MUTS have some issues on the gridiron

[MeanGreen61]

MTSU has some issues on gridiron

By MONTE HALE JR.

hale@dnj.com

Here's to the White Team, which defeated the Blue Team 14-7 to culminate the first spring practice last week under first-year coach Rick Stockstill.

Imagine that steak and shrimp was a little more delectable than the hamburgers the losing team was served.

The game itself was excellent and certainly entertaining for those who watched. If you delve a little deeper, though, one can see this team has some issues going into the fall.

Considering the Blue Raiders are going to continue to employ a wide-open offensive attack, the situation at wide receiver is disturbing. In fact, it's never been more dire since the program moved to the Division I-A level in 1999.

Taron Henry, who was most impressive in the spring game, is the veteran of this group, but has just 22 career receptions. The former Riverdale standout should be a quality receiver, but how much help will he get?

MTSU has very little speed at the position, which hardly bodes well going into the 2006 season.

The offensive line wasn't near as bad as many feared, and in fact, appears to have made as much or more progress than any group. Still, depth is a major issue and this group has yet to prove it can line it up and pound the football down an opponent's throat.

At tailback, the Blue Raiders are in excellent hands with Eugene Gross, who was the star of the spring game and most consistent player during spring drills. If DeMarco McNair can take care of his academics, MTSU will be fine in the backfield.

Defensively, the big question going into the fall is up front. The Blue Raiders are in good shape on the edges with Sean Mosely, Erik Walden and Tavares Jones, but replacing Jeff Littlejohn and Quinton Staton is quite an onus. Sophomores Jonathan Presley and Trevor Jenkins certainly have huge holes to fill.

At linebacker, the Blue Raiders suffered a devastating blow when Jonathan Bonner had to give up his final season due to a previous neck injury. The Blue Raiders have some talent at the position, but depth is a huge problem.

The secondary, which made great strides a year ago, should be as good if not better. The Blue Raiders are experienced in the defensive backfield and have some depth.

In seasons past MTSU has gone in with great expectations, but unfortunately for the Blue Raiders, they have suffered through four straight losing campaigns. Expectations going into this season are mixed among Blue Raider fans.

Coming out of spring practice, MTSU is no different than most football teams in that there are positives to build on and obvious negatives to address.

How Stockstill, his staff and players address those concerns will determine how much success — or lack thereof — they enjoy in 2006.