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Muts Hope Fans Show For Big Sun Belt Game

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MTSU hopes fans show for big Sun Belt game

Stopping North Texas' RBs a challenge

By MIKE ORGAN

Staff Writer

MURFREESBORO — Middle Tennessee State officials are hoping for a run on tickets. Coach Andy McCollum has some run hopes of his own — that on the field his Blue Raiders can stop the run at tonight's home opener against North Texas.

It's a key game some are calling the school's most important since MTSU (0-1) stepped up to Division I-A in 1999, and the hope is that fans will show up en masse for the 6 p.m. kickoff.

Long-range, it's a crucial game on another level. The Sun Belt champion goes to the New Orleans Bowl (wherever it ends up being played), and all Sun Belt roads to that game likely will go through North Texas.

As for tonight's North Texas-MTSU game and the prospects for local support, the University of Tennessee doesn't have a game, Vanderbilt is on the road at Arkansas and Tennessee State plays Jackson State in Memphis.

That leaves fans few, if any, excuses to skip MTSU's showdown with the Sun Belt Conference power, armed with one of the nation's most impressive rushing attacks.

Some estimates have called for a crowd of 25,000 at Floyd Stadium, where the largest attendance last season was 14,208 for homecoming against Utah State. This will be North Texas' first game this season. The Eagles' opener scheduled for last week at LSU was postponed by Hurricane Katrina.

"We want to know that people have our backs through thick and thin,'' senior defensive end Devarick Scandrett said. "A big crowd really makes us play better. My being here these four years has been good, but who knows how good we would have been if the stadium had been full for all those games?''

McCollum agreed: Every little bit helps.

"We need edges with the four-time defending champions coming in here," he said. "Our kids will play hard, I promise you that.''

Promotional duties aside, McCollum is preoccupied devising a scheme to stymie North Texas' offense. He will need to do so in order to snap the four-year victory streak the Eagles have over the Blue Raiders.

MTSU has plenty of Sun Belt company when it comes to North Texas dominance. The Eagles own a staggering 25-game conference victory streak dating back to a 2001 loss at Louisiana-Monroe.

"They have confidence of winning and they know how to win,'' McCollum said. "Somebody has to take that away from them at some point.''

A good place to start is by tackling North Texas' running game.

The Eagles have always been a force on the ground during Coach Darrell Dickey's eight-year reign. He is the nation's only current I-A coach to lead his team to four consecutive conference titles, and he's done it relying mainly on top-notch running backs.

For the last five years North Texas has featured a back who gained at least 1,000 yards. Two of those are on this year's roster, and each has a national rushing title to his name.

Patrick Cobbs, a senior, was the NCAA rushing champ in 2003 with 1,680 yards (152.7 yards per game). Jamario Thomas, a sophomore, stepped in last year after Cobbs suffered a knee injury and finished as the nation's leader with 1,801 yards (180.1 ypg).

So, how will Dickey use the dynamic duo, with Cobbs fully recovered and Thomas eager to pick up where he left off last season?

"At times they will play in the same backfield,'' Dickey said. "We don't see it as being a problem because of the type of kids they are. They've become very good friends.'' n

Mike Organ is a staff writer for The Tennessean. Reach him at 259-8021 or morgan@tennessean.com.

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PlummMeanGreen Grand Master

PlummMeanGreen

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Surely this Mike Organ sports-writer guy of the Tennessean would know by now that we have kinda' been using the nickname "Mean Green" for quite a while now? rolleyes.gif

Guess he missed the top of the front page of the recent USA Today headline that said "Return of the Mean Green" and then just out this week on the newstands the multi-page spread about the Mean Green/P. Cobbs/J. Thomas, etc, etc, etc, in this weeks edition of "ESPN: The Magazine? cool.gif

Go "Mean Green" !

Edited by PlummMeanGreen
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