Vanderbilt @ Middle Tennessee preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 10, 2016 ) Middle Tennessee 24, Vanderbilt 47

Vanderbilt has made strides under fourth-year head coach Derek Mason and hopes to snap a five-game losing streak in season openers when it begins its campaign at Middle Tennessee on Saturday. The Commodores have not won an opener since topping Elon in 2011 and their last win against an FBS team to begin a season came against Miami (Ohio) in 2008.

"It's a chip," Mason told reporters of the program's struggles out of the gate. "It sits there and stares me in the face everyday." Vanderbilt has increased its win total in each of the last two seasons and played its first bowl game under Mason in 2016, and it returns nine starters on an offense that should improve upon a 13th-place finish in the SEC in scoring (23 points per game). More pressing in this one will be the Commodores' ability to slow down the Blue Raiders' prolific connection between quarterback Brent Stockstill and wide receiver Richie James. Stockstill, the son of head coach Rick Stockstill, threw for 3,233 yards and 31 touchdowns last year while James was third in the Conference USA with 1,625 receiving yards and found the end zone 12 times.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network. LINE: Vanderbilt -3.5

ABOUT VANDERBILT (2016: 6-7): Mason said he feels great about the balance on offense after last season's squad produced just nine scores through the air and 26 on the ground - half of those by star running back Ralph Webb. Finding that balance begins with junior quarterback Kyle Shurmer, who threw for 113 yards and a TD in a 47-24 win over the Blue Raiders last year and averaged 290.5 passing yards over the final four games of the regular season. The Commodores, picked by the media to finish sixth in the SEC East, lost All-American Zach Cunningham at linebacker but Mason expects big things from returnees Emmanuel Smith and Oren Burks.

ABOUT MIDDLE TENNESSEE (2016: 8-5): The Blue Raiders have played five straight FCS opponents in season openers, which has given this one a little extra buzz around Floyd Stadium. "This is different," coach Stockstill told reporters. "We understand that it is different." James hauled in a school-record 14 passes for 183 yards and Brent Stockstill - who had offseason shoulder surgery - made a career-high 65 passing attempts in last year's meeting with the Commodores.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Vanderbilt won a 17-13 decision in its previous visit to Middle Tennessee in 2015.

2. This marks the first of the Blue Raiders' three straight games out of the gate against Power 5 opponents. They visit Syracuse and Minnesota the next two Saturdays.

3. Webb led the SEC in rushing attempts (250) and was fourth in yards (1,283) in 2016.

PREDICTION: Vanderbilt 35, Middle Tennessee 31