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Middle Tennessee State football and first-year coach Derek Mason will try to bounce back from last year’s 4-8 season when the Blue Raiders open the season at home Saturday against old rival Tennessee Tech.
The Blue Raiders, who were picked to finish fourth in the preseason Conference USA poll, will have a lot of new faces on the field this season, but so will several of their CUSA counterparts.
MTSU went to back-to-back bowl games prior to last year’s subpar season.
Following are game-by-game previews and predictions by The Daily News Journal’s Cecil Joyce for MTSU’s 2024 season:
How to buy MTSU football tickets
Aug 31 vs. Tennessee Tech
Time: 6 p.m., ESPN+
This was once each team’s biggest rival, as the two played for the Totem Pole back during their Ohio Valley Conference days, but the Blue Raiders and Golden Eagles haven’t played since 2006 (a 44-0 MTSU win). Under first-year coach Bobby Wilder, Tech is picked to finish seventh in the Big South-OVC. Former Nolensville DB Tim Coutras had 55 tackles and four interceptions last season after transferring from Liberty and is a third-team preseason FCS All-American. His former Nolensville teammate, sophomore DL Daniel Rickert (49 tackles, nine sacks) is also back, along with junior LB Aaron Swafford (72 tackles, three sacks).
Prediction: MTSU 38, Tennessee Tech 14.
Sept. 7 at Ole Miss
Time: 3:15 p.m., SEC Network
MTSU’s third SEC opponent in two seasons, the Lane Kiffin-led Ole Miss squad is coming off a program-record 11 wins and Peach Bowl win last season and also had big wins in the transfer portal, including former Texas A&M defensive lineman Walter Nolen and former Florida edge rusher Princely Umanmielen. Ole Miss also returns a wealth of talent on offense, including quarterback Jaxson Dart (a three-year starter after transferring from USC), wide receiver Tre Harris and…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/derek-mason-mtsu-football-back-100224777.html
Author : The Daily News Journal
Publish date : 2024-08-26 10:02:24
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