Preview 2019: Previewing and looking ahead to the Middle Tennessee 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 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2018 Record: 8-6 overall, 7-1 in Conference USA
Head Coach: Rick Stockstill, 14th year, 87-78
5. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE MIDDLE TENNESSEE OFFENSE
– The Blue Raider offense that was way too inconsistent and lacked the scoring pop – but was good enough to get to the Conference USA Championship – has to replace seven starters, with the biggest hole at quarterback. Brent Stockstill closed out his career as the 28th greatest passer in college football history – at least in terms of yards – and now the battle for the starting quarterback job will go well into fall camp.
Sophomore Asher O’Hara is the most experienced option after serving as Stockstill’s backup, but sophomore Chase Cunningham is a baller and JUCO transfer Randall Johnson is a 6-5, 235-pounder who can move.
– The receiving corps has to replace a few parts, too, but Ty Lee is an all-star caliber target who’ll be the No. 1 guy. Sophomore Like Shifltett and junior CJ Windham are bigger 6-2, 200-pound options to bring some bulk.
– The ground game that failed to hit the 2,000-yard mark and averaged fewer than four yards per carry gets back leading rusher Chaton Mobley, a 235-pound sophomore who ran for 660 yards and four scores. Senior Terrell West adds a bit of flash, but the backs are working behind a revamped line that loses three starters.
– There isn’t a ton of bulk up front, but the line couldn’t pass protect and struggled way too much at keeping defenses out of the backfield. There’s just enough overall experience returning to hope for a wee bit of improvement.
NEXT: What You Need To Know About the Defense, Top Players, Keys to the Season, What Will Happen
4. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE MIDDLE TENNESSEE DEFENSE
– Six of the top ten tacklers and five starters are gone from an okay defense that finished in the middle of the Conference USA pack, but needs to be much, much tighter on third downs. The strength is at linebacker with Khalil Brooks the star on the outside and DQ Thomas a safety-sized veteran on the other side. Second-leading tackler Darius Harris is gone from the inside, but the veteran options are there to play around with.
– Thomas and Brooks are the team’s two best playmakers in the backfield, and now more needs to come from the line. Trae Philpots led the defensive front with four sacks, and senior Tyshun Render needs to play a bigger role on the other side. There’s a little bit of bulk in the interior, but the best returning tackle is the 254-pound Malik Manciel.
– The safeties are there, but the starting corners have to be replaced. Sophomore Reed Blankenship led the team with 107 tackles with four picks. He’s back at free safety, and all-star veteran Jovante Moffatt is back at strong safety after missing most of last year hurt. However, the six interceptions – and two pick sixes – of Wesley Bush are gone. The corners are young, but they’ve got decent size.
NEXT: Top Players, Keys To the Season, What Will Happen
3. TOP MIDDLE TENNESSEE PLAYERS
Best Middle Tennessee Offensive Player
WR Ty Lee, Sr.
The team’s leading receiver has 213 grabs for 2,537 yards and 21 touchdowns as a three-year star, and now he has to do even more. Extremely quick – even after putting on 20 pounds since his freshman year – the 5-9, 178-pounder produces no matter how he gets the ball in his hands. He’s a runner, a kick and punt returner, and a No. 1 target who should be good for at least 70 grabs for the rebuilt passing game.
2. C Josh Fannin, Sr.
3. WR CJ Windham, Jr.
4. OT Amir Luckett, Sr.
5. RB Chaton Mobley, Soph.
Best Middle Tennessee Defensive Player
S Reed Blankenship, Jr.
Go ahead and put linebackers DQ Thomas, Khalil Brooks, or safety Jovante Moffatt here – once he’s in one piece after suffering a knee injury. The top stars are on the defensive side, and the 6-1, 195-pound Blankenship is the best returning playmaker, leading the team with 107 tackles as a good hitter who’s like an extra linebacker against the run. Along with all the stops, he came up with eight tackles for loss and four picks.
2. LB DQ Thomas, Jr.
3. LB Khalil Brooks, Sr.
4. S Jovante Moffatt, Sr.
5. DE Tyshun Render, Sr.
NEXT: Keys to the Season, Prediction & What Will Happen
2. KEYS TO THE SEASON
Biggest Key To The Middle Tennessee Offense
The running game has to do more to help the cause. It was easy to rely on Brent Stockstill to carry the offense with the passing game, and the Blue Raiders will still rely on the mid-range air attack, but now the running backs have to do more. It’s not like the program doesn’t like to run – it averaged six yards per carry with close to 2,500 yards just three years ago – but now it has to do it with a revamped line and without any star backs.
Biggest Key To The Middle Tennessee Defense
Third down stops. There’s no excuse for being that bad on third downs last season. The secondary was good, and the pass rush wasn’t awful, but the Blue Raiders allowed teams to convert a whopping 45% of their third down chances. The O was able to take care of the time of possession side of things, but the D allowed teams to march on drive after drive. It all bottomed out in the bowl loss to Appalachian State, who converted 70% of its chances.
Key Player To A Successful Season
QB Asher O’Hara, Soph.
Or Chase Cunningham, or Randall Johnson. Someone has to replace Brent Stockstill, who connected on 70% of his throws for 3,544 yards and 29 touchdowns. He took a beating, but he managed to make the O go.
The 6-0, 196-pound O’Hara is more of a runner than Stockstill was, and he’s the team’s most experienced quarterback. First, though, he has to beat out Cunningham and Johnson in fall camp for the gig.
Key Game To The Middle Tennessee Season
Marshall, Oct. 5
This isn’t the same Blue Raider team as the 2018 version, but it should grow in time to be just good enough to hang around again in the Conference USA title chase. To have a shot, it has to win the opener at home against a strong Marshall team that has the talent to take the East. Lose, and with road games at Florida Atlantic and North Texas to follow, it might be a rough run before the schedule loosens up.
– Middle Tennessee Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2018 Middle Tennessee Fun Stats
– Onside Kicks: Opponents 3-of-5 – Middle Tennessee 0-for-0
– 3rd Down Conversions: Opponents 94-of-206 (46%) – Middle Tennessee 75-of-200 (38%)
– Kickoff Returns: Opponents 46 for 887 yards – Middle Tennessee 4 for 76 yards
NEXT: What Will Happen
1. MIDDLE TENNESSEE WIN TOTAL PREDICTION: WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN
There’s a whole lot missing.
The offensive line isn’t gutted, but it’s close. The skill spots are weaker, the defense is missing both corners, and in all, 14 starters are done from the group that got to the Conference USA title game.
Even so, there are just enough good parts returning to push for a fifth straight bowl appearance with at least five potential all-stars on the defensive side, and with just enough talent returning on offense to not fall off a cliff, so …
Set The Regular Season Win Total At … 6
It’s not going to be easy, though.
The Blue Raiders have to do on the road to deal with Michigan, Iowa, Florida Atlantic and North Texas, and they host Marshall and Duke – and that all comes before having to deal with possibly the league’s best team, FIU.
The last four games are against teams that didn’t go bowling, and Middle Tennessee is just good enough to win a few of those nasty games on the slate. It might take wins over Old Dominion and at Western Kentucky late in the season to get there, but it’ll get bowl eligible.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– Schedule Analysis
