Contributing Writer – Blake Benefield, MTSU Baseball

Photo courtesy of GoBlueRaiders.com

There are a lot of things that come to mind when MTSU Football rolls around. I have always been known to be the one that goes to all the games because MTSU is all I have ever known. I feel like that is true for a lot of people in Murfreesboro. There will always be the people that travel to Knoxville for UT games, and I respect that. If that is your team then there is no reason to change that. Or any other team that you travel to see, trust me I understand. But we need to be out there supporting our Blue Raiders!

Still think there is no reason that this place shouldn’t be packed on Saturdays. If only half of y’all knew how hard these guys work for this city! #rollllraiders https://t.co/o3gEv3D8U4

— Blake Benefield (@bennyb56) July 11, 2018

With that being said … Nobody really understands what those boys are put through on a daily basis unless you have done it yourself. They work their tails off to impress everybody that shows up on gameday. They do it for each other of course, but they are putting in their time and effort because they want to make Murfreesboro proud. That alone is the main reason I go to the games, to root them on because they have, without a doubt, put in the work.

I will always go to the games and support the football team, because if you go to MTSU then why wouldn’t you?

There are many excuses to not to do something and, at some point, it has to end. We have the biggest student body in the state of Tennessee, but people aren’t big on “going into the game.”  Who doesn’t want to watch football on a Saturday and see the Raiders roll somebody?! We have a quarterback, Brent Stockstill, that would do anything to win for this city.  I mean, the guy said he would go vegan for us to win a championship. His father, head coach Rick Stockstill, is somebody I’ve been around since I was little and is one heck of a man himself. He would do anything for our students to go to the games to watch our boys. He bought a crazy number of tickets himself just to give to students to go to the Camellia Bowl game! And those are only two examples of the great guys on the team that I know. The guys on this football team want nothing more for this university than to simply win.

Beer sales highlight @MT_FB game day changes. Details: https://t.co/8WnzJCo3B5 #BlueRaiders pic.twitter.com/dVEQ5IZJ1n

— MT Athletics (@MTAthletics) September 5, 2018

Everybody that loves to tailgate–go tailgate and have a great time. It is an amazing environment where everyone enjoys each other. But, we have to take that next step and go to what everybody tailgates for–THE GAME. The boys would love to see everybody there. If we stop talking about it and actually start doing it, we will start seeing some big moves in attendance. The games will be more fun this year starting Saturday night due to the new policy on beer sales. I believe at some time Floyd Stadium will be rocking out like I have seen it before. For all the students–the games are free. Go with some friends and enjoy watching some Blue Raider Football. I sure do.

Roll Raiders,

Blake Benefield

If you are an athlete here at MTSU and have a story you are willing to share, please contact Stephen Smith.