2021 Season Preview: MTSU Blue Raiders

Stoney Keeley takes a look at the state of the Blue Raiders in his 2021 MTSU preview.

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Over the course of the next several weeks, the SoBros Network crew will be going around the college football landscape, previewing the upcoming American tackle football season. Up next, our 2021 MTSU preview!

2021 MTSU Preview

There’s no denying that Rick Stockstill has become an absolute legend in Murfreesboro. As head coach of the MTSU Blue Raiders, Stockstill has amassed a 94-92 record. To have coached for 15 years in the same spot, a “mid-major” program no less, and come out on the other side with a winning record is impressive no matter who you are. Stockstill’s MTSU teams have gone to eight bowl games (at which they’re 2-6), they’ve won a Sun Belt title in 2006, and made it to the C-USA Championship in 2018. He’s a two-time Sun Belt Coach of the Year (2006, 2009), and was C-USA’s Coach of the Year in 2018. There’s no doubt about it – the man is accomplished. Now…if you sense a “but” coming, here it is. BUT, these last two years have been tension-builders. MTSU finished 5th in the C-USA East each of the last two seasons, with a combined record of 7-14, and a C-USA record of 6-9. These teams have had talent – they just haven’t been able to put it together. That’s why I think that 2021 is going to be a crucial year for Stockstill to get the program back on track. Thankfully, they have the talent to do so again.

Let’s start with the offense, where MTSU will have to replace quarterback Asher O’Hara. O’Hara was a solid play-maker at the position, but the Blue Raiders need a purer arm at quarterback to get the vertical passing game going again. Enter NC State transfer Bailey Hockman. Hockman isn’t the threat to take off and run that O’Hara was. But, given that this roster is deep at wide receiver, led by seniors Jarrin Pierce and CJ Windham, the ingredients will be in place to get the big plays going the way they used to. My other big question for this offense is where’s the primetime running back? For several seasons, it felt like MTSU was spitting out NFL-level talent in the backfield. But, O’Hara led the team in rushing each of the last two seasons. Chaton Mobley is going to be the guy in 2021, and he has to be a force in the run game. There’s some turnover along the offensive line, and those guys will have to develop chemistry quickly. But, all in all, the tools are there for this to be an explosive offense once more.

On defense, MTSU may have the best Group of Five defensive player in college football in safety Reed Blankenship. He continues the lineage of great MTSU safeties, and figures to be playing on Sundays once he wraps up his career at MTSU. In the front seven, the Blue Raiders have an experienced group of linebackers, led by DQ Thomas, but as whole, this group isn’t very big. They’ll be smaller, lighter, and quicker, but it’s a unit that, as a whole, has a lot of experience. That experience needs to translate into savvy in order for them to fine tune the pass rush and generate more pressure. It is imperative that this unit gets better at stopping the run, or else they’ll continue to get gashed in 2021.

A lot of guys are going to have to step up to right the ship in Murfreesboro. But, if the offensive line can jell, if they can lean on Mobley in the run game, and if Hockman and these talented receivers can get the vertical attack going again, this offense could be a lot of fun to watch. On defense, it’s all about stopping the bleeding and using their speed and experience to create chaos for opposing offenses. Part of that would be helped by the offense kicking it up a notch and not putting so much pressure on the defense to get stops. Thankfully for Stockstill, they have the horses to compete in this race, but he has to be as sharp as ever in steering them.

2021 Blue Raiders Schedule

Saturday, 9/4: vs. Monmouth – This wasn’t isn’t going to just be a cake walk for the Blue Raiders, but it’s one they have to and should win.

Saturday, 9/11: @ Virginia Tech – Hey, I’ve seen MTSU pull off a miracle upset before….and that’s exactly what this would be if they were able to win it.

Saturday, 9/18: @ UTSA – UTSA is considered among the contenders in C-USA this season, and this one being on the road definitely hurts MTSU’s chances. But, I wouldn’t call this a lock for UTSA by any means.

Friday, 9/24: @ Charlotte – Pretty much what I said about UTSA, but I think Charlotte isn’t quite to UTSA’s level just yet. The bottom line is that MTSU is probably going to need to at least split these two games in order to get into the bowl hunt for 2021.

Saturday, 10/2: vs. Marshall – Even if things go according to plan, this Marshall team is going to be good good. I would say that anything short of a C-USA title is going to be a disappointment for Marshall this year. At least the game’s in Murfreesboro.

Saturday, 10/9: @ Liberty – Just an absolutely brutal slate to start the season. Road games at Virginia Tech, two C-USA Championship hopefuls in UTSA and Charlotte, a home game against a conference favorite in Marshall, and now a road trip to a Liberty team that won 10 games under Hugh Freeze in 2020? Yikes.

Saturday, 10/16: BYE

Friday, 10/22: @ UConn – UConn’s football program has absolutely bottomed into one of the worst in college football. So, this is another game that MTSU should pretty comfortably win, but the fact that it’s on the road makes me a little nervous.

Saturday, 10/30: vs. Southern Miss – Southern Miss is in a similar position to MTSU – a lot of good talent, no real reason they shouldn’t be contending for C-USA Championships, but for one reason or another, they just seem to have lost their way a bit after a bad season. This is a winnable game for both teams.

Saturday, 11/6: @ Western Kentucky – The Hilltoppers are a quiet contender this year….don’t be surprised if this team wins 10 games in 2021. As a grad of MTSU, it pains me to say that (if you don’t understand, check out the ‘100 Miles of Hate‘), but I gotta give credit where credit’s due. This looks like a damn good team, and the game’s going down in Bowling Green.

Saturday, 11/13: vs. Florida International – 2020 didn’t really go well for FIU at all. They’ll be looking to get on track, but I’m just not sure how much there is to be optimistic about. This program seems to be heading in the wrong direection.

Saturday, 11/20: vs. Old Dominion – Back to back games against teams that are projected to finish near the bottom of C-USA – these are two games the Blue Raiders absolutely HAVE to win in order to become bowl eligible.

Saturday, 11/27: @ Florida Atlantic – FAU will have an experienced team in 2021, well-coached by Willie Taggart. But, this is one of the games that MTSU can win if things go well this season. File this one in the “they’re going to have to beat at least one of these teams” category.

Prediction

There’s no other way to put it – this ain’t the year to have a tough schedule that includes seven road games, with only one being against a team that looks inferior on paper. The Blue Raiders will have to be absolute road warriors to get to a bowl game. Even the five games I think they should win (Monmouth, UConn, FIU, Old Dominion, and Southern Miss) aren’t gimmes. So, asking ’em to go 5-0 there is far from a certainty. Then, there’s the matter of surprising one or two (if they end up losing one of the games they shouldn’t) teams between UTSA, Charlotte, Marshall, Liberty, Western Kentucky, and FAU. It’s hard to imagine this team unseating Marshall or UAB, but they have the talent in place to make the C-USA race interesting if the coaching staff can steady the ship. The expectation this year should be to make a run at a bowl game, and they’re certainly capable of doing that. My official gun-to-my-head prediction is 6-6, with a dramatic win over FAU to finish the season and earn bowl eligibility.

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Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley

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