FOOTBALL Column Alert! New Expectations on the horizon for MTSU football team

[Matt Dossett]

Here

 

[RaiderDoug]

Good article sums up the way I feel about 2025.

We all wanted to be more competitive in 2024 but it didn't happen. I do think there were some mitigating factors - portal turnover is kind of a new thing that I don't know if anyone knew how to react, a stupidly difficult schedule for year 1 (Duke, Ole Miss, Memphis, WKU as first 4 of 5 games), some injury issues (maybe the new facilities help with that).

I think we're going to need to re-evaluate expectations and timelines in the portal era. I said in another post that year 1's might be tougher as you're going to lose more kids to the portal than you would have in the previous era (all 3 new CUSA coaches had the same record), but year 2 should be better as there's really no handcuffs in turning over the roster.

I liked the "fight factor" line. There were too many games where we were just not there at the end to make it a game. That said, I don't think I ever noticed any quit and I never felt that we stopped playing hard.

I felt in a lot of games that were were just out-talented - and not in every unit, but some were so below the grade that it dragged down the whole team.

I don't know if I want to put a # on wins next year, but it needs to be more than 3. And we need to be in the fight in the 4th quarter of every game, IMHO.

 

[MidTennMtneer]

Next year's schedule is much more, well should be, more manageable.

We open with Austin Peay. 2nd yr coach as well.
Then $ at Wisconsin.
At Nevada with 2nd yr coach.
Marshall at home with 1st yr coach.
Then conference play starts. We will have SHSU with a 1st yr coach as we didn't play them in '23.

But with so many new players again, who knows. Like said, let's just hope for improvement.

 

[TrueBlue147]

Everyone is dealing with having to get all new players and the portal. That is not a legitimate excuse anymore.

 

[Matt Dossett]

Next year's schedule is much more, well should be, more manageable.

We open with Austin Peay. 2nd yr coach as well.
Then $ at Wisconsin.
At Nevada with 2nd yr coach.
Marshall at home with 1st yr coach.
Then conference play starts. We will have SHSU with a 1st yr coach as we didn't play them in '23.

But with so many new players again, who knows. Like said, let's just hope for improvement.

Touched on it. Last season there were multiple body bag games

 

[MidTennMtneer]

Touched on it. Last season there were multiple body bag games

Yup. I admittedly posted that before reading the article. Thought about deleting it after and said, naw. Still applicable.

 

[RaiderDoug]

Everyone is dealing with having to get all new players and the portal. That is not a legitimate excuse anymore.

New staffs essentially start from scratch. And that’s before you figure that during prime portal season they may be still putting together a staff, etc.

Established programs and staffs are going to have those already established pipelines and prior relationships that come back around during portal season.