Conference Sun Belt Conference Head coach Rick Stockstill Offensive scheme Air raid | 2009 record 10–3 (7–1 SBC) Offensive coordinator Tony Franklin Defensive coordinator Manny Diaz | |
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The 2009 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team represented Middle Tennessee State University in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Middle Tennessee competed as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. The team was led by head coach Rick Stockstill. The Blue Raiders played their home games at Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium.
In February 2009, Tony Franklin, former Troy and Auburn offensive coordinator, was hired to fill the vacant position of offensive coordinator at. He replaced G.A. Mangus who left Middle Tennessee to become the quarterbacks coach at South Carolina.
The 2009 schedule featured an opener at Clemson on Saturday, September 5, 2009. The game was followed by an in-state rivalry game against Conference USA member Memphis at Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium. The Blue Raiders returned to Maryland for a third time, and hosted their first ever Southeastern Conference (SEC) opponent, Mississippi State, in school history. Mississippi State was the 3rd BCS opponent (Virginia in 2007 and Maryland in 2008) to visit Middle Tennessee at Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium.
The Blue Raiders ended the 2009 regular season with a 9–3 overall record, which was the best record in the FBS era (1999-current), and best overall since 1992. The Blue Raiders accepted a bowl invitation to the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl to face Southern Mississippi who was coached by former Blue Raider offensive coordinator, Larry Fedora. This was the second bowl game for the Blue Raiders in four years. The Blue Raiders won 42–32 for their first FBS bowl win in school history, becoming the first team in Sun Belt Conference history to win 10 games in a season.