2005 Blue Raider Football 111 BLUE RAIDER HISTORY ters won the game 10-0 in a contest played on a natural surface of sand. In 1926, Frank Faulkinberry be- gan his first season at the helm. Not only did Faulkinberry serve as football coach, he was also the school’s bas- ketball and baseball coach, as well as a professor. He produced an overall 32-24-4 record during his seven years as head coach. In a game against North Ala- bama in 1927, 76 points were put up by MTSTC, which still stands as the most points scored in one game. In 1929, the football team played its first ten-game schedule, going 6-3- 1 on the season. Johnny “Red” Floyd Stadium was constructed in 1933 as Horace Jones Field. The facility had portable bleachers for about the first 15 years until a major renovation put concrete 1930s grandstands in place in the late 1940s. The 1930s brought definitive change within the football program. In 1933, the team had a new place to play 1910s Interestingly enough, Floyd was a foot- their home games, Horace Jones In 1912, the Middle Tennessee ball player at Vanderbilt at the time. Field. E.M. Waller would coach the Normal School strapped up and However, no football was played at team for the next two years. donned the pads for the first time as Vanderbilt that year. After witnessing a 70-7 loss to L.E. (Mutt) Weber, a student no less, In his first season as a football Murray State, Horace Jones - although coached the Normals or Pedagogues coach, Floyd led the Normal school to he never played or coached football - depending on who you ask. Although an undefeated season at 7-0. helped initiate the recruiting of football it is unlikely that this group of men ac- No football would be played in players. His first recruit…Charles tually played an organized game 1918 due to the war and Floyd would Murphy. against another institution (since no return to Vanderbilt the following sea- In 1934, The Daily News Jour- records exist), the foundation for foot- son. Miles also returned in 1919 to nal held a contest to give the school a ball had been laid on the campus of coach the team once again and led the specific nickname. The Pedagogues, the Normal School in Murfreesboro. Normals to their second straight un- Normals, and Teachers had all been By 1913, a buzz had been cre- defeated season and third in the used. Charles Sarver, a member of ated by a group of young men forming program’s six years of play. the football team, won the $5 contest a football team the previous year which with the name Blue Raiders. Sarver prompted the administration to appoint 1920s had been a fan of the Colgate Red an official coach for the team. Alfred Miles continued to coach the Raiders and substituted the school’s B. Miles, a biology and physiology pro- team through the early part of the de- blue for Colgate’s red. fessor, took the reins of the football cade, but his final year would come in In 1935, the season saw the re- team. In 1913, the Normal School 1923. Miles was credited with a 34- turn of Johnny “Red” Floyd. As in his would play its first official game, a 47- 15-4 record as the Normal School’s first stint in 1917, Floyd led the Blue 0 win against MBA. Although it’s un- first officially recognized coach. Raiders to another undefeated season known what level of talent the team Guy Stephenson coached the including revenge over Murray and a played, they went on to a 5-1-1 record team in 1924 and 1925. Although win over Tennessee Tech for the first including a tie against Vanderbilt’s “B” Stephenson produced only a 4-9-2 time in seven years. squad. record, he did give the school its first Floyd’s first loss as a head The following season, the Nor- win over an opponent which we would coach would not come until the follow- mal School rolled to an undefeated refer to as Division I in today’s terms ing year in the opener against season, winning five straight games with a 57-7 win over Memphis State. Vanderbilt. after a tie against Cumberland in the In the final game of the 1925 The 1937 season saw the Blue opener. season, the Middle Tennessee Teach- Raiders play a 13-13 tie against rival In 1917, Miles would leave the ers College (as it would be known from Tennessee Tech. At the end of the school due to World War I. Although 1925-1942) would take its longest road season, unsatisfied by the tie, the two he would return in 1919, a young man trip of the team’s existence. The teams decided to play a second game. by the name of Johnny “Red” Floyd Normals made their way to central The Blue Raiders won 29-0. Middle would take over for Miles that season. Florida to take on Stetson. The Hat- 112 GoBlueRaiders.com Tennessee also reached the 100-win Lamar Tech. The Blue Raiders won plateau that season with a 19-0 vic- the game 27-0. Maxie Runion, the All- tory over Austin Peay. American halfback, took a one-week Floyd retired following his only train ride because he was afraid to fly. losing season in 1938. He returned a punt for a TD in the win. In 1952, Middle Tennessee 1940s joined the Ohio Valley Conference. Horace Jones Field was given Bobby Young, Howard Alsup, and a facelift in 1940, when expansion Garnett Rather became the first Blue added permanent concrete grand- Raiders to be selected to the All-Con- stands. ference team. The school’s name was The Blue Raiders won their first changed in 1943 to Middle Tennessee conference title with a 5-0 OVC record State College; however, no football in 1956. Fullback Terry Sweeney was played from 1943 to 1945 due to earned All-American honors and the World War II. team made their first bowl appearance In 1947, the winningest coach (a 27-13 loss to Sam Houston State) Coach Murphy only had one to ever walk the sidelines of Horace in the Refrigerator Bowl. losing season in 22 years as Jones Field began the first of his 22 Charles Murphy’s 1957 team head coach of MTSU. years leading the Blue Raiders. won their second straight OVC Cham- Charles “Bubber” Murphy led his team pionship and capped a perfect 10-0 to a 9-1 record that first year. season by shutting out Tennessee Atchley (1965) earned All-American Although he had to weather the Tech 22-0. In the process, MT records honors. critics after switching the offensive sys- win number 200 against Chattanooga The 1964 squad won the OVC tem to the wing-T the following year, 20-6. Ends Jerry Hurst and G.E. title and played in their final bowl game which produced a mediocre 4-4 mark, McCormack and tackle Ralph Massey to date, a 20-0 win in the Grantland Murphy led the team to the first of his earned All-American honors. Rice Bowl over Muskingum. four undefeated seasons the next year. The Blue Raiders made it three In 1965, MTSC acquired univer- years in a row when they shared the sity status. 1950s OVC title with Tennessee Tech in 1958. Charles Murphy led the 1965 The 1950 season produced the In 1959, with Middle Tennessee team to his fourth and final undefeated first all-American selections in the and Tennessee Tech tied at 5-0 in con- season as well as his seventh OVC school’s history. Fullback Max Arnold, ference play, the two rivals battled to Championship. Teddy Morris and halfback Maxie Runion, and guard a 21-21 tie as the teams shared the Keith Atchley become co-OVC Play- Charles Lyons became the first. OVC crown for a second consecutive ers of the Year, the first Blue Raiders On November 18, 1950, Middle season. It was also the fourth straight to win this honor. Tennessee traveled by plane for the conference title for the Blue Raiders. At the end of the 1965 season, first time in school history as the team Middle Tennessee picked up its Teddy Morris left the University as the flew to Beaumont, Texas., to face first bowl victory in the Tangerine Bowl most prolific passer in school history. (now called the Citrus Bowl) with a 21- Following the season, Morris’ number 12 win over Presbyterian capping an 14 became the first and only number 11-0-1 season. to be retired at Middle Tennessee. The opening game of the 1967 1960s season saw the Blue Raiders play The decade is Middle Navy Pensacola, a team of former Tennessee’s most prolific as the Blue college all-stars. The Naval team was Raiders won 75 of their 105 games led by 1963 Heisman Trophy winner (winning percentage of .714). Prior to Roger Staubach. In the 28-7 victory, the 1960 season, Horace Jones Field the Blue Raiders held Staubach to 16 was expanded to seat 10,000. of 45 passing for 137 yards and three For the second time in three interceptions, all by Mike Matheny. seasons, Middle Tennessee played in In 1968, Charles Murphy en- the Tangerine Bowl in 1961, but were dured his only losing season in his 22 defeated by Lamar Tech. years as the head coach and resigns In 1962, the Blue Raiders with 16 conference titles as the shared the OVC title with Morehead winningest coach in Blue Raider his- State, Eastern Kentucky, and East tory at 155-63-8, a win percentage of Maxie Runion joined Max Tennessee State.