FOOTBALL Middle Tennessee vs Vanderbilt (CBSSN), 7PM Saturday, September 2, 2017

[SpaceRaider]

game thread, links are a work in progress, it's early but that game week is going to be extremely busy for me:


Vanderbilt University
Location: Nashville, Tenn.
Founded: 1873 Enrollment: 12,686 (Undergraduates 6,851, Postgraduates 5,835)
Colors: Black and Gold Nickname: Commodores
Series: VU leads 14-3
Stadium: Vanderbilt (40,350)
Head Coach: Derek Mason (Northern Arizona, 1993) Record at VU: 13-24 (4th)
2015 Record: 6-7 Bowl: Independence Bowl (lost 17-41 to NCState)
Starters Ret./Lost: 16/6 Lettermen R/L: 43/19

Weather Forecast:
AM Clouds/PM Sun
77°54° 20% W 10 mph


Where: Johnny Red Floyd Stadium, Capacity (30,788), 1500 Greenland Drive, Murfreesboro, TN 37130

Stadium Policies: All bags will be checked prior to stadium entrance. Bags 24"-by-24"-by-24" inches and smallerwill be allowed into the stadium. There will also be separate lines for those without bags.

Television: CBS SPORTS NETWORK - Carter Blackburn (play-by-play), Aaron Taylor (analyst), Jenny Dell (sideline)

Radio: PxP: Chip Walters, Analyst: Wes Counts, WMOT FM 89.5 (Murfreesboro), WGNS AM 1450 (Murfreesboro), WGNS FM 100.5 (Murfreesboro), WGNS FM 101.9 (Murfreesboro), WPRT FM 102.5 (Nashville), National: Sirius: 118, XM: 203, TuneIn App: Search Middle Tennessee

Streaming: Audio, Video (CBSSports.com)

Live Stats: LIVE STATS

Newspapers: Tennessean, Vanderbilt Hustler,

Message Boards: vandysports.com, Commodore Daily, TheBlackSea, anchordown vandy.proboards.com, sec-rant vandy sports, vandymania

Blogs: anchorofgold.com, Hawkins,Memorial & Dudley,

Athletic site: vucommodores.com, GoBlueRaiders.com

Media Guides: Vanderbilt, Middle Tennessee

Preseason Previews: Vanderbilt 2017 SBNation Preview, Vanderbilt (Orlando Sentinel #47), Middle Tennessee 2017 SBNation Preview, Middle Tennessee (Orlando Sentinel #73),

Game Notes: VANDY GAME NOTES, MT GAME NOTES

Roster: Commodores, Blue Raiders

Game Previews: Pre-Snap Read: MT, Vandy making rare trip to play neighbor Middle Tennessee, In-state foes offer contrasting styles in opener, , What to Watch For Against Vanderbilt, Opponent preview: A date with the 'Dores


Twitter: @VanderbiltU, @VandyFootball, @AdamSparks, @VU_All_Access, @vuhustlersports, @joefishervu, @HMDSportsBlogVU,

Hashtags: #AnchorDown, #BlueRaiders, #BeatVandy,

Facebook: Vanderbilt University Athletics,

Youtube: vucommodores,

Instagram: vucommodores,

 

[JohnDavidBlue]

Mid Day 180 on 104.5 unanimously picked Vanderbilt including Hutton. Safe Bet.

 

[SpaceRaider]

Mid Day 180 on 104.5 unanimously picked Vanderbilt including Hutton. Safe Bet.

They be picking Vanderbilt like it was Hillary or something...

 

[MTTim]

They're wacking off over Vandy. Can sports radio get worse.

 

[MTTim]

They're spanking off over Vandy. Can sports radio get worse.

 

[MTTim]

Sorry. It appeared my language was being denied so I changed to spanking. Both are true

 

[blueraiderJT]

Apparently Vandy has now become Bama. This is a 6-7 team that got destroyed by a 6-6 NC state team. I hope they all pick VU so we can use that as motivation and prove em all wrong.

 

[_Colombianodore_]

Apparently Vandy has now become Bama. This is a 6-7 team that got destroyed by a 6-6 NC state team. I hope they all pick VU so we can use that as motivation and prove em all wrong.

was there that day, qb injured his planting foot on first play of the game, really crippled the passing game and our offense was miserable that day. was 28-17 in the fourth before our defense just got completely gassed. Much like our game with you guys last year, score doesn't tell the whole story. I'm predicting something like 38-31 Vandy.

 

[blueraiderJT]

Look Vandy has talent and experience. No one denies that and I also think it will be close. However, I think this game is more about us not turning the ball over 4 times or more and giving you guys short field. On D, It's about closing down run gaps and putting a spy on the play action.

Using Webb in the passing game more tells me that Vandy will open things up by trying to use short and medium passing to spread the field. I think our LB's will play a bigger role in this year's matchup.

 

[_Colombianodore_]

Look Vandy has talent and experience. No one denies that and I also think it will be close. However, I think this game is more about us not turning the ball over 4 times or more and giving you guys short field. On D, It's about closing down run gaps and putting a spy on the play action.

Using Webb in the passing game more tells me that Vandy will open things up by trying to use short and medium passing to spread the field. I think our LB's will play a bigger role in this year's matchup.

think you may be right. expect a healthy dose of jet sweeps as well. will say towards the end of last year we took a bunch more shots down field and that opened things up. I would expect us to continue that this year.

Schafers expertise with Lbs will be crucial.

masons also putting an emphasis on qb pressure and turnovers since we have longer more athletic corners this year. should be pretty damn interesting.

 

[DABLUERAIDERS]

3 words "Stockstill to James" you fence sitters need to man up and get on the blue raider bandwagon!!!!! Next stop title town!!!!

 

[JohnDavidBlue]

Well, there are a lot of "Ifs" that I have read in others posts stating as to why we would win. I still hold by my original prediction that we will lose by more that 2 TDs. The whole "If we don't turnover...If we had a better DC....If if If" doesn't hold water with me.

Ralph Webb is an outstanding athlete. I've been thinking....Could they win the east? Vandy is better but the east division is improving as well. However, it is not out of the question for them to get on a roll and play for a SEC championship.

 

[_Colombianodore_]

The schedule is pretty tough this year. if Vandy wins 8 this year this team would be better than any of James Franklin's teams.

Shurmur is improving, but I personally always dream, what if we had Brent. I know at one time that was in the cards, until Johnny McCrary committed. James Franklin was many things but great talent evaluator he was not.

 

[sWiley]

Surprising. It's a 5.5 point line, which isn't much. This is going to be a battle that comes down to fundamentals. The team that turns the ball over fewest times will win, period. If we lose, we'll have nobody to blame but ourselves. If we win, we will have nobody to blame but ourselves. We can move the ball on these guys all day long, just like we did last year. Just can't turn it over. Simple as that.

 

[_Colombianodore_]

Surprising. It's a 5.5 point line, which isn't much. This is going to be a battle that comes down to fundamentals. The team that turns the ball over fewest times will win, period. If we lose, we'll have nobody to blame but ourselves. If we win, we will have nobody to blame but ourselves. We can move the ball on these guys all day long, just like we did last year. Just can't turn it over. Simple as that.

I have no doubt middle will rack up big yardage between the 20's, just like last year. in the red zone is where the really chess match begins between Tony Franklin and Derek Mason. You guys had only 1 more turnover than us (2 vs 1). we were able to convert in the red zone due to our effectiveness in the run game.. Shurmur passed for 118. Against Tennessee he went for 416. our offense will be much better this year, as I suspect your defense will be.

 

[MTsumner92]

I am typically the most blue colored glasses guy on here and a victory seems remote at best. I think we can assemble a decent line on both sides of the ball and keep it close but when I think of our second string......the image of Jason coming out of the water to stab me in my canoe keeps coming up. It is just ugly. I wish I could get over that but until I see it..........Vandy by 17. Our offense puts up 28 but Vandy puts up 45. Vandy is the toughest team on our schedule. We will have several quick offensive possessions which will gas our defense all day long. We have seen this movie before. Our second string DL will not be ready. Will not be surprised to see Vandy ranked this year. I have no idea why Vandy is not picked ahead of Knoxville in preseason after Knoxvilles fans were crying for their mommy in the 4th quarter last year. This is a critical year for Tommy West.

 

[bluefutcpa]

The early line movement is on middle I just don't know what vegas sees that we don't. The spread is down to 5.5 in favor of Vandy. Our D-line reserves make me nervous. I think we will be more disciplined on D. Also I'm concerned about the running game.

 

[_Colombianodore_]

Vegas I believe sees how historicallly bad Mason's teams have started offensively the last 3 years . We've scored, 7,12, and 10 points respectively in our openers. Defenses have started out solidly, but if we start that slow offensively, this will be an L. I predict that we will be rusty in the 1st quarter and but get stronger as the game progresses. Wouldn't be surprised to see Middle jump out to a 7-10 pt lead.

 

[lovecollegefootball1]

First time poster here. I have a bit of a moral dilemma. I grew up watching Vandy sports and have adopted the sidewalk alumni status of a lifetime Vandy fan as the appeal of the SEC and an academic school was a great draw for me and my parents. On the other side, I have an undergraduate and graduate degree from MTSU in Mathematics from the early 90's and have had 3 children attend MTSU including one graduating next semester. I love Murfreesboro and am very grateful for the MTSU influence in my life. I actually hate that these two teams play one another as I am always so conflicted and support both programs.

Here's to a clean, injury free game that is competitive to the end. This should be an interesting match-up of two fairly evenly matched teams. My prediction is :

MTSU 24 Vandy 21

My logic is that it could be a much higher scoring game than this but since it is the opener both teams won't be sharp. I give MTSU the slight advantage playing at home and the Stockstill-James chemistry. If, however, MTSU cannot stop the run, Vandy could dominate time of possession and make this a one-sided game. It should be interesting.

 

[MightyRaider]

First time poster here. I have a bit of a moral dilemma. I grew up watching Vandy sports and have adopted the sidewalk alumni status of a lifetime Vandy fan as the appeal of the SEC and an academic school was a great draw for me and my parents. On the other side, I have an undergraduate and graduate degree from MTSU in Mathematics from the early 90's and have had 3 children attend MTSU including one graduating next semester. I love Murfreesboro and am very grateful for the MTSU influence in my life. I actually hate that these two teams play one another as I am always so conflicted and support both programs.

Here's to a clean, injury free game that is competitive to the end. This should be an interesting match-up of two fairly evenly matched teams. My prediction is :

MTSU 24 Vandy 21

My logic is that it could be a much higher scoring game than this but since it is the opener both teams won't be sharp. I give MTSU the slight advantage playing at home and the Stockstill-James chemistry. If, however, MTSU cannot stop the run, Vandy could dominate time of possession and make this a one-sided game. It should be interesting.

I hope you enjoyed the basketball game last year!



Hope we produce the same results in a couple of weeks.

 

[lovecollegefootball1]

I hope you enjoyed the basketball game last year!

View embedded media

Hope we produce the same results in a couple of weeks.

TBH - I don't like to see either program lose but I did enjoy MTSU's run last season. As I attended the school when Boots Donnelly (a distant relative) was coaching while we were in the OVC, I wasn't really into their athletics. It wasn't fun to follow Austin Peay - MTSU when I could watch Vandy-Kentucky or Vandy-Tennessee. Things are different now and I do find that I attend more MTSU games each year and my interest in Vandy is waning as I have another local option.

 

[blueraiderJT]

lovecollegefootball1,

Come on over full time. We need you! We really do. I think we have a good product. We can always be better but winning on a consistent level matters and we haven't had a losing season in 6 years. I think we are ready to jump up to a next level. Will we in 3 weeks? I really don't know. I think we can but it will be tough. I do know one thing. MT is worth supporting and keep coming to our games. Glad to have you. We got Marshall, Bowling Green, ODU and a Butch Davis led FIU squad coming later this year. All will be good games.

 

[MTFNBY5]

Grew up a Dore fan. One of my parents went there and one to MT. It was far easier to be a VU fan because most of their games (FB and BkB) were on clear channel WSM and the local AM station that MT was on barely reached the city limits (much smaller at the time) of Murfreesboro and I didn't even live in Rutherford County. The only thing I knew about MT athletics was that the annual MT/TPI FB game was the 2nd most important one played in the state each year just behind the VU/UT game.

But, once I enrolled in MT I became a loyal Blue Raider and haven't looked back. As for caring about VU athletics: Sometimes I find myself pulling for them but I find it hard if I've recently been upset at their excessive media coverage (compared to MT) or if I've had a run-in with one of their sidewalk alumni who either should be supporting MT or who brags about their "academic" standing after having never been in a college classroom.

lovecollegefootball1: Glad to have your support for MT even if you only support the Blue Raiders when not playing the school you grew up rooting for. It just wouldn't work for me.

 

[lovecollegefootball1]

MTFNBY5 - Fair enough! Insightful comments BTW as I am curious by people in a similar situation to myself. That is my parents weren't wealthy enough nor worked at Vanderbilt to present that opportunity but I have done very well with my MTSU degrees. I am proud to be an alumnus and have attended several family weekends and graduations since I had my time there. Murfreesboro is a nice place to spend time.

My interest in Vandy is that they are local, compete in a very prestigious conference and I love pulling for the underdog. I don't believe that their athletes are generally elite students as they have the Human and Organizational Development major that seems to find 90% of the football team. I would make a strong argument that my mathematics, statistics and computer science classes in undergrad/graduate school were more challenging than this liberal arts offering for their team. Their recent uptick in recruiting and off-the-field issues with players as well as this new brand of Vandy fan is really turning me off that program. I notice that I have a much better time in the presence of MTSU people than I do with the Vandy crowd. All that to say that I'm realizing where I need to be.

 

[SpaceRaider]

 

[VicVegas89101]

Middle loses this game at the end but covers... BOOK IT

 

[BlueIsTheNewOrange]

Vandy - 99
MTSU - 1

 

[SpaceRaider]

dnj:
http://www.dnj.com/story/sports/col...g-season-opener-against-vanderbilt/596424001/
MT football begins prepping for season opener against Vanderbilt

 

[MTOleBlue]

Excited, I will be able to make this one. Hopefully the weather is nice (for once - Vandy always seems to bring a dark cloud with them) and our defense has improved since last year's total nuclear meltdown.

 

[SpaceRaider]

Adams Sparks in the Tennessean:
http://www.tennessean.com/story/spo...995001/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
How Vanderbilt football snaps 5-game losing streak in openers by beating MT

 

[arg3b]

I guess the pay is worth it to call us Middle Tennessee State and MTSU

 

[SpaceRaider]

I guess the pay is worth it to call us Middle Tennessee State and MTSU

Even when he was at the dnj, that was their M.O. Always has pissed me off. No matter who the writer was/is. But always noticed that if in some sport MT is playing a program that has name they want to go by, they seem to go out of their way to accommodate that. Play utc, oops no, call them Chattanooga... playing western? nope, call them WKU. Seems to be a Gannet thing. At least locally. I've notice a few times, when a gannet paper in a town were we are playing the local team, cusa or otherwise, the writers there have no problem calling us Middle Tennessee.

 

[SpaceRaider]

excerpt:

...The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders host the Vanderbilt Commodores to open the 2017 college football season.

The Vanderbilt Commodores were 6-7 in 2016 with a defense that was forced to shoulder most of the load. The Commodores were not known for lighting up the scoreboard at 23 points on 356 yards. The Vandy defense allowed 24 points on 408 yards which is solid versus tough SEC competition. If experience is a good thing, Vanderbilt is in good shape because the team has it beginning with quarterback Kyle Shurmur who was a competent passer over the second half of 2016 and has eight of his top ten options back including Caleb Scott who also improved in the latter half of last season. Ralph Webb leads the Commodores on the ground after gaining 1,283 a year ago but Webb needs help from the passing attack and a few new faces on the offensive line to be at his best once again in 2017.

The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders were an explosive offensive squad in 2016 with nearly 40 points per game on 518 yards with the #8 passing attack averaging 326 yards which led to an 8-5 record. Every point was needed as the Blue Raiders were not very good at stopping anything with opponents averaging almost 36 points on 450 yards. Middle Tennessee State is hoping quarterback Brent Stockstill is 100% from offseason shoulder surgery. The left hander also missed the final three games of 2016 with a broken collarbone and was still one of the most productive passers in the CUSA despite injuries to his receiving corps. The Blue Raiders will look to Richie James, Ty Lee and Desmond Anderson to lead the receiving unit which has plenty of weapons. The MTSU rushing attack was not good last year and will need better production from Terrelle West or Maurice Gordon but the line needs revamping.

Vanderbilt Commodores are 8-0 ATS in their last 8 versus CUSA and the over is 4-0-1 in Vanderbilt Commodores last 5 non-conference games while Vanderbilt Commodores are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games on turf. The over is 5-0 In Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders last 5 home games and the over is 5-0 in Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders last 5 games on turf while the over is 7-1 in Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders last 8 games overall. The underdog is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings and the road team is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings.

Stockstill faces a strong Vanderbilt secondary and Ralph Webb faces a weak Blue Raider run ‘D’ so the matchups say Vandy has a decent chance of winning.....

 

[SpaceRaider]

underdog but the line continues to narrow... -4.5
http://www.vegasinsider.com/college...lt-@-middle-tennessee-state.cfm/date/09-02-17

 

[SpaceRaider]

dnj:

What to expect for MT football’s 2017 season

 

[MTBig Blue]

Is there an updated depth chart out there? There is usually one given out at the weekly presser but didn't see one from today's.

 

[SpaceRaider]

Is there an updated depth chart out there? There is usually one given out at the weekly presser but didn't see one from today's.

its in the game notes, page 13

 

[bluefutcpa]

its in the game notes, page 13

How good was this last recruiting class? To see some of these guys make the two deep is impressive and surprising.

 

[sWiley]

Down to 3.5 where I book

 

[MTBig Blue]

A couple of the names on there are very suprising.

1. It seems Shane Tucker has made the move back to WR. Now the freshman Brad Anderson is on the two-deep at RB.
2. Alex Dale isn't the starter at safety, Wesley Bush is.