Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky have had legendary Sun Belt Conference games on the hardwood. Come Saturday, the conference rivalry hits the gridiron as part of the 2009 MTSU homecoming.
For the first time since 1981, the Blue Raiders and the Hilltoppers will meet on the football field as members of the same conference. The teams first met way back in 1914, but the hatred really picked up between 1952-1981 when both teams were a part of the Ohio Valley Conference.
MTSU head coach Rick Stockstill believes his team is still learning about the rivalry.
“I doubt they know it. They understand how long this game has been played,” Stockstill said during Tuesday’s press conference. “We talked about it yesterday (Monday). We understand how our fans and this university feel about this game. For most of these guys, this is only the third time we have played them. The longer you play someone and when they are in your conference, the game is magnified. It starts to develop more meaning, because you are starting to play this team on a yearly basis. I think our guys understand that when they see the Western Kentucky basketball team play Kermit [Davis] and those guys, they see how many fans come and [the] intensity the game is played. That is what will happen in football because of the past history. I think it takes time for your players. Yes, we have talked about it and the game has been played since 1914. That part of the game is important to me because it is important to embrace the tradition and history of your school, but you do not want to get caught up in what happened 10 and 20 years ago.”
Flash-forward to the present day, the teams have split the last two meetings in the past couple of years as Western Kentucky transitioned to the FBS from Division I-AA. Each team has won on the road, including a 21-10 win by the Blue Raiders last season. In 2007, WKU came to Floyd Stadium and knocked off MTSU 20-17.
Blue Raider offensive tackle Mark Fisher talked about that previous loss.
“As a player, you have to put it in the past,” Fisher said. “But it does get us fired up and ready to play. They beat us at home, which is not good. Last time we came out hesitant and they came out ready to play. This year we want to come out more ready to play.”
During the past two games, the Blue Raiders have only scored a combined 13 points in back-to-back losses to Troy and Mississippi State.
Several key offensive players had to miss some time during last week’s 27-6 loss to the Bulldogs. Quarterback Dwight Dasher and center Mark Thompson did not play during the first quarter because of missing a conditioning workout. Leading receiver Patrick Honeycutt did not participate because of a suspension.
Running back D.D. Kyles and Malcolm Beyah were injured and didn’t play.
Stockstill said Honeycutt would play this week.
The offense showed signs of life when Dasher came into the game in the second quarter. The Blue Raiders drove twice inside the 10-yard line, but they couldn’t punch it in.
“We have been pretty good in the red zone this year,” Stockstill said. “However, against Mississippi State we did not perform well in the scoring area. It was more our fault which is usually the case in that situation. We did not execute as well as we needed to down there in the red zone. We have to get better and continue to coach them up. Our guys are working extremely hard. They have a great attitude and a great want to. We did not do very well in the Mississippi State game, but hopefully we will do better.”
On the defensive side of the ball, MTSU is one of the best in the SBC, including tops in pass defense and in red zone defense. However, out of the eight touchdowns given up by the Blue Raider defense in the past two games, half of them have covered 25 yards or more. They look to change that against the winless Hilltoppers.
“I think we have played well overall,” senior defensive lineman Cam Robinson said.

Senior Defensive Lineman Cam Robinson

“I think we have given up too many big plays because of a missed assignment. We have to continue to practice hard and get better and fix those mistakes. A 3-3 record is unacceptable to us right now.”
Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, and will be shown on CSS.