Blue Raiders start grueling SEC run

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - Andy McCollum has been hearing it from all sides. Why would the Middle Tennessee coach schedule three Southeastern Conference opponents to open the season? <br> <br> Running back Dwone Hicks has one theory heading into Saturday&#39;s opener with Alabama at Legion Field: It&#39;s fun. <br> <br> ``It&#39;s going to be great,&#39;&#39; said Hicks, touted by the school as a Heisman Trophy candidate. ``It&#39;s always fun to go out there and play against SEC teams.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> The Blue Raiders certainly enjoyed last year&#39;s opener, a 37-28 win over neighboring foe Vanderbilt that snapped an 0-17 run of futility against SEC opponents. That win caught the attention of Alabama center Alonzo Ephraim, especially considering the Crimson Tide squeaked by the Commodores 12-9 the following week. <br> <br> ``They put points on Vanderbilt that we couldn&#39;t score,&#39;&#39; Ephraim said. ``They are a good program and they&#39;re on the rise. A lot of people just don&#39;t know too much about them because of their name, but they are a good team. <br> <br> ``I think those guys really want this game.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Alabama has plenty of incentive also, after an offseason of pain that left the program saddled with NCAA sanctions and with no bowl or championship opportunity. Plus, the Tide have lost two straight openers for the first time in 22 years. <br> <br> Alabama hasn&#39;t lost three straight since going winless in its season debuts from 1953-59. <br> <br> Tide coach Dennis Franchione said Middle Tennessee, installed as a 19-point underdog, should provide motivation enough. The Blue Raiders are coming off an 8-3 season when they ranked fifth nationally in total offense with 481.4 yards per game. <br> <br> ``I think they&#39;ll give us far more than we want, and it&#39;ll be a good game,&#39;&#39; he said. ``We&#39;ll have to play well to win. They&#39;re a good football team that&#39;ll play a lot of people in this conference tough.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> The Blue Raiders will get plenty of chances. Their next stops are Tennessee and Kentucky and the rematch with Vanderbilt comes Oct. 12. <br> <br> ``We&#39;ve heard it from everybody and all around the country about our schedule,&#39;&#39; McCollum said. <br> <br> He believes last year&#39;s win over Vandy gave his team a new confidence against major conference teams. <br> <br> ``I don&#39;t think we really believed we could win those games,&#39;&#39; McCollum said. ``I don&#39;t think we believed we could beat the name of those teams. That was something we had to overcome as a team having been in Division I only two years. <br> <br> ``It gave us an opportunity to beat a name team from probably the greatest conference in the country. It was a big step for our kids just to believe.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Middle Tennessee players certainly now seem to believe. <br> <br> ``This will be a nice benchmark for us the next three weeks,&#39;&#39; receiver Tyrone Calico said. ``We have to come out and let the chips fall where they may.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> ``It gets me excited more than anything,&#39;&#39; added linebacker Randy Arnold. ``I don&#39;t get nervous, just excited.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Franchione insists there&#39;s little chance the Tide will overlook Middle Tennessee despite a trip to co-No. 1 Oklahoma for Game 2. <br> <br> ``I don&#39;t sense that at all. You&#39;re so excited to play an opponent and not to play yourself and to get out of two-a-day and to play a football game, that those things kind of take care of themselves,&#39;&#39; Franchione said. <br> <br> ``We&#39;re going to focus on Game One, and I&#39;d just as soon we kept talking about Game One right now, not that other.&#39;&#39;

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