Middle Tennessee DC Brian Stewart Compares Defensive Scheming To Making Gumbo

The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders are entering a new era with someone other than Rick Stockstill leading the program since 2005. Derek Mason was introduced as the program's head coach on December 6. 

Mason continues to fill out his first staff in Murfreesboro. One of his most notable hires to-date has been that of defensive coordinator Brian Stewart. Stewart is a former college teammate of Mason's, as well as a former defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans.

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In a recent Q&A with goblueraiders.com staff writer Sam Doughton, Stewart was asked about his ability to change up the looks his defense provides, frequently switching between a 3-4 and a 4-2-5, as well as other occasional looks. Doughton asked Stewart how he's been able to make those transitions when needed. His response was fairly creative, but makes a lot of sense 

"You ever make gumbo? If you're making gumbo, there's two kinds of gumbo," Steward said. 

"There's seafood gumbo, chicken and sausage gumbo. If you're where there's water, seafood gumbo is going to be pretty good. If you're where there's no water, but you want gumbo, you want that roux, you're going to go to the chicken and sausage gumbo. What I've got to look at is what elements do we have to be a 3-4. If we don't have all the elements, we don't have that outside backer, we don't have that big nose (tackle), if we don't have those things, we're going to be 4-3 or 4-2-5 and have some elements of 3-4 so I can start weaning to it. But we're going to play what we do best. And that's just being smart by looking at what we do, who have on campus, what they can do and what puts us in the best situation."

Essentially, Stewart will make scheme decisions based on his personnel and what they excel at. Fans will have their first chance to get a sense of exactly what that is when MTSU plays its first spring game since 2019. An exact date for that is TBD, but Mason has indicated it's something that will happen in 2024.