C2 | Sunday, Aug. 24, 2008 | THE DAILY NEWS JOURNAL | www.dnj.com

MTSU FOOTBALL ’08

OFFENSEOL Barry Hall (1997-2000)All-Independent; played for Titans

OL Germayle Franklin (2003-06)44 starts at tackle; twice All-SBC

OL Franklin Dunbar (2005-07)Twice All-SBC; left early for NFL

OL Glen Elarbee (1999-2002)Two-time all-conference center

OL Brandon Westbrook (2000-03)First team All-SBC three straight years

WR Kendall Newson (1998-2001)Career leader in catches, rec. yards

WR Kerry Wright (2001-04)Holds all single-season receiving records

WR Tyrone Calico (1999-2002)2nd in receptions; 2nd-rd draft pick

QB Wes Counts (1998-2001)Top all-time passer; 2001 SBC POY

RB Dwone Hicks (1999-2002)Top all-time scorer, No. 3 rusher

RB Eugene Gross (2003-06)Third in all-purpose yds, rushing TDs

DEFENSEDL Jeff Littlejohn (2002-05)2005 SBC Defensive Player of Year

DL Erik Walden (2004-07)All-time sack leader; Twice All-SBC

DL Tavares Jones (2004-07)Twice All-SBC; top tackler in 2007

DL Tanaka Scott (2000-01)First-team All-SBC; 88 tackles in 2 yrs.

LB J.K. Sabb (2005-06)Top tackler and All-SBC both seasons

LB Randy Arnold (1999-03)187 career tackles in five years

LB Justin Rainey (2003, 05-06)All-SBC, top tackler in 2006

DB Jykine Bradley (1999-2001)First-team All-SBC in ‘01; 3-year starter

DB Jermaine Francis (1999-2000)On first I-A team; top tackler in 2000

DB Bradley Robinson (2004-07)4-year starter; SBC’s career INT leader

DB Jonathan Harris (2003-06)Unheralded 3-year starting safety

SPECIAL TEAMSP Robert Billings (2000-03)Best all-time career punting avg.

K Brian Kelly (2000-03)All-time FG accuracy leader

P/K Colby Smith (2003-06)3-time All-SBC as kicker, punter

Ret Damon Nickson (2004-07)MTSU’s first All-American in I-A era

DO-IT-ALLOL/DL Quinton Staton (2004-05)All-SBC lineman on offense, defense

AP Desmond Gee (2006-current)First-team All-SBC both seasons

AP ReShard Lee (2001-02)All-SBC in only two seasons

DB Brandon Lynch (2000-03)Versatile DB with 201 career tackles

ALL-TIME I-A TEAM

TOP 10 GAMESat UConn 11.4.2000 W, 66-10Rout was also first road win of I-A era

at Vanderbilt 8.30.2001 W, 37-28Arguably the biggest win in the I-A era

vs. Idaho 10.6.2001 W, 70-58Set NCAA records for points scored and yards

vs. New Mexico St. 10.27.2001 W, 39-35Scored 28 unanswered 4th-qtr. points in comeback

at Vanderbilt 10.12.2002 W, 21-20Hicks scored late to earn MTSU’s first win of year

at Vanderbilt 10.1.2005 W, 17-15Weaver blocked FG to make it three in a row vs. Vandy

at North Texas 9.30.2006 W, 35-0Finally beat UNT: first statement game of Stockstill era

at Arkansas St. 11.11.2006 W, 38-10Clinched share of SBC title, bowl eligibility

at Memphis 10.13.2007 W, 21-7In-state series renewed with spirited road win

at La.-Monroe 11.3.2007 W, 43-40Bradley Robinson’s TD kickoff return capped classic

BOTTOM 10 GAMESat North Texas 10.13.2001 L, 24-21Kept MTSU from bowl; started UNT’s Sun Belt reign

vs. SEMO 9.28.2002 L, 24-142nd largest Floyd Stadium crowd saw loss to I-AA team

vs. Fla. Atlantic 8.28.2003 L, 20-1962-yard TD pass as time expired in home opener

at Missouri 10.20.2003 L, 41-40Missed PAT kick in OT vs. No. 23-ranked team

vs. Temple 10.4.2003 L, 44-36MTSU starts 0-5; Temple wins only game of season

vs. North Texas 9.10.2005 L, 14-799-yd. INT return sparks UNT’s 26th straight SBC win

at Oklahoma 9.23.2006 L, 59-0Largest loss, fewest yards gained in I-A era

vs. Troy 11.25.2006 L 21-20Squanders 13-pt. lead, New Orleans Bowl bid at end

vs. Western Ky. 9.20.2007 L, 20-17Hilltoppers pull upset in renewing rivalry

vs. Virginia 10.6.2007 L, 23-21Upset slips away via FG with 8 seconds remaining

Taking the next stepAs MTSU football enters its 10th year in Division I-A, here’s a look at

what steps need to be taken for the program to get itself to the next level

Been there, done that?MTSU won Sun Belt co-champi-

onships in 2001 and 2006, but did notearn the New Orleans Bowl bid eitherseason due to tie-breaker.

2008 OpportunityMTSU was picked fifth in the presea-

son coaches’ poll. Contending for a titlelikely depends on its first two conferencehome games against 2006 Sun Belt co-champions Troy and Florida Atlantic.

Been there, done that?MTSU posted winning records in two of its first three

years in I-A (6-5 in 2000, 8-3 in 2001) and then againwith a 7-6 mark in 2006. Twice MTSU has missed out ona .500 record or better by only one game.

2008 OpportunityMTSU will have a chance to win any of its seven con-

ference games and an eighth contest against 2009 SunBelt member Western Kentucky. There are four additionalgames versus major conference opponents, but none ofthose teams are projected to be in the top-25.

Been there, done that?MTSU played in its first I-A bowl in the 2006 Motor

City Bowl, but it was fortunate to earn the bid. The Big Tencouldn’t fill its automatic spot with a bowl-eligible team,so the bid fell to 7-win MTSU squad.

2008 OpportunityThe Sun Belt has alternate tie-ins to three bowls begin-

ning this season. The Sun Belt’s bowl-eligible teams thatdon’t go to the New Orleans Bowl will go to the Papa-Johns.com Bowl, St. Petersburg Bowl or PetroSun Inde-pendence Bowl if the automatic spots are not filled by thecontracted conferences (Big East, CUSA, SEC, Big 12).

MTSU footballcoach RickStockstill has aroad map to

move his program forward.Interestingly enough, it in-

cludes exits already taken bythe Blue Raiders.

“We’ve gone to a bowlgame and won championships,but the goal is to be playing forchampionships and bowlgames on a consistent basis,”Stockstill said. “To say that wewant to do that every year,that’s the goal.

“... To get where we want tobe, I think there’s a wholegamut of things we have to do— and we’re doing thosethings and have already donesome of those things — but wehave to do them again andagain over a period of time.”

Entering its 10th season inthe Football Bowl Subdivision(formerly Division I-A),MTSU has not merely been asubordinate to the proven pro-grams of the land.

There have been two SunBelt co-championships, threewinning seasons, a bowl bidand a 66-percent increase inhome attendance over the lastfive years to name a few feats.

Sounds like a decent start toa program’s fledgling years atthe highest level. But the pro-gram must move forward toavoid sliding backward.

Stockstill acknowledges theprogram’s strides in the I-Aera, many of them accom-plished in his only two seasonsat the helm. Others, like threewins over SEC member Van-derbilt, came under formerhead coach Andy McCollum.

Stockstill said the featsmust be reached consistentlyto propel the program.

“I just don’t think if we beata (major conference) team thisyear on TV, that means MiddleTennessee has officially ar-rived,” Stockstill said. “I thinkthat’s a big part of it, butthere’s still a process you haveto go through of becomingconsistent at it.”

A mid-major program can’tsimply rest on its laurels, andthat lesson is evident in theSun Belt.

North Texas won the SunBelt title and played in theNew Orleans Bowl fourstraight years from 2001-04,but the program is not current-ly regarded any higher thanMTSU, which has less post-season experience and cham-pionship hardware.

Troy has notable non-con-ference wins over Missouri,Oklahoma State and Missis-sippi State, but its stock in col-lege football has only gradual-ly improved.

“There is no answer-all orone big game that gets youthere,” Stockstill said. “Troy isstill fighting to get there. It’sjust a process, and we’re goingthrough it.

“Yes, eventually we willbeat one of those guys (majorconference schools), and even-tually this stadium will be soldout every game. And eventual-ly, we’ll be playing for cham-pionships every year.

“... Every year, we get clos-er, and I think we’ll eventuallyget there. We just have to keepdoing what we’ve been doing.”

— Adam Sparks, 615-278-5174

Been there, done that?MTSU hasn’t reached that feat yet, but it has been in the neighborhood a few times. The

30,788-seat Floyd Stadium has been at least two-thirds filled seven times in the I-A era, butfour of those games were losses.

2008 OpportunityMTSU’s first three home games all have potential to draw top-5 all-time Floyd Stadium

crowds. The home opener is against defending Sun Belt co-champion Troy, Week Two featuresa home games versus ACC member Maryland and a Sept. 30 meeting with Sun Belt co-cham-pion Florida Atlantic will be nationally-televised on ESPN2.

Been there, done that?MTSU renovated Floyd Stadium in 1998 in order to jump to I-A. A new

synthetic surface and videoboard were added in the last two years.

2008 OpportunityMTSU’s practice fields have been in poor shape, and tentative plans

have been discussed in recent years about building a new football facilitywith meeting rooms and office space. It won’t come this year, but per-haps in the near-future.

Been there, done that?MTSU has never reached 85 scholarships

players, or come close. NCAA cut MTSU’s schol-arships in 2006 due to previous academic short-comings. The team has carried no more than 75scholarship players the last two years.

2008 OpportunityThe scholarship count remains in the mid-

70s, and injuries have trimmed the number ofavailable players. A full 85 scholarships won’tcome this year, but it should next year (or atleast very close).

Been there, done that?MTSU beat Vanderbilt, an SEC member, in all three meetings in the I-A era (2001, 2002,

2005). MTSU came close to greater victories in tight losses to Alabama (2002), Missouri(2003) and Virginia (2007).

2008 OpportunityThere are no national-title contenders like LSU, Oklahoma or Florida on MTSU’s non-confer-

ence slate. Maryland comes to Murfreesboro, and MTSU has had past success againstLouisville. This may be MTSU’s best shot at a non-conference upset in recent years.

AccomplishmentWin Sun Belt championship

AccomplishmentWinning record

AccomplishmentBeat a major conference opponent

AccomplishmentSell out home games

AccomplishmentUpgrade facilities

AccomplishmentCarry maximum 85 scholarship players

AccomplishmentGo to a bowl game

By ADAM SPARKS n sparks@dnj.com

Clockwise from top — Beating Vanderbilt (2005); winning aSun Belt title (2001); winning season (2006); breakingrecords (Kerry Wright, 2003); increased attendance(Louisville, 2006); Tyrone Calico (NFL draft pick); playing ma-jor non-conference foes (Tennessee, 2002); going to a bowl(Motor City, 2006); sign star players (Dwone Hicks for Heis-man, 2002); Center, winning road games (Memphis, 2007)

On the cover: Feats in I-A