| Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Current season: 2023 Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders
| |||
| |||
| First season | 1911 | ||
| Athletic director | Chris Massaro | ||
| Head coach | Rick Stockstill | ||
| 17th year, 102–99 (.507) | |||
| Home stadium | Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium | ||
| Stadium capacity | 30,788 | ||
| Stadium surface | Sportexe PowerBlade turf | ||
| Location | Murfreesboro, Tennessee | ||
| League | NCAA Division I (FBS) | ||
| Conference | C-USA | ||
| Division | East | ||
| All-time history | |||
| Template:Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders history | |||
| All-time record | 562–426–28 (.567) | ||
| Postseason bowl record | 6–8 (.429) | ||
| Conference titles | 13 | ||
| Current uniform | |||
 | |||
| Colors | Royal Blue, White, Silver, and Black
| ||
| Fight song | MTSU Fight Song | ||
| Mascot | Lightning | ||
| Marching band | Band of Blue | ||
| Rivals | Troy Western Kentucky | ||
| Website | GoBlueRaiders.com | ||
The Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders athletic program is a member of the NCAA FBS Conference USA, with the football team playing their home games at Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The Blue Raiders are currently coached by Derek Mason.
Nickname[]
The nickname of the Middle Tennessee male athletic teams is the Blue Raiders. Female teams are known as the Lady Raiders. The nickname's origin goes back to a 1934 newspaper contest. An MTSU football player, Charles Sarver, won $5 from Murfreesboro's The Daily News Journal with his winning entry "Blue Raiders", which he later admitted borrowing from Colgate University, whose teams were known as "Red Raiders" at the time. No official nickname existed prior to 1934, when teams were called "Normalites", "Teachers", and "Pedagogues".[1]
Colors and mascot[]
MTSU is represented by the colors white and royal blue, described as PMS 301 by the university.[2]
Lightning is the mascot of both the Middle Tennessee men and women's sports teams.[1]
Bowl games[]
MTSU appeared twice in the Tangerine Bowl (now the Capital One Bowl). The first game, played January 1, 1960, against Presbyterian College, resulted in a 21-12 win. The second game, against Lamar University on December 29, 1961, was a 21-14 loss.
The Blue Raiders were invited to the Motor City Bowl in 2006 after a shared conference title with Troy University. Troy had won the conference with a tie-breaker, but MTSU was invited due to the Big Ten having two teams in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) and thus being unable to fulfill their bowl contract for the Motor City Bowl. MTSU played Central Michigan University in the game and were defeated 31-14.
MTSU finished the 2009 regular season with a 9-3 record and was invited to play in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl on December 20, 2009. The team played against the University of Southern Mississippi, defeating them 42-32. This was MTSU's second bowl game and first bowl win since joining the Division I FBS. Quarterback Dwight Dasher was named as the game's MVP after rushing and passing for two touchdowns each.[3]
MTSU was defeated in the 2011 GoDaddy.com Bowl in Mobile, Alabama by the Miami University RedHawks.
| Season | Date | Bowl | W/L | Opponent | PF | PA | Coach | Notes |
| 1959 | January 1, 1960 | Tangerine Bowl | W | Presbyterian | 21 | 12 | Charles M. Murphy | notes |
| 1961 | December 29, 1961 | Tangerine Bowl | L | Lamar | 14 | 21 | Charles M. Murphy | notes |
| 2006 | December 26, 2006 | Motor City Bowl | L | Central Michigan | 14 | 31 | Rick Stockstill | notes |
| 2009 | December 20, 2009 | New Orleans Bowl | W | Southern Miss | 42 | 32 | Rick Stockstill | notes |
| 2010 | January 6, 2011 | GoDaddy.com Bowl | L | Miami (OH) | 21 | 35 | Rick Stockstill | notes |
| Total | 5 bowl games | 2–3 | 112 | 131 |
Seasons[]
2020s[]
| Season | Coach | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Derek Mason | |
| 2023 | Rick Stockstill | 4-8 |
| 2022 | Rick Stockstill | 8-5 |
| 2021 | Rick Stockstill | 7-6 |
| 2020 | Rick Stockstill | 3-6 |
2010s[]
| Season | Coach | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Rick Stockstill | 4-8 |
| 2018 | Rick Stockstill | 8-6 |
| 2017 | Rick Stockstill | 7-6 |
| 2016 | Rick Stockstill | 8-5 |
| 2015 | Rick Stockstill | 7-6 |
| 2014 | Rick Stockstill | 6-6 |
| 2013 | Rick Stockstill | 8-5 |
| 2012 | Rick Stockstill | 8-4 |
| 2011 | Rick Stockstill | 2-10 |
| 2010 | Rick Stockstill | 6-7 |
2000s[]
| Season | Coach | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Rick Stockstill | 10-3 |
| 2008 | Rick Stockstill | 5-7 |
| 2007 | Rick Stockstill | 5-7 |
| 2006 | Rick Stockstill | 7-6 |
| 2005 | Andy McCollum | 4-7 |
| 2004 | Andy McCollum | 5-6 |
| 2003 | Andy McCollum | 4-8 |
| 2002 | Andy McCollum | 4-8 |
| 2001 | Andy McCollum | 8-3 |
| 2000 | Andy McCollum | 6-5 |
1990s[]
| Season | Coach | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Andy McCollum | 3-8 |
| 1998 | Boots Donnelly | 5-5 |
| 1997 | Boots Donnelly | 4-6 |
| 1996 | Boots Donnelly | 6-5 |
| 1995 | Boots Donnelly | 7-4 |
| 1994 | Boots Donnelly | 8-3-1 |
| 1993 | Boots Donnelly | 5-6 |
| 1992 | Boots Donnelly | 10-3 |
| 1991 | Boots Donnelly | 9-4 |
| 1990 | Boots Donnelly | 11-2 |
External Links[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Stone, India (June 20, 2003). The Heritage of Champions. GoBlueRaiders.com. Retrieved on January 8, 2010.
- ↑ Staff (August 1, 2008). Blue Raider Logos. GoBlueRaiders.com. Retrieved on January 8, 2010.
- ↑ Staff (December 20, 2009). Blue Raiders power past Southern Miss to win New Orleans Bowl Championship, 42-32. GoBlueRaiders.com. Retrieved on January 8, 2010.