MTSU's win over Miami will long be cheered, but season-defining stretch begins now | Joyce
It's been a whirlwind September for the Middle Tennessee State football program.
Sept. 3: MTSU suffers a 44-7 beatdown at new FBS program James Madison to start the season. Blue Raiders fans are either in panic mode or angry, or both. "#FireStockstill" hashtags dominate Twitter during and after the game in a lash-out against coach Rick Stockstill.
Sept. 24: The Blue Raiders win their third consecutive game (and second when being a heavy underdog), not only shocking No. 25 Miami, but dominating the Hurricanes 45-31 for the program's first win against a ranked opponent. MTSU is the not only the talk of the town but the country as well, earning praise on national college football shows.
My, how things can change.
The win brought fence-riders back to the MTSU bandwagon. Loyal fans are reaping the rewards for continuing to believe in the Stockstill and the program. There is a contingent of naysayers, but most were quiet Saturday.
More:'Butt kicking': Why MTSU's win over No. 25 Miami was no fluke
There's no denying the program is on an uptick. During the past five games dating back to last season, MTSU has defeated favored Toledo in the Bahamas Bowl, defeated 14-point home favorite Colorado State (34-19) and defeated a 26-point home favorite in Miami.
Wedged in that is the game at James Madison. Although a 44-7 loss to any team outside of the Power 5 is unacceptable, that game is looking like far less of a train wreck after seeing what the Dukes have done thus far during a 3-0 start. JMU (the 34th-ranked team in the nation in the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches poll) has blown out two opponents and knocked off early-season darling Appalachian State on Saturday.
Some might ask, "What has changed?"
The answer is nothing. MTSU entered the season with high expectations, returning key players on both sides of the ball. The team changed little to nothing between JMU and Miami. It has just played better in the ensuring three games after admittedly being unprepared for many things the Dukes threw at them Week 1.
But, while Saturday's victory is historic and will live on for a long time, there's no time to revel in one win.
The next three games will be more season-defining than the one just played.
MTSU (3-1) will host Texas-San Antonio (2-2) on Friday (6:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network) to start Conference USA play in what is arguably the biggest game of the season for the Blue Raiders.
More:MTSU made $1.54 million to beat Miami
The Roadrunners won the conference title last season and are favored to win again in 2022. They may be better than Miami.
After battling UTSA, the Blue Raiders will have to hit the road again for a game against Alabama-Birmingham, which was picked by some to win the league.
Then it's a homecoming game against archrival Western Kentucky on Oct. 15. The high-powered Hilltoppers just beat C-USA foe Florida International 73-0.
Wins over UTSA, UAB and WKU would put MTSU in the driver's seat to win the conference. Wins in two of the three would still leave the door open.
Anything less would likely end any hopes of a C-USA title. Losing all three would make the Miami win a distant memory and bring the naysayers back to the forefront.
Which direction will this team go after the biggest win in program history?
We will find out a lot on Friday.
Reach Cecil Joyce at cjoyce@dnj.com and on Twitter @Cecil_Joyce.
This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: MTSU football has little time to celebrate win over No. 25 Miami
