Anderson, photos courtesy goblueraiders.com
The Blue Raiders’ season has not gotten off to the start that they had hoped for before it began. Though the Syracuse upset seemed to be the beginning of great things to come, it came at the price of star quarterback Brent Stockstill, who was injured late in the game and has not played since. Without Stockstill’s services the Blue Raiders have gone 2–4, with two of those losses coming in games in which they were favored.
November’s schedule, however, looks to be set up for the Blue Raiders to salvage their season. Their opponents for the month (UTEP, at Charlotte, at WKU, and Old Dominion) own a combined record of 8–21, with WKU claiming five of those wins. However, if MTSU hopes to be bowl-eligible again this year, they cannot afford any slip-ups.
Urzua
To avoid any such blunders they will need to get healthy, and no player will have a more welcomed return than Stockstill. Bluntly, John Urzua is not getting it done and does not appear capable of doing so. With inconsistent offensive line play, Urzua has received a lot of pressure and has been prone to making bad decisions under duress. While he has completed a high percentage of his attempts, he has thrown nine interceptions against only seven touchdown passes. Stockstill is hopeful to return for the Nov. 4 game against UTEP, but that remains a game-time decision.
As injuries continue to plague the team, it is doubtful that Richie James will return this season. James, who had only recently returned after healing from an ankle injury sustained early against Minnesota, went down in the third quarter against Marshall with a shoulder injury. Coach Rick Stockstill stated after the game that James would “probably be on the shelf for a good amount of time.”
The Blue Raiders will return to the field in a home stand against UTEP on Nov. 4. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
NOVEMBER GAMES
Nov. 4, 6:30 p.m.
University of Texas at El Paso
Nov. 11, 1 p.m.
@ Charlotte
Nov. 17, 7 p.m.
@ Western Kentucky
Nov. 25, 2 p.m.
Old Dominion
