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Stockstill father-son duo going into last season at MTSU
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) Rick Stockstill will savor the five years he has spent with his son as the Blue Raiders' quarterback - just not now.
The Middle Tennessee coach has no time for that at the moment.
He has games to win with fall camp opening up.
Offensive coordinator Tony Franklin already knows what a rare opportunity he's had spending three straight seasons with one quarterback in Brent Stockstill.
''To have a quarterback for three years is incredible for me. Sometimes I don't stay three years,'' the well-traveled offensive coordinator said Wednesday to a few laughs. ''And I've only had one, and that was Jared Goff at Cal. And Brent's spring that he just had was better than any quarterback I ever coached.''
Brent Stockstill has grown up around the Middle Tennessee program; his father is going into his 13th season as head coach. Now the quarterback with most of the school's passing records is turning 24 on Sunday and is a redshirt senior.
''Our deal it is special, but I'm not going to look at it and say, `This is the last first practice, this is the last practice before the first game,''' Rick Stockstill said. ''I'm not going to get into all that. So just coaching and try to prepare this team the best we can.''
His son's school records include 77 career touchdown passes, has 14 300-yard passing games, two 400-yard passing games, averages 288.7 yards passing per game and 729 completions. Brent Stockstill ranks third among active players nationally for yards passing, first in yards passing per game, second in total offense and eighth in passing efficiency.
''He understands the offense, he's a good leader, he's a good football player,'' Franklin said. ''I think a lot of time people will say, `Hey, he's a coach's son, and he loves the game. He's a good football player. He likes playing football. It's fun to have somebody like him who can do so much physically but mentally.''
Stockstill's college career has been marked by freak injuries. He missed five games last season after cracking his sternum - his collarbone pulled away from the sternum in a loss at Minnesota. He returned and led the Blue Raiders to a win at the Camellia Bowl for a 7-6 record.
The 6-foot, 215-pound quarterback has played all 13 games only once in 2015 after redshirting his first season. He threw for 4,005 yards and 33 TDs. In 2016, Stockstill missed three games with a broken collarbone.
As his father and coach, Rick Stockstill would like his son and quarterback stay healthy.
''Having a senior quarterback gives you a comfort level,'' Rick Stockstill said. ''As a coach, you always want to know what you're going to get when the ball snapped. And with him with being a senior, you've got a pretty good idea of what you're going to get every time the ball snapped.''
The quarterback already has graduated and also has his master's degree in sports management. He's been called a coach on the field for how well he knows the game. Asked about what he wants for his final season, the Brent Stockstill already sounds like he's thinking of his future - beyond the season opener Sept. 1 at Vanderbilt.
''Next year there's going to be a new guy stepping up and being in charge so it's my job to leave that position in a good spot,'' Brent Stockstill said.
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Follow Teresa M. Walker at www.twitter.com/teresamwalker
