Nine wins were enough to send the Blue Raiders (9-3) to the R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl on Dec. 20 to face Conference USA opponent Southern Mississippi. MTSU will make its first appearance in the bowl, while Southern Miss (7-5) will be making its fourth trip to the game.
“One of our goals entering the season was to play in a bowl game and I am extremely proud of our team and coaching staff for accomplishing this,” MTSU head coach Rick Stockstill said on Sunday after the announcement was made. “It has been a great year and to win nine games with our schedule is a testament to our players. This team is very deserving of a 13th game.”
The Blue Raiders have won six games in a row, while Southern Miss lost its last contest to C-USA champion East Carolina on Nov. 25. Usually, the SBC regular season champion goes to the New Orleans Bowl. MTSU, however, lost the conference title to Troy, but received the bowl berth after the Trojans decided to play in the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala., on Jan. 6.
Southern Miss carries a 3-0 New Orleans Bowl record into the game, including a 30-27 victory last year against Troy. The Golden Eagles will be making their eighth consecutive bowl appearance, while the Blue Raiders’ last bowl game was a loss in the 2006 Motor City Bowl at Detroit to Central Michigan. MTSU is 2-3 all-time in bowl games, with the last win coming in 1964 in the Grantland Rice Bowl over Muskingum.
Coming back to the present day, both teams are known for their explosive offenses. Both teams are ranked in the top 50 in the nation in four key offensive categories: total yards, passing yards, rushing yards and points scored. MTSU quarterback Dwight Dasher is ranked ninth in total offense by averaging 298.33 yards per game.
Sun Belt Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Year Chris McCoy
Southern Miss head coach Larry Fedora is known around the country as one of the top offensive minds. While offensive coordinator at MTSU from 1999-2001, he coached a group that broke 43 school records. He also coached at Florida and Oklahoma State before becoming head coach of Southern Miss in 2008. Three other former MTSU staff members are now part of the Southern Miss coaching staff.
Most people will be paying attention to the offense, but both defenses are pretty good, too. Both squads are tied for 10th in the nation in turnover margin. MTSU leads the country in tackles for loss, which includes Chris McCoy, who has 20.5 and is ranked sixth in the category. The Blue Raiders are third in the nation in quarterback sacks.
Kickoff is set for 7:15 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 20, at the Superdome, and it will be shown on ESPN.
