Raiders, Hilltoppers clash on Homecoming

Saturday, October 15

Murfreesboro, TN

1:30 PM

Middle Tennessee

Western Kentucky University (ESPN3)

Tickets

10/14/2016 8:00:00 AM | Football

Kickoff Saturday at 1:30 PM

By: @MTAthletics

MURFREESBORO – Middle Tennessee, off to its best start since 2001 at 4-1, returns home to face longtime rival WKU on Homecoming. This will be the 66th meeting with the Blue Raiders owning a slim 34-30-1 advantage.

The Blue Raiders and Hilltoppers have a knack of playing exciting football inside Floyd Stadium. The last two meetings, in 2011 and 2014, both went to overtime. Expect more of the same on Saturday.

Kickoff is set for 1:30 PM and the game will be broadcast on ESPN3.

TV INFORMATION

GAME INFORMATION
(FULL GAME NOTES)

(GAMEDAY CENTRAL)

Hashtag: #BeatWKU, #BlueRaiders
Twitter: MT_FB
Instagram: @MTAthletics
Facebook: Blue Raider Athletics

Game Captains: QB Brent Stockstill, DE Chris Hale, PK Canon Rooker

Date: Saturday, Oct. 15
Time: 1:30 PM
Teams: Middle Tennessee (4-1; 2-0) vs WKU (3-3; 1-1)
Location: Murfreesboro, TN
Stadium: Floyd Stadium (30,788)
Raider Walk: 11:15 a.m.
Raider Town Opens: 11:30 a.m. (Gate 3)
Lightning's Locker Room Opens: 12:00 p.m.
Gates Open: 12:00 p.m.
Weather Forecast: AM Clouds/PM Sun, 81°
TV: ESPN3
Radio: WMOT-FM (89.5), WGNS (1450 AM/100.5 FM/101.9 FM), Game 2 (102.5/94.9/95.1)
Play-by-Play: Chip Walters
Analysis: Wes Counts

Promotions:
Homecoming Parade: 9:30 AM

Conference USA Food Drive: Items eligible for donation include canned fruit and vegetables, canned, boxed, and bottled juices, bottled water, canned tuna, pop-tarts, raisins, canned or dried beans, fruit cups, soups, canned chili, canned meats, snack packs/pouches, granola bars, rice, nuts, pudding, peanut butter, cereal, oatmeal, crackers, macaroni and cheese, pasta mixes, muffins, and popcorn.

Beverage Garden

Complimentary beverages will be served to all season ticket holders.
Located on the Kennon Sports Hall of Fame lawn.

Live Streaming | Live Stats | Live Audio

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: MT leads 34-30-1
At Middle Tennessee: MT leads 20-13-1
At Bowling Green: WKU leads 17-14
At Neutral Site: 0-0
Rick Stockstill vs WKU: 5-3
Jeff Brohm vs MT: 1-1
Last MT Win: 2014 (50-47 (OT) in Murfreesboro)
Last WKU Win: 2015 (58-28 in Bowling Green)

QUICK HITTERS

The 2016 season is the 102nd for Blue Raider football and the 18th at the FBS level.
A win over WKU would make the Blue Raiders 5-1 for this first time since 2001 when they started 5-1.
In MT's last 10 wins it has averaged 531.9 yards of total offense and allowed just 346.1.
I'Tavius Mathers, who has scored 8 of the team's last 11 TDs, ranks 3rd nationally in scoring.
Dating back to last season, WR Richie James has 94 receptions over his last 11 games combined.
QB Brent Stockstill has thrown for 300 or more yards in eight of his last 11 outings.
Middle Tennessee is 19-3 in its last 22 home games.
The Blue Raiders have been bowl eligible seven times in 10 years and partcipated in five bowls during the FBS era.
Middle Tennessee has 10 players competing this season with a degree in hand. The Blue Raiders also have seven more who will earn degrees this December (Josh Chester, Jeremy Cutrer, William Eads, Myles Harges, Shaquille Huff, Brent Stockstill (Undergraduate) and Kamani Thomas).
MT is averaging 46.5 points a game at home and 31.7 on the road in 2016.
In their last 34 conference games, the Blue Raiders have a mark of 25-9.
Over the last 48 games, the Blue Raider defense has come up with 57 interceptions. The team had 15 picks in 2013 by eight different players, 13 in 2014 and 17 in 2015.
Consecutive Starts Leaders: Shaquille Huff (30), Daniel Stephens (23) and Steven Rhodes (21).
Under Rick Stockstill, the Blue Raiders have been involved in 19 games that were decided in the final minute of regulation or overtime. The team is 12-7 in those games and have won eight of the last nine.
Head Coach Rick Stockstill is third on the school's all-time wins list with 68 victories.
In 129 games under Rick Stockstill, the Blue Raiders are +23 in turnover margin.
Middle Tennessee has scored 30 or more points 56 times under Rick Stockstill. The most 30-point games in a season under Stockstill is nine (2009).
Matt Bonadies has placed 10 of his last 16 punts inside the opponents 20-yard line.

STRONG START FOR RAIDERS
Middle Tennessee is off to a 4-1 start to 2016 which is its best since going 5-0 in 2001. A win over WKU would stretch that mark to 5-1. The last time MT had at least five wins through the first six games of a season was 2001 when those Raiders started 5-1.

RAIDERS AT FLOYD STADIUM

Since Floyd Stadium opened in 1933, the Blue Raiders have compiled an overall mark of 286-116-13 (.700), including a record 31-game win streak from 1987-94.
Under Rick Stockstill, the Blue Raiders are 38-19 overall at Floyd Stadium and 25-12 in conference games (12-1 vs C-USA and 12 straight wins). MT has a 19-3 record at home in its last 22 games.
Since 2007, MT has had home games against Virginia, Maryland, Mississippi State, Minnesota, Georgia Tech, BYU and Vandy. MT will host Vandy in 2017, Duke in 2019 and Missouri in 2022.

MT ON HOMECOMING
Middle Tennessee has an overall mark of 51-23-2 on Homecoming and has won 22 of the past 28. The Blue Raiders fell to Vanderbilt, 17-13, in last year's Homecoming game. The six losses during this stretch came against Troy in 1999, Louisiana-Lafayette in 2005 and 2007, ULM in 2012, ECU in 2013 and VU last year. The Blue Raiders are 6-4 on Homecoming under Rick Stockstill.

BIG COMEBACK
Middle Tennessee's win earlier this season over Louisiana Tech went down as the largest comeback victory under 11th year Head Coach Rick Stockstill. The Blue Raiders were down 27-7 in the third quarter and successfullly overcame the 20-point deficit. The largest comeback under Stockstill previous to the LA Tech came was 17 points against Memphis in 2011 and FIU in 2012.

SECOND HALF RAIDERS
In 2016, the Blue Raiders have proved to be a very strong second half team. For the year, MT is outscoring the opposition, 78-34, in the second half and own a 61-20 advantage the last three games combined.

MATHERS HAS NOSE FOR END ZONE
Running back I'Tavius Mathers truly has a nose for the end zone. Through five games, Mathers has 10 touchdowns and ranks 3rd nationally in scoring. The senior owns nine touchdowns over the past three games and has scored eight of the team's last 11 six pointers. The career record at MT for touchdowns is 24 set by Dwone Hicks in 2001.

THE I-TRAIN IS ROLLING
Over the last three games, there may not be a more productive player in the country than I'Tavius Mathers. In the three games, Mathers has combined for 455 rushing yards, 184 receiving yards and nine touchdowns (seven rushing, two receiving). He is also averaging 7.7 yards a touch (83) during that span.

MATHERS SECOND 100-100 GUY
Senior I'Tavius Mathers, playing his first and final season for MT after transferring from Ole Miss, became just the second player in school history to total at least 100 yards rushing and 100 yards receiving in the same game. The first player to also do this in the NCAA this year, Mathers finished with 157 yards on the ground and 103 in receiving against Bowling Green. Don Calloway was the first player at MT to accomplish the feat (2000 vs ULL).

NATIONAL PRESENCE
The season is five games old but quarterback Brent Stockstill is making his presence known nationally. The sophomore enters the WKU game ranked in the Top 10 nationally in four different statistical categories. The lefty is 9th in touchdown passes, 5th in completions per game, 10th in passing yards per game, and 8th in total offense.