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FOOTBALL Middle Tennessee (1-4, 0-1) @ Louisiana Tech (1-3, 0-1), (CBSSN) 7PM, Thursday, October 10, 2024

SpaceRaider
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Louisiana Tech University
Location: Ruston, Louisiana
Founded: 1894
Enrollment: 11,084 Undergrad: 10,183 Postgrad: 990
Acceptance rate:
Colors: Red and Blue Nickname: Bulldogs Mascot: Tech (live) Champ (costumed)
Fight songs: "Tech Fight"
All-Time Record:
Series: : LT leads 5-3
At MT: MT leads 3-1
At LaTech: LA Tech leads 4-0
Last Meeting: Oct. 10, 2023 (MT 31, LT 23)
Streak: MT won last meeting and 2 of last 3
Stadium: Joe Aillet Stadium (28,562)
Capacity: Surface: Field Turf Revolution
Head Coach: Sonny Cumbie (Texas Tech, 2004)Record at LT: 7-20 (3) Overall: 9-23
2023 Record: 3-9 2023 Bowl: None
Starters Ret./Lost: 9/13 Lettermen R/L: 50/38


Where: Joe Aillet Stadium, 1450 West Alabama Ave, Ruston, LA 71270
Weather Forecast: Clear, and 72F

Digital Game Program

Game Day Information: Game Day Central

Television: CBS Sports Network
  • Play-by-Play.......................................Alex Del Barrio
  • Analyst .................................................Brock Vereen
Radio: PxP: Chip Walters, Analyst: Joe Dubin
  • Murfreesboro: WGNS 101.9 FM / 1450 AM
  • Smyrna – WGNS 100.5 FM
  • Nashville: 93.3 FM
  • App: Blue Raiders
Streaming: WATCH, Listen

Live Stats: Live Stats

Newspapers: Monroe News Star, Shreveport Times, Ruston Leader

Message Boards: The Blond Bomber Board, Bleed Tech Blue, , ,,

Blogs/Podcasts: , ,,

Athletic site: latechsports.com, GoBlueRaiders.com,

Media Guides: La Tech, Middle Tennessee

Preseason Previews: ,

Game Notes: MT Game Notes, LaTech Game Notes, CUSA Game Notes

Roster: Bulldogs, Blue Raiders

Game Previews: https://latechsports.com/news/2024/10/9/football-preview-la-tech-vs-mtsu.aspx,

Twitter/X: @LATechSports, @LATechFB, @BleedTechBlue, @LaTechReport, @LATechSGA @LATechLBN @TechPanhellenic @LATechUB @IFC_LATech @LaTechBOP @LATechCheer @TechRegalBlues, , ,

Hashtags:

Facebook: LatechAthletics,

Youtube: LAtechAthletics,,

Instagram: LATechSports,

Previous Game Thread: Middle Tennessee (1-5, 0-2) vs LaTech (3-4, 2-1), CBSSN, 6PM, Tuesday, October 10, 2023
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FOOTBALL Open Week comes at perfect time

sWiley
RaiderDoug said:
That said, if you want to stay a fan - there's no reason we can't find a niche in order to be successful. It's important to remember, it's not just going to be us - it'll be us, App State, WKU, Memphis, Boston College, probably Vanderbilt, Boise, UAB and all of us who don't have 150 million dollar budgets - it might be a college football version of the Island of Misfit Toys, but we'll be there.

I still don't understand why you make the statement "You can't win when all your good and even decent players transfer out after every season." Every single team we're going to be competing with for conference titles, rankings, bowls, or maybe even a playoff spot of sorts will be facing the exact same challenges. There's no reason we can't keep our players, but FIU, WKU, Kennesaw somehow will field a roster of 4 year starters off to the NFL.
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I disagree. MTSU is one of the most broke and most unsupported FBS programs that exists. On the level of UL-Monroe/Idaho (former fbs) type of support.

We are not going to be on the same level as a Memphis, Vanderbilt, Boise, even a UAB, UTSA, South Florida will all have more ability to field stronger teams (more fan support, more $$$). MTSU is broke and has little to no NIL money. It wouldn't surprise me if we are losing recruits to some FCS schools at some point who can offer more $$$ than us. MTSU will continue to have the weakest of weak rosters due to a total inability to pay anybody anything.

Ah but yes, we will be right there in the cellar with FIU, Kennesaw, maybe WKU. But even WKU has shown the ability to pay and retain some of their talent (hot shot QB from a few years ago, name escapes me, but he came back despite NIL offers). I'm not aware of a single instance where MTSU was able to fend off a cash offer from another school for a FB player. Va. Tech gave Jaylin Lane a measly 100k to come over and ball out, we couldn't come close. I contend Rick Stockstill would still be the coach here if Jaylin stuck around because he WOULD have won us another game or two and got us a bowl in Rick's final season, barely enough to keep him around. Doesn't matter though, he took that 100k offer and left and hurt our program in the process.

If you find it enjoyable losing all your best players every year to the top bidders and essentially being a farm team for the P4, Knock yourself out then. Personally, I'm not interested.
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How to Define Success

M
THEBLUERAIDER said:
I think Massarro is a moron and a terrible AD, whom many of our deficiencies should be placed upon, but do you really think he is so incompetent to not place measurable goals on the coaches? I think he’s terrible, and even I can’t get behind this absurdity. “Why didn’t I think of that?”!?!?!?!?!”
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Please enlighten us then and tell us what the goals are for FB and BB.
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FOOTBALL Open Week comes at perfect time

R
sWiley said:
If you don't care about losing our ability to be competitive with some of the P5 and Upper G5 then I've got nothing for you. We have a completely different idea and viewpoint of what college athletics should be about.

Winning a conference championship is a great thing, but seeing where you stack up with programs that are generally regarded as "better" than you and who should be beating you is equally as enjoyable if not more enjoyable. Especially when you go on the road and whip them in front of their own fans, cash that $1.5 million check, and come home a winner despite being a 20+ point underdog.

We (along with the rest of the bottom of the G5) used to be able to rise up and beat these teams on occasion. When we had older junior/senior laden teams and a roster with some fringe NFL talent, we could go and win those games we were not supposed to win. You used to be able to look at a schedule and know we were gonna have a chance against teams like Missouri, Kentucky, Syracuse, Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt, etc. Now, they are guaranteed L's with the good possibility of us not even being competitive.

Now we are only allowed to compete within our conference. And our best players (that are a joy to watch for me personally) will leave after each season. I find it odd you don't seem to care. You think all players are created equally and someone else is just gonna come along and take a great players place? You didn't enjoy watching our better players like Richie James, Brent Stockstill, Jaylin Lane, Zaylin Wood, Kevin Byard, Darius Harris, Charvarious Ward, Marley Cook, Benny Cunningham, Anthony Amos, Malcolm Beyah (I could go on and on and on)....

Who took Jaylin Lane's place? Who took place of our whole OL that transferred out 2 years ago? Who took the place of our whole DL that left last year? Jakobe Thomas? Zaylin Wood? Sam Brumfield?

I don't want to be mean, but nobody replaced those guys. The losses we've endured because of the portal the last few years have been devastating. We have not even come close to replacing what we lost. It's a major net negative for programs like ours where we are forced to replace our best players with lesser talent. When you have to do that at multiple positions on both sides of the ball year after year....well...the results speak for themselves. 4-8 last year and gonna be like 3-9 this year. You can try and spin it however you want. "Our peers are just as screwed as us"....."A good coach will make the portal a positive"....all copium hogwash. The transfer portal is a devastating mechanism for programs like ours, period.

I would much rather watch and follow the NFL where there are strong forced parity mechanics and the richest owner can't just buy a championship (eat it, Jerry) and shit all over small market teams. I watch maybe 10% the amount of college athletics that I used to and every passing year it is less and less. The NBA and NFL is infinitely more appealing now that college athletics has been ruined. Well, ruined for schools like us. I'm sure the blue bloods of the world are loving life at the moment. Fun times.
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I skimmed over it and I find you 100% correct.

But here's the deal - you have to come to terms with this. This is the way it is. It's not going to change. It's not anyone's fault. It's the capitalistic food chain and we're a gold fish trying to swim with Great Whites. Far more successful programs who have done a heck of a lot more than us are going to find themselves just as screwed.

Let me make this completely clear - no one is saying you have to like this - but you do have to accept that it is not going to change.

If you would rather go watch the NFL - I don't blame you. Go right ahead. They play on Sundays (and Mondays and Thursdays and probably soon Saturdays and Fridays). Go on.

But you're still here, writing small novels about how much you hate it all.

That said, if you want to stay a fan - there's no reason we can't find a niche in order to be successful. It's important to remember, it's not just going to be us - it'll be us, App State, WKU, Memphis, Boston College, probably Vanderbilt, Boise, UAB and all of us who don't have 150 million dollar budgets - it might be a college football version of the Island of Misfit Toys, but we'll be there.

I still don't understand why you make the statement "You can't win when all your good and even decent players transfer out after every season." Every single team we're going to be competing with for conference titles, rankings, bowls, or maybe even a playoff spot of sorts will be facing the exact same challenges. There's no reason we can't keep our players, but FIU, WKU, Kennesaw somehow will field a roster of 4 year starters off to the NFL.
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FOOTBALL Open Week comes at perfect time

B
sWiley said:
You're making my point for me. You can't win when all your good and even decent players transfer out after every season.

And the argument that we shouldn't worry because our peers are screwed just as much doesn't fly with me. We used to stand a real chance in OOC games against lower P5 and upper G5 teams. I vividly remember beating up on Memphis, Southern Miss (when they were OOC), even Toledo and Bowling Green OOC wins who would pistol whip us now.

And then of course the Power 5 wins against Syracuse, Missouri, Maryland x2, Georgia Tech, Miami, Virginia (We won that game I don't care what anyone says, Dasher got that first down by a full yard I was sitting where the line to gain was and we would have kneeled it out after that. One million percent criminal outcome with that game and there should have been an FBI investigation)....

Now we will no longer be able to win those types of games because those teams are just going to take our good players after every season. Now the only thing we can look forward to is starting every season around 1-3 or 1-4, starting conference play and trying to win the worst conference in FBS + saying goodbye to all our good players after each season. What the F? What kind of existence is that?
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Then why are you still even watching? if I quit enjoying the TV series, I just quit watching it. I don’t continue watching it so I can complain about it.
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FOOTBALL Open Week comes at perfect time

B
sWiley said:
…Winning a conference championship is a great thing, but seeing where you stack up with programs that are generally regarded as "better" than you and who should be beating you is equally as enjoyable if not more enjoyable….
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Completely disagree.

Go back to the defining success thread. Success at MT is competing for and winning conference titles while beating our rivals. It has nothing to do with playing P4 schools.

We went 33 years between games with schools in P4. We could never play another P4 school or get smoked by everyone we do play and be successful.

We are not a P4 school. NIL and transfers are legal. Our roster is going to turn over every 2 years instead of 4. I don’t like all the changes, but it is what it is. Constantly bemoaning things we can’t change is depressing. Try to find some enjoyment or hope in supporting MT.
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Dick Palmer stepping back from PBP duties

M
blueboro007 said:
Wonder who replaces him?
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Good question. Just sat down & saw the update. Definitely have to send a salute 🫡 to Mr Palmer. He's given a lot of time to MT. I can understand him wanting to sit back & enjoy the games from the stands after so many years of dedicated service.
I'm not sure if he's had any training in play-by-play, but Jake Bolden is all about MT Athletics & does an excellent job in his weekly Blue Raider Podcast. He's always well prepared, & doesn't stumble. I wouldn't mind having a bit of youth & energy on the airwaves as long as the broadcast is slick, smooth, & professional.
If he's interested I say let him do a couple of the preseason games as a test with the Lady Raiders Raiders, & make a decision from there.
Odds are since we're so close to the sesson starting a selection has probably already been made.
CRI will be doing Jake's next Blue Raiders Podcast next Tuesday. They will be discussing the new team & upcoming opponents. I would almost lay money Coach Insell will give an update to who the new play-by-play announcer will be by then.
PS- Andy Herzer could be a good one as well.
Click to expand...

FOOTBALL Open Week comes at perfect time

sWiley
If you don't care about losing our ability to be competitive with some of the P5 and Upper G5 then I've got nothing for you. We have a completely different idea and viewpoint of what college athletics should be about.

Winning a conference championship is a great thing, but seeing where you stack up with programs that are generally regarded as "better" than you and who should be beating you is equally as enjoyable if not more enjoyable. Especially when you go on the road and whip them in front of their own fans, cash that $1.5 million check, and come home a winner despite being a 20+ point underdog.

We (along with the rest of the bottom of the G5) used to be able to rise up and beat these teams on occasion. When we had older junior/senior laden teams and a roster with some fringe NFL talent, we could go and win those games we were not supposed to win. You used to be able to look at a schedule and know we were gonna have a chance against teams like Missouri, Kentucky, Syracuse, Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt, etc. Now, they are guaranteed L's with the good possibility of us not even being competitive.

Now we are only allowed to compete within our conference. And our best players (that are a joy to watch for me personally) will leave after each season. I find it odd you don't seem to care. You think all players are created equally and someone else is just gonna come along and take a great players place? You didn't enjoy watching our better players like Richie James, Brent Stockstill, Jaylin Lane, Zaylin Wood, Kevin Byard, Darius Harris, Charvarious Ward, Marley Cook, Benny Cunningham, Anthony Amos, Malcolm Beyah (I could go on and on and on)....

Who took Jaylin Lane's place? Who took place of our whole OL that transferred out 2 years ago? Who took the place of our whole DL that left last year? Jakobe Thomas? Zaylin Wood? Sam Brumfield?

I don't want to be mean, but nobody replaced those guys. The losses we've endured because of the portal the last few years have been devastating. We have not even come close to replacing what we lost. It's a major net negative for programs like ours where we are forced to replace our best players with lesser talent. When you have to do that at multiple positions on both sides of the ball year after year....well...the results speak for themselves. 4-8 last year and gonna be like 3-9 this year. You can try and spin it however you want. "Our peers are just as screwed as us"....."A good coach will make the portal a positive"....all copium hogwash. The transfer portal is a devastating mechanism for programs like ours, period.

I would much rather watch and follow the NFL where there are strong forced parity mechanics and the richest owner can't just buy a championship (eat it, Jerry) and shit all over small market teams. I watch maybe 10% the amount of college athletics that I used to and every passing year it is less and less. The NBA and NFL is infinitely more appealing now that college athletics has been ruined. Well, ruined for schools like us. I'm sure the blue bloods of the world are loving life at the moment. Fun times.
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FOOTBALL Open Week comes at perfect time

R
sWiley said:
I was trying to strike a more positive tone but since I gotta spell it out again here you go.

Yes Doug. We're all screwed. Don't worry, this phenomenon is not exclusive to just MTSU. Now, all broke bottom level G5 teams will be glorified JUCO's for the P4 and even upper G5 teams.

The days of MTSU whipping teams like Missouri, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Syracuse, etc. is over. Won't be possible when they take all our best players after each season. Think for a second about the teams that won those big games and had great seasons for us. They were full of juniors/seniors that were good players. Some really good players that went on to great NFL careers. All those kids won't be with us anymore as juniors and seniors. We won't have those older teams with talent. the Kevin Byards, Darius Harris', Richie James, etc. If these rules were in place 15 years ago imagine how many more losses we would have incurred over the years.

Hell, we can't even keep our OL/DL anymore either, much less our key skill guys. Two seasons ago our whole starting OL transferred out, then last season the whole DL left. That was in addition to some key skill guys we lost. You just cannot build a program with that kind of turmoil, as evidenced by our results recently.

Essentially, we will not be able to compete outside of CUSA/Bottom G5. We'll start every year 1-3 or 1-4 and go into the fall months trying to beat some of the worst teams in the country to barely make a bowl game, assuming the post-season structure stays as-is. Then after all that the transfer portal will open and all our best players will take cash offers to go play elsewhere. Rinse, repeat.

Sounds like fun, doesn't it?
Click to expand...

My response to all this is "so what".

Who cares if players leave. They always left. I'm not sure I could name you 5 players off a team 4 years ago. It doesn't matter. Players will come, players will go, and new ones will replace them and they will make great plays in important games that we'll all cheer for. The rosters of all our competition will be in no worse shape. If our non-NFL bound only moderately talented guys are playing FIU's non-NFL bound only moderately talented guys for the CUSA title - i'm still watching.

Who cares if we don't compete outside of the G5/CUSA. All most of the G5 has been doing over the past 2 decades has all been an illusion anyway. There will be a competitive format for the 70 or so schools that were "left out". Like I said before, it's likely going to eventually be a middling division between FCS and the NFL-Lite that's coming. When it gets here, there's no reason we can't be competitive in it and have enjoyable seasons.

And frankly, I don't care if we are playing WKU on a Tuesday afternoon for a bronzed roll of toilet paper, I will watch and I will want us to win.

And next, none of this is personal, none of this is required. You can totally go find another hobby on a Saturday afternoon.

Maybe one of us wins the powerball and we can SMU our way into the B12. Short of that, I suggest we all either come to terms with the "new" college football, or go find something else to enjoy, because constantly complaining about something you cannot change will drive you insane.
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FOOTBALL Open Week comes at perfect time

sWiley
RaiderDoug said:
But how is this any different than what every other low budgeted G5 team will face.

College football always had turnover. The only difference now is that the window has accelerated - instead of 3-4 years, the turnover will be 2 years.
Click to expand...

I was trying to strike a more positive tone but since I gotta spell it out again here you go.

Yes Doug. We're all screwed. Don't worry, this phenomenon is not exclusive to just MTSU. Now, all broke bottom level G5 teams will be glorified JUCO's for the P4 and even upper G5 teams.

The days of MTSU whipping teams like Missouri, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Syracuse, etc. is over. Won't be possible when they take all our best players after each season. Think for a second about the teams that won those big games and had great seasons for us. They were full of juniors/seniors that were good players. Some really good players that went on to great NFL careers. All those kids won't be with us anymore as juniors and seniors. We won't have those older teams with talent. the Kevin Byards, Darius Harris', Richie James, etc. If these rules were in place 15 years ago imagine how many more losses we would have incurred over the years.

Hell, we can't even keep our OL/DL anymore either, much less our key skill guys. Two seasons ago our whole starting OL transferred out, then last season the whole DL left. That was in addition to some key skill guys we lost. You just cannot build a program with that kind of turmoil, as evidenced by our results recently.

Essentially, we will not be able to compete outside of CUSA/Bottom G5. We'll start every year 1-3 or 1-4 and go into the fall months trying to beat some of the worst teams in the country to barely make a bowl game, assuming the post-season structure stays as-is. Then after all that the transfer portal will open and all our best players will take cash offers to go play elsewhere. Rinse, repeat.

Sounds like fun, doesn't it?
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UNLV NIL Fiasco

M
blueraiderJT said:
UNLV gets the last laugh because next man up is actually better than the NIL knucklehead that left. They beat the hell out of a 3-1 Fresno team. These dudes are replacable. Play stupid games and win dumba$$ prizes.
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watched him in HS and my son played against him at Campbell. What people don't realize is he originally committed Army, and he just fell into Campbells lap.
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How to Define Success

R
MT01 said:
As usual Doug you miss the point. It might be a good thing we don’t have a Haslam or Yellowood.

Look how bad things got screwed up in both Knoxville and Auburn with their over influence. This would be different.

But then again my outside the box thinking and vision has never held much court on any of our boards.
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Again, what incentive would the AD have to listen to this fan advisory board of yours?
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