Thoughts after the Loss to Duke
Last week I was oozing positive thoughts after an impressive and decisive win over the Tennessee State Tigers.
Despite the loss to the Duke Blue Devils, it is still time to give my thoughts and opinions after a tough blow.
Back to Earth
Again, I was dishing out superlatives last weekend after Middle Tennessee State pieced together a solid outing.
The Duke game did not go as I suspected. Heck, I even picked MTSU to win outright when it came to our staff picks.
It was an onslaught from jump street. Duke came out guns blazing from the beginning, giving MTSU the business.
When the Blue Raiders got on the board early in the game I thought, ok, maybe MT can sustain some momentum and make this a game.
Nope. Before you know it, MT is down by 11 at the end of the first quarter. Duke was connecting body blow after body blow. It did not take long for them to step on MT's neck and deliver a knockout blow.
At halftime many were heading toward the exits as the score was 31-3 in favor of the Blue Devils. Duke then cruised to a 41-18 win.
Reality check engage.
Will fans Stay the Course?
The MTSU football locomotive came to a screeching halt Saturday evening.
This game was being pumped up as a great opportunity for Middle to show the world they can roll with squads from big boy conferences. I'm guilty of thinking like this, by the way.
Fan interest was building and bubbling, especially throughout Murfreesboro and in the middle Tennessee area.
Even many who predicted Duke to win assumed that MTSU would battle and make a game of it.
I don't expect the MTSU coaches and team to quit, but could the same be said for the fans?
A win Saturday would have done wonders for the program as well as the fan support. A win would have set the tone for the rest of the home games this season.
As I stated last week, the Duke game was truly a litmus test as far as the fans were concerned.
MT failed that litmus test Saturday.
In other words, fan support is hanging in the balance.
We will see if the team can swing back the momentum.
Not all is lost
Some may read this title and think It kind of contradicts the portion above.
Yes, this game had an impact on the fan support trajectory. All of MT's goals are still within reach. Yes, a loss to Iowa is likely on the horizon, but there is still the Conference USA slate to be had.
I think MT still has their eyes on the prize of attaining sweet redemption in the form of winning a Conference USA championship.
The portion above raised the question of will fans will stick with the program. I honestly think that is possible if MT starts dominating and rattling off wins in league play.
The Duke game could also turn into a wakeup call, and show that if you don't bring your A game against quality competition it is likely that you are going to be run out of the building.
This game should serve as a look in the mirror game. I expect MT to get off the mat and have success in conference play.