FOOTBALL Week 2 bye a rare blessing for Blue Raiders

[SpaceRaider]

Week 2 bye a rare blessing for Blue Raiders - Middle Tennessee State University Athletics

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — A unique start to the 2020 football season includes a Week 2 bye for Middle Tennessee, and the team is treating the week off as a blessing.

goblueraiders.com

 

[SpaceRaider]

..."I'm glad we have the bye week this week," head coach Rick Stockstill said. "We have so many people hurt, we need a week to recover. … It's a good thing we have the open week."

The Blue Raiders haven't had a bye in the second week of the season since 1993. That year, they played at Hawaii in their first game then were granted a week off to travel back to Middle Tennessee and prepare for the home opener against Campbellsville University.....

 

[MT01]

I swear The Onion couldn't do a better job of writing this.

 

[FranklinRaider315]

I swear The Onion couldn't do a better job of writing this.

😂😂

 

[FranklinRaider315]

How many years is Stock gonna keep playing the injury card?

EVERYBODY has injuries. You earn your $825,000 a year by recruiting and coaching the 2’s and 3’s to step up, perform and win.

 

[blueboro007]

A blessing for fans for sure

 

[sWiley]

Hard to take anything these coaches or players say seriously after the Army game. You would think coming off a 4-8 season with a returning QB that was highly productive that we would have at least given Army a game in the first half.

Nope.

Gonna be a real sad day here soon when Troy loads up their buses, drives up to the Boro, and lays a smack down on the Blue Raiders in Floyd Stadium in front of 9 spectators.

At least nobody will be there to see the beat down.

This program is dead. Hell, our entire athletic department feels dead at this point. The basketball program hasn't fared any better, taking us to new lows over the last 2 seasons that we've never seen before.

Some sad times for MT sports. One would hope to see improvements over the last 20 years but nope. No facility improvements. Football hasn't won a championship. Basketball was a great and building momentum under Kermit then completely fell off the face of the earth and wiped all that good will away. And Massaro apparently has no plans to make any major changes in terms of facilities or coaches.....So depressing.

 

[AustinLewis]

I get injuries. They happen.

I don't understand is the frequency of the injuries the last few years. IMO, it's a strength and conditioning issue. The team hasn't looked "explosive" since Spray left and conspicuously, the injuries issues started soon after Spray's departure.

Blaming injuries on disappointing seasons or talking about injuries affecting the current season does little to grow the program. It's deflating, both to the players and the fanbase. It's ALMOST like Stock is starting the blame game for another disappointing season before the season ends.

FWIW, I don't recall Stock blaming losses on injuries early in his tenure. His straightforward approach was something I respected greatly early in his tenure. If something went good, Stock credited the players. If something went bad, it was on the coaches. I loved that approach.

Something has changed the last few years. He has blamed injuries and thrown players under the bus on more than one occasion.

 

[MTsumner92]

Army physically whipped us at the line of scrimmage. Ugly.

 

[blueraiderJT]

Army is gonna physically whip a lot of people this year. They are much improved. If they beat BYU, they should go undefeated.

 

[MT01]

I get injuries. They happen.

I don't understand is the frequency of the injuries the last few years. IMO, it's a strength and conditioning issue. The team hasn't looked "explosive" since Spray left and conspicuously, the injuries issues started soon after Spray's departure.

Blaming injuries on disappointing seasons or talking about injuries affecting the current season does little to grow the program. It's deflating, both to the players and the fanbase. It's ALMOST like Stock is starting the blame game for another disappointing season before the season ends.

FWIW, I don't recall Stock blaming losses on injuries early in his tenure. His straightforward approach was something I respected greatly early in his tenure. If something went good, Stock credited the players. If something went bad, it was on the coaches. I loved that approach.

Something has changed the last few years. He has blamed injuries and thrown players under the bus on more than one occasion.

That is not the reason. I have already explained what’s causing this a few times, but no one is listening.

 

[FranklinRaider315]

Hard to take anything these coaches or players say seriously after the Army game. You would think coming off a 4-8 season with a returning QB that was highly productive that we would have at least given Army a game in the first half.

Nope.

Gonna be a real sad day here soon when Troy loads up their buses, drives up to the Boro, and lays a smack down on the Blue Raiders in Floyd Stadium in front of 9 spectators.

At least nobody will be there to see the beat down.

This program is dead. Hell, our entire athletic department feels dead at this point. The basketball program hasn't fared any better, taking us to new lows over the last 2 seasons that we've never seen before.

Some sad times for MT sports. One would hope to see improvements over the last 20 years but nope. No facility improvements. Football hasn't won a championship. Basketball was a great and building momentum under Kermit then completely fell off the face of the earth and wiped all that good will away. And Massaro apparently has no plans to make any major changes in terms of facilities or coaches.....So depressing.

When I met with Massaro last Fall and shared my disappointment, as an alum and former donor, he looked me in the eye and said there would be changes forthcoming. Not a single thing has changed. Nada. Zip. Zee-roe.
I strongly believe the entire regime from the top down is just riding for as long as the Board of Trustees will continue to sign off on it. So sad how far this entire Athletic program has fallen.

 

[mtfblue]

That is not the reason. I have already explained what’s causing this a few times, but no one is listening.

it's guys trying to put on too much weight to play a position that their body can't physically handle and making a rb and DT and corner a LB.

 

[MT01]

When I met with Massaro last Fall and shared my disappointment, as an alum and former donor, he looked me in the eye and said there would be changes forthcoming. Not a single thing has changed. Nada. Zip. Zee-roe.
I strongly believe the entire regime from the top down is just riding for as long as the Board of Trustees will continue to sign off on it. So sad how far this entire Athletic program has fallen.

And that’s exactly the reason I had decided I would not be returning to campus even before covid happened. We demanded something change. And in a number of ways we were all told a serious reassessment would take place after the season but like you said not a single damn thing changed.

 

[C-Bow]

it's guys trying to put on too much weight to play a position that their body can't physically handle and making a rb and DT and corner a LB.

Ding ding this is it. Every now and then you hit with a Khalil Brooks, but the overwhelming majority end up with injuries and the depth chart takes a real beating. I'd say most recently Ferguson has struggled since putting on weight. I'm curious how Branch holds up this year too. Hell I'd venture to say say least 50% of the DB line played lighter positions in high school.

 

[AustinLewis]

That is not the reason. I have already explained what’s causing this a few times, but no one is listening.

There are a variety of reasons MT‘a FB program is dumpster fire, poor S&C is definitely one of them. This ranges from a poor S&C plan, having players put on too much weight to play a position their body is ill-equipped to play.

Poor recruiting and player development are two more reasons...

 

[FranklinRaider315]

There are a variety of reasons MT‘a FB program is dumpster fire, poor S&C is definitely one of them. This ranges from a poor S&C plan, having players put on too much weight to play a position their body is ill-equipped to play.

Poor recruiting and player development are two more reasons...

By binding contract, counting this season, we have four more years of this crap unless somebody writes a big check. It is what it is.
LINK: “The Contract”

 

[RaiderDawg78]

When I met with Massaro last Fall and shared my disappointment, as an alum and former donor, he looked me in the eye and said there would be changes forthcoming. Not a single thing has changed. Nada. Zip. Zee-roe.

Hey, didn’t our assistant to the assistant S&C coach or something like that change? That’s the type of serious change He comes through with.. You ask, Massaro delivered! There are several administrative assistants in the athletic department that should be very concerned about another losing season.

 

[MT01]

I was thinking the volunteer student equipment managers might be in trouble after we have another losing season.

 

[AustinLewis]

By binding contract, counting this season, we have four more years of this crap unless somebody writes a big check. It is what it is.
LINK: “The Contract”

There are several potential avenues MT could take to get out of the contract that would lesson the buyout (which stood at $6.6 million last year IIRC). This year, it should be somewhere in the neighborhood of $5.7 (assuming Stock / Massaro didn't redo the deal due to COVID).

Told UTK friend and fan about it : He was shocked it was above $1.5 million and said AD should be fired for having a buyout that expensive at a school like MT.

 

[FranklinRaider315]

There are several potential avenues MT could take to get out of the contract that would lesson the buyout (which stood at $6.6 million last year IIRC). This year, it should be somewhere in the neighborhood of $5.7 (assuming Stock / Massaro didn't redo the deal due to COVID).

Told UTK friend and fan about it : He was shocked it was above $1.5 million and said AD should be fired for having a buyout that expensive at a school like MT.

We’ve all been saying this.

 

[AustinLewis]

We’ve all been saying this.

Of course, But when UT - who has plenty of experience paying coaches not currently living on Rocky Top - admits it's a bad contract, its a bad contract.

The auto-renew clause set the bar too low.

Like you, I think most fans are to the point where they'd rather play 4 money games in OOC to help pay for facility upgrades and to prepare to buyout Stock's contract 2-3 years early.

 

[SpaceRaider]

most fans are to the point where they'd rather play 4 money games in OOC to help pay for facility upgrades and to prepare to buyout Stock's contract 2-3 years early

I'm all for that. Put the team on the road. Clemson, Athens, Tuscaloosa, and Baton Rouge. No non-conference home games at all. One season of that, at today's going rate should do it as for as the buyout.

 

[BRaiderDave]

One thing to consider. Suppose they do something like Space suggests. Prostitute ourselves out for one year playing a bunch of road, big money massacre games and we buy CRS out. What gives you any encouragement that the M/M boys would hire anyone any better? The real problem lies higher up than CRS.

 

[MTLynn]

What gives you any encouragement that the M/M boys would hire anyone any better? The real problem lies higher up than CRS.

The state is happy with McPhee, obviously, because they keep extending his contract.

I suspect that when any of the three stooges leave, they will be replaced with someone similar.

The future of MT athletics is grim.

 

[AustinLewis]

One thing to consider. Suppose they do something like Space suggests. Prostitute ourselves out for one year playing a bunch of road, big money massacre games and we buy CRS out. What gives you any encouragement that the M/M boys would hire anyone any better? The real problem lies higher up than CRS.

And this is just as concerning.

 

[FranklinRaider315]

And this is just as concerning.

Yes it is because MT students are eventually gonna revolt if McPhee keeps raising and charging an activity fee for horrible athletic activities that none of them want to attend. MT is not Bama or Clemson where they’ll gladly pay a fee to stand in line for a student ticket.

 

[FootballKuato]

I think the short answer is the Chris Massaro has lost/tapped out the funding sources and no one is interested in backing the program to get the funding needed to transform the program. To make matters worse is the trustee's haven't removed Massaro so the cycle will continue.

It seems like this is a forklift upgrade, need some new energy at AD to get some real financial backing to facilities and that would require a high profile HC at either Football or Basketball. I think status quo is what can be expected until Massaro leaves.

 

[AustinLewis]

I think the short answer is the Chris Massaro has lost/tapped out the funding sources and no one is interested in backing the program to get the funding needed to transform the program. To make matters worse is the trustee's haven't removed Massaro so the cycle will continue.

It seems like this is a forklift upgrade, need some new energy at AD to get some real financial backing to facilities and that would require a high profile HC at either Football or Basketball. I think status quo is what can be expected until Massaro leaves.

Therein lies the question - and it's a bit of a chicken / egg question to be honest :

Will success lead to facility upgrades or will facility upgrades lead to success?

IMO, it's a bit of both. And, at this point, MT is falling farther and farther behind in the facilities arms race.

 

[MT01]

It's not a chicken and egg. You build from the ground up. You have some success sometimes against the odds, you then follow through with that success. You make good decisions. Those decisions come in the form of the adminstration and the staff. It goes from everything to how you schedule, what you do about coaching contracts, what you do about ineffective assistant coaches, etc. You don't build a program and certainly not a brand by hiring best buds to be on your staff when that coach virtually has both no interest and no desire to continue recruiting and coaching at this level.

And then as you make solid decisions and decent gains it means you've built a loyal fan base, you've created a will for support in the community, state and beyond and then and only then can you begin to build those extra/enhanced facilities.

Case in point Boise didn't have all the fancy facilities when they made it to a freaking BCS bowl and beat a top 5 Oklahoma program. App St didn't have them when they reeled off three straight I-AA titles, beat Michigan in the Big House, and won four straight Sun Belt titles while beating our asses like a pulp. But they are getting them now and leaving us in the dust.

MT has failed in just about every feasible way possible in building a program. The vision to get from I-A newbie in 1999 to a reputable program has been hampered by excuses, poor decision after poor decision, and a culture that feeds that beast in an agonizing way as an alum or a fan by accepting and even promulgating at atmosphere of mediocrity or averageness at the expense of taking any risks.

 

[TrueBlue147]

I think the short answer is the Chris Massaro has lost/tapped out the funding sources and no one is interested in backing the program to get the funding needed to transform the program. To make matters worse is the trustee's haven't removed Massaro so the cycle will continue.

It seems like this is a forklift upgrade, need some new energy at AD to get some real financial backing to facilities and that would require a high profile HC at either Football or Basketball. I think status quo is what can be expected until Massaro leaves.

I agree. However, I think there is a lot of money/support sitting on the sideline waiting for Massaro, McPhee and Stockstill to leave. I don't blame anyone for not wanting to donate their hard earned money so that group can squander it. I know they can't help this, but they all have blah personalities. Just think if we got someone in there that had a great energetic personality. A real salesman that could sell the future would make a huge difference. They could be easily tap into all the wealth in the Middle Tennessee area. It really is amazing how much this group has squandered.

 

[FootballKuato]

I know they can't help this, but they all have blah personalities. Just think if we got someone in there that had a great energetic personality.

Exactly, not that he would leave but someone like Chad Lunsford (Georgia Southern). The guy is a passionate motivator and he took a 2-10 team and turned them into a 10-2 team in a single season. Need someone that can breath life in a program without having to wait for four years of recruiting to flip the record.

 

[FranklinRaider315]

What’s really disheartening is we are having these discussions after our first game.

 

[MT01]

I think you mean we are still having them, because we've been having them for a long time now (well at least some of us).