GAME CENTRAL

SSU Tigers (0-0, 0-0 MEAC)
vs.
MiddleTennessee State Blue Raiders (0-0, 0-0 C-USA)
Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium (Murfreesboro, Tenn., 7 p.m.)

On Game Day

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Notes
· The Tigers will look to start newcomer Ker-Sean Wilson at the quarterback position. The Columbia, S.C. native transferred to SSU from East Arizona Community College in the spring of 2014.

· The Tigers have not had a season opening win since its road win over Livingston College on September 5, 2009. SSU has dropped its last four season openers; three road and one neutral.

· At the end of 2013, SSU's passing offense was ranked 63rd nationally and 2nd in the MEAC. Coach Wilson's "Air-Raid" attack threw for 3091 yards, setting a new SSU Division I record for most passing yards in a season.

· SSU is 0-2 all-time against Middle-Tennessee. The Tigers and Blue Raiders met in 1982 with MTSU edging SSU 12-3. The following year, the Blue Raiders defeated the Tigers 51-0.

· Today's game will be the first of three consecutive non-conference games for the Tigers. SSU will take on Georgia Southern and Fort Valley before competing against conference competition. The Tigers will end the season with its fourth non-conference matchup and season finale on the road against Brigham Young.

· SSU changed the face of its coaching and staff and positions during the offseason: Mike Wallace was promoted to defensive coordinator/safeties coach (formerly linebackers coach); Mike Villagrana was hired as co-offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach; David Banks was added as the quarterbacks/special teams coach;  Tony Pierce was hired to coach the linebackers; and Cordell Taylor was added as the cornerbacks coach.
 
The Game
Savannah State
Quarterbacks
Newcomer Ker-Sean Wilson (no relation to Earnest Wilson) will start at quarterback for SSU. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound junior from Columbia, S.C., transferred to SSU from Eastern Arizona Community College this spring.

Tino Smith, a 6-foot-2, 215-pound freshman from Carmel, Ind., is the backup quarterback. Leon Prunty, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound sophomore from Ellenwood, Ga., started a few games at quarterback last season in place of Antonio Bostick, who was suspended the first two games because of academic issues.

Receivers
One of SSU's greatest strengths is its receiving corps. Tight end Kris Drummond, a 6-foot-5, 215-pound senior from Washington, D.C., was selected to the MEAC's preseason first-team after catching 23 passes for 296 yards and two touchdowns last season.

Arshon Spaulding, a 5-foot-11, 185-pound sophomore from Brunswick's Glynn Academy, is a starter along with Jeremiah Harris, a 6-foot-5, 200-pound sophomore from Lawrenceville, Ga. Dereon London, a 6-foot, 170-pound freshman from Jonesboro, Ga., also has earned a starting job.

Offensive Line
SSU's offensive line is bigger than it was last season. Afolabi Ayangbayi, a 6-foot-4, 290-pound sophomore from Union, N.J., is the starter at left tackle. Anquavious Fuller, a 6-foot-2, 290-pound freshman from Woodbury, Ga., is the starter at left guard. Vincent Harper, a 6-foot-2, 275-pound graduate student from Belle Glade, Fla., transferred from Hampton University and is SSU's starting center. The starter at right guard is Devin Stainrod, a 6-foot-1, 290-pound sophomore from Baltimore. Damien Campbell, a 6-foot-3, 290-pound freshman from College Park, Ga., is the starter at right tackle.

Running Backs
Alex Simmons, a 5-foot-10, 190-pound junior from Beaufort, S.C., is the starter at running back but Richard Williams, a 5-foot-8, 190-pound sophomore from Memphis, Tenn., and Joshua Berry, a 5-foot-11, 190-pound freshman from Ludowici's Long County High School, will get playing time. Anthony Criswell, a 5-foot-10, 210-pound senior from Jacksonville, Fla., also is in the mix.

Linebackers
It's no secret that SSU's linebackers are the strength of the team. Preseason All-MEAC second team selection Marquis Smith, a 6-foot-3, 235-pound sophomore from Prince Georges County, Md., led the Tigers in tackles with 124 last season. Justin Dixon, a 5-foot-11, 225-pound junior from Duluth, Ga., was second with 122.

Trevion Ashford, a 6-foot, 190-pound junior from Detroit, is a force along with Leonardo Myers, a 6-foot-1, 235-pound junior from Augusta, Ga., and Anthony Smith, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound freshman from Valdosta, Ga.

Secondary
Wayne Johnson, a 5-foot-10, 175-pound junior from Columbus, Ga., is the starter at left cornerback. Brandon Jackson-Bell, a 5-foot-9, 180-pound senior from Lithonia, Ga., is the starter at right cornerback. The strong safety is Robert Smith, a 6-foot-1, 215-pound graduate student from Powder Springs, Ga., who transferred from Georgia State. The free safety is Alfred Ansley, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound junior from Jacksonville, Fla.

Defensive Line
SSU's defensive line returns experienced players in starting left end David Adebiyi, a 6-foot-5, 260-pound senior from Atlanta, nose guard William Broadbent, a 6-foot-1, 295-pound junior from San Antonio, and right end Jovanta Mobley, a 6-foot-2, 285-pound junior from Jacksonville, Fla.

Special Teams
Jacob Thomas, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound junior from Birmingham, Ala., returns as the Tigers' starting punter. John Barron, a 5-foot-11, 180-pound sophomore from Marietta, Ga., is back as the starting placekicker.

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Middle Tennessee State University
MTSU ninth-year head coach Rick Stockstill, during his weekly news conference Monday, said he expects to face a better SSU team than the Tigers fielded last season.

Sophomore quarterback Austin Grammer will get his first career start, according to MTSU's sports information department. The backup quarterback is freshman Brent Stockstill (Rick's son), while the third-string QB is redshirt freshman A.J. Erdely.
MTSU finished last season with an 8-5 record. The Blue Raiders played in the Armed Forces Bowl and lost, 24-6, to Navy.

Perhaps MTSU's greatest strength is its running game. The Blue Raiders averaged 199.3 yards rushing per game last season. The Blue Raiders were 7-0 last season when running for at least 200 yards and they were 1-5 when failing to run for 200 yards.
But how healthy are MTSU's running backs this season? Senior Reggie Whatley (torn hip labrum last season), junior Jordan Parker (torn hip labrum last season), junior Jeremiah Bryson (shoulder injury last season) and sophomore Shane Tucker (shoulder injury last season) all had surgeries during the offseason, the Daily News Journal reported.

Defensively, MTSU is led by linebacker TT Barber and safety Kevin Byard. The juniors have 225 tackles combined and they are the top-two tacklers returning in Conference USA.
 
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