Middle Tennessee State football begins the Derek Mason era when the Blue Raiders kick off the season at home on Aug. 31 against old rival Tennessee Tech.
MTSU is coming off a 4-8 season, which prompted the firing of coach Rick Stockstill and the hiring of Mason, a former Vanderbilt coach, in December.
Prior to last season the Blue Raiders had been to and won back-to-back bowl games (2022 Hawaii Bowl, 2021 Bahamas Bowl).
Here are three things to know about MTSU football entering the 2024 season:
Derek Mason isn't the only newcomer to MTSU football
Mason and his revamped coaching staff are only a few of the new faces for MTSU in 2024.
The Blue Raiders began practice with 59 new players, a product of graduation and the transfer portal after the coaching change.
The team lost around 25 players to the transfer portal, most notably safety Jakobe Thomas (Tennessee), edge rusher Quindarius Dunnigan (Michigan State), defensive lineman Zaylin Wood (Vanderbilt), offensive lineman Sterling Porcher (Texas Tech), defensive lineman Marley Cook (Miami), offensive lineman Keylan Rutledge (Georgia Tech), linebacker Sam Brumfield (Virginia Tech) and edge rusher Richard Kinley (Memphis).
The Blue Raiders replaced them with a plethora of transfers and signees, including wide receivers Omari Kelly (Auburn), Hayes Sutton (Duke) and Gamarian Carter (Vanderbilt), safety Brendan Harris (Wake Forest), cornerback James Monds (Indiana), defensive lineman Felix Hixon (South Carolina), edge rusher Andy Nwaoko (Boise State) and safety John Howse (Vanderbilt).
MTSU's Nick Vattiato-Omari Kelly combination could be explosive one
Redshirt junior Nick Vattiato is in his second year as the starting quarterback, although he has started games over all his three seasons with the program.
Vattiato, who completed 286-of-428 passes for 3,092 yards with 23 touchdowns and 13 interceptions (also adding 397 rushing yards) in 2023, will have some options at receiver.
The speedy Kelly played sparingly at Auburn, but is a legitimate downfield threat for the Blue Raiders, one that wasn't very prevalent over the past couple of seasons.
Mason's offense, under first-year coordinator Bodie Reeder, will have an up-tempo offense, and there's depth to execute that. The wide receiver room has depth behind Kelly, Hayes and fellow transfer Myles Butler (Central Arkansas). Holden Willis, who thrived in the slot last year, will play more of a traditional tight end role this season.
The running back room is the deepest on the team, with returnees Frank Peasant, Jaiden Credle, Jekail Middlebrook and Terry Wilkins all having played considerable snaps in 2023.
Schedule may not look as daunting as 2023, but it's pretty close
MTSU had a brutal non-conference schedule last season, one that included road trips to Alabama and Missouri to begin the season. Both teams finished ranked in the top 10.
This year's schedule isn't as daunting, but will still be very tough with a road game at Ole Miss (Sept. 7) and a home game with Duke (Sept. 21). The Blue Raiders also play at Memphis on Sept. 28.
The two teams picked to finish atop the Conference USA standings , Liberty and Western Kentucky, are both home games for MTSU.
MORE: Josh Smith ignoring Derek Mason's advice at Vanderbilt pays off for new MTSU football coach
Party in the Grove the newest MTSU football fan experience
MTSU fans will have more of a pregame experience prior to home games in 2024, as the school has added Party In The Grove to the university's Walnut Grove area (between Peck Hall and Cope Administration Building), the traditional pregame gathering spot.
MORE: What Derek Mason has already changed about MTSU football recruiting
Party in the Grove will feature live music, food trucks, sponsor tents and other activities for fans. The centerpiece will be a performance stage for for bands, artists and DJs, set to start three and a half hours before kickoff.
The Party in the Grove activities will wind down 45 minutes before kickoff with a “Follow Me to Floyd” parade.
Cecil Joyce covers high school sports and MTSU athletics for The Daily News Journal. Contact him at cjoyce@dnj.com and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @Cecil_Joyce.
This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: What to know about MTSU football, Derek Mason, QB Nick Vattiato entering 2024 season
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