2012 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team

The 2012 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team represented Middle Tennessee State University as a member of Sun Belt Conference during the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by seventh-year head coach Rick Stockstill, the Blue Raiders compiled an overall record of 8–4 with a mark of 6–2 in conference play, placing in a three-way tie for second in the Sun Belt. Despite finishing two wins above bowl eligibility, Middle Tennessee was not invited to a bowl game.

2012 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football
ConferenceSun Belt Conference
Record8–4 (6–2 Sun Belt)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorBuster Faulkner (1st season)
Offensive schemePro spread
Co-defensive coordinatorSteve Ellis (2nd season)
Co-defensive coordinatorTyrone Nix (1st season)
Base defense4–3
Home stadiumJohnny "Red" Floyd Stadium
Seasons
← 2011
2013 →
2012 Sun Belt Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Arkansas State $   7 1     10 3  
Louisiana–Monroe   6 2     8 5  
Middle Tennessee   6 2     8 4  
Louisiana–Lafayette *   4 2     5 4  
Western Kentucky   4 4     7 6  
Troy   3 5     5 7  
North Texas   3 5     4 8  
Florida Atlantic   2 6     3 9  
FIU   2 6     3 9  
South Alabama **   1 7     2 11  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • * – Louisiana–Lafayette vacated 4 wins due to NCAA violations.
    ** – South Alabama was ineligible for the conference title or a bowl game as part of their transition to the FBS.

The 2012 season was the Blue Raiders last in the Sun Belt. Middle Tennessee initially announced a move to Conference USA (C-USA) to take effect no later than July 2014 and later moved the conference change up to July 2013.

During the offseason

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Tyrone Nix was named co-defensive coordinator, along with Steve Ellis, and linebackers coach on February 22, 2012.[1] Nix has led nationally ranked defenses at Southern Miss, South Carolina, and Ole Miss. Interim offensive coordinator, Buster Faulkner, was named offensive coordinator in February 2012. During the 2011 season Faulkner took over the play-calling duties the final seven games of the year following the resignation of Willie Simmons. Faulkner’s 2011 offense went on to record the fifth most yards of total offense, complete a record 299 passes, while becoming just the second offense in school history to amass over 3,000 passing yards.

Schedule

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DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
April 141:00 pmBlue-White Spring Game White 40–174,214
August 306:30 pmMcNeese State*
  • Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium
  • Murfreesboro, TN
ESPN3L 21–2718,690
September 86:00 pmFlorida Atlantic
  • Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium
  • Murfreesboro, TN
ESPN3W 31–1716,227
September 156:00 pmat Memphis*W 48–3027,113
September 2912:00 pmat Georgia Tech*ACC RSNW 49–2839,270
October 62:30 pmLouisiana–Monroe 
  • Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium
  • Murfreesboro, TN
SBN/CSSL 17–3121,067
October 135:00 pmat FIUW 34–3015,234
October 206:00 pmat No. 15 Mississippi State*ESPN2L 3–4555,108
October 272:30 pmNorth Texas
  • Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium
  • Murfreesboro, TN
ESPN3W 38–2114,102
November 18:15 pmat Western KentuckyESPNUW 34–2917,327
November 172:30 pmat South AlabamaW 20–1215,087
November 242:30 pmTroy
ESPN3W 24–2118,605
December 12:00 pmat Arkansas StateL 0–4531,243
  • *Non-conference game
  •  Homecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Central time

[2]

Game summaries

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McNeese State

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1 2 3 4 Total
Cowboys 0 14 10 3 27
Blue Raiders 3 3 0 15 21

Florida Atlantic

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1 2 3 4 Total
Owls 0 0 3 14 17
Blue Raiders 0 7 17 7 31

@ Memphis

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1 2 3 4 Total
Blue Raiders 7 20 14 7 48
Tigers 3 14 6 7 30

@ Georgia Tech

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1 2 3 4 Total
Blue Raiders 7 14 14 14 49
Yellow Jackets 7 14 0 7 28

Louisiana–Monroe

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1 2 3 4 Total
Warhawks 7 10 14 0 31
Blue Raiders 3 0 7 7 17

@ FIU

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1 2 3 4 Total
Blue Raiders 3 7 7 17 34
Panthers 6 14 3 7 30

@ Mississippi State

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1 2 3 4 Total
Blue Raiders 0 3 0 0 3
#16 Bulldogs 10 0 21 14 45

North Texas

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1 2 3 4 Total
Mean Green 0 0 14 7 21
Blue Raiders 17 7 14 0 38

@ WKU

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1 2 3 4 Total
Blue Raiders 10 7 7 10 34
Hilltoppers 7 10 7 5 29

@ South Alabama

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1 2 3 4 Total
Blue Raiders 7 3 7 3 20
Jaguars 3 3 6 0 12

Troy

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1 2 3 4 Total
Trojans 7 0 7 7 21
Blue Raiders 10 3 3 8 24

@ Arkansas State

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1 2 3 4 Total
Blue Raiders 0 0 0 0 0
Red Wolves 21 14 7 3 45

References

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  1. ^ "Ex-Ole Miss DC Nix lands at MTSU as co-coordinator". February 22, 2012.
  2. ^ 2012 Football Schedule