College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders season with what you need to know.
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– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– Middle Tennessee Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2019 Record: 4-8 overall, 3-5 in C-USA
Head Coach: Rick Stockstill, 15th year, 91-86
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 117
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 107
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 99
No one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.
5. College Football News Preview 2020: Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Offense 3 Things To Know
– It’s not that the Middle Tennessee offense was totally miserable, but 1) third down conversions were a major issue, which meant 2) time of possession was a HUGE problem, which 3) wasn’t enough to make up for a defense that couldn’t get off the field, and that 4) led to s great inexcusable losses.
Beat bad North Texas and Rice teams – instead of losing to each one by three – and 6-6 with a bowl appearance would’ve made the season look and feel a whole lot different.
CFN in 60 Video: Virginia Tech Preview
Virginia Tech at Middle Tennessee, Sept. 19
– The offensive line was fine considering it got hammered by injuries. Four starters are expected back around 6-2, 275-pound senior Will Gilchrist at left tackle, but there’s not a ton of beef across the front to blast away. Even so, this group can run block – and the runners are there to take advantage of it.
The Blue Raiders averaged 172 yards per game, but no running back got to 300 yards on the season. 237-pound junior Chaton Mobley and quick backs Jayy McDonald and Brand Anderson return, but they combined for under 600 yards.
In comes former four-star recruit Amir Rasul from Florida State, and ready to roll right away is West Virginia transfer Martell Pettaway. Rasul only got 49 carries in his time with the Noles, but Pettway has the upside to be the feature back.
However …
– QB Asher O’Hara is the real rushing star. The junior had a terrific year throwing the ball, but his 1,058 yards and nine scores on the ground carried the offense. Randall Johnson is gone to the transfer portal, but main backup Chase Cunningham returns – he has enough time logged in to be okay if needed.
Ty Lee is gone from the receiving corps, and fourth-leading yardage receiver Zack Dobson is in the transfer portal, but senior Jarrin Pierce is back after leading the way with 562 yards and four scores. 6-5, 226-pound senior Jimmy Marshall is back after leading the team with six touchdowns on 35 catches for 513 yards.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Defense 3 Things To Know
4. College Football News Preview 2020: Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Defense 3 Things To Know
– The defense struggled, but it wasn’t that bad. It couldn’t come up with a third down stop, and that’s partly because it was the second-worst in the nation in sacks, but …
Okay, so the Blue Raiders were dead last in Conference USA in total defense, but after a rough first month of the season – they were ripped apart by the three Power Five teams on the slate – they were okay.
However, Middle Tennessee was 0-8 when allowing more than 26 points, 4-0 when allowing that many or fewer. But …
– Seven of the top 12 tacklers are gone. On the plus side, it’s not like all those former seniors did much to make the D rock, especially considering the pass rush came up with 11 sacks.
6-2, 217-pound senior DQ Thomas is back after making 74 stops, two sacks and 12 tackles for loss, but he made eight sacks with 14.5 tackles for loss as a sophomore. He’s fine, but the rest of the linebacking corps has to come through with two new starters.
The line that didn’t get to the quarterback enough has to replace three starters, but 6-1, 281-pound Rakavian Poydras is back on the inside. It’s going to be a green group around him, but there’s good size.
– The pass defense was the worst in Conference USA, but there’s hope. The team’s leading tackler – Jovante Moffatt – is gone, but Reed Blankenship returns after missing half the year. Throw in fellow safety Kylan Stribling, expect more out of a now-deep group of corners, and there should be a whole lot more production – if there’s a pass rush.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Top Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Players
College Football News Preview 2020: Top Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Players
Best Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Offensive Player
QB Asher O’Hara, Jr.
He’s not all that big, and he doesn’t have a huge arm, but he makes a whole lot of plays. The 6-0, 188-pounder transferred in from the JUCO ranks, got in a little time in 2018, and then took off as the starter last season.
He threw well – hitting 63% of his passes for 2,616 yards and 20 scores with eight picks, throwing for over 300 yards four times and in two of his last three games – but he was at his best on the move. He led the team with 1,058 yards and eight scores, running for over 100 yards four times.
2. OT Will Gilchrist, Sr.
3. WR Jimmy Marshall, Sr.
4. RB Martell Pettaway, Sr.
5. WR Jarrin Pierce, Sr.
Best Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Defensive Player
S Reed Blankenship, Sr.
The all-star safety made 107 tackles with four picks as a sophomore, and was on his way to a huge junior campaign before getting knocked out for year after seven games.
The 6-1, 196-pound veteran has tremendous range, makes every tackle in the open field, and is the type of playmaker who’s always around the ball, and that includes special teams. He can get into the backfield, too.
2. LB DQ Thomas, Sr.
3. S Kylan Stribling, Sr.
4. DT Rakavian Poydras, Sr.
5. LB Brett Shepherd, Sr.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Keys To The Season
College Football News Preview 2020: Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Keys To The Season
Biggest Key To The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Offense
Use the other options for the running game, and keep the chains moving. The Blue Raiders relied on QB Asher O’Hara to carry the team too often – he ran the ball 199 of the team’s 404 times – but there are too many good backs in place to not share the wealth.
More importantly, the offense that was dead last in Conference USA in time of possession has to keep things moving. It only converted 35% of its third down chances, and was under the 30% mark five times – losing all five.
Biggest Key To The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Defense
Pass rush, pass rush, pass rush. Middle Tennessee’s defense came up with 35 sacks in 2018, 32 in 2017, and didn’t dip below 23 since a rough run after generating just 14 in 2012.
The 2019 defense came up with just 11 sacks, and ten of them came in five games – there was just one sack in the other seven.
Injuries were part of the problem, but the pass rush simply didn’t work. DQ Thomas has to get back to his 2018 form – but he was hardly the problem – and the pressure has to come from several spots.
That means …
Key Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Player To A Successful Season
DE Darius “Juju” Williams, RFr.
And junior Jordan Ferguson, too.
The 6-3, 245-pound Williams was a great get for the program. He redshirted his first year, and now it’s on his shoulders to revive the pass rush from his defensive end spot.
If it’s not Juju, it’s Ferguson who has to rise up. The 6-2, 266-pounder was banged up early in his career after a strong freshman campaign, and he missed all of last season with a knee injury.
Key Game To The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Season
WKU, Oct. 3
The road game at Marshall on November 14th is large, and dealing with Florida Atlantic in the regular season finale will be a big deal, but winning the East will be very, very hard if there’s a loss to WKU in the first game in October.
The Hilltoppers pulled off a 31-26 win in last year’s meeting, ad they’ve won four of the last five games in the series.
– Middle Tennessee Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2019 Middle Tennessee Fun Stats
– 1st Half Scoring: Opponents 284 – Middle Tennessee 149
– Punt Returns: Opponents 39 for 754 yards – Middle Tennessee 4 for 11 yards
– Time of Possession: Opponents 33:01 – Middle Tennessee 26:59
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
1. College Football News Preview 2020: Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
Middle Tennessee had become as steady as could be.
It was good for around seven wins a year, maybe eight, and it was always in the mix for the Conference USA title. It got to the championship game two years ago and lost, but that’s okay – the program was certain to win seven games in 2019, maybe eight, and be in the mix again for the Conference USA title, and …
Pfffffffffft. The air went out of the balloon in a shocking dud of a campaign.
There were injuries, and it was a bit of a rebuilding season, but the team was simply not very good.
But there were some very good parts, and a lot of them are back to give it another run. At this point in his 15th year at the helm, head coach Rick Stockstill isn’t likely to have a second straight clunker.
Set The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Regular Season Win Total At … 7
Bet at BetMGM Win Total Line: 5.5
The opener against Duke isn’t a foregone conclusion, but that and the home game against Virginia Tech will be tough gets. But that’s about it.
Going to Marshall won’t be easy, but there’s no Southern Miss, Louisiana Tech, or UAB on the schedule, and Florida Atlantic and WKU have to come to Murfreesboro.
The Blue Raiders will be at Indiana State and they should get by Old Dominion, UConn, and Charlotte. Going to Rice isn’t going to be as easy as it was in previous years – Middle Tennessee lost the matchup last season – and the trip to FIU will be interesting, but consider 2019 a blip.
2020?
The Blue Raiders will win seven games, maybe eight, and be in the mix for the Conference USA title.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– Schedule Analysis
