Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Preview 2024
Does anyone remember that Derek Mason took Vanderbilt to bowl games in 2016 and 2018?
We live in a no-excuses world of college football, and Mason didn’t come up with a winning season in his six-plus seasons, but come on - Vanderbilt right now is about as tough as it gets.
He’s a good defensive coordinator who gets his second shot at a head coaching gig, and this might just fit - in time.
Middle Tennessee got ripped up by personnel losses and the transfer portal, but the starting 22 should be okay after the first few weeks. It might not be pretty early on, but things should start to change in the middle of October.
After 18 years under Rick Stockstill the program is used to good seasons, bowl appearances, and pushing for winning campaigns.
Give Mason and his staff a year to get up and cranking, but don’t be shocked if it’s mid-November and all of a sudden Middle Tennessee goes on a run.
Middle Tennessee Preview 2024: Offense
- The offense had its moments last season, but it wasn’t consistent. Controlling the clock was an issue and there wasn’t enough happening with the ground game, and now new offensive coordinator Bodie Reeder has to figure out how to get the line working.
The tackles are coming from the transfer portal, but Mateo Guevara is a good young guard and there are enough options to start doing more. Pass protection and preventing tackles for loss - the basics - have to be better because …
- The Blue Raiders get their parts back in the backfield. Nicholas Vattiato is a baller of a quarterback who’ll add plenty of running yards - he’s been around long enough to be a steady factor - and the 1-2 rushing punch of Frank Peasant and Jaiden Credle return. They all need room to work because …
- It’s a total do-over at wide receiver. Holden Willis might be the best tight end in Conference USA, but he needs help with almost everyone else who caught a pass gone. There are options - Javonte Sherman made 19 grabs, and there’s help from the transfer portal - but the area needs work.
Middle Tennessee Preview 2024: Defense
- Here is where the improvement should kick in. Head man Derek Mason is a defensive coach by nature, and defensive coordinator Brian Stewart has been around the block several times and should be good for the secondary right away.
The takeaways have to return. Middle Tennessee generated 62 takeaways over 2021 and 2022, but last year they stalled - seven of the 16 came in two games. Several new starters are taking over in the defensive backfield, but S Marvae Myers and CB Tyrell Raby are decent veterans to work with.
- The pass rush has to be found. This is also where the new coaching staff should help early on. There aren’t any sure-thing playmakers behind the line with the top producers from last year gone, but there’s good enough size in a young group that should grow over the next two seasons.
- The linebacking corps will be the strength of the D early on. The combination of Devyn Curtis inside and Parker Hughes on the end should crank up the stats. The depth here, though, isn’t there quite yet - it’s another part of the Middle Tennessee defensive puzzle that’s young.
Middle Tennessee Key To The Season
Get the downfield passing game going.
This is where the new coaching staff changes things up a bit. For years Middle Tennessee didn’t complete a ton of downfield shots.
2019 was the last time the offense averaged over 11 yards per completion. Last year’s offense was 113th in the nation in passing yards per completion, which is where the attack needs help from …
Middle Tennessee Key Player
WR Omai Kelly, Jr.
The Blue Raiders were decimated at wide receiver with almost everyone of note gone. The 6-0, 186-pound Kelly comes in from Auburn where he got a little bit of work, but he’ll get his shot to be a star on the outside of the Blue Raider corps.
Middle Tennessee Top Transfer, Biggest Transfer Loss
Top Transfer In: OT Shamar Crawford
Crawford is more like a recruit than a top transfer - coming in from Independence CC - but he’s a key part of the improvement of the line. The 6-5, 296-pounder will likely be thrown in at left tackle right away.
Top Transfer Out: DE Quandarius Dunnigan
There were other huge losses from the defensive side, especially from the line, but Dunnigan was the top playmaker in the backfield last year with ten tackles for loss and three sacks. Now he’s at Michigan State.
Middle Tennessee Key Game
at Jacksonville State, Oct. 23
The Blue Raiders will likely get off to a rough start with a tough first half schedule. They have to win at Louisiana Tech coming off a week off, and Kennesaw State needs to be a home win.
To have any shot at getting to six wins and a bowl game, they need to steal a few road wins. After losing to Jacksonville State 45-30 last year, they have to turn this around in late October.
Middle Tennessee 10 Best Players
1. Holden Willis, TE Sr.
2. Parker Hughes, LB Jr.
3. Tyrell Raby, CB Jr.
4. Nicholas Vattiato, QB Jr.
5. Devyn Curtis, LB Sr.
6. Mateo Guevara, OG Soph.
7. Jaiden Credle, RB Jr.
8. Frank Peasant, RB Sr.
9. Zeke Rankin, PK Sr.
10. Shamar Crawford, OT Soph.
Middle Tennessee 2023 Fun Stats
- 4th Down Conversions: Opponents 9-of-16 (56%), Middle Tennessee 10-of-22 (45%)
- Red Zone TDs: Opponents 30-of-45 (65%), Middle Tennessee 20-of-37 (54%)
- 1st Quarter Scoring: Middle Tennessee 92, Opponents 67
Middle Tennessee 2024 Season Prediction, Win Total, What Will Happen
Not to conference shame here, but it’s not like Middle Tennessee is dealing with the SEC - at least outside of a date at Ole Miss.
It’s going to be a rough start for the Mason era - the Blue Raiders will only be favored once until mid-October - but the Liberty and Western Kentucky games are at home and there are just enough winnable games to get to six wins and a bowl.
Be patient. This is a YOUNG team with a lot of new parts, but the coaching is good, the schedule eases up, and after a week off in the middle of November, the Blue Raiders will have a chance to go bowling with wins in the final two weeks against New Mexico State and at FIU.
Set The Middle Tennessee Win Total At … 5.5
Likely Wins: Kennesaw State, Tennessee Tech
50/50 Games: at FIU, Jacksonville State, at Louisiana Tech, New Mexico State, at UTEP, Western Kentucky
Likely Losses: Duke, Liberty, at Memphis, at Ole Miss
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