MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) - Middle Tennessee coach Rick Stockstill is about to find out if surviving a painful season really can make a program stronger.
The Blue Raiders went 2-10 in 2011, their worst record in his six seasons. They lost three games by three points each, the first on a last-second field goal on the road at Purdue in the season opener, to finishing the season on a six-game skid. Running back Benny Cunningham was among the key injuries, and Stockstill lost offensive coordinator Willie Simmons when he resigned after an arrest during the season.
Stockstill said the bottom line is his Blue Raiders weren't tough enough to handle everything last year.
He has six starters back on both offense and defense along with Cunningham healthy again to improve on last season.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
