A pair of rip-roaring senior QBs -- Brent Stockstill for MTSU, Kyle Shurmur for Vanderbilt -- brings the promise of a shootout. At 24, Stockstill is older than many NFL starters, and his experience will serve him well against an SEC foe on the road. An already suspect Vandy defense is weakened further with the suspension this week of SS Zaire Jones. The Commodores’ D forced just nine turnovers a year ago, second fewest in the nation. Shurmur blitzed MTSU with three touchdown throws last season on a 71.4 percent completion rate.

Middle Tennessee is always a live dog when it moves up to play teams in superior conferences. The Blue Raiders return 16 starters from a team that won a bowl game last year. Take the points.