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ESPN CUSA Projections

R
I think we'll have a better 2nd year under Mason that first - not that that would be too hard to do as bad as last year was.

But if you follow the recruiting, we've added talent. We have some continuity on the staff. We have both quality and experience in the games most important position - QB.

It's also not exactly a difficult schedule, no Liberty and the only real conference road heavyweight on the sched will be WKU. The OOC is as soft as I've ever seen with with beatable foes in Marshall (disarray), Nevada (don't know a thing about them) and APSU and even Wisconsin is not the typical P5 juggernaut we usually face.

IMHO, 6-7 wins is the target, along with no blowouts and that will show progress. Continue to stack talent and recruiting/portal classes, and make a title run in 2026.
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ESPN CUSA Projections

ewglenn

A couple of breaks away from a run:​

Middle Tennessee State University

Head coach: Derek Mason (second year, 3-9 overall)

2025 projection: 125th in SP+ (130th offense, 109th defense), 5.3 average wins, 3.5 conference wins

In a word, Derek Mason's first year succeeding Rick Stockstill at MTSU was horrendous. The Blue Raiders ranked 131st in SP+ (131st on offense, 122nd on defense) and only finished 3-9 because they won all three of their games that were decided by single digits. Their nine losses came by an average score of 41-17. The passing game was decent, the defense was sporadically able to bend without breaking, and lots of freshmen got experience, especially in the trenches. But Mason, the former Vanderbilt head coach, wasn't able to come up with many answers, even if MTSU did operate pretty well in the rare tight game. (Vandy was decent in those situations under Mason, too.) Things felt mostly hopeless.

I'm admittedly not making this sound like a "couple of breaks away" team, am I? Well, that probably says something about how many particularly iffy teams CUSA seems to have this season. But it also says something about what MTSU returns. In a conference full of poor returning production numbers, the Blue Raiders rank a solid 46th nationally, and fourth in CUSA, behind only a team with a new head coach (Kennesaw State) and the two FBS newcomers. Mason brought back both coordinators -- Bodie Reeder on offense, Brian Stewart on defense -- and the Blue Raiders return a solid and experienced quarterback (Nicholas Vattiato), a pair of disruptive defensive tackles (Shakai Woods and Damonte Smith, who combined for 11.5 TFLs and 20 run stops), and a potential all-conference safety in John Howse IV. Mason also found some potential portal gems in running back Rickey Hunt Jr. (Ohio), receiver Amorion Walker (Michigan) and 6-foot-7 tackle Jacob Otts(Rhode Island).

Defensively, I honestly expected a few more transfers. Mason brought in three transfers and two JUCOs in the secondary but mostly let it ride with the front six. Maybe that will pay off if Woods and another promising sophomore, end Anthony Bynum, keep developing. But if a unit takes a bit step forward in 2025, I'm guessing it will be the offense. Regardless, MTSU has a level of continuity and experience that others in the CUSA don't have; maybe that pays off.

www.espn.com

Conference USA preview: Liberty is early favorite but contenders abound

The Flames are the team to beat, but Western Kentucky and Jacksonville State (among others) can't be counted out.
www.espn.com www.espn.com
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FOOTBALL More changes to college sports

MidTennMtneer
mtfblue said:
i read somewhere the SEC presidents gave him the ok to look outside of the NCAA, if that is the case, I'm sure the NAIA would welcome them and other P4 with open arms.
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It'll never happen, but I have a dream.

I'll die on the hill that we are all FBS and deserve a chance. Give me 10+4 CFP and I'll be happy. But in reality, we aren't the same. I said on X, Akron may be FBS like Ohio St, but the only thing they have in common is being in the same state. They aren't competing for the same thing.

So if a split happens within the NCAA, like Sankey wants, come up with a relegation system. Spending threshold/caps for each tier. Eventually as media deals expire you could pool them together per level, create their own playoffs to move up. It would be fun.

But it will never happen.
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I'd expect no less.....

D
blue rai said:
Would hope that they would name the facility after the family or company that wrote the biggest check toward the cost of the facility. I think we kind of missed the boat on the naming rights toward the football stadium and convocation / athletic center. Interesting to see how Thompson/Bowling arena is now called the Food city center. Money talks in Ktown…..
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That makes too much sense.
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BASEBALL Roster Turnover

_ConnerSmith_
I wouldn’t say that. It’s totally inexcusable to miss the CUSA Tournament, but when you look at how many players were injured (10+), including guys like Trace Phillips, Nathan Brewer, Cooper Clapp, and Drew Horn.

By no means am I giving them a pass, but I’d like to see how they look with their whole team, not guys having to step up who probably wouldn’t have played had they been a healthy team.
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FOOTBALL 15 most important players for 2025

_ConnerSmith_
RaiderDoug said:
It's good to see 3 new players in the defensive back 7 in the top 15.

I've said it before, but watching most of the games last year - it was just glaring that was the weakest unit on the team (backers and safeties just couldn't get the job done in pass cov). We definitely needed a talent and athleticism infusion there, and hopefully Gaston, Mitchell and Chestnut can shore up that part of the D.

Our offense should be good enough to win some games if we can get some stops.
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That’s the thing; they struggled mightily in the secondary and up front, but it goes hand in hand. If the secondary isn’t covering well, it makes the LBs/DLs' job harder and vice versa. The DB and LB room looks much improved from last season. But they didn’t do a ton on the defensive line, so we’ll see how that plays out.
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FOOTBALL 15 most important players for 2025

R
DoubleRRaider said:
Couldn't agree more with the defensive side of the ball. Backer is for sure the strongest room imo -- if we can get some decent tackle play in the trenches i'll be smiling
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It's good to see 3 new players in the defensive back 7 in the top 15.

I've said it before, but watching most of the games last year - it was just glaring that was the weakest unit on the team (backers and safeties just couldn't get the job done in pass cov). We definitely needed a talent and athleticism infusion there, and hopefully Gaston, Mitchell and Chestnut can shore up that part of the D.

Our offense should be good enough to win some games if we can get some stops.
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I'd expect no less.....

R
DisgruntledAlum said:
I just feel the optics look bad, with him being the head BOT member. I don't care if he stepped out for the talks, we all know talks happened behind closed doors with him in them.

Why would a UT Booster/ former governor submit a letter suggesting this for little ole Middle? Something just doesn't set right with me, but it's going to happen either way.

My field of F'ks is near barren for all things MT Athletics. Any money I may decide to donate in future will go to the Finance department. I've had enough...
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Can't argue with that.....it does kind of reek of crony-ism. But that's kind of how our whole society seems to operate these days.
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I'd expect no less.....

D
RaiderDoug said:
I'm going to be honest, this isn't something I really care about or something that I think would affect any results on the field in any sport.

Boosters get their names on things. Happens everywhere.
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I just feel the optics look bad, with him being the head BOT member. I don't care if he stepped out for the talks, we all know talks happened behind closed doors with him in them.

Why would a UT Booster/ former governor submit a letter suggesting this for little ole Middle? Something just doesn't set right with me, but it's going to happen either way.

My field of F'ks is near barren for all things MT Athletics. Any money I may decide to donate in future will go to the Finance department. I've had enough...
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Head Baseball Coach

D
MidTennMtneer said:
The whole thing just amazes me. Sure football is really the money maker etc etc. But of all the sports, you'd think baseball would be better. You'd think the Chairman of the Board, a BRHOF member who played baseball and has the clubhouse with his name on it, and who has his father's name on the field itself would be raising absolute holy hell with CM over this.

He could over lots of athletics things, but you'd think baseball would be his baby.

Add it to the list of things that make zero sense around here.
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I've wondered same thing... How he can sit back and watch it go to crap, on his watch....
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