Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football
Encyclopedia
The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football
team represents Middle Tennessee State University
in NCAA
Division I FBS football competition. The Blue Raiders, a member of the Sun Belt Conference
, play their home games at Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium in Murfreesboro, Tennessee
.
Rick Stockstill
has finished his 5th year as head coach
of the Blue Raiders.
with his winning entry "Blue Raiders", which he later admitted borrowing from Colgate University
, whose teams were known as "Red Raiders" at the time. No official nickname existed prior to 1934, when teams were called "Normalites", "Teachers", and "Pedagogues".
Lightning is the mascot of both the Middle Tennessee men and women's sports teams.
). The first game, played January 1, 1960, against Presbyterian College
, resulted in a 21-12 win. The second game, against Lamar University
on December 29, 1961, was a 21-14 loss.
The Blue Raiders were invited to the Motor City Bowl
in 2006 after a shared conference title with Troy University
. Troy had won the conference with a tie-breaker, but MTSU was invited due to the Big Ten
having two teams in the Bowl Championship Series
(BCS) and thus being unable to fulfill their bowl contract for the Motor City Bowl. MTSU played Central Michigan University
in the game and were defeated 31-14.
MTSU finished the 2009 regular season with a 9-3 record and was invited to play in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
on December 20, 2009. The team played against the University of Southern Mississippi, defeating them 42-32. This was MTSU's second bowl game and first bowl win since joining the Division I FBS. Quarterback Dwight Dasher was named as the game's MVP
after rushing and passing for two touchdowns each.
MTSU was defeated in the 2011 GoDaddy.com Bowl in Mobile, Alabama
by the Miami University
RedHawks.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team represents Middle Tennessee State University
Middle Tennessee State University
Middle Tennessee State University, commonly abbreviated as MTSU, is a public university located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, United States....
in NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I FBS football competition. The Blue Raiders, a member of the Sun Belt Conference
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Its football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of Division I football competition . The Sun Belt has member institutions...
, play their home games at Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium in Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Murfreesboro is a city in and the county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 108,755 according to the United States Census Bureau's 2010 U.S. Census, up from 68,816 residents certified during the 2000 census. The center of population of Tennessee is located in...
.
Rick Stockstill
Rick Stockstill
-External links:* at GoBlueRaiders.com...
has finished his 5th year as head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of the Blue Raiders.
Nickname
The nickname of the Middle Tennessee male athletic teams is the Blue Raiders. Female teams are known as the Lady Raiders. The nickname's origin goes back to a 1934 newspaper contest. An MTSU football player, Charles Sarver, won $5 from Murfreesboro's The Daily News JournalThe Daily News Journal
The Daily News Journal is a newspaper serving Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Rutherford County, and surrounding communities. Published in Murfreesboro, it serves as the primary local newspaper, with competition from The Murfreesboro Post and other publications...
with his winning entry "Blue Raiders", which he later admitted borrowing from Colgate University
Colgate University
Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York, USA. The school was founded in 1819 as a Baptist seminary and later became non-denominational. It is named for the Colgate family who greatly contributed to the university's endowment in the 19th century.Colgate has 52...
, whose teams were known as "Red Raiders" at the time. No official nickname existed prior to 1934, when teams were called "Normalites", "Teachers", and "Pedagogues".
Colors and mascot
MTSU is represented by the colors white and royal blue, described as PMS 301 by the university.Lightning is the mascot of both the Middle Tennessee men and women's sports teams.
Bowl games
MTSU appeared twice in the Tangerine Bowl (now the Capital One BowlCapital One Bowl
The Capital One Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Orlando, Florida at the Citrus Bowl, and previously known as the Tangerine Bowl and the Florida Citrus Bowl...
). The first game, played January 1, 1960, against Presbyterian College
Presbyterian College
Presbyterian College is a private liberal arts college in Clinton, South Carolina, USA. Presbyterian College, or PC, is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church USA. PC was founded in 1880 by William Plumer Jacobs, a prominent Presbyterian minister who also founded the nearby Thornwell Home and...
, resulted in a 21-12 win. The second game, against Lamar University
Lamar University
Lamar University, often referred to as Lamar or LU, is a comprehensive coeducational public research university located in Beaumont, Texas, United States. Lamar confers bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees and is classified as a Doctoral Research University by the Carnegie Commission on Higher...
on December 29, 1961, was a 21-14 loss.
The Blue Raiders were invited to the Motor City Bowl
Motor City Bowl
The Little Caesars Pizza Bowl is a post-season college football bowl game certified by the NCAA that has been played annually since 1997. The first five games were played at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan. Starting in 2002, the game was moved to 65,000-seat Ford Field in downtown...
in 2006 after a shared conference title with Troy University
Troy University
Troy University is a public university that is located in Troy, Alabama, United States. It was originally founded in 1887 as Troy Normal School. Its main campus enrollment is 7,194 students. The total enrollment of all Troy University campuses is 29,689...
. Troy had won the conference with a tie-breaker, but MTSU was invited due to the Big Ten
2006 Big Ten Conference football season
The 2006 Big Ten Conference football season was the 111th season for the Big Ten Conference.-Bowl games:-Awards:*Heisman Trophy:Troy Smith, Ohio State*Walter Camp Award: Troy Smith, Ohio State...
having two teams in the Bowl Championship Series
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
(BCS) and thus being unable to fulfill their bowl contract for the Motor City Bowl. MTSU played Central Michigan University
Central Michigan University
Central Michigan University is a public research university located in Mount Pleasant in the U.S. state of Michigan...
in the game and were defeated 31-14.
MTSU finished the 2009 regular season with a 9-3 record and was invited to play in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
2009 New Orleans Bowl
The 2009 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl was the ninth edition of the bowl. The game was played at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana on Sunday, December 20, 2009. The game was televised live on ESPN...
on December 20, 2009. The team played against the University of Southern Mississippi, defeating them 42-32. This was MTSU's second bowl game and first bowl win since joining the Division I FBS. Quarterback Dwight Dasher was named as the game's MVP
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
after rushing and passing for two touchdowns each.
MTSU was defeated in the 2011 GoDaddy.com Bowl in Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
by the Miami University
Miami University
Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...
RedHawks.
Seasons (2006-present)
- 2006 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team2006 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football teamThe 2006 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team represented Middle Tennessee State University in the 2006 college football season. Middle Tennessee entered the 2006 season coming off a losing 4-7 record in 2005, which saw the dismissal of former head coach Andy McCollum. The team's new head...
- 2007 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team2007 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football teamThe 2007 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team represented Middle Tennessee State University in the 2007 college football season. Middle Tennessee entered the 2006 season coming off an 7-6 record in 2006....
- 2008 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team2008 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football teamThe 2008 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team represented Middle Tennessee State University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football during the 2008 season. Middle Tennessee competed as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. The team...
- 2009 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team2009 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football teamThe 2009 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team represented Middle Tennessee State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football for the 2009 season. Middle Tennessee competed as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. The team...
- 2010 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team2010 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football teamThe 2010 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team represented Middle Tennessee State University in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Middle Tennessee competed as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. The team was led by head coach Rick Stockstill...
- 2011 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team2011 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football teamThe 2011 Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders team represents Middle Tennessee State University in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Blue Raiders will be led by sixth year head coach Rick Stockstill and will play their home games at Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium...