1) Will MT run early and often?
In week 1 against Clemson, the coaching staff made a conscious decision not to run the ball early because of the size advantage the Tigers had. The strategy worked late as holes opened up in the spread out Clemson defense, however there wasn't nearly enough short to intermediate passing early in the game to make up for the running game in keeping Clemson honest, which led to limited offensive success in the first half. However these Tigers (Memphis), weren't as big as those Tigers (Clemson) and I wanted to see the ball in our best players hands early, and that would be Phillip Tanner (who, in case you don't know, plays running back).
Answer: No. New offensive coordinator Tony Franklin can't seem to figure out that our best player running the ball doesn't wear #9, he wears #21. Unfortunately, Tanner got hurt in the second half and will be out a significant amount of time and now Franklin will get even more used to calling plays for Dwight Dasher instead of the running backs. Don't get me wrong, Dasher played well and is absolutely electric with the ball in his hands, however he's more effective the less carries he gets. Typically it's "go big or go home" when Dasher runs the ball. He's not going to get 4 or 5 yards a carry, he's going to get tackled behind the line of scrimmage or go for a big play. That's all fine and dandy considering he will inevitably come up with the big one, however that's not what you want from your primary ball carrier. It doesn't wear down the defense and since Dasher apparently never played baseball as a kid and thus never learned to slide, he's going to get himself killed. The solution is simple: call more run plays that aren't options where Dasher can't keep the ball. Just hand it off Dwight; just hand it off.
2) How in the world will we guard the mammoth wide receivers of Memphis?
Our secondary is really good, but its strength is definitely not in its size. Alex Suber is no taller than 5'7" and Rod Issac no taller than 6'1". Normally that's not too much of a problem because both have solid cover skills that make up for their lack of size. However Memphis had two receivers that were 6'4" and 6'9" respectively, not to mention a 6'8" tight end (I know they're a basketball school but are you serious???).
Answer: I'm not quite sure how they did it, but Suber, Issac, and nickleback Marcus Udell along with the rest of the secondary did it! Granted, Memphis didn't exactly fling it around to their monster targets but when they did, the Middle Tennessee defensive backs performed admirably. They challenged every ball as best they could, breaking up multiple passes, as well as hitting the tall, lanky receivers every chance they got. Kudos to the secondary on a job well done.
3) Can the defense force turnovers?
The defense kept Middle Tennessee in the first game against Clemson single-handedly (see "limited offensive success in the first half" above) and it did it with stops and turnovers. If MTSU doesn't force turnovers, it's not going to win many games this year. That's not saying it can't be done however as MTSU has a very opportunistic and aggressive defense that not only can, but will cause multiple turnovers this year.
Answer: No, but it didn't matter because the special teams made up for it in the turnover department, and although the defense didn't force turnovers it did make stops and a lot of them, holding them to 219 yards of total offense, and forcing Memphis to punt 10 times. Speaking of punts, in the 2nd quarter Kenneth Gilstrap shot out of a rocket covering one and lit up Memphis's return guy causing a fumble which Middle Tennessee recovered. They would go on to score a few plays later and never looked back.
4) Blackout anyone?
The blackout promotion was a success last year and it helped get fans into the seats and into the game. The question was, will it work again?
Answer: Yes! A record crowd of 28,105 showed up to Floyd Stadium Saturday night and nearly all of them were wearing black. The student section was buzzing nearly all game and only stopped when the game was out of reach. A majority of the even was dedicated enough to stay till the end. There was a much better alumni turnout than usual however the spirit is still lacking when it comes to the non-student areas of Floyd Stadium. I spent the entire game on the sidelines, the first half on the alumni side and the second half on the student side, and it was so much louder on the student side it wasn't even funny. So on behalf of the students to all the non-students who come to the games here is a challenge: be loud, be proud, and be blue! Oh and by the way, non-students and students alike: you're allowed to stand up! Sit down during timeouts, stand up during play. Did you not go to a high school with a football team? I mean really, everybody knows that.
So now that my questions have been answered here are a few more odds and ends that need to be mentioned from Saturday's intrastate clash:
1) What is Tony Franklin doing on 3rd down?
The Blue Raiders were a pathetic 35% (6 of 17) on 3rd down and I'm whole heartedly blaming the playcalling. It seemed like no matter the distance we were running a read option (which was normally kept by Dwight Dasher). That call is fine on 3rd and 3, but if it's 3rd and 8 don't you think we should try throwing it? Also, did we really try a fumblerooskie? A fumblerooskie is a trick play run from under center, so the second Dasher is not in the shotgun like he is for every other play in our offense, the defense automatically knows something's up. 3rd down in a close game (they tried it in the first half, if not the first quarter) is not the time to try out not only your one play under center, but your only gadget play from under center. Not smart.
2) Hurry up!
Middle Tennessee needs to play at a much faster pace on offense to be more successful and that was blatantly obvious Saturday night. In the third quarter MT went no huddle and played at a quick pace and it worked to the tune of two touchdowns in two drives. This not only has to do with how quickly they snapped the ball but the playcall. There were more short to intermediate passes which helped Dwight Dasher get into a rhythm. How do I know this? 1) I was paying attention and 2) I asked Dwight after the game and he told me so.
3) Everybody loves points in the red zone
Middle Tennessee's execution in the red zone was flawless Saturday, scoring all 4 times they were inside the 20 yard line, including 3 touchdowns. The Blue Raider offense is capable of big plays but isn't really designed for it, instead the goal is to, as Hank Stram once said, matriculate the ball down the field. This is harder to do once a team is in the red zone because there is less space for the defense to defend, making their job easier and what MT was able to do Saturday night all the more impressive.
For more on Middle Tennessee football be sure to listen to the Wild World of Sports on the radio 8 am CST on 88.3 WMTS. Curtis Nolte and I will break down the games every week as well as have interviews with coaches and players. Speaking of interviews with coaches, I will sit down every week with Blue Raider Head Coach Rick Stockstill for my tv show which will air Wednesday nights on MTTV Channel 10 (time TBD). I'd love to tell you the name of this show but it doesn't have one yet and this is where we get to the interactive section of the program. I want your help naming my TV show. It will be similar to PTI on ESPN and will be hosted by myself and Zac Defrancesca. Tweet me your suggestions at twitter.com/choffman223.
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