The annual Conference USA Media Days took place yesterday at the PGA of America Headquarters in Frisco, Texas. Each team in the conference was allowed to send a coach and three players to represent their program to the media. This allowed the delegates to answer some questions from fans all across the conference.

When it comes to Middle Tennessee, the Blue Raiders sent linebacker Devyn Curtis, safety Brendon Harris, and quarterback Nic Vattiato, along with head coach Derek Mason, to the Lone Star State to discuss the program's direction.

Following their appearance, GoMiddle gives some takeaways coming out of the event.

Chewie, We're Home (The Force Awakens {2015})

When Derek Mason was hired as the head football coach at Middle Tennessee, athletic director Chris Massaro said he believed the new coach's outgoing nature stood out during the interview process and was one reason he was viewed as a good fit as the Blue Raiders moved into this new era of the program.

Mason doubled down on that, saying his goal is to make the 'fans feel a part of this journey.' That will be a warm welcome among fans excited to see the future of the program. He also mentioned and applauded the work his players are doing to be involved in and a part of the Murfreesboro community.

At the end of the day, the collective message was to represent the city of Murfreesboro's blue-collar mentality and produce a product that they could be proud of.

Like Han Solo and Chewbacca returning to the Millenium Falcon, Derek Mason is back home and is looking to make Middle Tennessee the team for Middle Tennessee.

Evolve or Dissolve (- Jake Crain)

Like it or not, the transfer portal, NIL, conference realignment, and other changes have redefined the college athletics landscape. This means an entirely new era of college football has been formed, and it is up to the programs to adapt accordingly. As college football personality Jake Crain tends to say, it's either evolve or dissolve.

Derek Mason made it clear that his program is looking to take advantage of the next era of college football and compete to be at the top of the conference. He has done the actions to back up those words to this point since arriving as well. A new NIL collective for athletics, Raiders Rising, has been formed since his arrival, and he has had to rebuild a lot of this roster by attacking the recruiting trail via both the high school and transfer portal routes, to the tune of adding 59 new players to this year's team this offseason.

While that is certainly a lot of new faces, one could argue it was necessary to build up the depth of this program in year one. Adding that many new people can create uncomfortable positions, but this coaching staff has made it a point to target people who are bought into the culture they are trying to instill.

Attitude Reflect Leadership Captain (Remember the Titans {2000})

This offseason was busy, with 59 new players added to the program. That includes some older veterans who have paid their dues at the college level and some younger players from the high school and junior college ranks looking to work their way into the rotation.

Good leadership at both the coach and player levels is essential for a team's success, and Derek Mason has counted on some of the older veterans to provide that going into this season.

You're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat (- Jaws {1975})

When Rick Stockstill was relieved of his duties, this team lost a lot of talent to the transfer portal, in addition to those who were graduating. While there was a lot of excitement around the Derek Mason hire, most figured that Middle Tennessee would be at least a year or more away from seriously contending in Conference USA.

Of the eight losses last season, five were one-possession games, and another was a blown double-digit second-half lead to Jacksonville State. As the new coaching staff has made its way to Murfreesboro, they are ready to flip that script and compete IMMEDIATELY.

This program is not waiting to reach its goals of competing every year for the conference championship and ultimately winning it. While the team might be a year away in some spots on the roster, fans have already responded well to this approach, appreciating the new buy-in to an effort to be the best.

Like in the movie Jaws (1975), expectations have been moved to bigger things, and Derek Mason is putting the word out that a bigger boat will be needed.

Great Men Are Not Born Great; They Grow Great (The Godfather {1972})

The offense will be one of the more noticeable changes on the field right away. Going from a more four-receiver spread-out air raid passing attack to a more pro-style offense will be a stark contrast for fans when they show up at Floyd Stadium this fall.

While it is going to be a pro-style offense at its base, everyone involved has said several times that it will be a multiple offense, meaning showing the defense different looks, offensive sets, and pre-snap motions all game long.

Derek Mason made it clear that the offense will have success as quarterback Nic Vattiato has success. The trust has been built up throughout the offseason as the quarterback and offensive coordinator Bodie Reeder have built a rapport together, one that Mason compared to Andrew Luck and the offensive minds during his time at Stanford.

Vattiato had plenty of opportunities to grow this offseason, including appearing at the Manning Passing Academy. He took away a lot from being around the Mannings, but his main takeaway was to let the game come to him. He talked about how he doesn't have to seek out the special moment but rather grow by putting in the work to be prepared for any moment.

While it will be played out on the field this fall, Nic Vattiato certainly sounded the most confident I have seen up to this point, and that should have Blue Raider fans excited.

You Gotta Fight for Your Right to Party (- Travis Kelce)

Derek Mason is known for his impressive defensive mind, which can use a plethora of different looks to generate positive plays on that side of the ball. The same can be said for his defensive coordinator, Brian Stewart, who has plenty of experience at the professional level. From the start of discussing the defense, the head coach made it clear this would be Stewart's unit.

When talking about the team's defensive unit, he made it clear the first order of business will be shutting down the opposing offense's run game. The hope is for that to establish positions to bring a lot of pressure, and it sounds like that is something Stewart will actively bring to the table. This staff wants to bring the heat to opposing backfields, but those opportunities will have to be earned on first and second downs by winning up front. As Travis Kelce said, "You gotta fight for your right to party."

As they work to install everything they want to do, and with this staff that can be a lot, they have counted on seventh-year senior Brendon Harris to be the leader of the unit. The starting safety played for Mason at Vanderbilt and has experienced the college game among the highest levels. Harris has embraced that role and has looked to 'be the standard' for everyone else.

Special Teams, Special Plays, Special Players (- Sketch)

It can be easy to overlook special teams units at times, but this coaching staff certainly does not fall into that group, making it a point that they are excited about the returning veterans they have as both players and leaders.

Mason pointed out that he believes the team has one of the best long snappers in the country, Brody Butler, and he has full faith in fifth-year senior kicker Zeke Rankin.

Hiring Luke Paschall as the special teams coordinator was a huge hire for this program, and Mason was quick to point out the new 'culture of special teams' he has created among the entire team. This is a facet of the game that this coaching staff could be looking to win every single game from the start.

*Note: All quotes are from Conference USA Kickoff stream on ESPN+ and MT Athletics via Sam Doughton*