Middle Tennessee had a devastating collapse last year after winning a combined 16 games in 2009 and 2010. The Blue Raiders went just 2-10 last year in the worst season of Rick Stockstill's six years on the job. Last year was filled with terrible luck, however, and they should be much improved in 2012.
Stockstill enters his seventh year on the job, and he has a compiled 35-40 record in that span. He has 13 starters and 41 lettermen returning, so he has some talent and experience returning in 2012.
Offense
The Blue Raiders put up 22.3 points and 401 total yards per game last season offensively. They averaged a really high numbers of 18.0 yards/point. The reason for that was their poor red zone execution and -8 turnover differential. They should put up much better numbers in 2012 as they have six starters and a lot of talent returning.
Junior QB Logan Kilgore returns after completing 58.6 percent of his passes for 2,231 yards with 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions last season. Redshirt freshman Shaun White and senior Jeff Murphy are the designated backups. Murphy tore his ACL in the spring, but he may still try to play this fall.
Middle Tennessee has a lot of talent coming back at running back with talented LSU transfer Drayton Calhoun leading the way. Their top two rushers from last year in junior William Pratcher and senior Benny Cunningham both return. This will undoubtedly be one of the best backfields in the Sun Belt.
The receiving corps returns two of its top three in junior WR Kyle Griswould and senior WR Tavarres Jefferson. Seniors Anthony Amos and Jamal Gray are expected to take the two other spots. This unit should also show some improvement.
The biggest concern on offense is the loss of three starters along the offensive line, including first-team All-Sun Belt center Colin Boss and second-team All-Sun Belt guard Brandon McLeroy. This unit allowed just eight sacks last year and they return just two players with starting experience in senior Alex Stuart and junior Josh Walker.
Defense
The Blue Raiders' defense was abysmal last year allowing 38.8 points and 441 total yards/game. They should show much improvement in 2012 as they return seven starters, but they do lose their top four tacklers from a year ago, so a collective effort is needed to do so.
The biggest improvements will be made up front as MTSU gave up 230 rushing yards per game and 4.7/carry. The defensive line returns four starters in senior DE Omar McLendon, senior DT Kendall Dangerfield, junior DT Jimmy Staten and sophomore DE Jiajuan Fennell.
The linebacking corps loses its top two players in third-team All-Sun Belt selection Darin Davis and Gorby Loreus. They do bring back five linebackers with starting experience, including junior Craig Allen, junior Roderic Blunt and sophomore Christian Henry.
The secondary is in a very rough spot after losing 39 starts and a plethora of key pieces from the 2011 team. They have three new starters in the defensive backfield, but the talented Florida State transfer Jajuan Harley will be a welcome addition at strong safety. The one returning starter on this unit is junior corner Kenneth Gilstrap.
Sun Belt Prediction - 7th Place
Their offense should show considerable improvement, but they have some major concern on the offensive line as they lose three starters, including their top two linemen. The defense should definitely improve as they were atrocious last year, and they should be a lot stronger at the point of attack. The Blue Raiders will benefit from a relatively easy home schedule where they face Florida Atlantic, North Texas and Louisiana-Monroe. They also face South Alabama on the road for another winnable game. This team will likely be the most improved in the Sun Belt and they should compete for a bowl game.
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