Blue Raiders Win! MTSU Caps Successful Season

You can unclench your fists, you disgruntled Middle Tennessee State football fans. The Blue Raiders have officially won four consecutive football games, and the season was capped off with a 25-23 victory over the Aztecs of San Diego State in the Hawaii Bowl.

It has been a wild ride and here are some notable headlines.

Raiders End on a High Note

There is something to be said about finishing the job and doing so in a strong fashion. Sure, the 2022 campaign was not a cakewalk for the Blue Raiders, anyone with eyes and a pulse could tell you that. It was a typical Rick Stockstill season in the sense that there were peaks and valleys throughout the course of the season.

The season took a complete nosedive out of the gate, getting throttled on the road at James Madison, losing 44-7 to the Dukes. Then a peak ensued. The Blue Raiders trounced Colorado State on the road, TSU inside Floyd and then the shocker, a victory over the Hurricanes of Miami. It is worth noting that the Miami victory was not a fluke, but rather a decisive two score win.

Then...yeah, another valley. Three consecutive losses, two to UTSA and WKU at home, and one loss to the Blazers of UAB on the road. In order it was a blackout game loss against UTSA, a road loss at UAB, and a home loss against Western Kentucky.

Then came an ugly but much needed win on the road at UTEP. The Blue Raiders slogged their way to a 24-13 win. Then an embarrassing lull came about. The Blue Raiders dropped one on the road at Louisiana Tech, losing to a team that was 2-6 in league play, and a team that sported an overall record of 3-9.

Then the tide turned once again. MT rattled off three straight victories. MTSU fended off the Charlotte 49ers, winning 24-14. They then proceeded to wallop FAU, winning 49-21 inside Floyd. They then finished the season, narrowly winning on the road at FIU, another team that was 2-6 in league play.

The cherry on top of the sundae was the Hawaii Bowl win against San Diego State. That tallied four straight wins, and yes, an eight win season.

Resiliency, Resiliency, Resiliency

"Here we go again." is a thought that likely popped in the minds of many MT faithful. After all, there were many Blue Raider fans who expected MT to lay an egg on the national stage despite winning three consecutive ball games at the end of the 2022 regular season. Sum it up as Battered Blue Raider syndrome if you will.

This thought could be warranted, considering the Aztecs were winning by two touchdowns after one quarter. The resilient Blue Raiders scrapped and rallied to the point of being down only one point at the halftime intermission. It was SDSU by a score of 14-13 at the break.

It was certainly not a pretty contest that would have Van Gogh smiling from his grave. The Blue Raiders had a staggering -66 rushing yards. This can be attributed to the fact that QB Chase Cunningham had -91 yards, due mostly to sacks.

At the end of the day, though, the Blue Raiders showed grit, guts and determination, culminating in a Christmas Eve bang. Zeke Rankin banged one home late In the game and that would ultimately be the deciding score, getting the Blue Raiders to an 8-5 record.

It's ok MT critics, enjoy this one, and this season

It is certainly justifiable and understandable for MTSU fans and followers to have qualms about the program and the team. Heck, that's why the term "fans" or fanatics was coined. At the end of the day, it is necessary to put everything in perspective. The team just won four straight games and a victory against a formidable foe in SDSU on a national primetime stage that was a night game on ESPN.

Yes, there have been disappointments not just this season, but disappointments spanning over the years, but it is ok to relish what was accomplished in this season and in this bowl game.

Eight wins is nothing to sneeze at. In fact it is something to be celebrated. Even the most cynical fans can give a slight fist pump.

No, this victory is not some magic pill that will fix all the problems and deficiencies surrounding the program. Who knows, it could be a bandaid that quickly gets ripped off and the bleeding starts to ensue.

For now, though, let's just live in the moment. Saturday night was a win for the team, the program, and all the players, current and past alike.