, the foam rubber takes the blunt of the force and softens the contact. The resulting softer contact doesn’t create the classic helmet-to-helmet sound that big hits bring. “You first think of hearing a lot of popping and stuff, but there wasn’t any of that. It’s a huge difference,” offensive lineman Chandler Brewer said. While the Guardian Caps can do a lot to help player safety, at the time they first came out in 2011 some helmet manufacturers started voiding warranties of their helmets because the Guardian Caps are attachments that don’t come with a standard issue helmet. Luckily, though, Middle Tennessee will keep their warranties on their helmets even with the Guardian Caps. “Initially when they first came out, helmet manufacturers were voiding warranties due to the use of the Guardian Cap,” Maples said. “But since then, some legal actions have been taken and it’s no longer the case. As long as the helmets pass inspection once the attachment is removed, it’s just like any other helmet.” As for the comfortableness of the Guardian Caps, which only weigh a few ounces, Brewer said they don’t even notice they have them on. “At first we thought we would notice, but as it went on we haven’t really noticed a difference or anything,” he said. “They’re doing a really good job and we thank our trainers for that.” For now the Blue Raider linemen will be the only ones wearing the Guardian Caps. And with seven practices in the books as of Wednesday, no head issues have been reported. “We just put them on the first day of camp, so we’ve been in them seven days and we haven’t had any head issues,” Maples said. “For now, we’re just sticking with the linemen because they’re the ones in the trenches. Our exterior guys don’t have as much helmet-to-helmet contact.” Notebook
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 GoBlueRaiders.com will be conducting a series of Q&A features with different football players throughout fall camp. Today’s feature is junior linebacker D.J. Sanders. GBR.com: What are your personal expectations for this season? D.J.: I have very high expectations. I expect to win the conference. That comes with hard work. GBR.com: What do you look forward to most about camp? D.J.: Probably the food, three meals a day with a snack. Can’t beat that. GBR.com: Have you seen a difference so far in this camp compared to camps in previous years? D.J.: The times that we are practicing are different, and we have a bit more time off between practices. GBR.com: How do you teach some of the young players while still competing against them in camp? D.J.: It comes natural. Competition is competition. We are competing every day. You can lead at times and you can compete at times. GBR.com: What would you say is your greatest athletic achievement? D.J.: That’s hard to say. I really don’t have one in my head right now. GBR.com: What is your favorite memory as a Blue Raider? D.J.: Probably when I caught the pick-six last year against Jackson State. GBR.com: What is the best piece of advice you have been given or a personal motto you try to live by? D.J.: The best piece of advice is to don’t make excuses, excuses are for the week. GBR.com: If you could play a different sport what would you play? D.J.: I don’t know. I really like soccer, but they run a little bit too much for me. I’ll probably say track. GBR.com: Do you have a pre-game routine to get you focused before a game? D.J.: I pray and I listen to my music. GBR.com: What is your favorite phone app? D.J.: Probably Twitter or Snapchat. GBR.com: Who is the best Twitter follow on the team? D.J.: Maybe Terry (Pettis). He tweets a lot. GBR.com: Which teammate has the dirtiest locker? D.J.: (Whispers) Carlos Johnson. GBR.com: Which actor would play you in a movie about your life? D.J.: Maybe Morris Chestnut. People have told me we look alike. GBR.com: What is your favorite Olympic event? D.J.: Track, probably the 100 and 400 events. GBR.com: What is your favorite Taylor Swift song? D.J.: Shake It Off. |
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 Position breakdown: Quarterbacks by Josh Vardaman A season ago, redshirt sophomore Brent Stockstill had the best season passing in Middle Tennessee history. The left-hander set school season records in passing attempts, completions, yards and touchdowns. He became the first quarterback in Blue Raider history to throw for more than 3,000 and 4,000 yards (4,005) in a season and was named the Conference USA Freshman of the Year and placed on Athlon Sports’ Second Team Freshman All-American team. Even though the Blue Raiders have had to learn a new system with new offensive coordinator Tony Franklin, he said the quarterbacks have bought in and really taken grasp of the playbook. “The first two have been really good, and obviously they get most of the reps,” Franklin said. “Brent has a chance to be really special, and I think he will be, and John [Urzua] has a chance to be special, as well.” Coming into his second season under center, Stockstill said he still has a lot to prove even after his terrific first year. In order to do so, he said he has to keep learning under Franklin. “I just have to be as coachable as I can be every day,” Stockstill said. “Coach Franklin is a great teacher … just to be able to pick his brain every day and learn from him will be big for me. “The spring was big. Being here for those 15 days was awesome for me, because I got a head start coming into this camp. But, we still have a ways to go.” Behind Stockstill, Urzua, a redshirt freshman, has taken control of the backup quarterback spot after earning the Most Improved award for quarterbacks in the spring. In his senior year of high school, Urzua threw for 3,142 yards and 34 touchdowns for North Gwinnett High School. The 6-foot-3, 185-pounder from Suwanee, Ga., said his main focus this season is to keep building on what he has learned so far. Luckily, he has a lot of experience in a system like Franklin’s. “It’s been a little bit easier for me, because we ran a similar offense in high school,” Urzua said. “My head coach in high school would actually go to a lot of coach Franklin’s seminars, so I guess I kind of had a head start in a way. Most of it is really similar.” His second preseason camp has been different from the first, Urzua said, and it isn’t just because they have a new offense under Franklin. “It’s a lot different, really,” he said. “I feel like this time last year we weren’t as much of a team as we are now. The chemistry is really getting there quick, and we’ve made some big leaps so far.” Freshman Kyle Banks has been the third quarterback in camp getting some reps under center. The North Paulding High School product from Acworth, Ga., threw for a combined 6,211 yards and 61 touchdowns in his junior and senior years of high school. “Kyle has gotten a few reps, and he’s done a good job,” Franklin said. “He’s getting better in the drill stuff.” Though improving on last year’s performance may be a tall task for Stockstill and the offense, he said so far they have done a good job of focusing on getting better. “I think we’re getting better every day,” he said. “We still have a little ways to go, but I’m excited with where we’re at.” Fans will get their next chance to see the team, as well as MT’s soccer and volleyball teams, at the athletic department’s annual Fan Day Aug. 14 from 2-4 p.m. at Floyd Stadium. 2016 team posters, yard signs and schedule cards will also be available, and the Blue Raider Ticket Office will have a select-a-seat event to see what seats are still available for football season. Single-game and season tickets will be available. The event is totally free to attend. |
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 GoBlueRaiders.com will be conducting a series of Q&A features with different football players throughout fall camp. Today’s feature is senior long snapper William Eads. GBR.com: What are your personal expectations for this season? EADS: I think our expectations are to win a championship. We aren’t going to be happy with anything less than that. GBR.com: What do you look forward to most about camp? EADS: My favorite part about camp is being in the locker room, hanging out with the guys, going to dinner, stuff like that. GBR.com: Have you seen a difference so far in this camp compared to camps in previous years? EADS: I’m the only senior in the special teams group, so I’m kind of the leader of the group. I like the young guys we have kicking. Just being the oldest guy here is probably the only difference. GBR.com: Being the long snapper, do you think there is more pressure on you than some may realize? EADS: Yeah probably. If I don’t have a good snap then nothing else will go smooth. I try not to think about the pressure, but I think there is a lot. Especially with a game-winning kick, the pressure is on me as much as the kicker, if not more. GBR.com: How do you teach some of the young players while still competing against them in camp? EADS: We have three freshmen kickers and one redshirt freshman. With the snappers, I help them, not so much with the kicking and snapping but with other things day in and day out, especially with how to handle camp. GBR.com: What would you say is your greatest athletic achievement? EADS: Winning the state championship as a sophomore in high school. GBR.com: What is your favorite memory as a Blue Raider? EADS: Our win over Marshall last year. Just the ups and downs of that game, and we had to make a big kick to win it. We also had a block kick. Also, any game that has had a huge celebration is my favorite. GBR.com: If you could play a different position what would you play? EADS: Physically, I would want to be on the offensive line if I could. The guys in that group are always great guys and their work ethic is awesome. GBR.com: What the best thing you did this summer? EADS: I went to a few camps this summer, but other than that I was up here working out. We didn’t really go on a lot of trips or anything. GBR.com: Do you have a favorite artist or a go-to song you listen to before a game? EADS: I try to keep it chill. I’ll play some country music. I try not to get too riled up you know, got to keep my blood pressure down. GBR.com: What is your favorite emoji? EADS: I’ll do the 100 emoji sometimes, so probably the 100. GBR.com: What is your favorite type of social media? EADS: Definitely Instagram. GBR.com: Who do you think is the best Instagram or Twitter follow on the team? EADS: Twitter is definitely Alex Dale. For Instagram, I like to see what Jeremy Cutrer posts sometimes. GBR.com: Who has the best dance moves on the team? WE: Definitely Jeremy (Cutrer). GBR.com: Where is your favorite place to go on campus? EADS: I like to go to the locker room. It’s probably my favorite spot. But if it’s anywhere else, it’s probably the student union. GBR.com: What is your favorite Olympic event? EADS: I like the sprinting and swimming. I’m also looking forward to the golf. My favorite is probably track. GBR.com: Are you a big golfer? EADS: Yeah, I play, but I’m not very good. GBR.com: Who is your favorite sports team? EADS: Probably the Titans. |
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 First day in full pads is business as usual for MT by Josh Vardaman MURFREESBORO - Monday marked the first time in this year’s preseason camp when Middle Tennessee had full pads on. The Blue Raiders, who started camp last Thursday, enter the second week of summer practice with a new focus from head coach Rick Stockstill. “I break camp into four weeks,” he said. “Last week was conditioning and assignments, starting to work your way into football shape and learning your offensive, defensive and kicking game schematics. Now this week is toughness. Your body is starting to get tired, you have to be physically and mentally tough to overcome it.” With the heat that comes from every August in Middle Tennessee, getting physically and mentally tired won’t be hard for the players. “It’s kind of expected – it’s the month of August, it’s hot,” junior D.J. Sanders said. “But we practice in the morning so it’s a little cooler than the evening time.” How the players respond to the heat and being tired is what Stockstill said he is most looking for, and he thought they did a good job of that Monday. “I thought it was a good practice,” he said. “I liked how we practiced, the physicality of it. I thought we tackled pretty good for the first day … our backs ran hard, we threw and caught the ball well, our line was aggressive and we did some good things on defense.” The first day of pads always creates a lot of excitement around the players, as well, since they can tackle for the first time after a whole summer of workouts. That excitement led to a physical style of play Monday, according to redshirt freshman Ruben Garnett. “We came out excited,” he said. “It was good – the offense played physical for it being the first day in pads and the defense brought it, too. The defense’s intensity was unbelievable, but that’s how it always is. It just felt like a normal season practice.” Excitement can be a good thing because it brings out fast, physical play like what was seen Monday. However, Garnett said they can’t let that excitement get to their heads. “We have to stay in technique and not get all out of pocket just because we’re in pads,” he said. “We just have to stick to what we’ve been taught all summer and play football.” Monday’s practice also was the first one that was not open to the public. The Blue Raiders’ remaining three weeks of preseason camp before the first game week starting Aug. 29 will be closed to the public. Fans will get their next chance to see the team, as well as MT’s soccer and volleyball teams, at the athletic department’s annual Fan Day Aug. 14 from 2-4 p.m. at Floyd Stadium. 2016 team posters, yard signs and schedule cards will also be available, and the Blue Raider Ticket Office will have a select-a-seat event to see what seats are still available for football season. Single-game and season tickets will be available. The event is totally free to attend. |
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| Frazier hoping to take big step in final year by Josh Vardaman MURFREESBORO - One of the ultimate goals for every collegiate athlete is to show a constant improvement starting from freshman year until their senior season is over. In wide receiver Demetrius Frazier’s case, he has shown the willingness to put in work to get better every season he’s been at Middle Tennessee. He earned the Most Improved Outside Wide Receiver award this spring to add to his Most Improved Wide Receiver award he earned after spring drills in 2014. “He’s gotten a little bit better each year at receiver, and I think and I hope he’ll have a great year this year,” head coach Rick Stockstill said. “He looks really smooth and confident.” The redshirt senior from Brunswick, Ga., has seen time in all 38 games he’s dressed at MT, and this year he’s projected to start on the outside for the Blue Raiders. In order for the Middle Tennessee offense to have the same kind of firepower it did last year when wide receivers Richie James and Ed Batties became the first pair of receivers in MT history to eclipse 1,000 yards receiving in the same season, someone will have to step up on the outside. With four practices in the books this summer, it appears Frazier is doing everything he can to be the guy who steps in opposite of James to replace Batties, who in his senior season in 2015 caught 82 passes for 1,048 yards and 13 touchdowns. “Personally, I think I’m getting better,” Frazier said. “We’re just trying to get better every day … I’m trying to be a leader and keep pushing everybody.” A lot of Frazier’s improvements over the last four years have come from learning the wide receiver position more and more. When he came to Middle Tennessee, he was a defensive back who hadn’t played a lot of receiver in high school. “When he first got here, he was a defensive back and we moved him to receiver the next year,” Stockstill said. “It’s kind of been a transition for him … but he’s a really, really smart football player. “I didn’t think he was fast enough to be a corner but was quick enough to help us at receiver. He catches the ball, has good hands and has good ball skills.” Now as he’s preparing for his last go-around as a Blue Raider, Frazier has the luxury of putting his maximum focus onto his play on the field. He graduated Saturday, becoming the first male in his family to earn a college degree. “It feels good. It’s a great accomplishment, and I’m the first male in the family to do that. I love it,” he said. “I’m very focused on the season now. It feels good to get it out of the way so I can keep doing what the coaches tell me to do.” In order to become a constant reliability for quarterback Brent Stockstill, Frazier said he just has to keep having confidence in his coaches and do what he’s done every season at MT: find a way to improve. “I just have to keep getting better and do what coach Franklin tells me to do,” he said. “I have to be coachable and take every advantage of every opportunity.” Season and single-game football tickets are on sale now. Visit the Middle Tennessee Athletics website and go to the Tickets page to purchase. Fans will get the chance to meet football, volleyball and soccer players at the athletic department’s annual Fan Day Aug. 14 from 2-4 p.m. at Floyd Stadium. 2016 team posters, yard signs and schedule cards will also be available, and the Blue Raider Ticket Office will have a select-a-seat event to see what seats are still available for football season. Single-game and season tickets will be available. The event is totally free to attend. |
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| GoBlueRaiders.com will be conducting a series of Q&A features with different football players throughout fall camp. Today’s feature is senior offensive lineman Daniel Stephens. GBR.com: What are your personal expectations for this season? DS: After finishing strong last year, our goal is to win Conference USA. I know some people favor us and some people don’t, but none of that stuff really matters. I know the expectation within these players and coaches is to win the conference championship. GBR.com: What do you look forward to most about camp? DS: Just getting out here and competing. This is the time where newcomers or people who may have struggled in the spring can prove themselves. It’s always more competitive because the season is right around the corner. And, really, it’s about seeing the team grow as a whole because everybody is going to get better out here. GBR.com: Have you seen a difference so far in this camp compared to camps in previous years? DS: Definitely, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Coach (Tony) Franklin, when he came he did a good job of establishing competition on every level, making nobody’s job safe. I think that made everybody work a little bit harder during the spring. I know it’s early, but as camp goes on I think you are going to see the people who want to play are going to be the ones who last though days 13, 14 and so on. GBR.com: How hard is it to lead on the field while still competing against each other? DS: It’s a learning thing for me. I’ve had a lot of good leaders here with Darius (Johnson) and Josh Walker through the years. For me to be that guy now, I need to lead by their example and continue the tradition. I’ll follow young guys, and if they are struggling or don’t know what to do, I’ll tell them what to do and not just beat them up. It’s about keeping the O-Line motivated when it gets tough. There are a bunch of seniors up front, and it’s our job collectively to keep the offense going when things get tough. GBR.com: What would you say is your greatest athletic achievement? DS: I would say probably being named to the Rimington Award watch list. I’ve followed football since I was in third grade and have been a huge football guy. I’ve known what that award is for a long time, and to be on that list is quite an honor and humbles me. It’s a cool feeling, really. GBR.com: What is your favorite memory as a Blue Raider? DS: It would either be between beating Western Kentucky my sophomore year or beating Marshall my freshman and junior year. Those were both extraordinary games and overtime games. It had a lot to do with conference rankings. It’s a different level of competitiveness. Those have been my most fun wins since I have been here. GBR.com: What is the best piece of advice you have been given that you follow? DS: The best piece of advice I have been given is probably “stay the course.” I had trainers back in high school and even some coaches here who reiterate that. This game is stressful. During camp you get stressed out and mentally fatigued, and the same thing goes during the year. If you just stay the course and keep your head down, you’ll get better. GBR.com: If you could play a different sport what would you play? DS: Golf, for sure. I don’t know why. I didn’t like it when I was little, but I love it now. I try and go play every chance I get. GBR.com: Do you have a pre-game routine or do anything to get you focused for a game? DS: I’m not a huge rah-rah guy. I’ll listen to music and stuff, but I really kind of keep it to myself. I kind of process the game in my head before the game starts. I try to get my mind right and envision myself succeeding and beating the player in front of me. GBR.com: What is your favorite phone app? DS: Probably my ESPN app. I’m a sports junkie. I’ll check in every 30 minutes. Even though it’s probably the same article, I’ll look at it two or three times before the day is over. GBR.com: Which teammate is the best follow on Twitter? DS: Honestly, I don’t even know. I’m not a big Twitter guy. I haven’t logged on Twitter in a couple years. GBR.com: Which teammate has the dirtiest locker? DS: Some of us big boys like to keep it clean, but there are a couple of us, possibly myself. I don’t really know. GBR.com: If your life was made into a movie which actor would play you? DS: That’s a good question. Hopefully an action-packed actor who likes to hit and stuff. GBR.com: What is your favorite Olympic event to watch? DS: I personally like the swimming. It can get pretty intense. The World Cup, even though it’s two years away, I think that’s my favorite international event. GBR.com: What is your favorite Taylor Swift song? DS: I don’t have one. I don’t listen to Taylor Swift. I’m a country guy, but I’m more of a Jon Langston, Dustin Lynch, Jon Pardi, those kinds of guys. |
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| Hale hungry to keep improving by Josh Vardaman MURFREESBORO - Middle Tennessee’s defense looks different going into the 2016 season in some spots, with six starters graduated from last year’s group. Where the Blue Raiders will look very much the same, though, is along its defensive line. Three starters are back from last year along the front, and in total there are six seniors in the group. One of those seniors, right end Chris Hale, is preparing to build off a 2015 season in which he earned 11 starts and led the defensive line with four sacks, which tied him with linebacker T.T. Barber for the team high. With three days of practice in the books, Hale said Saturday the defense as a whole is looking to be right on pace to where it needs to be early. “I think we’re just getting better every day,” he said. “It’s Day 3, so you can’t really judge a lot of things, but I think we’re heading in the right direction.” Before coming to Middle Tennessee, Hale was a standout baseball player at Dunwoody High School in Atlanta. He earned all-region honors as a senior, and in 2011 he was invited to participate in the 25th annual Area Code Games in Long Beach, Calif., which is a tournament featuring the top 220 high school baseball players in the country and normally draws scouts from all 30 MLB teams. While it may have looked like baseball was his calling after Hale had to sit out his senior year of football due to a foot injury, once he got to MT he realized football instead was his true passion. “I’ll be honest, when I first came I wasn’t used to it – my first football workout was here and my first football camp was here, so I wasn’t really used to it,” he said. “But, once I got into it with my teammates and the coaching staff, I missed the sport itself but it wasn’t something I ever thought about going back to.” Now five years later, the redshirt senior has seen his body fill out with more than 40 pounds of muscle. He also has matured mentally, and on Saturday Hale graduated along with four of his teammates. “That was a special moment,” he said. “It’s been a long, long journey for me when it comes to academics and school, but I finished and graduated. It was a highlight moment.” In his years at MT, Hale hasn’t had to grow on his own. This year’s starting defensive line is going into their fourth year beside one-another, and each brings something different to the table in terms of leadership, according to defensive line coach Tommy West. “This is going to be the most fun I’ve had in a long time coaching, because I have guys that when you coach them, they know what you’re talking about,” West said. “And even though their seniors, they’re out to earn their jobs every day. They know they’re going to play, but they’re out here every day to earn their jobs. It’s an honor to coach.” As practice switches gears Monday into full pads, West said he is looking for Hale to keep doing what he’s been doing every season at MT: improve. “He really just needs to keep getting better at what he does,” West said. “He’s improved every year … I think he just needs to continue to improve in his pass rush game. I would like to see him become a dominant pass rusher.” If Hale continues to show improvements in his game like he has since stepping onto the Middle Tennessee campus, the Blue Raiders’ defensive line will be a force to be reckoned with, and should help lead the defense to new heights in 2016. The Blue Raiders will return to the practice field on Sunday at 3:55 PM and it will serve as the last one open to the public. |
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| Shakir leading MT o-line by example by Josh Vardaman MURFREESBORO - Three years ago, playing football in Tennessee wasn’t even on the radar for Maurquice Shakir. The redshirt senior right tackle was, at that time, a sophomore at Santa Monica College, just a few miles from where he went to high school at Palisades Charter High School in Los Angeles. When his two seasons were coming to a close as a Corsair, he started looking for where his next stop would be. That’s when Middle Tennessee got in touch with him. “It really was sudden,” Shakir said. “Our old offensive line coach called me after a game and said he was interested. It was kind of different – I didn’t know who Middle Tennessee was at the time.” Little did he know, three years later he would be preparing for his final season as a Blue Raider with a Conference USA Preseason Team nomination under his belt. “For me, it’s been a long journey,” Shakir said. “But, even after being here for three years, this day has come fast.” He said MT was the fourth school that contacted him while he was in junior college, and the coaches made an immediate impact. “They were the only ones that pursued me as hard as they did,” Shakir said. “I’m just grateful that they did, and I’m happy to be here. It’s been a blessing.” Once he finally made an official visit to Middle Tennessee all the way from the West Coast, he knew being a Blue Raider was going to ultimately be his choice. “Coach [Rick Stockstill], he really made it worthwhile on my visit,” he said. “Once I visited I knew I was committing, regardless of whatever visit I took after.” Stockstill said Shakir had everything they were looking for in a tackle physically – he was athletic, had good footwork and had good size. He also showed some mental characteristics that really hit home with Stockstill and the other MT coaches. “He’s a good person, he works, competes, tries, he listens – he’s been a pleasure to coach,” Stockstill said. “He shows up every day to work. He doesn’t complain, and he’s always positive. If he gives up a sack or if someone gets close to Brent [Stockstill], it bothers him. It’s important to him.” In his three years at MT – he redshirted for the 2014 season before earning a starting spot last year – Shakir has developed as one of the key leaders along the offensive front. He may not be the loudest or most vocal player on the team, but rather he leads through his actions, by showing up every day ready to compete and being consistent. “He’s a good guy because he’s not a vocal guy – he kind of leads by example,” MT offensive line coach Rick Mallory said. “It’s huge for us, because he understands the value of work and understands the only way you can get where you need to go is by working. What we do up front is a thankless job, but it’s the satisfaction of doing a good job and being a part of five guys out there fighting all the time.” Shakir’s consistency every day in practice also translates to gameday. Last season, he led all MT offensive linemen in snaps played with 991 on his way to an honorable mention All-C-USA nod. He was also a key cog that allowed the offense to eclipse the 4,000-yard mark in passing for the first time in school history. With two days of this season’s preseason camp in the books, Shakir said things have been a little different than in years past, especially with new offensive coordinator Tony Franklin at the reins, but they are making good strides in preparing for Week 1 on Sept. 3. “It’s been a lot hotter, definitely,” Shakir said. “The offense is different, it’s a little bit faster than it usually was, so that will take some getting used to. But, we have a full month. We’ll get in football shape; we’ll be ready Week 1.” He said there’s only one thing the offensive linemen will have to do to have a good preseason and make his last season as a Blue Raider a memorable one, and it’s something he’s been doing all three years at MT. “We just have to work our butts off every snap, every day.” |
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| GoBlueRaiders.com will be conducting a series of Q&A features with different football players throughout fall camp. Today’s feature is senior defensive end Steven Rhodes. GBR.com: What are your personal expectations for this season? SR: Nothing less than winning every game. Just taking everything one week at a time. The ultimate goal is to win a championship. We’ll worry about the rest later, but just take it one game at a time. GBR.com: What do you look forward to most about camp? SR: Competition. GBR.com: Have you seen a difference so far in this camp compared to camps in previous years? SR: We always have energy out here. Nothing has really changed. Except for the offensive coaching staff, that’s about it. We come out and compete hard and play like we know how to. GBR.com: How hard is it to lead on the field while still competing against each other? SR: Every leader has to be a teacher. You can’t have one without the other. I try to teach as much as possible and pass on knowledge to the younger guys coming up. GBR.com: What would you say is your greatest athletic achievement? SR: Making it to Division I football. GBR.com: What is your favorite memory as a Blue Raider? SR: Locker rooms and celebrating wins. That’s as good as it gets. GBR.com: If you could play a different position what would you play? SR: Wide receiver or tight end. GBR.com: What’s the best thing you’ve done this summer? SR: The best thing I’ve done this summer is focus on perfecting my imperfections. The little things you get wrong during the year, just try to fine-tune those every day. GBR.com: What is your go-to pregame song or artist? SR: I don’t know. I listen to a lot of different stuff. I’m an older guy, so T.I. gets my hyped. I like T.I. GBR.com: What is your favorite emoji? SR: Smiley face. GBR.com: What is your favorite platform of social media? SR: I’m pretty much only on Facebook, so I guess that would be it. GBR.com: Who has the best dance moves on the team? SR: We got a lot. I would say probably Tristan (Walker). Joc (Bruce) can dance too. GBR.com: Where is your favorite place to go on campus to hang out? SR: The locker room. GBR.com: Who is your celebrity crush? SR: Zulay Henao. GBR.com: What is your favorite sports team? SR: Titans. I have some friends who play for the Titans, so I’ll go with them. |
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 First practice runs smoothly for Blue Raiders - 8/4/16 MURFREESBORO - Football season is officially here for Middle Tennessee, as the Blue Raiders held their first practice of the preseason Thursday afternoon. “I was really pleased with this practice,” head coach Rick Stockstill said. “I thought our energy was good, our retention was good on both sides of the ball and in the kicking game. I think we’re way ahead of where we were maybe after one practice last year in the fall, and definitely way ahead from where we were when we finished spring.” Though full pads won’t come on until Monday, Thursday was a good chance for Stockstill and the other coaches to see the conditioning level of the team and to work on assignments. “What I’m looking for this first week – I break it down in weeks – is conditioning and assignments,” Stockstill said. “They ran a ton this summer … but now they have to get in football shape.” Thursday was also the first official preseason practice for the Blue Raider offense under new offensive coordinator Tony Franklin. “They hustled, you can tell guys improved in the summer and they worked hard at it,” he said. “For the first day, it was good, it was smooth. We have some good secondary guys over there, some good defensive players. It was a good, competitive day.” Franklin, who also served as MT’s offensive coordinator for the 2009 season, spent the last three seasons at Cal. Under his tutelage, the Golden Bears set new team-highs in passing yardage, passing touchdowns, total offense, total yards per game, passing yards per game and first downs a season ago. Their quarterback, Jared Goff, was also selected by the St. Louis Rams No. 1 overall in the 2016 NFL Draft. Middle Tennessee’s offense was also prolific last season, setting team records in scoring and total offensive yards, among other statistical categories. At MT’s first press conference of the season on Tuesday, Franklin said it isn’t the stats or records broken that will define their season, though. “I could care less about the numbers part, if we’re No. 1 in this or No. 1 in that – I just want to win.” On the other side of the ball, defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix said while he still can’t wait to see his guys strap on pads and start hitting people, practices like Thursday are necessary. “We look for alignment, assignments and the mental part of it,” he said. “A majority of the game is mental, the physical part will take care of itself when that time comes. “All in all, what we try to do is get execution, go out there and protect each other and be smart. We want to execute our assignments at a high tempo and a high speed so we can react and play fast.” Thursday’s practice was the first of four that will be open to the public, with the remaining three on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. To see a full list of summer practice times, visit the MT Athletics website. Season and single-game football tickets are on sale now. Visit the Middle Tennessee Athletics website and go to the Tickets page to purchase. Notebook
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 105 REPORT TO CAMP FOR MIDDLE TENNESSEE - 8/3/16
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - 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 4:00 PM and is open to the public. “Our guys have had enjoyed a good summer program,” said Stockstill. “I feel like we are in good shape as we report and I really believe in this team. We have some holes we need to fill. There are some question marks out there that we need to get answered here in August, but I’m really looking forward to this season getting started.” The freshmen and transfers spent most of the day in academic orientation meetings Wednesday before taking physicals in the morning to go with a team meeting in the afternoon. Following a 5:00 PM dinner, Stockstill held a senior meeting at 6:15 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 40 lettermen and 11 starters highlighted the list of players reporting to camp Wednesday. Offensively, the Blue Raiders have 18 lettermen and six starters returning which includes quarterback Brent Stockstill, wide receivers Richie James and Terry Pettis, along with linemen Chandler Brewer, Maurquice Shakir and Daniel Stephens. Defensively, 18 letter winners and five starters will be back for Coach Tyrone Nix. The returning starters are linemen Chris Hale, Steven Rhodes, and Shaquille Huff, along with corners Jeremy Cutrer and Mike Minter. Two players who did not go through spring practice or announced with the 2016 signing class were part of today’s 105. The new additions are wide receiver Dennis Andrews and linebacker Malik Hawkins. Andrews is a graduate transfer from Georgia Tech and attended Godby High School in Tallahassee, FL, while Hawkins is a transfer from Northwest Mississippi JC. A two-year starter, Hawkins led NMJC to the NJCAA National Championship in 2015. The Blue Raiders, who will host their annual Fan Day on August 14, will open the 2016 season at home against Alabama A&M, Sept. 3. Kickoff is slated for 6:00 PM CST. |
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 Middle Tennessee Media Day Quotes — 8/2/16
Rick Stockstill, Head Coach Opening Statement… “I’d like to thank everybody for coming. I appreciate you guys giving time in your day to be with us. It’s an exciting time for us. We are really looking forward to getting started tomorrow. We report tomorrow and our first practice is Thursday. Our guys have had a good summer program. I feel like we are in good shape as we report. I really believe in this team. We have some holes we need to fill. There are some question marks out there that we need to get answered here in August, but I’m really looking forward to this season getting started.” On confidence having a starting quarterback heading into fall camp… “You always feel comfortable when you have a quarterback back or a quarterback you have a lot of confidence in. You can say that at every level, whether you are in high school, college or in the NFL. It is a comforting feeling. It gives us as a staff and our players a level of confidence. They have seen him play and they know what kind of player he is. We feel good about that position heading in to camp.” On defensive leadership after graduating Kevin Byard… “I really feel good about the leadership on the offensive side of the ball. We have a lot of returning guys. That’s one of the question marks I have on defense. Not only with KB, but T.T. Barber, Cavellis Luckett, Trey Wafford, Pat McNeil. We lost some really good football players and some really good leadership. We have some good leadership coming back. Steven Rhodes is a good leader. I think D.J. Sanders is a good leader. I think we have some young guys who are developing in a leadership role. They aren’t quite there yet, but that’s an area we have got to find out who we can depend on and who is going to play consistently on that side of the ball. We have to develop some leaders on defense. Losing KB, his performance as a player, obviously he is a good player. You aren’t going to replace that guy in one year. We have some good players, and I feel good about those guys. They just have to grow up in a hurry.” On expectations to win the East Division… “Those expectations were the same last year. They may not have been the expectations of the media, but they were the expectations of that football team. It doesn’t matter to me where you are picked by the media or by anybody else. You have to go out and prove it. This team hasn’t played a game or one play yet. We are in the process of forming our identity. I have a pretty good feel of it right now, but we’ll solidify that identity and continue to develop it. This team has a long way to go. Just because somebody thinks you can contend or win the East, that’s a compliment for this team because they have earned it. There are good players on this team. They have worked their tail off and these coaches have worked their tail off. You embrace those expectations, but you don’t absorb it. You don’t go walking around saying, ‘They think we are going to win it, so we won it.’ You have to go out every week. This is an extremely competitive conference. Only having five home games is not going to be easy. I don’t know if there is another Division I school in the country that only have five home games. That’s a challenge within itself when you go on the road. As much as we have to go on the road, little things are a lot of the times the difference in the game. I think it’s magnified a little bit more when you go on the road. We have to prove it. I believe in them. I’m anxious to get started on Thursday. Hopefully, we’ll be up for this challenge.” On game planning for teams’ attention on wide receiver Richie James… “I think he will get a lot of attention, and he deserves it. He’s a really good football player. You still have to make them stop you. He’s too good and athletic with the ball in his hands. We are going to get the ball to him as much as we can. Everybody talks about Richie in the receiver corps, but I really think Terry Pettis had a good year last year with 30 balls for 600 yards. He has worked his tail of this summer, and I think he’ll be better this year than last year. I think Demetrius Frazier is a guy who has been a solid player for us over the years. He’s had a great summer, and I think he’s ready to take that step in being a guy who is dependable and someone you can count on. We have some young guys who haven’t played much who I think will be able to contribute. Last year, Richie had Ed (Batties) in coming along. As we develop the receivers around Richie and everybody else, they are going to be able to say, ‘If we stop Richie we can stop their passing game.’ That’s not going to be the case. Richie may catch five balls in a game, the next he may catch 12. We have a lot of good players on this football team in the back field and at receiver. Our skill guys on offense, I really feel good about.” On depth at wide receiver with Shane (Tucker) out injured… “I don’t know if he will be out for the year or not. We’ll continue to rehab him and see how he responds. At a certain point, you make a decision if he’s not ready and you end up using the redshirt year. We’ll see. You have Richie (James), Terry (Pettis), Demetrius (Frazier) who have played, and Shane who is making the transition from running back to wide receiver. You didn’t have anyone else who had really played. That’s in no disrespect to those players, they are just bodies and we have to wait and see how they develop and perform. I think losing Shane, especially if he is out for the year, I don’t think anybody has to develop any faster. Our guys got a ton of reps in the spring and a ton of reps this summer. I know it’s early, but I think those guys are developing. Hopefully they will have a great camp and we can have some confidence in them.” On running backs… “None of them have played. I’Tavius (Mathers) hasn’t played in a year. I love I’Tavius. I love his attitude and work ethic. I think he will have a great year. I hope he has the best year of his life. He comes from Ole Miss and everything they have is better than what we have, and that’s ok. Not one time has I’Tavius stuck up his nose and said ‘Man, we don’t have this?’ or ‘We only get this?’ He has been a great teammate since he got here. He has worked his tail off. He is involved in the community. I hope he has a phenomenal year. Ruben Garnett played the first game last year then got hurt. He had a good August last year and had a good game that first game. He got hurt a little be the next week in practice so we redshirted him. Terrell West is coming off an ACL injury out of high school where was limited last year. J’Vonte Herrod had been here but tore his ACL last year in August. You have guys who haven’t played, but we are faster in the back field than we were last year. I think we will run the ball more efficiently this year than we did last year. A lot of that is because I have more confidence in our offensive line. I’m excited about our backs. It’s kind of an unknown, but they work and they have a good attitude. Desmond Anderson did some good things as a true freshman and Kamani Thomas played a little bit last year when all the backs got hurt. He did a nice job when he was in there. It’s kind of an unproven group right now.” On senior leadership on defense… “That’s where our older players are. They have all played. Chris Hale is a senior. Steven Rhodes is a senior. Raynard (Felton), Shaquille (Huff), Jimal McBride. You have older guys who have been through a bunch of snaps, games and practices, and they know what we expect. They have to carry the torch, so-to-speak. The safeties, Alex Dale played the nickel role and did well. You rely on your older guys if they are good leaders. Just because you are a senior doesn’t mean you are a leader. There are some seniors you aren’t going to follow. That nucleus up front has to be the work horse until we get the guys behind them some experience.” On concern with ‘sophomore slump’ with Brent Stockstill and Richie James… “I’m not worried about that one bit. They say that with Sports Illustrated, ‘If you make the cover of Sports Illustrated you’ll be no good after that.’ Muhammed Ali was on there 68 times. All that stuff? No. Richie doesn’t have to catch 100 balls; Brent doesn’t have to throw 4,000 yards to be better than they were last year. All they want to do is win. They are more concerned with letters than numbers. Give me W’s. I’ll throw for 100 yards if I can get 13 W’s. I’m not worried about that a bit, and neither are they.” On having Murfreesboro talent in Brent Stockstill and I’Tavius Mathers on the team… “I think about that a little bit because I think that is pretty neat. You throw Ty Nix in, he’s a local guy. With them playing — come support your guys, come to the game. You watch these guys grow up. This community has watch I’Tavius grow up since he was a little kid. These are your homegrown guys. Come support them. I hope for nothing else, people will come watch them play and say, ‘Hey, that’s a pretty good product they are putting out there. I’m going to come again.’ I don’t spend a whole lot of time thinking about it, but when you do it’s pretty cool.” On what has changed over the 11 years of his tenure… “I hope nothing. I hope I’m the same person I was from a consistency standpoint and how I talk and relate to players. I still have the same drive, passion, enthusiasm and love for this game that I had when I got here. I’m still driven to be the best we can be here. I want to help these players reach their goals on and off the field. With 11 years on the job, you learn things. I don’t have many regrets. I still have that same drive in me to help this team reach their full potential.” On taking the next step with the program… “I’m proud of every player that has come through, and I’m proud and appreciative of every coach that has come through here in these 10 years. I’m proud and appreciative of our current players and our current coaches. They work their tail off and they do a great job. I’m proud of the success we have had. The next step is winning the conference and winning a bowl game. It’s hard to do. It’s not easy. (Former wide receiver coach) Kodi Burns said something last year, that Auburn has played for 100+ years, and I think they have only won four conference championships. Winning is hard. That’s why you should celebrate every win. You celebrate because of the hard work you put in to do that. I want to win the conference and win the bowl games. Is it far-fetched to say I want to be one of the four teams in the playoff? It may be a little far-fetched, but why not believe it? Why not try get there? It’s out there, so let’s try to go get it. We can still accomplish a lot more.” On what he looks for in the first few days of camp… “I break it down into weeks. Everybody asks, ‘How long is camp?’ You don’t want it to be a drudgery that you’re trying to get through. The first week is conditioning and assignments. You have to get into football shape. Jason (Spray) has been out there running them. Now you are stopping, you’re planting and you’re changing direction. You’re banging on people and leaning on people. You have to get in football shape and you’re installing your offense, defense and kicking game. You’re learning your assignments. The first two days are in shorts and the next two are in shorts and shoulder pads. They are going to mess up, but I talk about effort all the time. Effort is more important than talent. You may be only able to run 4.8, but if you give phenomenal effort, you’ll be better than that 4.4 guy.” On experience and depth of offensive line… “We have some older guys up there. We lost DJ (Darius Johnson) last year for the first four games, and then he played the middle four, and then broke his ankle and didn’t play the last five. Chandler Brewer got an opportunity to play and start as a true freshman. When DJ came back, we moved Chandler to guard, and when DJ got hurt again, we kept Chandler at guard and Carlos Johnson probably played the last five or six games. I really like our offensive line. Daniel Stephens is as competitive and tough a player that we have had. He’s a smart football player. Josh Chester has played a bunch in his career. He’s a good leader, he’s tough and he plays hard. Chandler, to do what he did as a freshman last year; he’s developing into a good leader for us. Maurquice Shakir is another very athletic guy. I have a lot of respect for those guys up front. Hunter Rogers, this is his last year. He has been a role player, but I think he has a chance to be a big contributor for us. He has worked hard this summer. His body has changed. Carlos has to be more consistent, but last year was the first year he played. He got a taste of it. We have some guys behind them, like Conner Trent. We have to develop a little bit of depth there, but our front six or seven guys I really like. They are like our defense front. We are older up front even though we have two sophomores with Chandler and Carlos. I’ve always felt like if your offensive line is cohesive, they like each other and they play for each other, you have a chance to have a good offensive team.” On expectations to win the division being a good or a bad thing… “I don’t think it’s a bad thing. We as coaches won’t let it happen, but it may be bad if these guys walk around thinking we have already won it. That’s a bad thing. When you start believing the noise, that’s when you have problems. When people say you’re great, don’t believe it. When people say you stink, don’t believe it. It’s good for our players because people have confidence in them. It’s good for our program that people think we have a chance to have a good team. We’ll embrace it, but you can’t talk about it, you just have to go out and do it.” Tony Franklin, Offensive Coordinator On if Coach Stockstill is the same person as he was when he first took the job… “Yeah, absolutely. There were a lot of reasons for why I came back, but I would’ve never considered coming back if he wasn’t who he was last time. He’s a special guy in this business. There’s not many like him, and what you see every day, he’s just consistent. He’s just a good man, good guy to be around, and a good football coach. Players play hard for him because they like him. They respect him and he’s the same guy from before.” On the strengths Brent Stockstill has… “I think the biggest thing with Brent, I’ve never seen a football player work any harder than him, regardless of where I’ve been, from high school coach to a college coach. I’ve never seen anybody work harder than him. He’s a leader, which is difficult sometimes when you’re a coach’s son. They like him, they respect him and you worry about that as a coach sometimes that your head coach’s son is the starting quarterback. I made a couple of phone calls to some people, before Rick and I decided to do this. They told me what I expected to them to tell me. They told me that Rick would play the best player regardless and that Brent was a special kid. Well I didn’t know how special until I got here. He’s a good football player, he likes the game, he works hard, he studies hard and he’s got a good skillset. This is the first time since I’ve been coaching that I’ve gotten to walk in to a good quarterback. Even at Cal, I had a good quarterback there, but we didn’t have him until we got the job and then we had to go secure him because he wasn’t sure if he was still going to go to Cal once we got there.” On expectations of the offense… “That’s my job; my job is to get the best out of them. That’s what a good coach does. With that being said, I’m lucky to be sitting beside Ty (Nix) here. The defense has good players, he’s a great coach, he’s got a great reputation all over the country, and he’s been fun to work with. Since I’ve been coaching, I’ve never heard of or seen anyone winning a championship without playing good defense. We’ll play good defense, I guarantee you that and we’ll do our job on the other side of the ball. Coming in, its fun trying to make it work and it’s completely different from the last time was here. The personnel is different, the whole make up is different and so it’s going to be fun to put it together and I hope it’s beautiful early, but by the time we get the conference play hopefully it’s beautiful.” On focus leading into fall camp… “It really does not change much, because we’re really simple in the fact we get the whole concept of the offense in three days. After that, we’re just refining, so usually the first three days are a little ugly, because you got everything in. Then you usually just repeat the cycle every three days, it doesn’t mean there’s not some variations of it. Our number one job, which I told our coaches, is to be teachers. If we’re good teachers, we’ll be good on offense and we’ll be a good football team. I know they do a good job on defense, some of the stuff they’ve done, I was telling Rick and Ty in the Spring our guys do a better job of stripping the ball before you’ve secured it as a pass receiver then any group I’ve been with. That’s coaching, it’s not like they just naturally do it, and it’s coaching, so every day we get to go out against a group of guys that are well coached.” On pressure to follow a record-setting year for the offense a season ago… “No not really. I’ve talked to Rick about this and Ty, I just want to win. I could care less about the numbers part, if we’re No. 1 in this or No. 1 in that, I just want to win. When I was at Louisiana Tech we averaged 52 points per game. We were one of the best offenses in the history of college football, the year before we were at 34 points per game. Which was okay, but we won the conference that year. You know why? Because we played great defense, we didn’t turn the ball over, we had great special teams. So in my opinion I coached better the year before, then when we averaged 18 points more, because we won more games and we won the championship the year before. The numbers are good; the numbers help you get jobs and all that stuff. But the only numbers I look at, like Rick said earlier is that you look at letters rather than numbers. If the letters are all W’s then we’ve done a good job.” On any player having a breakout season… “I haven’t seen enough yet, but I know this, every year that you win a championship there are surprises that nobody really counted on and we’ve got some good walk-ons, some good young freshmen that are here and we’ll just have to see. You can’t ever tell until they play and you throw them out there and you go ‘wow’ I thought he might be okay, but he’s actually pretty good. So hopefully there are some guys like that. Last time I was here that’s what happened, we had walk-ons that made a huge difference and that’s what made us successful.” Tyrone Nix, Defensive Coordinator On focusing the defense around the attention the offense is garnering… “It makes me feel happy because I know we got the right guys on offense, it starts with our offense coordinator and our players. Based on the way Brent Stockstill works and some of our guys on offense, they have the right opinion at this point. If you look at this league in the past few years, its offensive driven. And the team that has the best quarterback play and the best production offensively has won the league. I think with the guys we got returning we have as good of a shot as anybody to win this league.” On having two fathers coaching their sons… “I don’t know the statistics on it but I’m sure it’s very very low, two coaches’ sons at the same university at the same time, it’s been a great so far. If my son takes on the same work ethic as the other coach’s son here, I think the sky’s the limit. It’s been great for our family; it’s been good for MT right now. The biggest thing is that he has to understand his role, which he does. He has to work as hard, if not harder than everyone else. He’s been a blessing in disguise.” On replacing players from last season… “It’s the recruiting process, and one thing you’ll notice about a good team or good defense is how well you develop your younger guys. I can remember two or three years ago Steven Rhodes coming here as a walk-on and now he’s one of our biggest leaders on the defensive side of the ball. D.J. Sanders came in and played as a true freshman, much like T.T. Barber. And now he’s one of our best leaders on the defensive side of the ball. So I think that the development of your program, the kids will feed in and grow into that leadership role when that opportunity presents itself. I have a tremendous amount of confidence in the guys we have returning. I think we will have good leadership, I don’t know if it’s great, but our football team will be led by our quarterback and I don’t know if there’s a much better leader out there.” On relying on the defensive line more this season… “No doubt, that we will be able to do more things defensively, coach Tommy West does great things with our guys up front and we feel like we’re deeper body-wise than we have been in the past. We have a few guys that have redshirted and have potential to play as well. So we feel like that’s a strength of ours and we’ll have to use that in order for secondary to be more effective.” On applying more pressure up front… “I think that the more pressure they can apply on the quarterback in passing situations, the more effective it will help our defense and our secondary. A lot of that pressure depends on me as well, I have to call more and make it more of an aggressive game. Ultimately we’re going to do what gives us the best chance of winning. We feel like we have some natural pass rushers, Chris Hale, when he’s healthy and on the field. Steven Rhodes is another guy. And inside is where we haven’t had as much consistency with the pass rush that I think will be better this season.” On Jeremy Cutrer bringing experience to the secondary… “Jeremy is a very talented player, he has to work on his consistency and understand the schematics of the defense and he had a really good spring, he really did. Mike Minter is another guy who has good talent that can help us win some games. I think overall our secondary, specifically our corners; our depth is probably the best that we’ve had since I’ve been here. That’s not saying that we’re going to play that way, but potentially we have the most talent that we’ve had at that position. The youngest and least experienced area we have is our safeties. Javonte Moffatt and (Alex) Dale, (Darryl) Randolph I don’t think they missed a workout this summer, they really bought in. They did a really good job in our tutoring sessions this summer and I feel really good about them.” Brent Stockstill, So., Quarterback On Coach Jason Spray and the benefits of gaining 15 pounds, and improving from last year… “Coach Spray is the best strength coach in the country. I think anyone up here would agree with that. It can only help me improve. It’s easy. I have great guys around me. Coach (Tony) Franklin has only been here for six or seven months, but it feels like we have been with him a couple of years now. I’ve learned so much already. With great coaches and great guys around you hopefully you can take the next step and win some more games.” On helping players develop over the summer, and trip to the Manning Camp… “When you have great guys around you, it’s easy to lead. I did take initiative to get them to work and throw, but it’s them wanting to work. Even when I’m not here, they are up here working. It’s easy on me, but credit those guys. I think you’re going to see an improvement from the receivers specifically. The Manning Camp was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I got to meet some of the best quarterbacks in the country and pick their brains a little bit. I got to meet the Manning’s. That was awesome. It was some of the best three or four days of my life. I learned more than I could have ever asked for, and hopefully that will help me this year.” On the team sharing the expectations to succeed… “I think it’s all of our goals to win a conference championship. It really is one of the closest teams I have been a part of. We truly are a family. When you have a close-knit team like that, you have a chance to do something special. I think we can win a conference championship. Going into camp, that’s our goal. It’s not about the numbers. We just want to win games. We don’t care how it looks. We just want to get that done and take the next step.” On what he has worked on heading into this season… “This year has been different. When you are competing for a job, it’s different. The guys may not know who to buy into. It’s easier to lead when the guys trust you. It’s been more fun this year to lead and be more vocal. Something I have been working on is my pocket presence. (2016 No. 1 draft pick) Jared Goff was the best to do it in my opinion, and we have watched so much film on him. I’ve learned from him. I’ll continue to work on that throughout camp.” On his experience with Coach Tony Franklin so far… “It has been awesome. It’s kind of hard to describe, but if you sit down with Coach Franklin and have a conversation with him, you instantly feel like you are gaining knowledge. There is just something about him. There is a presence about him that makes you feel like you are always learning. I’ve probably learned more in these six or seven months than I could have ever imagined under a new offensive coordinator. We have had 15 practices, but if feels like I have played a whole year under him. We come to work every day and continue to rep what he wants us to do and be very detailed. That’s what he preaches. I’m looking forward to camp, continuing to learn from him and I can’t wait to get the season started.” On losing Ed Batties at wide receiver… “We all miss Ed. He was a great personality to have on this team. One of the hardest workers I’ve been around. He was a great player and contributed large amounts to this team. You aren’t going to replace on guy with another guy. It’ll be by committee. We’ll bring in a couple of receivers to replace him and I think we can do that. I think we have some young guys who have worked their tail off and who can contribute to replace guys that we lost. I’m looking forward to seeing those guys step up and we’ll see what happens.” On handling expectation of winning the East Division… “It sounds cliché, but it’s humbling to know people have that confidence in us. Those are great expectations for us, but it’s nothing if you do nothing with it. I feel like when you start practice or a game, you’re not really thinking about what people said back in August. Right now it’s good, but it won’t mean anything until we go out there Sept. 3 and get the season cranked up.” D.J. Sanders, Jr., Linebacker On embracing a leadership role… “Recently, I’ve taken more of a vocal approach. I’m trying to be more emotion. I’m not really an emotional guy. It’s hard to change that, but I’m trying to get all the guys to buy in, even the freshmen and JUCO guys. I’m trying to get them to buy in and learn the schemes so we can play fast and build an efficient defense.” On how the defense will change with more pressure… “It will lead to more picks or more sacks. It will keep the linemen off of us too. It will make our job a lot easier.” On the defense practicing with the offense… “With our offense, it’s high-powered. It’s only going to make us better on defense. Going up against them every day and competing, you can only get better and you won’t stay the same. I can’t wait to get practice started.” Steven Rhodes, Jr., Defensive End On difficulties of getting eligible and serving as a leader to younger teammates… “It really doesn’t seem like that long ago, I mean time flies. It’s amazing how quick four years can go, and these are a great group of men that I’m around. I always just try to be positive in everything that I do, try to be contagious with my work habits and this team is, like I’ve said before, it’s one of the best gelled teams that I’ve been around in my four years here, and I believe we can do great things. Everybody has bought in, everybody’s ready to go do what we need to do. Ignore the noise from the outside about projections and just go with our expectations and what we always want to do which is being the best.” On having a difficult road schedule and staying healthy… “That’s always going to be paramount, keeping your body in tip-top shape and being ready for adversity. Touching on having so many away games, away games are what really test your team, your willpower, your fortitude, and I love that adversity, that challenge. There is nothing like going on the road and beating a team, so I just look at it as another challenge, another obstacle for us to jump over. I embrace it, and everyone on the team does as well.” On leadership role coming from his military background… “Almost all of it. Leading marines is one of the toughest groups to lead. It’s kind of like, leading a bunch of A-dominant male figures that don’t care what you have to say, ‘I can be a leader too,’ so, I mean, just being able to do that. Learning from leaders before me. I feel that has established a great deal of foundation for me and I’m always building. You know every day I got a bunch of guys around me that are great leaders as well, and we kind of feed off each other and I’m just blessed to be a part of this team and lead so many great men. Daniel Stephens, Jr., Offensive Lineman On depth of offensive line... “Well we returned a lot, obviously, and a lot of these players are versatile players. I mean, me and Josh (Chester) both played multiple positions. Chandler Brewer played multiple positions and Marquise (Shakir) can do it as well. I think that’s what helps us. We may not have as many guys as far as depth goes, but if one of us goes down we can rotate around some of the starters. Being able to move around and stuff like that will take us to the next level.” On playing different positions to generate competition… “Well, I think his main goal was just to establish competition. I mean, obviously he has a lot of guys returning but there is a lot of great players on his team that haven’t seen the field as much as they possibly should have. He really just wanted to get everybody in and get a good feel for everybody. He wants to make sure he puts the best product on the field. So really, him just creating competition on all 11 positions. So up front whether you’ve started for three years or haven’t started a game, this really kind of brought a new life to the offense. Kind of made some people feel uncomfortable, but you know that’s what’s good for this team and that’s when we’ll take our offense and make us better next year.” On pressure to protect quarterback Brent Stockstill… “Well you always want to protect your starting quarterback. Brent is obviously our guy, but even if he did go down, we have confidence in the guys behind him. John Urzua is a young kid but he’s got a strong arm. I feel like he can step in and do the job if he has to. I mean, obviously it adds a little bit of pressure because Brent is such a talent. But if we have to roll with someone else because of injury or whatever, we can do it and that more comes from just the overall talent of the offense not just one or two people.” |
